Watch Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners

Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners is a reality TV show that premiered on Channel 4 in 2013. The show focuses on the lives of people who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and their struggle to keep their homes spotlessly clean. The show aims to explore the challenges faced by these individuals and how they cope with the daily tasks that come with maintaining a clean house.

The show follows two groups of people: the OCD cleaners and the people who have messy homes. The OCD cleaners are sent to these homes to perform a deep-cleaning of the property. The show is formatted in such a way that it brings together people with radically different approaches to living - on the one hand, those afflicted with anxiety and obsessive behavior to the extent of being unable to function socially and in extreme cases even have suicidal ideation and serious health problems; and on the other, individuals who have come to accept having a cluttered, disorganized environment as the norm.

The show's primary focus is on the OCD cleaners whose compulsion to clean has taken over their lives. They are presented not as people who enjoy cleaning, but rather as people who are driven to clean by their illness. OCD manifests in different ways, and individuals will obsess about different things. Some of the cleaners on the show obsess over surfaces; others are concerned with order and symmetry.

One of the key elements of the show is the contrast between the OCD cleaners and the people with messy homes they are assigned to. The show casts the participants in such a way that the OCD cleaners are presented as capable and competent, while the people whose homes they are working on are often shown as bewildered by the clean freaks' dedication to cleaning. This creates a sense of tension and potential conflict, as the two groups come together to achieve a common goal but are operating on different planes.

The OCD cleaners are portrayed as likable characters, and the show highlights their difficulties and challenges. One of the main themes of the show is the coping mechanisms that OCD sufferers have, and how they can use their condition as an advantage in certain situations. The show often shows how the OCD cleaners deal with challenges such as untidy children, refusing to be overwhelmed by the mess, and powering through to get the work done.

The show is not without its criticisms, as some people feel it exploits those with OCD, and that the portrayal of OCD cleaners is not accurate or realistic. Critics argue that the show simplifies the disorder and presents the OCD cleaners as if their illness is a quirk or a personality trait, rather than a debilitating condition. There is also a concern that the show promotes the stigma of OCD, as the participants are depicted as being unable to socialize or lead normal lives.

Despite these criticisms, Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners has been successful, running for multiple seasons, and has been praised for bringing awareness to a commonly misunderstood mental health condition. It's an often touching show that sheds light on the difficulties and struggles that people with OCD face on a daily basis.

Overall, Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners is an intriguing and unique reality show that explores OCD and the different ways it manifests. It showcases the struggles of people who live with this condition and how they deal with their symptoms while helping others keep their homes clean. The show is a great watch for anyone interested in mental health issues, reality shows, or just seeing people overcome challenges in unexpected ways.