'I am a clean freak' - these words have been used to describe me various times in my life. "Your OCD, you are a busybody" - the type of thing I would hear. Of course, you shouldn't underestimate our species (the clean freaks) because behind every autonomic clean there is a substantial motivation.
I suspect 'it' is a conditioned mindset which I got from my mother who was a perfectionist. Our lounges use to look like showrooms - no pet hair, no stains on the carpets and polished ornaments that would blind you seconds after you see them because it sparkled! My mom pulled it off, with the dorky 'Biggie Best' wallpaper in the background and all - the house smelled sanitised, like freshly ironed linen.
I would sleep in utmost discomfort - almost like Count Dracula with my arms crossed over on my chest, a dead stiff, - all night if I know the bedding was closer to beige then zinc white.
You need examples to justify my overwhelming 'tidying up' and 'ultra-deep cleaning', right? Well, where there is discolouration (for instance), this means something dirty is still penetrated in the fibres. Where there is a foul smell, it means bacteria are having a fun time breeding and polluting the air. IT'S GOT TO GO! In such instances, I have to clean!
The moment I wake up until I close my eyes I tag and analyse everything, to maintain excellent hygiene... And once you're there you can't shake it - you live it.