The excessive pursuit of cleanliness can bring many problems to your mental and even physical health. It sounds contradictory, but when you cross the line, what was supposed to be favorable becomes harmful.

With regard to physical damage, there are currently a number of chemical products on the market aimed at eliminating any type of dirt or microorganism, which promise to exterminate bacteria and thus promise a better life. It must be understood that they are chemical products, so we have to take every care to handle them so that they do not cause us contamination and affect our immune system. 

The best thing to do is to use chemical cleaning products in a balanced, precise and attentive way, always reading the instructions on the products so as not to suffer physical or allergic damage.

With regard to mental damage, the compulsion to clean can really affect a person's mental health when it becomes an obsession with keeping everything clean and worrying all the time about dirt, germs and also the constant need to check that everything is clean and in place, thus stopping socializing with other people to clean the house, the car, etc. Symptoms usually start slowly and gradually increase.

The exact cause of the mania for cleanliness and organization is still being studied, but there are some factors that can result in this type of disorder:

• Stress
• Previous traumatic experiences
• Depression
• Family history of OCD
• Anxiety disorder

Is there treatment? And how is it done?

Treatment for this type of disorder, which is an exaggerated mania for cleaning, is carried out through psychotherapy sessions, using the cognitive-behavioral technique.

It's always important to realize yourself, to take a closer look at yourself and how you're leading your life on a daily basis. If you notice that something is exaggerated, such as a thought or an action, it's important to identify it and seek help.