How often do you wash?

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I hate to point out the obvious, but isn't this thread way off based on usual Aspie's "hygiene issues" ?

I've always heard/read that it's something Aspies have to conciously do. I have problems remembering to clean (myself and my surroundings) unless I'm focusing on it, like I feel uncomfortable because the weather is hot or there is company coming over, etc.

I don't remember to do the dishes until I go into the kitchen because I'm hungry and then wham - there's a big stack that I've left and just forgotten all about. It's a bummer too, if you're starving you don't want to start an hour long kitchen cleaning ordeal. And I normally don't head to the kitchen until I'm past starving - I forget to eat at times.

Not being good at cleaning is one of the things I was relieved to find out that Aspies generaly shared. It was one of the things that made me feel less like a weirdo when I realized others had the same issues.

It's so much worse when I'm involved in a project. I have been known to work on something or play (if it's a game) on something and not sleep, not eat, not wash, just be zoned in. Unless someone breaks in and changes my focus and alerts me to the things I'm overlooking.

I have a little note by my computer that says "Am I Cold?" because I tend to sit here with bare feet or not enough on and don't realize I'm just freezing. My husband will come and tell me I don't have enough on at times. Or he'll come in and feel my hands and scold me for getting so cold. Sounds silly but I put up the note and I'm much better about remembering to put on more clothes. Not because I feel cold but because I know I should and the note helps me to be alerted to it.

I can't believe I'm the only one here to state these things. Are you folks Aspies?

:> earthmom

Hello earthmom,

I think it's interesting you brought all this up. First, maybe not every one of us are Aspies, but I think most of us are. I know I am and I still can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing, it's just the way I am I guess.

You have to remember too the autistic spectrum is wide so in my opinion, and based on what I've read, no 2 Aspies are exactly alike. Even in the movie "Mozart and the Whale" the guy needed clutter but the girl was the opposite, she liked for everything to be neat.

I’m the kind of Aspie who has clutter. I’ve been that way all of my life, like growing up my bedroom was always a mess. I wouldn’t say I forget to clean, I just have better things to do, like sit and ponder my obsessions or post on WP or I get so wrapped up in my own world I just overlook it. Hey, why not put off what you can do tomorrow? And if it doesn’t get done then, oh well. I do clean, but I only do it half fast, which translates to half-assed, which means I never really get it done completely. I clean enough to keep mold from growing but I’m just not good at keeping the clutter up or tidying. I sometimes think I can’t live right if there’s not clutter.

Last spring my sister stayed with me for a week and she’s really neat. She had everything all cleaned up and the put in its place. After she left though I went and put everything back the way I had it, cluttered, all the while mumbling to myself how she shouldn’t have done that. The kitchen does pile up and when I’m out of clean dishes I clean it all up and start over again. Of course, when my sister was here, never was there a dirty dish.

I’m not married so I have to “check” myself I guess on almost everything. I have to keep really close track of bills otherwise things would be getting shut off left and right. I have forgotten to eat at times or go to the bathroom when I'm out somewhere because my mind gets so wrapped up in things, I mean I don't wet my pants or anything, I just get to the point where I have to hurry up and go. Sometimes I too realize I’m too cold or hot and don’t know how long I’ve been that way.

As for showering or bathing, please don't take me wrong, I’m only explaining the way I think, I’m not saying you stink or anything. For me though, I don't think I could ever "forget" to clean myself. However, there are many days I just simply don't want to but I don't want to stink either. I very seldom feel dirty so I do it mostly out of fear of stinking and drawing attention to myself so I don’t forget for that reason. To stink would mean to bring attention to myself which is not an option. Ok, I’ve said enough.

Hygiene was never my forte through most of my teenage years. My skin wasn't particularly happy about that, so I started taking care of myself more regularly. I never really cared about cleaning before then. Now I'm more or less obsessed about it.

Normally I shower once in the morning, before and after I exercise, and again in the evening. I hate reusing towels or rags, and I can't stand using bars of soap either. I'd rather clean myself with shampoo if there's no liquid soap around. Thinking on it, I've probably spent a lot more money than I ever intended to on cleaning myself.

I hate cleaning, but like most things I never do it half assed. I prefer to be as efficient as possible. If I set it in my mind to clean the dishes, I'll clean them, dry them, and put them back in their respective spots as fast as I can manage without sacrificing the quality of my work. Before I am willing to clean them though, generally speaking, both sinks and the drying rack have to be full.

I should probably hire a maid to keep my house up. Then again they'd actually have to come in my house to do that, so it's something of a conundrum for me. =) I doubt whoever it was would do a good enough job too. I hate taking my car to a shop for that exact reason.

What's wrong with being cold?

What's wrong with being cold?

It's just a point that at times I get so focused I will not recognize things that need to be attended to - eating, sleeping, dressing properly, etc. Being underdressed and very cold lowers your resistance and can make you sick.

When I do clean I do the same as you - when my focus does turn to doing the cleaning I do an amazingly detailed job. It's all a matter of focus. Most of the time, cleaning is the last thing on my mind, but when it's center stage I give it all of my energy and do a great job.

Well, I'm exactly like this with everything but my self. My husband gets so mad at me sometimes for not cleaning something around the house, and I can't even see what needs cleaning; I don't even notice it! But when it's my own body, well, I can feel that. My head starts getting itchy when my hair needs to be washed, and my skin starts feeling too greasy... I can't ignore it, I need to have a shower. (Although I too don't notice if my feet are too cold etc.)
I also can't really forget to eat; I have some kind of alien-freak metabolism that requires me to eat frequently or I start to get pain in my stomach and light-headed.
If I could do away with the need for sleep, I'd be happy. I feel like it's such a waste of time, I could be reading or studying or researching something... learning!

I'm not diagnosed, but I do have to make the effort to remember to wash most times or I go days without bathing. Same thing with any aspect of my hygiene except for, well, "down there". THAT part stays clean. But as I said before in this thread, I don't think about it, I'm too busy doing other things and I have to be told to shower by my boyfriend, but he kinda forgets himself and he's most certainly and NT, so...

Could be OCD/aspie related. *Having* to wash is comon in OCD isn't it?

I don't like being wet. I never eat when I'm wet. I often go to the beach, and grill up a steak, but I never eat till I'm dry. I do wash every day, but I don't like it. I'm told aspies are sensitive to tempriture, this is true for me, and makes showering a little uncomfortable--always too hot or too cold.

Sometimes I don't like the way the water feals, fortunatly I now have a Speakman Anystreem. It isn't too fancy, it it lets me make the holes the water comes out bigger or smaller. This is good.

That looks like a nice shower head:

http://www.plumbersurplus.com/Prod/Spea ... 92/Cat/855