My mother was the only clean freak I have known and to tell you the truth she was a pain in the butt. She also was a martyr, and believe me when I tell you she made sure to tell you about how hard she slaved to keep her home spic and span. She ran a boarding house and was an excellent cook and baker, and that in itself would keep anyone happy. But the clean thing was something over the top, and she was the only person I have ever met who ironed her sheets.

Germs were her enemy and lurked everywhere, and only the harshest chemical cleaners were good enough and were used liberally. Did you wa...