Cleaning up a loved one’s house from Hoarding is a difficult task. This involves convincing them that what they have accumulated is not precious or valuable. Our goal is to remove the debris and potentially hazardous collection of items that are cluttering up the living space. Our proven cleaning methods sterilize, disinfect, and return the home to a healthy environment. It is beneficial to the homeowner and their family to clean the home and avoid viruses, bacteria, and possibly vermin infestation. Rodents are drawn to piles of garbage to make their nests and to leave their waste material. Hoarding creates opportunities for mold to grow among the debris because humidity and organic material are prime breeding grounds for black mold. We want to help people rid their lives of this potentially hazardous environment.
How to clean a hoarder’s house
Dealing with hoarding disorder is difficult on so many levels. Managing the individual can be emotionally draining, especially if they don’t agree that there’s a problem. Knowing where to start cleaning in a home that’s packed with clutter is overwhelming. These steps will help you take control of the situation, sort through items in a hoarder’s home, and clean and sanitize it so it’s safe to live in again.
Evaluate the area and create a cleaning strategy.
People in hoarding situations lack the ability to distinguish items that are valuable from worthless items, so they tend to accumulate lots of them, afraid of losing one item that might be useful someday. These items quickly pile up and block access to areas of the home. The piles harbor dust, mold, insects, and vermin, making living conditions unhealthy and increasing the risks of fires. It’s important to approach the hoarder and work with them on the situation. Doing a major cleanup without them present won’t address the underlying reasons why they collect in the first place and will create a sense of resentment. Don’t try to do it all on your own; get help from others or hire a professional cleaning company. Doing heavy lifting on your own can be dangerous, and having help makes the job go faster. Develop a cleaning plan to address what kind of supplies and equipment will be needed, along with an idea of how much time this project might take.
Be sure to protect yourself.
It’s impossible to know what’s in those piles inside the home, so be ready for almost anything with protective gear and equipment. Wear disposable gloves, eye protection, and a dust mask to avoid contact with allergens, as well as sturdy shoes or boots and a hard hat. Have a fire extinguisher, bug spray, a flashlight, and first aid kit available to cope with anything you may encounter. You may run across broken glass, flammable materials, or insects that start biting when disturbed. If you encounter biohazardous materials, call a professional restoration company immediately. These materials can’t be legally discarded in household trash.
Collect plenty of cleaning supplies
A project of this size will require a great deal of cleaning supplies because you don’t want to have to stop and make a supply run in the middle of the job. These items are necessary when cleaning a hoarding situation:
• Heavy duty trash bags;
• Empty boxes;
• Buckets and mops;
• All-purpose cleansers/disinfectants;
• Sponges/wipes/cleaning cloths;
• Broom/dust pan;
• Vacuum cleaner and extra bags if necessary;
• Step ladder;
• Shovel;
• A set of hand tools.
A dumpster is necessary to hold all the discarded items that would overwhelm trash cans. Contact the city’s sanitation department for information on rates, as well as pickup and delivery information. Set up a staging area outside to sort through items; a covered area may be necessary if the job can’t be completed in a day.
The problem with other cleaning companies is that they don’t always have their employee’s best interests at heart. If the people doing the cleaning aren’t wearing respirators, rubber gloves, and a Tyvek suit then they are putting their own employee’s health at risk. This is not a negotiable issue. Our people are always fitted with proper PPE (PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT). If a company can’t protect its own employees, how are they going to protect you? We can protect you, but you have to give us a call. We will come out to assess the situation in order to give you a free quote. Ask for Jeff (the owner) on site for every job! 631-961-9644.
