A family member struggling with hoarding tendencies often deals with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues that make it difficult to actually clean hoarding. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the thought of cleaning a hoarder's house, don't worry. We've got some tips to help you get started. Our restoration technicians at Bio-One of Chula Vista are ready to help ease the cleanup process.
If you or someone you know is struggling with hoarding, it can be difficult to know how to help. The first step is understanding what Hoarding Disorder (HD) is and why it's important to have a mental health professional help. Hoarding cleaning means decluttering and cleaning up a hoarder's home. While it can be daunting, it's important to remember that hoarders are not lazy or messy people.
Understand What Hoarding Disorder Is
Hoarding Disorder (HD) is a mental health disorder that causes a persistent inability to discard or give away possessions because of an unreasonable need to save them. Regardless of how useful a hoarding cleaning service may appear, a person with HD dreads the prospect of losing their belongings.
While people with HD may accumulate many items, they don’t need or use, they may also hoard useless items like newspapers, old magazines, food, or clothes. These hoardings can take up so much space that the person’s home becomes cluttered and unusable. Occasionally, hoarders may live in squalor, with little room to move or even sit.
The Importance of Having a Mental Health Professional Help
A hoarder’s mental state is so mired in their hoard that it can be difficult for them to let go of anything, even if it’s garbage. That’s why it’s important to have professional help with the hoard cleaning process.
A mental health professional can help better understand hoarding situations and how it impacts their lives. They can also help develop a plan to deal with the hoarding in a way that is less distressing for the hoarder.
If you or someone you know is dealing with hoarding disorder, don’t hesitate to find professional help. A hoarder’s house is not only cluttered and unsanitary but can also be dangerous. Fires, for example, start more easily in homes with excessive clutter, and it's also a place for rodents, cockroaches, and other pest infestations.
A professional cleaning company can make all the difference in helping hoarders get their lives back on track. At Bio-One, our technicians utilize protective gear and cleaning supplies to restore homes to safe, adequate living conditions while recovering all salvageable items and removing all the discarded items.
Tips to Clean Hoarding Safely
1. Start small. Don't try to tackle the entire hoard at once. Choose one area or one type of item to focus on and go from there.
2. Sort items into categories. You might find all sorts of times during a hoarder house cleaning. Organize things in at least three categories: things you need for the home, things that could be stored in a designated area of the home, and things that you don't need, even if they're in good condition.
3. Donate items that are in good condition. There's no need to keep hoarder items that others can reuse.
4. Discard items that are damaged or beyond repair. These items are taking up valuable space and will only continue to accumulate dust.
5. Create a storage plan. Once you've decluttered, devise a plan for storing the items you're keeping. This will help to prevent future hoarder buildup.
Following these tips, you can start to clean hoarding safely. Remember to take it one step at a time, and you'll eventually get through the entire project. If you're feeling overwhelmed and don't know how to address hoarding, Bio-One is ready to help. We can safely dispose of any items from the property.
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Hoarding cleanup and Recovery services
Locally owned, Bio-One of Chula Vista works closely with emergency responders, hoarding task forces, public service agencies, and other organizations to provide the most efficient service possible:
- Hoarding cleanup
- Animal hoarding cleanup
- Decluttering
- Gross filth cleanup
- Deep clean
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- Hazardous waste disposal
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