Hoarding is a recognized disease, and those who suffer from it have a very difficult time getting rid of things. If you’ve had a loved one who was a hoarder, you may at some point have to deal with their home. These houses are typically filled with garbage. Even items that may have once been in good condition may have deteriorated due to the environment. When this is the case, you need help. Junk King is here to assist you with hoarder junk removal in several different ways. Dealing with hoarding is never easy, and we want to do whatever we can to make the process a little simpler for you.

What is Hoarding?

Hoarding is typically defined as the inability to easily get rid of items. The hoarder believes they need to keep everything because it may have some use. They often justify this by coming up with some reason they need to keep things. For example, a hoarder may keep every newspaper they get because they claim they will need them when painting or because there’s a useful article in each issue. Empty jars may be “needed” for canning, while old plastic containers may be needed for leftovers.

While there is often some justification for some items, a hoarder goes beyond what’s justified. They don’t just keep a few plastic containers—they keep every single one they get. Hoarders in Dayton Ohio may even keep items that are obviously trash to anyone else.

Hoarders, unlike collections, don’t organize or display what they keep. They don’t see these items as something to preserve or show off. Instead, they truly have an internal need to keep them. This leads to their homes becoming so full of items that entire rooms may be filled to the ceiling. Often, hoarder homes have small paths through rooms with the rest of the space filled.

Who Does Hoarding Affect?

Hoarding is a mental disorder that can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, or other factors. However, it is most prevalent in those who are 60 or older. It also often affects those who have co-occurring conditions such as depression or anxiety. Many people with hoarding tendencies begin when they are young. Their condition isn’t as bad during these younger years, and at times it can be difficult to diagnose because they may only hoard a few things. As they age, however, they begin keeping more and more until it becomes a problem.

Hoarding doesn’t just affect the person with the condition, though. It also affects their family members and friends. The hoarder’s family may find their home being taken over by stuff. If they try to throw it out, the hoarder may get angry with them or have a breakdown. Friends may not want to come over to the hoarder’s home. Any attempt to convince the person that they have a problem is also often met with anger and denial.

How is Hoarding Treated?

Hoarding is hard to treat because those with it often don’t believe they have a problem. They don’t think what they’re doing is wrong or has any negative effects. In many cases, they truly do believe that by keeping everything, they will be able to help people later on. No one will ever go without because they will have kept exactly the right things, which to them is everything.

To that end, the only real treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy. The hoarder will work through their disorder with a licensed therapist. They will need to come to recognize that what they’re doing isn’t normal or even safe. Eventually, they will learn to let go of items, although they may always have the hoarding instinct. Those with co-occurring conditions may need medication to help them treat their anxiety or depression.

Dealing with a Hoarder Home

If you have a family member or friend who is dealing with hoarding, they may need someone to clean out their home. They may know it needs to be done, but they’re simply not capable of handling it alone. If you had a loved one who passed away who was a hoarder, you may need to completely clean out their home before it can be sold or occupied.

Hoarder trash removal is a very difficult task, but it can be done. If you’re facing this challenge, here are a few things you should keep in mind.

Make a Plan and Gather Supplies

The first step is to make a plan and gather everything you’ll need to clean out the home. This plan may include setting aside a week to tackle the home (a weekend is often not enough). You will also need a number of people on hand, especially if it’s a very full house. You’ll need gloves and, in some cases, masks. Heavy-duty trash bags are a must, too. If you know there will be a lot to throw away, you may even consider renting a dumpster.

Don’t Try to Sort Everything

You may be tempted to sort through everything and even keep some of the items. While you should certainly keep an eye out for family keepsakes, photos, and other items, do realize that a lot of stuff does need to be trashed or recycled. For example, it’s likely not worth your time to go through magazines or newspapers. Anything that is clearly trash needs to be quickly disposed of.

Work Through the Home Room by Room

You may have no place to use as a staging area at first, so you’ll need to clear up space to work. Start from the front door so you can use the porch as a temporary staging ground. Work your way through the room in whatever manner makes so sense to you and the space. In some cases, you may want to work towards the middle of the room. In other cases, you may see a section of the room that can easily be cleared. Do whatever works best for you, but don’t move on to other rooms until you have the first one dealt with.

Watch for Unclean or Unsafe Things

Hoarder homes can reach the point where they are unsafe. During the hoarder rubbish removal process, you may come across things that are unsafe. That’s why it’s important to wear gloves and, in some cases, a mask. You are likely to find spoiled food and other products. You may even come across pests such as roaches or animal droppings. Be very careful when dealing with anything that could be hazardous. When possible, sweep hazardous items into a dustpan or use a shovel instead of touching them with your hands, even if you’re wearing gloves.

Falling items are another hazard to watch out for. Stacks of boxes or papers may fall if you move the stuff next to them. Watch out that you don’t get buried under anything. Try to clean from the top-down if possible so you don’t remove items that are supporting other things.

In the absolute worst cases, the home itself may be unstable. This often happens if there has been water damage. If you’re concerned, carefully test the floor before walking on it.

How Junk King Can Help

The team at Junk King has worked with hoarder homes before, and we’re here to help. One thing many clients do who face such a large project is rent a dumpster. Our dumpsters are the ideal size for dealing with hoarding in Dayton. They are small enough that they can sit on the driveway without damaging the concrete. However, they also hold 12 cubic meters of trash, which is quite a lot. You can put furniture and other large items in these dumpsters in addition to bagged trash.

We also provide full-service hoarding rubbish removal. We will come in and remove furniture, appliances, and other items from the home and take them directly to our large trucks. We cannot take anything hazardous, so we may need you to go through and bag trash before we can take it. However, we will assist you in removing large items and garbage bags. If you have any questions about what we can help with, just give us a call. In some cases, we may be able to come in immediately.

We Recycle What We Can

Many hoarder homes contain a large number of items that can be recycled, such as magazines, newspapers, plastic cups, and cardboard. We will sort all of these items out and take them to one of our local recycling partners. Junk King of Dayton is dedicated to recycling as much as we possibly can. We understand the strain that landfills put on the environment. Many items that go in the trash can be recycled. You don’t need to sort these items out. We will take care of that at no extra cost.

We will also take out anything that can be donated and make certain it gets to a local charity or other organization that helps those in need. While the items removed from some hoarder homes are no longer in any usable condition, some are. We will search through every dumpster or truck for items that can be used and donate them.

If you have a home that belonged to hoarders in Dayton, Ohio, we can help, Call, text, or book your Junk King dumpster or trash removal service today.