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If you have hoarding tendencies or your loved one is affected by this problem, it might be challenging to clean up and organize the house. In general, hoarding causes people to have difficulties throwing anything away. Consequently, the house will be filled with useless items and cluttered with insurmountable messes. Under ideal circumstances, it is advisable to consult a cleaning and junk hauling service for hoarder help. However, you can also tackle the problem using a hands-on approach if you have time. Here are practical steps to help you clean and clear a hoarder’s house.
Establish a Sorting Plan
It is important to establish criteria for sorting out the items in the house when providing hoarder help. Hoarding often leads to the retention of damaged, useless and unnecessary appliances, clothes, tools, mail and other similar materials. If the unusable items are not eliminated, it will be difficult to clean and clear the home. An ideal sorting plan should help the people helping know how to identify junk. For instance, inoperable old appliances and old mail can be considered trash while items used on a regular basis can be protected.
Acquire Protective Gear
The process of cleaning a hoarder’s house can be dangerous. More often than not, the rooms will be filled with items, making it difficult to navigate the space. Also, the accumulation of junk makes it difficult to keep the house clean. It is not uncommon for the home to have a lot of dust, pests, mold and mildew. Therefore, when providing hoarder help, it is advisable to acquire appropriate protective gear to avoid injuries. Disposable gloves, safety goggles and a dust mask are essential for preventing contamination from dust and grime. Sturdy work shoes are also useful for keeping the feet safe. In addition, if there is danger of falling objects, you should wear a hard hat.
Stage the Items and Sort
You can begin by emptying out the rooms and placing the items in a chosen staging area once you have donned your protective gear. An ideal staging area would be a free open space in the outdoors where all the hoarder’s items can be temporarily placed. Ensure that the chosen stage does not block exits in case of an emergency. Once the items are in place, you can begin sorting everything according to the criteria determined earlier. Separate junk from useful and salvageable items. When emptying the rooms, it is advisable to begin with the one closest to the door. This will allow for easier navigation when clearing the further rooms. A good waste removal plan is essential when providing hoarder help. All the items determined to be junk will need to be disposed of correctly.
Finally, you can begin decluttering, organizing and cleaning the house. Identify any items which might have been overlooked or brought in after sorting and remove them. Then, organize each room in the best way before cleaning the surfaces of each room thoroughly. Reach out to us for consultation.
