Everyone has their personal collections and stashes.
Hoarders? Well, they often take it to an extreme. It’s a mental disorder that’s hard to overcome, and they can’t always help themselves. Their obsessions can turn dangerous to their health — and that’s where others need to step in.
What can you do to help yourself or a loved one that hoards? Follow these cleaning tips for hoarders that’ll make good work of even the most extreme cases.
Table of Contents
1. Don’t Inhibit the Behavior
Notice the habits and signs of hoarding early so you can inhibit the activity.
- For you: seek professional guidance
- For them: don’t support behaviors
Cleaning will only truly begin when the hoarder comes to terms with their behavior. Overcome this hurdle, else there will be conflict throughout the entire cleanup.
2. Get the Proper Supplies
There are 5 levels of hoarding.
The high levels are extreme cases, and these situations are dangerous to a helper’s health. Extreme hoarding can see a place dirtied with trash, decomposing organic matter, and pest infestations.
Come prepared:
- Gloves
- Trash bags
- Ventilators
- Disinfectant
You may also want to arrange a large-scale dumping service. Learn about rubbish removal via https://www.samedayrubbishremoval.com.au/. Then, schedule pickup during the major cleanup days and milestones.
3. Take Your Time
It’s a big enough challenge having a hoarder say yes to decluttering. An equally big challenge is handling the situation as things get tossed out.
- Take as much time as needed to avoid causing more anxiety
- Don’t get aggressive and commanding if there’s pushback
Break down the decluttering by zone and sub-zones. Aim to tackle things one at a time while praising decisions throughout the process.
4. Get Ready to Donate / Throw Out
Expect that a lot of stuff will get discarded or donated.
Extreme cases of hoarding could see many items badly damaged or rotten. These items no longer have a use and should see proper disposal. Everything else, that’s usable, should make its way to charity organizations (if possible).
- Help them identify and connect with the main items that matter
- Encourage them to let go of those that no longer hold value
This tackles the clutter problem while also offering a semblance of guidance.
5. Get Everyone Involved
Don’t attempt tackling your hoarding disorder by yourself. Don’t attempt cleanup if it’s just you doing everything for a person, either.
Get help from those who care.
Work with close friends and family since these are the people they’ll listen to (hopefully). And if friends and family can’t convince the hoarder? Well, it’s time to bring in a professional and a cleanup crew.
Make Use of These Cleaning Tips for Hoarders
Put these cleaning tips for hoarders to good use in your home. Or, share this roundup with someone in need. Take action and nip hoarding before it becomes too overwhelming for yourself or a loved one!
Likewise: tackle the mental disorder with proper therapy and support.
Speaking of which … are you looking for more support and practical tips? Browse helpful health and lifestyle articles to support a clutter-free existence!