If you are a hoarder and you want to finally clean and declutter your home; you are going to need help. And cleaning after a hoarder is a sensitive task, especially if you’re helping a hoarder clean their home. There are a number of ways to help make it easier to clean with or for a hoarder and then there are other ways you can make it more difficult for yourself. If you are helping a hoarder clean their home, it becomes a major psychological battle rather than a cleaning one. If you’re going to help a hoarder clean their home, American Hometown Services will share the Do’s and Don’ts to make you’re cleaning more successful.
Help for Hoarders; How to Start Decluttering
Remember to put yourself in the mind of the hoarder. Much of their hoarding is emotion based. Many items hold a memory which is why before you say everything is junk, ask them about the item and why they kept it. The items with deep emotions attached to them should be put off to the side. Now there are those who think everything they have can be used at a later time. These items you will want to start with. Those that can be recycled or donated will be the easiest to dispose of. Convince them that although they are right about those things, they aren’t doing anyone any good to have them sitting there doing nothing. Tell them they can be donated or recycled and put to good use. Make sure you are willing to compromise on what is important to them. Don’t clean their home by removing all of their items or trash at once. You may need to spread out the cleaning in sections to help the hoarder slowly let go of their treasures. As you tackle cleaning up after a hoarder, start with those items that can be recycled and donated first. In many cases, this helps remove 70% of the hoarded items. The next step to is to clean and organize. Put the most valuable items away and organize them by priority. As the space in closets, dressers, and cabinets begin to fill, you can show them that the leftover items are of lesser importance and they should consider selling or donating them. If an item holds emotional value or is part of family history, consider passing them to a child or other family member who may also enjoy collecting a piece of family history.
Hoarder Cleaning Checklist; What Not to Do
When you begin helping a hoarder clean their home, never make fun or belittle the items they believe hold great value. This may be enough for them to excuse you and no longer seek help in cleaning up their home. As you begin to clean never say this “ALL” needs to go. That too can send them into a panic and decide they will handle the cleaning themselves, which they most likely won’t do. Never lose patience, get angry, or become stressed with them or with the cleaning. As you take on such a task, we often create a “cleaning or get rid of” list. If you find you need to create a list, it is better to keep it to yourself. Hoarders may not agree with your list and rebel and sabotage your efforts. Remember you don’t want a hoarder to decide they don’t need to clean their home or need help when they do. Never provoke them and make them feel embarrassed or they may decide to abandon the cleaning project.
Hoarder Cleaning Services & More in Quincy, Macomb, Hamilton, Warsaw & East Alton Illinois | Hannibal, Missouri
If you need professional help cleaning after a hoarder, contact American Hometown Services. We provide hoarder cleaning along with many other valuable services. Contact American Hometown Services today.
