The Dangers of Hoarding & How to Clean Up | SERVPRO® of East Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch

4/2/2024 (Permalink)

Hoarding in Kitchen

Have you heard someone mention “hoarding” but aren’t sure what it is? Well, it’s a mental illness that can eventually lead to dangerous conditions in a household, including an increased risk of fires and mold growth.

So, what is hoarding? Hoarding is classified as an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder that causes people to resist discarding objects and seek to acquire possessions (and sometimes animals, too) in large quantities that can take over a home.

Those affected by the condition cling to those items because they believe in their value, but most often the items have little to no value.

As these possessions are allowed to pile up in the home, they present fire hazards and can hide pests or mold growth.

But if you discover someone you love has been hoarding, what are you supposed to do? Your best step—call in a team of professionals to make the space usable again.

When you encounter a space filled up with useless or trivial items, your first inclination might be to toss the items out and clean up. But in reality, cleaning up after hoarding requires special preparation.

A professional team will provide a comprehensive clean-up that mitigates any safety hazards that may be hiding.

Because hoarding leads to piles of clutter and other objects, it can conceal dangerous hazards, including toxic mold and other pathogens, along with rodents and insects.

To ensure you are safely cleaning the space and not putting yourself at risk, partner with a team of professionals educated in safe removal principles and outfitted in the appropriate safety gear.

This is the literal clean-up phase—and it involves clearing the space of everything that’s piled up, including items like newspapers and even trash.

Because these items can become hazardous over time, professionals will ensure safe removal.

After the space has been cleared out of hoarded objects and contaminated household items like furniture and carpets, a deep-clean is the next step. During this process, professionals will take steps to remove all debris and residue, as well as mitigate any odors or stains.

In need of a team to help restore a space where hoarding has been an issue? Contact our team at SERVPRO of East Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch, and we’ll make it like it never even happened.