Hoarding and Extreme Cleanup Services
Are mail and newspapers stacking up throughout the house and now spilling onto the floor? Do you climb over furniture to get from room to room? Is it increasingly difficult to find a place to sit or sleep? Is food spoiling in the refrigerator or being left out on the counter? Is garbage everywhere?
If you are a hoarder or know someone who is grappling with similar issues, feeling overwhelmed or embarrassed by the condition of the home, you are not alone. It is estimated that over 3 million Americans struggle with hoarding and the problems associated with poor sanitation, severe health issues, and the increased risk to personal safety.
Clutter, trash, and animal waste often lead to mold and insect infestation that can cause serious respiratory and other health problems. Poor sanitation can be particularly unsafe for those with a compromised immune system. According to the Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services, “ammonia levels from accumulations of urine and feces can easily exceed maximum occupational exposure limits, and can be harmful to persons with cardiac or respiratory dysfunction.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that people sensitive to molds may experience “nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing, or skin irritation”.
Hoarding, typically characterized by mass amounts of personal belongings including clothes, books, junk mail, household supplies, and even flammable items can make it extremely difficult for first responders like firefighters or emergency medical personnel to enter the home. Entrances are blocked and once in the home it can be virtually impossible to navigate between rooms.
When utility bills get buried in the mounds of paper piling up around the house, the situation is even worse. The electricity is shut off and lit candles may wind up in close proximity to stacks and stacks of highly flammable material.
It’s not only the lack of electricity that exacerbates a hoarding problem. Animal infestations pose another serious health concern, especially once the water is shut off. The New York Times reports, “Residents may urinate in bottles and defecate in the yard. Bacteria invade. Maggots feast. Vermin burrow”. Left unresolved, these pests will continue to breed and the situation will only deteriorate.
People are not the only ones at risk. Dogs, cats and other pets are helpless victims of hoarding too. They are also subject to diseases and often become unwilling participants in making the problem even worse.
The professionals at Wet2Dry Solutions understand the impact hoarding has on individuals, families, and property. During the clean out process, clients receive patient and respectful help to ensure the process goes smoothly. Our goal is to successfully resolve the situation while assuring clients always have a sense of control over the process.
Prior to any work beginning, we meet with both individuals and family members to understand what is important to everyone involved to be sure we honor any special requests. We continue to work with the client throughout the entire process to ensure that we balance exercising our professional discretion with input from our clients.
Our solutions offer full property clean up, trash removal, odor elimination, sanitation, and disinfection. We can also repair or restore any surface or structural damage to the property so that a house becomes a clean and safe home one again.
