What is Hoarding?
There are many different levels of clutter which makes clutter cleaning and hoarding cleaning a specialized task. Some people have organized clutter, some have feces in their clutter, and sometimes occupants cannot walk through their home.
How do you determine how severe your hoarding or clutter issues are? Many common factors can include blockage of an entrance or exit way in the house or if your stairway is easily accessible. Is the flow of air coming through your ventilation system or is it blocked by items of hoarding and clutter? These are some common questions that can help you determine how severe the problem has become and if you need professional, large-scale cleaners.
Frost and Hartl’s (’96) definition of clinical hoarding is:
- The acquisition of, and failure to discard, a large number of possessions that appear to be of useless or of limited value.
- Living spaces sufficiently cluttered so as to preclude activities for which those spaces were designed.
- Significant distress or impairment in functioning caused by the hoarding.
Large Scale Cleanup Precautions
The task of cleaning a hoarding or a gross filthy home can be challenging and often overwhelming for a homeowner or their family members. Many times it will involve cleaning a building or residence that a reasonable person would find uninhabitable due to a combination of issues. The task of cleaning and deodorizing can be challenging and often impossible for an individual untrained in these areas. In addition, those given the task must be trained in identifying, locating and safely eliminating bio hazards. These can include:
- Dead Rodents
- Fecal Matter
- Animal Urine and Feces
- Mold or Mildew
- Stains, Odors and Other Contaminants
- Contaminated Insulation
Many of the aforementioned can contribute to serious illnesses if proper precautions are not taken while cleaning.
Resolving Hoarding Issues
It is the help of the hoarder and family members that enable cleanup technicians to locate and identify documents, personal belongings, and keepsakes that should be kept. This cooperation and family involvement is important and often helps to convince the hoarder to discard items that are not needed.
We do not want to rush a person through the process. It can be a difficult and time-consuming progression to convince a hoarder to allow someone into their home, especially if personal items are going to be disturbed. Our staff understands this and will work with them in a kind and considerate manner.
For all your hoarding cleanup needs throughout Kansas, call Lamunyon Dry Out & Foundation Repair for Northern Central Kansas cleanup, which includes: Abilene, Clay Center, Ellsworth, Hays, Salina, Manhattan, Junction City, Russell, Topeka, Wamego, Wichita and more surrounding KS areas. All of our work is covered by a 1-year general warranty (excluding mold testing & remediation).
