It is clear from the popularity of home organizing shows that a clean and well-ordered home is always in style. For some people, though, this goal is difficult or impossible to achieve because of various mental disorders that they struggle with. These people deal with their struggles by collecting as many material possessions as they can so that they can have a sense of security and control.
Unfortunately, if this tendency is left unchecked, it can result in a condition known as hoarding. This condition can lead to all types of troubles that will require the assistance of professionals to overcome. Medical doctors, psychiatrists, and technicians from a hoarder property cleaning company in Cypress, California, may all need to converge to help the individual overcome the struggles they’re facing.
Knowing, Yet Unwilling
In many cases, people who struggle with hoarding are aware that they have a problem. However, except in rare cases, these individuals are unable to do anything to tackle the problem themselves. This disconnect can create a challenging emotional environment when it’s time to begin overcoming this problem.
Typically, clearing out all of a person’s belongings without first consulting them is not a viable option. Most hoarders have an intense emotional connection with every item in their home, meaning that removing these items could cause significant psychological distress. Therefore, a more measured and respectful approach must be taken before you can utilize the services of a hoarder property cleaning company in Cypress, California.
As with other addictions, the first thing you must do is to get the individual with the problem to admit that a problem exists. This can be one of the most difficult steps and is something that can’t be coerced. Although a psychiatrist or psychologist can be helpful here, it’s still ultimately up to the individual with the problem to arrive at their own conclusions. Any decision that is coerced will likely lead to problems down the road.
Once the individual realizes that they have a problem, though, it is much easier to walk down the road that leads to wholeness and restoration. Along the way, you’ll likely find that a hoarder’s apparent affinity for possessions really has nothing to do with the stuff itself. Instead, hoarders are often working through unresolved trauma that they have experienced in their past, sometimes decades ago.
With so much to work through, it’s important to take your time to change the mindset of the individual and help them deal with their past. Then, when you call in a hoarder property cleaning company in Cypress, California, the results are likely to be much more successful for the long-term.
Slow and Steady
Due to the popularity of various TV shows that deal with the topic of hoarding, you may think the job of a hoarder property cleaning company in Cypress, California, is fairly easy and straightforward. However, cleaning a hoarder’s house is actually a long and slow process that definitely can’t be completed in the hour that a show allots.
Part of the reason for the slow process is to allow the individual who struggles with hoarding to choose what they want to keep and what they want to get rid of. While some obvious items, such as trash and rotting food, will be eliminated without asking, more significant items need to be discussed with the individual so that they feel in control of the situation.
Another reason that the process is slow is simply due to the large volume of items that have to be sorted through. If a hoarder has been collecting items over several years, there could be entire rooms that are completely full of thousands of random belongings. To ensure safety for the team from the hoarder property cleaning company in Cypress, California, a slow and steady approach is the best way to finish this race.
Unfortunate Discoveries
Part of the problem of hoarding is that the affected individuals tend to feel out of control of their own belongings. After all, a lot of people have a lot of possessions, but that doesn’t necessarily make them hoarders.
What sets a hoarder apart is that due to their out-of-control feeling, they stop trying to organize or take care of their belongings in any way. In many cases, this causes them to stop taking care of their homes and even themselves, to the point that their homes can become a hazardous mess that requires the assistance of a hoarder property cleaning company in Cypress, California, to address.
Underneath all of the piles of belongings that have accumulated through the years, there is often a layer of trash and dirt that can make even the strongest stomach turn. It’s not uncommon to find rotten food, animal and human feces, and even dead animals beneath the piles in a hoarder’s home. Add to that the pest infestations that accompany this filth, and you can see why professional assistance is needed when cleaning out a hoarder’s home.
To protect against any possible dangers at an affected property, technicians from a hoarder property cleaning company in Cypress, California, will wear some or all of the following personal protective equipment.
- Thick rubber boots to protect their feet from sharp objects and to ensure good grip in slippery conditions
- Thick chemical-resistant gloves to protect against punctures from sharp objects and chemical biohazards
- A respirator to prevent breathing in potentially harmful dust and fumes
- A protective biohazard suit to protect their clothes and skin
- A face shield to protect against splashes from spilling chemicals
With so much at stake when cleaning a hoarder’s house, it’s easy to understand why it’s important to select an experienced hoarder property cleaning company in Cypress, California, that has the right equipment and training to help the job go smoothly.