When you’re ready to do hoarder property cleanup in Irvine, it helps to have professionals who’ve done this before on your side. Many people have been introduced to the extreme hard work that goes into cleaning a hoarder house through reality television shows, but they may not understand the science behind why hoarder house cleanup has to be done properly. At Eco Bear, we understand the challenges presented during hoarder house cleanup, and we know how to handle them so that what’s left behind is a fresh, clean home that’s safe for people to live in.
What Makes Hoarder Properties So Toxic?
Your first thought may be to say, “Well of course hoarder properties are toxic. They’re dirty!” The fact is that the level of filth that’s present in hoarder houses goes far beyond “dirty” and into the realm of squalor. If you touch a surface with your bare hands in a hoarder house, the likelihood of you picking up some sort of pathogen from the biohazardous waste located there is very real.
What Is Biohazardous Waste?
Biohazardous waste is waste that has pathogens or some other sort of infectious material in it that can cause someone to become ill with a disease. Examples of pathogens are the HBV and HIV viruses or the salmonella bacteria. If a human were to become infected with these or any other pathogens, they could become very ill. The problem with hoarder houses is that they’re filled to the brim with these types of pathogens. Examples of biohazardous waste often found in hoarder houses include human waste, spoiled food, animal waste, sewage, and bodily fluids. The sheer volume of this type of waste in a hoarder house drastically increases someone’s chance of contamination.
What Other Types of Risks Exist in Hoarder Houses?
In addition to the risk of being exposed to biohazards, there’s also the very real risk that comes from being in a home filled with giant stacks of garbage and junk. There’s no rhyme or reason to what is collected, and everything is piled into rooms haphazardly. This means that entering any room is usually a challenge and always a risk. Simply opening a door could cause just about anything to fall on top of you, causing serious injuries.
You also don’t know what will happen when you reach into a pile of items. There could be sharp items hidden away that you’re not aware of until it’s too late.
What Does the Hoarder House Cleaning Process Look Like in a Nutshell?
Always remember that every house is different, so each will have its own action plan. The basics, however, are as follows.
Make an Assessment
The team will come to the house and get a thorough overview of what needs to be done. This assessment will include information like how many rooms need to be done, what needs to be done in each room, what tools and machines will be needed, and a rough estimate of how long they think the process will take.
Clear out Trash
The next move will be to remove all trash from the house. Refuse will be divided between biohazardous waste and regular trash. Biohazardous waste must be stored in special containers in order to ensure that the contents don’t contaminate any other items.
Cleaning and Disinfecting
The next step will be for the space to be washed down. Each area will be washed down using OSHA-approved cleaners, solvents, and disinfectants. This will help ensure that pathogens are eliminated and the home is truly safe enough to be lived in again.
Disposal
Dumpsters carrying all of the junk and trash collected from the house will be driven away. The special containers and bags containing the biohazardous waste will be taken to a waste facility where it will be destroyed.
How Do the Cleaners Protect Themselves During Cleanup?
To protect themselves from biohazards and other dangers on site, cleaners wear full PPE so that they’re completely protected. They wear coveralls that completely cover their clothes. They were shoe covers or special boots that repel spills. They’re never without face shields, respirators, or face masks that help protect their eyes, noses, and mouths.
They also work together to make sure that they’re safe during particularly challenging parts of hoarder cleanup. This will help when moving bulk items or when entering spaces where there’s an unusually large amount of biohazardous waste.
Cleaning a hoarder house is extremely challenging mentally, physically, and emotionally. We understand that there are all sorts of milestones to pass, especially when the person who is hoarding still lives in the home. Know that if we work with you, we will approach each job with the dignity and empathy that everyone deserves. Reach out to us if you have any questions about hoarder property cleanup in Irvine.