Mental health experts explain that 2% to 6% of the American population has hoarding disorder. This disorder is characterized by three issues, which include:
- Compulsively acquiring more items
- Not getting rid of items
- Distress at the idea of stopping acquiring or starting to get rid of things
The symptoms of hoarding disorder usually start in a person’s childhood or teenage years, but they tend to be mild early in life. As a person gets older, the compulsion to collect and retain items becomes stronger. By the time a person reaches middle age, their environment may be fully hoarded. Eco Bear is a professional cleaning company offering hoarder property cleanup in Whittier, CA. Our team of skilled cleaners understands how to safely deal with the hazards in a hoarded property. We treat you and your property with compassion, respect and honesty, making us the right choice to clear any type of hoarded property in Whittier.
What Hoarding Disorder Does to a Person
A person with hoarding disorder often feels frustrated by their living conditions. You may have trouble finding things you know you have. This leads to buying in duplicate or triplicate, worsening the hoard. You may also have a hard time navigating through your home. After years of hoarding behavior, hallways and stairs usually fill up with tall piles of stuff. Those piles can topple and injure you. Items spilled onto the floor may cause you to trip and fall.
Many people with hoarding disorder feel embarrassed about their disorder and the way they live. You may stop inviting people into your home, which impacts your friendships and social network. Your family may be frustrated with you. If others live with you, they may be unable to have normal social relationships due to the hoard. Your sleep, health and personal hygiene may also suffer as a result of hoarding disorder.
About 75% of people with hoarding disorder have another mental health condition. Some common co-existing conditions include anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Your anxiety or depression may interfere with your ability to get rid of items in the hoard.
How Hoarding Disorder Affects a Home
A hoarded home can’t be used the way it’s intended. Items piled in the bathroom may make it impossible for you to use the toilet, bathtub, shower or sink. If one of those fixtures is in disrepair, you may not be able to have a plumber come into your home and make repairs.
Items piled on kitchen countertops, tables and appliances make it difficult to prepare meals or cook in the kitchen. Your dining room may be unusable. Living areas may have nowhere to sit. The doors to your home may be partly blocked, which makes it difficult for you to get in and out. The narrow paths and inability to open the door mean that if you have a medical emergency or a fire in your home, emergency medical technicians and firefighters won’t be able to get inside to help you.
Hoards with rotting food or human or animal waste encourage mold growth. If a fixture is leaking, you might not notice it because of the hoard. This could lead to mold growth, rotting floors and walls and serious structural damage. The weight of a hoard could cause beams, joists and sub-flooring to buckle.
How Hoarding Disorder Impacts a Neighborhood
Hoarding disorder doesn’t just impact you. It also impacts the people who live near you. If the hoard spills outdoors, your neighbors may be unhappy. The items detract from their enjoyment of their property. The items may attract pests. Those pests won’t just stay in your yard. They’ll move into the neighbors’ yards and homes, too. If your hoard is visible from the street, code enforcement may come knocking at your door. You could be in violation of health and building codes. This can lead to steep fines or jail time if you don’t clean the property.
Why Hoarder Property Cleaning in Whittier Is Needed
Your property didn’t become full overnight. It took a while to get this way. However, you might be facing penalties or angry neighbors or family members. Your own health and well-being are important, too. Trying to clear a hoarded property yourself is an overwhelming prospect. That’s why Eco Bear is ready to help you. We get the property cleaned in a short period of time. This helps you avoid legal action and helps you repair relationships with family, friends and neighbors. Our cleaning services include full restoration of your property. You’ll be able to live in a safe and sanitary environment after we clear your hoarded home.
What Eco Bear Can Do for Your Hoarded Property
Our skilled cleaners are trained to safely handle any type of hazard in a hoarded home. Some of the hazards we often encounter include:
- Moldy items
- Rotted food and trash
- Holes in floors and stairs
- Human and animal waste
- Medical waste
- Pests
Most individuals aren’t trained on how to safely bag and properly dispose of these items, which is why it’s a good idea to leave the cleaning to us. Our cleaning team wears personal protective equipment in order to minimize exposure to mold, dust, biological waste and other hazards. We set aside salvageable items for you.
Why You Should Choose Eco Bear for Hoarder Property Cleaning in Whittier
Eco Bear’s team treats you with kindness and respect. Our compassion means that we won’t judge you or your home. We work with individuals, families and people who have inherited a hoarded property or who own a property that was hoarded by tenants. Safety is our priority, and we guarantee satisfaction with our hoarder property cleaning services in Whittier.