Did you know that millions of Americans are known to suffer from a certain kind of disorder known as hoarding? If you happen to know someone like a close friend, a colleague, or a family member who loves to collect tons of stuff without any apparent purpose, they can be classified as a hoarder. Dealing with these kinds of people is not as easy as it seems, especially if they are in denial of their current situation. Cleaning a house that is overflowing with random stuff and junk is not an easy thing to do. Everything that you see around you is overwhelming, and it is challenging to figure out how and where to start cleaning. Some hoarders will even do everything in their power to stop you from cleaning their place. As challenging as it is, you need to help out hoarders by transforming their home, making it livable once again. Here are some helpful tips to get you started.

Assess the situation carefully

Before getting inside the house, it is best to do a thorough inspection. Most hoarders think that the majority of their possessions are valuable and could be used in the future. These things pile up inside the house, which compromises the space and the safety of the people living there. Before making a move to throw some of the items away, it would be best to create a plan on how to start cleaning. Work directly with the hoarder so you can determine the root cause of the problem.

Do not forget to wear safety gear

Never attempt to clean a messy home using your bare hands and wearing regular clothes. You can never tell what things you will discover once you start sorting through piles of stuff. It is better to take the necessary precautions by wearing the appropriate cleaning gear. Equip yourself with disposable rubber gloves, face mask, goggles, and heavy-duty work boots to keep you safe at all times.

Bring a lot of cleaning materials

When you are dealing with a hoarding situation, the main goal is to finish cleaning, sorting, and sanitizing the area as soon as possible. That is why you need to have a supply of cleaning supplies like trash bags, rags, disinfectants, and large plastic boxes. Also, do not forget to bring other essential cleaning equipment such as brooms, dustpans, mops, pail, a vacuum cleaner, etc. Once you finish cleaning everything, it is normal for you to feel proud of what you have accomplished over the last couple of days.

Seek help from professionals

Getting rid of a truckload of junk is quite challenging to do on your own. You will need help from junk removal services that will help you manage the situation from beginning to end. They will be able to discuss the situation with you and come up with an effective strategy that will help stop any hoarding issue.