Trash Removal and Cleaning Services in Hoarding Situations

Compulsive hoarding is a pattern of behavior in which individuals accumulate vast quantities of objects and

exhibit an inability or unwillingness to discard these objects. If left untreated, hoarding can make a home

almost completely unlivable and can lead to significant health risks, impaired functioning, economic burden

and a number of other adverse effects for hoarders and their friends and family members. Over the past

several years, a number of television programs have helped to bring much needed attention to this

debilitating disorder. As a result, many compulsive hoarders are able to get the help they need to get their

lives back in order. The task of regaining control of a hoarder’s home alone can be very overwhelming when

considering the sheer volume of debris it may contain. When this task is further complicated by the hoarder’s

own disorder, it can easily become traumatic for everyone involved. In addition to recruiting a behavioral

specialist, those looking for help in resolving a hoarding situation should also hire a professional cleaning and

trash removal service.

In hoarding situations, using a professional cleaning and trash removal services in conjunction with a

behavioral specialist can mean the difference between a successful and disastrous intervention. Helping a

hoarder clean their home involves a significant amount of planning long before the project can even begin.

The most difficult part is getting the permission of the hoarder to clean the home. Once permission has been

given the hoarder, behaviorist and cleaning crew must work together to ensure that consideration and respect

are given to the hoarder. Failure to do this can actually be detrimental to the hoarder’s emotional state,

leading to anxiety, depression and regression. Although enlisting the help of friends and family instead of

hiring a professional cleaning and trash removal service might seem like a good idea, individuals that are

unaware or insensitive to a hoarder’s emotional needs can actually hurt the cleanup process.

In addition to the emotional considerations involved in cleaning up a hoarding situation, there are also

significant physical demands as well as safety issues to consider. In a most cases hoarders have been collecting

items for many years. The mountain of debris they may accumulate in that time can seem insurmountable.

Not only is it impossible to know where to begin, progress can be painstakingly slow. Hours of work may result

in only a very small area of a home being cleared. Depending on the scope of the c leanup it can take a

professional trash crew of six or more people, a very large dumpster and several days to sift through all the

items in a hoarder’s home. As debris is cleaned from the home, cleaners run the risk of injury from falling

stacks of debris. It is not uncommon to find spoiled or rotten food, vermin such as mice and rats and even

deceased or missing pets. Having the correct safety gear to prevent injury or the spread of disease or illness is

imperative. For those choosing to clean up a hoarder’s home themselves, arranging the right help, safety gear,

and trash equipment in order to clean the home can be a nightmare. While hiring a professional trash removal

and cleaning service might seem expensive, when you consider the value it is one of the best investments you

can make. These trained professionals not only bring all the safety gear and equipment needed to handle a

hoarding situation, they have the knowledge and expertise to help ensure the cleanup is successful.

Vacant Interiors of Denver has been providing a wide variety of professional services, including Colorado

trashout and junk removal and cleaning services, to its customers since 2004. Vacant Interiors specializes in

cleaning, trash removal, painting, carpeting or vinyl flooring, tile work, repair services and more. They are also

EPA-certified in lead remediation. For more information on Vacant Interiors, please call 303-472-8026 or visit

http://www.vacantinteriorsdenver.com.