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We have all come across some interesting properties we would consider buying and making our homes. Some of them require minimal labor to repair and get ready to be sold while others require some experts to clean them such as a hoarder’s house.
A hoarder is a person who has some difficulty discarding some items and prefers to hold on to them, which makes their environment hazardous to health both mental and physical.
Stepping into a hoarder’s house can be overwhelming and it’s difficult to see potential under all that clutter. A hoarder’s house doesn’t contain junk only, to some extent you might find urine, feces, and some rotting vegetables leading to difficulty in breathing. Therefore, you’re advised to wear protective clothing including gloves and gumboots while visiting such a house. You would require biohazard cleanup experts in such a scenario since they clean the house sparkling clean.
Tips on how to clean a hoarder’s house
- Self-protection
Like we mentioned earlier, hoarders are very unhygienic. Before the renovation, you need to protect yourself and other workers in the house from health hazards like parasites, dust, and molds. That’s why you will require disposable masks and gloves. Ensure you wear hard hats and solid work shoes to protect you from anything that is sharp and is left on the ground. You will also need a
- First aid kit -in case of wounds occurring. Also, OTC pain and allergy meds should be in the kit too.
- Fire extinguisher- there might be highly flammable materials that may be in the house. You need to put out the fire quickly before it causes damage.
- Flashlight- there might be poor lighting in the house. You will want to see every place in the house
- Repellent spray- there might be some pests that may already be living there.
In case you find any biohazard materials you need to call the experts to take care of them.
- Gather all the necessary tools required for renovation
Cleaning equipment and supplies are needed to remove trash from the house. Disinfectants will be sprayed in every corner of the house to kill any bacteria inhabiting the house. Tools like hammers and crowbars will be required for repairs and disassembling some items.
- Make a staging area
Set aside a staging place. This can either be the front or backyard of the house. This place will be used to sort out and go through things that are in the house. These things should not block any exits or entries to the house incase of an emergency or moving things in and out.
- Cleaning the house
When you have established a staging area and clear routes it’s time to start cleaning now. Start with small rooms like bathrooms. Since hoarders are unhygienic, pay more attention to the kitchen and bathroom, they may be harboring bacteria and pests. Use detergents and scrub thoroughly in every corner. By doing this you will get a clean area with a clean supply of water. After you finish cleaning small rooms you can now move to larger rooms. First, remove all the trash and sweep the floor to get rid of dirt or pieces of broken glass. Identify things that do not go into the trash like medication, explosives or flammable materials, fuel, and oil-based materials, put them in a box and use a marker to mark them. Identify any materials that can be recycled and put them in a different box. Check from roof to bottom to check for any purses or jewelry that may have been forgotten. Take all the clutter out and move out all furniture in the room including couches and tables. Discard anything that cannot be reused and contact a furniture cleaning company to clean which can reused. Be on the lookout for any family heirlooms and documents to be returned to the family.
After cleaning the house, disinfect the entire building and contact a sanitation company to get rid of all the trash from the house. Get a gardener to trim the lawn and make the compound neat. If the house requires it to be painted and some pipes to be fixed you will call a construction company to help you since it will save you time.
