Biohazard Cleaning: Hoarding House Clean Up Guide

A hoarding house cleaning situation can be overwhelming and time-consuming.  Helping a family member or friend who happens to have a hoarding problem can be quite challenging and emotionally draining especially if they don’t agree that they have a problem.

Quite often, hoarding house cleaners are faced with cleaning up dangerous biohazards buried deep beneath clutter and mess such as:

• Gross filth and debris
• Sharps
• Faecal matter
• Broken glass
• Bodily fluids
• Expired food
• Animal droppings
• Meth lab remediation (in some cases)
• Mould
• Insect and animal infestations

Due to being exposed to all sorts of dangerous biohazards onsite, a hoarding house clean up may call for a biohazard cleaning specialist to get the job done safely and effectively.

Biohazard Cleaning: No Ordinary Clean Up Job 

There is more to cleaning up a hoarding site than just decluttering and biohazard cleaning. Here are some things to consider when it comes to taking control of a hoarding situation and effectively cleaning up gross filth left behind by a hoarder:

1. The Need For Compassion

Hoarding behaviour can stem from psychological factors such as obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) or even depression. When cleaning up a hoarding house, be mindful of the fact that some hoarders may feel embarrassed about their situation or even unwilling to part with any of their belongings without seeking additional help first from a mental health specialist.

2. Protective Equipment

Because cleaning up a hoarder house can expose cleaners to biohazards such as Staph, E.coli and other diseases, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) should be of a high priority. Always wear disposable gloves, eye protection, a dust mask, hard hat and protective steel cap footwear with thick soles when cleaning onsite.

3. Cleaning Supplies

Be prepared to source a large volume of cleaning products when cleaning up a hoarding house. Here is a list of some essential cleaning supplies that may come in handy:

• Large trash bags
• Boxes
• Cleaning chemicals and disinfectants
• Sponges, wipes or cleaning cloths
• Buckets and mops
• Dustpan and brooms
• Shovel
• Strong vacuum cleaner
• Dumpster – for throwing away large items as well as disposing of the bulk of broken and unwanted items

4. Cleaning Up

Where is the best place to start? We suggest cleaning a small room first so you can keep motivated and feel like you are progressing. Cleaning up a small room like the bathroom can be a great starting point because there aren’t generally sentimental items to sort through in this room and you can breeze through cleaning up a small space in just a short amount of time.

Clean and empty rooms out from the top down. Remove as much as you can from the room first (including furniture) to ensure a more thorough clean. Cleaning up a room that has no items in it is much easier than having to lift and move items around while in the middle of cleaning.

5. Sort Things Out

Arrange items into the following three categories as you clean and sort through each room: trash, keep or donate. Stay on track by promptly discarding items that are no longer wanted before the individual can have a change of heart.

Items that have not been used in a year or more can either be donated or discarded, whilst damaged or broken items should be quickly placed in the trash.

6. Ask For Help

Because cleaning out a hoarding house is such a large task, you may have no choice but to reach out to others for help. Where possible, seek help from other family members or friends to make lighter work of a hoarding house clean. Alternatively, you can get in touch with a professional cleaning service for peace of mind.

Professional Biohazard Cleaning Help 

Perhaps you are a landlord whose property has been left in an uninhabitable state, or you may simply not have the time or resources to deal with a hoarding situation all by yourself. Save yourself some time and effort and leave the biohazard cleaning to the professionals at National Trauma & Crime Scene Cleaning (NTCSC).

At NTCSC, our caring and compassionate technicians have been specifically trained in the safe handling and clean-up of dangerous biohazards in hoarding situations. We have the necessary protective equipment, cleaning tools, knowledge and experience in how to safely and effectively restore a property to the point where it is habitable again.

Don’t take the risk and do it yourself. At National Trauma, we’ve helped hundreds of home and property owners, hotel establishments, solicitors and housing associations with hoarding cleanups.

Call National Trauma & Crime Scene Cleaning today for an obligation-free quote on your extreme cleaning needs.