What is Hoarding?

Hoarding is defined as the excessive collection of items that seem to have limited or no value and the inability to discard them.  Trash houses or distressed properties are usually the result of hoarding behaviors. Hoarders may spend years compulsively hoarding or collecting 'things'.  Many times, the lack of regular home maintenance and cleaning result in the loss of running water, heat or refrigeration and kitchens and toilets become unusable. The home becomes unfit for habitation due to the combination of fecal matter, bodily fluids, excessive trash, expired food, mold, mildew, etc.

Items that are commonly saved include old clothing, extra furniture, used food containers, beverage cans and bottles, cigarette butts and ashes, used tea bags, toilet paper cores, mail, newspapers, magazines and kitchen garbage.

An estimated 700,000 to 1.4 million people in the United States are thought to have compulsive hoarding syndrome.

What we do:

The task of cleaning a trash house or an area of gross filth can be overwhelming for a family member or property owner. In addition, those tasked with such a job should be trained to safely handle and eliminate hazards. Blood, mold, mildew and fecal matter can contribute to serious illnesses if proper precautions are not taken while cleaning a site and our technicians are trained to use the proper tools and equipment to eliminate potential hazards.

Whenever possible, we work with the occupant to ensure that individual items such as family heirlooms, photos, keys, important paperwork and other truly valuable items are retained and set aside. In some cases, however, the entire contents of a residence must be disposed of.

We dispose of all garbage at a federal facility that turns garbage into renewable energy so that nothing we remove from a home goes into a landfill. We also set aside items that are salvageable and can be donated when possible.

Our technicians respect the sensitive nature of this work and maintain the highest levels of confidentiality with care and compassion.