Helping a hoarder clean their home takes patience.
A hoarded home is very different from a normal spring clean, particularly when the person has strong emotional attachments to what they have collected.
The aim should not be to clear the clutter as quickly as possible.
The right approach is to make the home safer, agree on a manageable action plan and keep the person involved throughout the cleaning process.
What is hoarding? By House Clearances Specialists
Hoarding goes beyond ordinary clutter.
A person may find it extremely difficult to part with possessions, even when collecting items has begun to affect how they use their living space.
For someone who suffers from a hoarding disorder, being asked to suddenly throw belongings away can cause significant distress.
Hoarding situations can also affect physical and mental health if clutter prevents rooms from being used safely or makes normal cleaning difficult.
Over time, a cluttered home may develop narrow walkways, blocked exits or large boxes and piles that are difficult to move around, requiring extensive house clearances.
How do you help a hoarder start cleaning?
Before you begin cleaning, speak to the person about what they are comfortable doing.
Trying to help a hoarder clean without involving them in the decisions can make an already difficult situation more stressful.
If they feel overwhelmed, keep the first step small.
Talk about the property clean-up without judgement
Avoid describing the person’s belongings as rubbish before they have decided what can go.
Something that looks unimportant to you may be one of their valuable items or have a strong personal meaning.
Ask what they would like to change about the home.
Having a shared goal gives the cleanup process some direction without making the person feel that control has been taken away from them.
Agree on a manageable plan
Create a simple cleaning plan before moving anything. Decide which area you will tackle first, where belongings will be sorted and what will happen to anything leaving the property.
You can label boxes for items to keep, recycle or dispose of if that makes sorting easier. Just avoid opening several areas at once and creating more piles.
If ordinary decluttering advice would help at this stage, our guide on how to declutter your home explains how to work through a property gradually.
Check the home for safety risks first
Before cleaning a hoarder’s house, look for potential hazards.
Blocked access to an exit, unstable piles, exposed wiring, rotting food and animal waste can all make the job unsafe.
Old newspapers and other combustible material stored close to heat sources may also create fire hazards, while signs of a pest problem can make the clean-up more complicated.
Wear gloves and come prepared with suitable cleaning supplies.
Disposable gloves or other protective gear may be needed depending on what is present.
If there is a possible biohazard or material that could expose you to a pathogen, stop before moving anything further. Some properties need professional help before normal hoarder cleaning can safely begin.
Start by clearing the clutter
Once obvious safety hazards have been dealt with, start with a small area. You might clear a path to a doorway, part of the floor or one section of a room.
Begin with a small, manageable area
Finishing one small section gives the person a visible result and can help build momentum.
Trying to tackle the entire hoard at once can make the job feel impossible.
Keep walkways through the home clear as you work so everyone can move around safely.
Let the person stay involved in decisions
Where possible, let the person decide what happens to their belongings.
Set aside anything valuable or salvageable and sort the rest together.
Once items have been agreed for removal, our guide on how to prepare for junk removal can help you organise them before collection and get the home ready to be decluttered by a professional clearance company, if you wish to hire professional help.
Clean the house once enough clutter has been removed
A deep clean becomes much easier once enough of the hoard has gone and you can properly reach the floors, walls and other surfaces.
Deal with dirt, odours and affected surfaces
Start with accumulated dirt and dust.
Vacuum accessible flooring, then use an appropriate cleaning solution or disinfectant on suitable surfaces.
If the carpet is heavily stained, mouldy or contaminated, cleaning may not be enough. In that case, you may need to remove the carpet and replace it once the room has been properly cleaned.
Check each fixture and any areas where spills or damp have caused staining, mould, mildew or a persistent odour.
Opening windows can improve ventilation while you work.
More serious contamination may need professional hoarding cleanup rather than ordinary household cleaning tips.
When is it worth calling in professional help?
The size of the property and the condition of the home will affect how much support is needed.
A smaller cleanup may be manageable with family or friends, while a heavily hoarded property can involve safety issues and a much larger volume of belongings.
Specialist cleaning services or a professional cleaning company may be needed where there is heavy contamination, persistent odour or biohazard concerns.
If the main issue is removing a large amount of unwanted furniture and household items, professional clearance by a junk removal company may also be needed.
If the hoard has developed into a larger property clearance, Junk-It offers professional house clearances in Edinburgh.
Ready to clear the items that can go? Talk to the Junk-It team today
Once you have agreed what can be removed and any hazardous or contaminated materials have been dealt with separately, Junk-It can help with the remaining clear-out.
Tell us about the furniture, bags, boxes and other household items that need to go. We’ll quote for the job, collect and load everything we can take, then sweep up before we leave.
Call us on 0131 228 3848 for a free quote with no obligation.
