Stopping Hoarding Before It Starts

5/10/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Bear / New Castle have the expertise to provide a deeper clean than your basic house cleaning service.

You Are Probably Not A Hoarder

Are you a hoarder OR do you just need an extra hour to declutter a few spaces in your home?

Hoarding disorder is characterized by the persistent difficulty discarding of or parting with possessions, regardless of the value others may attribute to these possessions. The behavior usually has harmful effects—emotional, physical, social, financial, and even legal—for the person suffering from the disorder and family members. For individuals who hoard, the quantity of their collected items sets them apart from people with normal collecting behaviors. Their possessions often fill up or clutter active living areas of the home or workplace to the extent that their intended use is no longer possible.

While some people who hoard may not be particularly distressed by their behavior, their behavior can be distressing to other people, such as family members or landlords. If you think you have a real hoarding problem, reach out to a qualified therapist for.

The good news is, you are probably not a hoarder, but you may have some hoarding tendencies. Here are some tips to help with these tendencies:

Start Slow

Don't go through your home and throw everything into the dumpster at once. This may lead to strong feelings of regret and anxiety; rather, go through one small space or collection each week.

Handle Objects Only Once 

Take the time to make a decision about an item in the present so you don't have to handle it again and again each time you decide to get organized.

Scale Down Collections 

If you've kept all of your childhood report cards, choose to save 1-2 and toss the rest. Consider framing or displaying one item from a collection so it's special, and then consign, donate, or recycle the rest.

Put It In A Box 

If you cannot decide to toss or keep an item, put it in a box for 6 months. If you don't open the box before then, you can let it go without regret. This is a great idea for people who hoard items like magazines, travel toiletries and newspaper clippings.

Toss Un-Used Items 

Owning a book about gardening does not make you a person who gardens and buying "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and never cracking the book or trying one of the recipes doesn't mean you're a cook. Resist the urge to buy tokens of a new hobby until you are actively participating in that hobby.

Consider Consignment

It's much easier to get rid of an item if you know it's going to a good home. If donating isn't a good option for you, think seriously about consignment. This way you're getting some money back for the item.

Hoarding Cleanup

Not every disaster to strike a home comes from the weather, or a fire started in the kitchen or elsewhere in the structure. Hoarding is an increasing problem for many families that require a professional cleaning and restoration service. 

SERVPRO of Bear/New Castle offers a sensitive approach to these situations with the safety of the homeowner, as well as our technicians, in mind. We can remove the unwanted items from the house and address lingering issues such as odors, soiled areas, and structural damages. We have the equipment and expertise to contend with bacteria, pathogens, and the effects of infestations. Our premier cleaning services can make situations like hoarding “Like it never even happened.” It requires patience and skill from our technicians to tackle this problem and return your, or someone else’s home to a livable condition.  

Need Hoarding Cleanup Services?
Call Us Today – (302) 392-6000

Why Choose SERVPRO of Bear / New Castle?

SERVPRO of Bear/New Castle is locally owned and operated, and serves Bear, New Castle, Glasgow, Christiana, Delaware City, St. Georges, Corbit, Wilmington Manor, Minquadale, and the surrounding New Castle County communities.

Our certified cleaning and restoration specialists are faster to any size disaster. Providing emergency cleaning and restoration services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—including all holidays. You can expect an immediate response time, day or night.