Hoarding is a very real and serious problem that is more than just the dramatized version we see on TV. You may have a decent idea of how dangerous hoarding could be to live in a hoarder’s house. However, what you don’t know is that cleaning up after a hoarder can be just as dangerous.
Often, the people around a hoarder – friends and family, etc. – could be tempted to clean the mess up by themselves. After some time, they may realize that it is not something they can handle on their own, especially if they’ve gone into it impulsively, without any plan of action. Not only is it a challenge on its own, but it also poses various risks that may not be visible on the surface but can have long-lasting effects.
Sanitation Problems
One of the more apparent risks of hoarding cleanup is the exposure to sanitation problems. Cluttered homes are challenging to clean, because of the number of things to get through, which makes other cleaning activities such as dusting, vacuuming, and trash removal difficult, especially if the hoarder keeps bringing in more and more things.
As dirt collects in larger quantities, the environment becomes the ideal breeding ground for harmful germs, bacteria, and other microbes. Trash may build-up, and food may rot; this could release hazardous fumes and byproducts. If you take up the task of cleaning a hoarder’s house without adequately equipping yourself, you could be exposing yourself to all the dangerous microorganisms that could cause diseases.
Biohazard Waste
Any decomposing material or rotting food within the clutter could attract rodents and pests, which can then start to build their communities and remain hidden among all the hoarded items. These pests can be biohazardous, often carriers of multiple diseases. Besides this, during the hoarding cleanup, you may have to deal with removing them (dead or alive) and cleaning up their urine, feces, and any other bodily fluids, which are serious biohazards.
Sometimes, a hoarder’s compulsion includes hoarding animals, which makes the issue that much more sensitive. Animal hoarding can be extremely unhealthy and dangerous for the animals and the people living in the same space. Feces, urine, and any other filth put all the living things at risk. Attempting a hoarding cleanup when there are biohazards involved can make the task much more dangerous as you could be exposing yourself to bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens.
Injuries
Safely maneuvering through all the clutter can be difficult, and if you are not careful, you could easily injure yourself. Not only that, but with so many things in one space, they may all be unstable and at risk of toppling over any moment, which could also cause injuries, and even trap you in. If you’re going at it alone, you may not even have someone around to help you out.
