Helping a hoarder isn’t an easy task. As a hoarder, it can be a huge challenge to clear the pile of items you have in the house. Luckily, we have a manual that will help in hoarding cleanup the quick and easy way. Therefore, read on to learn more about sorting items for cleanup.
You may have watched some of the reality TV shows where a group of people transform a hoarder’s house. In essence, these transformations don’t just take place in a short time as you may imagine. They take time for the entire house to come back to order. So, here’s a procedure that you can follow to sort different items during the cleanup.
Create an Action Plan for the Hoarding Cleanup
What’s a cleaning exercise without a plan? Probably doomed to fail, huh? Well, you need to plan effectively for a hoarding cleanup before you even start. Take a steady and gradual approach. Don’t assume that you can do everything in one day. Well, if you have the assistance of friends, family, or even pros, a one-day cleanup may be possible. However, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to complete the entire cleanup in a single day if you’re doing it all alone.
Start by removing the things that you see no value for completely, as you progress to the others. Don’t feel like you have to dispose of everything immediately. This will only create tension and make the entire process harder for you.
Hoarders often have a serious attachment to the things that are present inside their houses. Therefore, getting rid of everything at once as a hoarder isn’t going to be practical. Psychologists advise that you take things as slowly as you can.
Hire a Professional Hoarding Cleanup Service
This may be one of the easiest ways to deal with hoarded items. When you hire a professional to do the cleanup for you, it saves you from the mental frustration and anxiety of disposing of the items you once treasured so much.
They come in, even with a therapist (if needed) to help you cope with the exercise. Plus, they do the heavy lifting and take upon the entire cleaning exercise. You only have one job to do here – sit down and watch them do their thing.
If at all you’re having a hard time deciding on your own what should go and what should stay, then it’s very much in order to hire a professional hoarding cleanup service.
Depend on Donations
If you love something so much but no longer use it, you’d be happier that it’s helping someone else. Thus, a donation can be a great way to help you sort out items for a cleanup.
The basic reasoning is that you should donate whatever you’ve not used in the past 6 months. Once you fill-up the box that has items slated for donation, ensure that you don’t delay the process one bit. Take the entire box to a nearby charity organization in your neighborhood. In fact, there are charity groups nowadays that even come for the items themselves. You only need to schedule a pickup and they will be at your doorstep for the items.
Protect Yourself
As you’re sorting out the items that are in your house, ensure that you protect yourself from any germs, injuries, and infections. Thus, you need to use the right tools for the job. Have gloves to protect your hands from any sharp or dirty objects. Also, wear a dust mask that can guard against dust and other pollutants that may be in the vicinity.
While you’re moving the huge piles of items, ensure that you take care of your back against injury. Avoid lifting heavy loads when moving items. Also, ensure that you’re not close to heavy piles of items that may fall on your back.
Rent a Storage Unit
A storage unit is important when you’re sorting out any form of item. This is especially the case when you’re handling a hoarding cleanup. You’ll need to separate the chaff from the grains. In this case, you’ll need to separate the items you intend to keep from the ones that you don’t.
Storage units are also important for keeping the items you have so much attachment to and still want to figure out what to do with. You can use it to buy some time with the items as you decide whether to sell or donate them. After all, they’ll already be off your house.
Start Small
Begin from a small room or a small pile of stuff to a larger one. This will give you an easier time to deal with the hoarded items. It’s discouraging to start with a huge pile of hoarded items. This will reduce your motivation for the hoarding cleanup.
Final Thoughts
So, that’s how you sort out some of the hoarded items you have for easy cleanup. Why not give hoarding cleanup a shot this time around?
