Hoarding can be a very distressing condition, not just for those suffering from it but also for friends, loved ones and anyone responsible for managing the property they live in.
The NHS describes a Hoarding disorder as where:
“…someone acquires an excessive number of items and stores them in a chaotic manner, usually resulting in unmanageable amounts of clutter.”
Hoarding can be a very serious and sensitive issue.
The NHS website has some handy information that can help with understanding the causes of hoarding as well as some potential treatments.
Vinci Response has extensive experience cleaning properties that have been filled with clutter.
In this blog, we will examine some of the hidden dangers of hoarding and why – when the timing is right – it is essential to remove excess clutter for the health and safety of those affected as well as the benefit of the building itself.
Dangers Of Hoarding
If someone is hoarding items in a property, it can pose many potential risks.
Our professional cleaners are well aware of all these. They can help remediate them as part of their clean-up strategy.
Here are some of the most significant risk factors.
Health Risks
As we have mentioned briefly above, hoarding is often linked to mental health issues – whether as a symptom or the result. The family living with the hoarder also suffer and can go on to experience mental health issues such as depression, loneliness and social isolation.
In addition to mental health concerns, physical health can also be a risk.
For example, respiratory issues are pretty common among hoarders and occupants.
It can become virtually impossible to clean a property full of clutter thoroughly. This allows more dust to settle, aggravating conditions such as asthma and allergies.
Mould can also contribute to respiratory problems. It can be hard to identify leaks, spillages and water penetration in a hoarder’s home and, therefore, can become quite prevalent.
In our blog, you can read more about the health and safety risks of mould.
Trips And Falls
When you have a lot of clutter in a building, the risks of trips and falls can become very real.
Not only could objects piled high potentially collapse on someone, but they could also block passageways such as landings and staircases.
Suppose someone were to hurt themselves by tripping over in a hoarder’s property. In that case, any paramedics sent to help could be hampered by restricted access to the property.
Fire Risks
One of the biggest dangers hoarders’ properties might face is a fire risk.
If passageways are blocked, as described above, it can obstruct vital exit routes. In the same way as restricting access to paramedics, firefighters might also struggle in an emergency.
And, of course, the likelihood of a fire can also be significantly increased. Piles of flammable material left close to a heat source, such as a cooker, or covering electrical equipment so it cannot ventilate properly, can all be potentially dangerous.
Professional Hoarding Clean-up
As you can imagine, all these risks that hoarders and their properties face can also present problems when looking to clean up the area.
That’s why professional cleaners are often sought to help remediate living and working areas filled with clutter.
Further reading: How To Clean A Hoarder’s House
Mould and pest infestations are usually only uncovered once the clean-up process has begun.
The correct personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn to handle these hazards safely.
The same applies when there is animal waste present, too. Disease-carrying bacteria can live on faeces for a substantial time, so it’s imperative that the person cleaning is protected and that the right processes are used to eliminate the risks.
A professional restoration company, like Vinci Response, will not only clear the clutter but will ensure its safe and proper disposal before hoarder cleaning, disinfecting, sanitising and restoring the property to a safe and habitable standard.
Contact our team today if you want to learn more about our hoarder cleaning services.
You can call us on 0808 503 6246 or email [email protected]
