We don’t recommend forcing a hoarder to clean or throw things away under any circumstances. Here’s what to do instead.
When you force a hoarder to clean up, you put everyone involved at risk. Hoarding is a complex mental health issue. You need to handle it with care.
Many hoarders develop strong attachments to their belongings. This attachment, combined with their deeply rooted fear of throwing things away, can be a recipe for disaster if you don’t deal with the situation properly.
As a hoarding cleaning company, our top priority is helping you clean up the home safely.
These are our top recommendations for confronting the situation as experienced professionals.
How To Deal With a Hoarder
Dealing with a hoarder can be extremely difficult. It’s important to try and understand that hoarding is a disorder. Your loved one didn’t “choose” to develop it. It may have been caused by an accident or trauma, or even just genetics.
Hoarders are often very sensitive people who need extra care and patience. It’s crucial that you maintain a non-judgmental tone while expressing concern for your loved one’s mental health and well-being. Do not make them feel overwhelmed or guilty about their situation.
You should always get professional help whenever dealing with a hoarder. It’s the best way to ensure a healthy recovery and to protect everyone’s safety.
How To Convince a Hoarder To Get Rid Of Stuff
You can’t force a hoarder to clean up, but you can help them recover. Never try to force them to make any decisions they are not ready to make.
A person’s hoarding tendencies exist for a reason, most likely stemming from trauma or other struggles with mental health issues. They may have a deep fear of losing their belongings after experiencing extreme tragedy or loss.
Forcing a hoarder to throw things away without taking the time to understand how things got this way would be cruel and unhealthy.
Help your loved one come to the decision that things need to change on their own.
Show your support and let them know they can move on to lead a healthier lifestyle.
How To Encourage a Hoarder To Get Help
When you decide that it’s time to confront your loved one about their hoarding problem, do it with care. Remember that hoarders have experienced trauma or have struggled with mental health issues, and they need a delicate approach.
In some cases, hoarding can be a symptom of other mental illnesses like depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). So talk to a professional before you get started.
Try putting yourself in their shoes. Your loved one has been through a lot.
Compulsively collecting may have given them a much-needed sense of control over their life.
Do your best to be supportive as you help them realize that they need help healing from their trauma and cleaning up their home before the risk to their health increases.
It’s also important not to overwhelm the person who has been hoarding all these years by suggesting they clean everything up at once.
You may have their best interest in mind. But the hoarding situation didn’t develop overnight.
Your loved one won’t be able to clean it up overnight either, even with your help.
Overwhelming them with too high of an expectation will only result in more anxiety. It could make them feel depressed or hopeless, rather than motivated toward recovery.
How to Clean a Hoarder’s Home
If you believe that it’s time to stop hoarding and start decluttering, then you should seek advice from a hoarding cleaning professional before moving forward.
Home Clean Home can help you decide if the home is safe to enter and how to clean it up safely. We’re available 24/7 to help you clean up as quickly and discreetly as possible.
Hoarding isn’t just a problem for the person who is compulsively collecting. It affects everyone around them as well, especially if you live with them.
Get help as soon as possible so everyone can begin their path to recovery.
Call Home Clean Home today: 718 691 5607
