How to Help a Hoarder Clean

Walking into a loved one's home and being confronted with piles of newspapers, trash, food, broken appliances or trinkets is a sign that she is a hoarder. Hoarding is a mental health problem characterized by compulsive accumulation of useless items. Your offer to help a hoarder clean may be met with resistance or denial of the problem. Many hoarders spend years accumulating items and living in extremely cluttered spaces before seeking help. Do not offer to help a hoarder clean unless you are mentally and physically capable of removing large amounts of junk and providing emotional support to the hoarder.

Things You'll Need

• Dumpster
• Gloves
• Trash cans
• Trash bags
• Cleaning spray
• Colored stickers

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Instructions

• 1

  Talk to the hoarder about his problem. Collect information about hoarding and tell him you are concerned about his well-being.

• 2

  Encourage the hoarder to seek treatment from a mental health provider. Identify a psychologist or psychiatrist who specializes in hoarding or obsessive-compulsive disorder.

• 3

  Wait until the mental health professional deems the hoarder ready to clean her living space. Helping a hoarder clean before she is mentally prepared may be too difficult for her to handle.

• 4

  Rent a Dumpster to bring to the hoarder's house. Buy gloves, trash cans, trash bags, cleaning spray and other cleaning supplies.

• 5

  Create a cleaning schedule. Helping a hoarder clean may take several days or weeks. Assign a day for each room of the home.

• 6

  Clean the kitchen. Clear perishable foods from the refrigerator. Remove any opened boxes from the cupboards. Clear an area where you can take breaks from cleaning.

• 7

  Discard all items that are obviously trash. Place newspapers, discarded food containers, food scraps, animal feces and other clutter into trash bags.

• 8

  Separate remaining clutter into piles by type of item. Make a pile for clothing, shoes, furniture, entertainment, bedding, cleaning supplies, holiday and health items.

• 9

  Sort through each pile with the hoarder. Ask him to label items as "Throw" or "Keep." Place a colored sticker on each item worth keeping and place it to the side.

• 10

  Challenge the hoarder if he tries to save unnecessary items by asking how they will be used. Speak firmly but gently to the hoarder. Encourage him to perform deep breathing or relaxation exercises if he becomes anxious.

• 11

  Clear all remaining clutter from the room. Sweep and mop the floors, disinfect all surfaces and use insecticide or rat poison where necessary.

• 12

  Create an organization system for remaining items. Categorize items and place them in boxes, filing cabinets or shelves.

• 13

  Consult a construction or remodeling company about making repairs. Cleaning a hoarder's home often reveals damage that must be professionally repaired.