1. Assess the circumstances:
Hoarding is closely related to the issues with mental health such as anxiety, depression or OCD. Understand that your family member would be stressed out or even reluctant to do the cleaning exercise. Show sympathy and approach them in a nonjudgmental tone. Ask and involve them about their thoughts and include them in the cleaning arrangement.
2. Plan and Prepare Assess the Scope:
Walkthrough the house and gauge the levels of hoarding and locate the problem areas with difficulty. Set Goals: Determine what goals are achievable for the clean up. For instance, is the goal to clean one room at a time, or work towards a category of items such as clothing, papers or food? Gather Supplies: Collect items such as gloves, masks, cleaning supplies, storage bins, trash bags, and in some instances, trash dumpsters or professional cleaning equipment depending on the situation. Enlist Help: Seek out family, friends or nearby hire able members to make the process quicker and emotionally easier. Having a team can lead to promising outcomes.
3. Sort Items
- Use the ‘Keep, Donate, Discard’ method for effective item organization. Be willing to spend time on the task and include every family member in the discussion for as long as is necessary.
- Keep: Items that are wanted, cherished, or of some worth.
- Donate: Items that are still usable and useful to others.
- Discard: Irreparable, expired, or undesired items.
- Disinfect the entire home and prepare for restoration services if needed.
How to clean up a hoarded house for a family member!