Hoarding with health hazards

Hoarding cleanup in Boca Raton when the home has become unsafe

Clutter by itself is a job for a hauler or an organizer. This page is about the homes where something else has built up underneath: animal or human waste, rotting food, rodents. That part calls for a biohazard cleanup company.

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A condo living room filled with stacked boxes, storage tubs, bags and piles of magazines, with a narrow path through — Illustration

How to tell which kind of help you need

Walk as far into the home as you safely can and notice three things. Is there a smell of urine, feces or decay? Are there droppings, or animals living in the rooms? Are the kitchen and bathroom still usable?

If the answer to the first two is no and the third is yes, a junk removal company may be all you need. If not, say exactly what you saw when you phone, so that the right kind of company comes out.

The hazards a cleanup company deals with

Animal and human waste

Cats, dogs and birds kept indoors without cleaning leave waste that soaks into flooring and subfloor. Blocked or unused toilets create the same problem. Affected flooring usually has to come up.

Rodent droppings

The CDC says not to sweep or vacuum droppings, urine or nests, because that puts particles in the air. Its advice is to wet them with disinfectant or a bleach solution, let that soak for five minutes, and wear gloves.

Spoiled food and standing liquid

A refrigerator that lost power, or bags of food left for months, bring mold, insects and odor. Appliances are sometimes removed whole instead of being opened indoors.

Doing this with the person, not to them

Hoarding usually comes with real distress, and a clear-out sprung on someone can feel like an ambush. Where you can, involve the person who lives there. Agree beforehand on a few things that will be kept no matter what, and on one room or one hazard to start with.

Tell the company if the person will be present, and whether they have agreed. A good crew will slow down and ask before discarding anything that looks personal: papers, photographs, cash, medication.

What the job usually involves

1
A walk-through
Someone from the company looks at every room it can reach, then gives you a written scope and price. Expect questions about pets, pests, plumbing and who has authority over the home.
2
Sorting and removal
Contents are sorted into keep, donate and discard as you have agreed. Contaminated items are bagged separately from ordinary trash.
3
Cleaning the structure
With the rooms empty, floors, walls, cabinets and fixtures are cleaned and disinfected. Damaged flooring or drywall is taken out.
4
Odor and a final look
The air is treated, and you walk the home with the crew before they leave.

In a condo or a rental

Managers often hear about a hoarded unit from the neighbors first, through odor or pests in the hallway. A Florida condominium association may enter a unit when that is necessary to prevent damage to the common elements or to another unit (section 718.111(5)). That right is about protecting the building. It is not a license to empty someone's home, so associations normally work through the owner or the family.

Questions about hoarding cleanup

How much does hoarding cleanup cost?

It depends on the volume to be removed, how many rooms have waste or pest damage, how many flights of stairs, and how much sorting you want done by hand. No company can price it without walking through.

My parent refuses help. What can I do?

Start with safety, not with the amount of stuff: a clear path to the door, a working bathroom, the stove. A doctor or a counselor who knows hoarding can help with the conversation. Cleanup works when the person has had a say.

Will everything be thrown out?

No. You decide the rules before work begins. Put them in writing and ask the company to phone you about anything it is unsure of.

Boca Raton and nearby

Nobody in the family has to clean this room

Wait until the officers and the medical examiner's investigator have finished. Shut the door on the room, let the air conditioning run, and pick up the phone once you feel able to talk it through.

Ready when the home is yours again

One number reaches an independent biohazard cleanup company working in south Palm Beach County. Describe the room in your own words. Hiring them is up to you.