How to Fix A Hoarding Problem?

Most homes have a bit of clutter, which is normal. Through the years, certain things will naturally accumulate in your home. Some examples are household supplies, home appliances, clothing, children’s toys, and even family memorabilia that’s hard to let go of. When there’s still space for new items and you can keep your house neat and tidy without a problem, then a small amount of clutter is acceptable.

It becomes a problem when holding on to clutter leads to hoarding. In many instances, this can be unintentional as it can also be considered a mental health disorder. So if you know someone who’s a hoarder, or you find that you’re prone to hoarding, the issue has to be addressed at once before it negatively affects your or your loved one’s life.

However, the solution isn’t simply to clean your home. To put an end to hoarding permanently, there are certain things you must also do to ‘clean up your life and mind as well. Here are the steps you can take to accomplish that:

1. Seek The Help Of Professional Cleaners And Rubbish Collectors

Solving a hoarding problem takes a lot of work. If you watch those TV shows on helping hoarders, you’ll find that mounds of trash are present in every single room in their home, and the garbage itself isn’t the only problem at hand. Because all the items have stayed there for so long, issues such as animal feces or droppings, rotting food scraps and biodegradable waste that haven’t been disposed of, mold, and grime have to be taken care of as well.

In order to start with a clean slate and never go back to hoarding, you’ll need the help of professional cleaners and rubbish collectors. Expert cleaners will know how to deal with every single trash in the home and how to clean the property so it’s not only aesthetically pleasing but hygienic as well.

Meanwhile, rubbish collectors can dispose of hoarded items in the most efficient way possible. They can also help sort out the trash in different categories such as recyclables and nonbiodegradables so not everything goes to the landfill right away. Try this web-site if you’re looking for rubbish removal and collection services.

2. Have That Desire To Change

You can’t solve a problem if you don’t recognize that there’s even a problem in the first place. This is why you must have the desire to change your ways. This means you should be serious about correcting your hoarding behavior by getting to the root of the issue.

Demonstrating this desire to change also involves talking to a mental health professional about the matter. It’s possible that you have a hoarding disorder without even knowing it. It can take several sessions of opening up to understand what led you to act this way, how hoarding has affected your life, and how it’ll continue to affect you if you don’t stop. Accepting that your hoarding tendencies are problematic can help you clear your life of the mental clutter you’ve been keeping so it won’t manifest as physical clutter.

3. Work In Incremental Stages

Even if you’ve got a professional cleaner or organizer assisting you, it doesn’t mean you can sit around and wait for them to complete all the necessary tasks for you. You have to do your part as well.

With their assistance, clean your home in incremental stages, room by room. This way, you’ll realize how harmful your habits have become. During each stage, the professional cleaners and organizers can give you insights on how to keep your property organized and well-maintained even after they’ve left.

4. Set A Realistic Pace

It takes years for a hoarder’s collection to be big enough to be considered a problem, so you can’t expect change to happen overnight. For the issue to be solved, it’s important to set a realistic pace when cleaning and organizing. This will help ensure that the hoarder’s tendencies won’t return once the house is clean again. Correcting hoarding behavior and fixing the damage it has done can be emotionally and physically draining, so you have to take it easy on yourself.

Conclusion

Whether you’re a hoarder, you know someone who is, or you’re living with one, there’s no denying the fact that the situation can be stressful. Your home is supposed to be a retreat where you can relax and feel renewed after a long day at work. But if you live in a space where you can barely breathe from all the clutter, then it would be impossible for you to find any sort of comfort there.

Of course, there’s always room for improvement and change. Once you’ve identified hoarding as a problem, follow the steps above so you can renew your home and your life by letting go of all the junk you have, literally and figuratively.