We offer a wide variety of services here at ServiceMaster by Rice. You may be familiar with some of our more popular services such as carpet cleaning, fire repair, mold removal, and water and flood damage. But did you know we are also experts in trauma cleanup? Our cleanup technicians are ready to handle nearly any type of trauma cleanup you can think of. Today we are focusing on talking about our hoarding cleanup service. Hoarding cleanup can potentially be very dangerous which is why you should have ServiceMaster assist you in your cleanup process.
What Is Hoarding?
People who have hoarding disorder have a hard time parting with or getting rid of their possessions because they feel they need to save them. They may experience distress at the mere thought of getting rid of something. Like any disorder, the severity of cases can range from mild to severe. Some people’s lives may be completely overcome by hoarding while others might not even appear affected. One of the biggest challenges with hoarding is that people who do it don’t often see it as a problem, which can make treatment tough.
Hoarding can sometimes be confused with collecting. Collectors want specific items that go with their collection, such as a certain make and model of a toy car or coin. Though they may organize and display their collection, it doesn’t take over their life and their home. Hoarders often keep things that they feel safe around or things that have a sentimental value. Roughly 2-5% of the population experiences hoarding disorder.
What causes someone to become a hoarder varies on a case by case basis. Generally, hoarding usually starts between the ages of 11 and 15 and tends to get worse with age. Some people start hoarding after a stressful life event that they just can’t cope with properly, like the death of a loved one, divorce, or getting kicked out of their home. Personality wise, those with hoarding disorder are usually withdrawn and isolated and may even use hoarding as a way to not feel as lonely.
Behavior Associated With Hoarding
Some hoarding cases can be extreme, while others may not be as obvious to notice. Here are some tendencies most hoarders will possess:
- They can’t get rid of possessions
- They acquire things they don’t need
- They have a hard time organizing or categorizing their things
- They suspect other people of touching or moving their items
- Their possessions ‘take over’ the home or space they’re in
- They are embarrassed to have guests over
- Cluttered living space causing certain areas unusable
Hoarding can often impair social and occupational functioning. It can also be dangerous in terms of health and safety, if severe enough.
The ServiceMaster by Rice Hoarding Process
Our professionally trained staff at ServiceMaster is prepared to help you or your loved one get rid of the hazardous materials that can be affiliated with hoarding. We will clean, sanitize, and remove the materials cautiously and safely. Even though certain things may have been safe when they were first brought into the home, conditions can change and something can later become chemically hazardous. Having ServiceMaster on the case can ensure that the space will be efficiently cleaned and back to how it should look
Contact us today for more information on how we can help out a hoarding issue in your life. We are happy to serve Des Moines, Carroll, Atlantic, Cedar Rapids, Fairmont, Spencer, Okoboji, Storm Lake, and their surrounding areas.
