Top Organizing Tips for Hoarders

It cannot be denied that everybody has a few odds and ends scattered around the house. Some of us may have more than a little. Regardless of the amount of clutter, we can derive great benefits from cleaning up. It is important to start decluttering as soon as possible to prevent the buildup of unnecessary items that take up storage space.

In our ridiculously thorough decluttering how-to, you'll learn how to declutter any space in your home using organizing ideas and decluttering tips straight from the experts at ServiceMaster of the Upstate, an IICRC certified firm in  Greenville SC that offers hoarder cleanup services Greenville.

Here are the top organizing tips for hoarders. 

• Begin with a small room

Go one room at a time and make sure none of the accumulated trash and/or clutter remain inside. Be warned that many hoarders seriously neglect sanitation, which can lead to health hazards, especially in the bathroom and the kitchen, so these areas should be thoroughly cleaned out and sanitized at the earliest opportunity. You are recommended to start with the bathroom, as you will need free access to clean running water and soap. Besides, you can finish the task really quickly. There is no chance of finding a valuable item in the bathroom, so just get rid of all the expired toiletries and half-used personal care items, old towels and filthy bathroom fixtures. Sanitize your bathroom surfaces and fixtures before continuing on to cleaning the kitchen. Remove trash, leftover food, and food containers and bring your kitchen items somewhere they can be cleaned and categorized afterwards. Clean a place where you can sit and rest or have a snack.

• Empty the rooms

There might be some clutter hidden in your rooms, so remove obvious trash first and observe proper waste disposal for these items. Recyclable materials should be set aside. Cleaning a room is more efficient when done from top to bottom; remove stacked-up items and place them somewhere safe and start cleaning.

Look through pockets and purses to check for cash or jewelry. Dispose of all trash and move furniture and other large items temporarily to perform a complete, thorough cleanup of the premises.

• Sort out the salvageable items

Sort out and classify the hoarder’s stuff into three groups – useful items you are going to keep, usable items you are going to donate, and useless items you are going to throw away. When you have disposed of all the useless stuff, it’s time to address the piles of items that might be used again. Separate them in groups of similar items and decide which of them you’d like to keep and which ones you are going to donate. Be very careful when browsing old papers like receipts, life insurance policies, bank account numbers, family photographs, and other important documents that may be mixed with old letters, magazines, newspapers, etc.

• Deep clean the property

After removing all the clutter, you can now start thorough cleaning. This will be a very time-consuming and laborious process. If any repair works need to be done, have them completed first. Any major restoration or renovation projects should be performed by certified and experienced specialists, of course.

Contact professional cleaning and restoration services like ServiceMaster of the Upstate to ensure efficient mold remediation and to have the premises properly dehumidified, deodorized, and restored to an excellent condition.

Hoarding cleaning services from ServiceMaster of the Upstate will complete the work in a quick and efficient manner. Thorough cleaning is required to restore the hoarder’s home to a good condition, and that is our specialty.

ServiceMaster of the Upstate is open seven days a week, and we provide 24/7 emergency services. Do not hesitate to call us if you need assistance. If you are in need of immediate services due to any damage, please call our emergency line at (864) 310-7891 and we will be available to you as soon as possible. We are dedicated to our customers and our community, and we will do everything in our power to restore your home to pre-damage condition.