Find a Dumpster Near Me for a Hoarder's Home in Pacifica, CA

Identify Hoarding Behaviors

You can’t help your loved one if you don’t know what behaviors to look out for or if you don’t understand their struggles. First, you must understand what hoarding is before you can help. So, what is hoarding? A hoarder is someone who compulsively collects items and has issues parting with them, even if they have no purpose or have broken.

Some hoarders fear that they will need the item after they throw it away, while others form emotional attachments, making it impossible for them to part with the object.

Some hoarding behaviors to look out for include obsessively acquiring items that are not needed, showing difficulty getting rid of items, and cluttering their room or floor with objects. Not every collector is a hoarder: the line forms when their collecting impairs their health or how they live their life. If you notice your loved one struggling with their hoarding behaviors, you may consider stepping in to offer your support.

Offer Your Help and Support

Once you notice that your loved one is struggling with hoarding tendencies, you need to open a conversation. Sit down with them, ask them questions, express your kindness, and tell them that you’re worried about their safety. 

If you want to offer your support, consider asking them why they hold onto things. Do they feel emotionally attached?

Are they afraid to let go of something that once gave them security? Listen to them and, if they feel that they need it, offer to get them professional help. This is a long and hard process. Then, when they’re ready, offer to help clean their home.

Gather Some Helpers

If your loved one has had these habits for a while, clearing out their home isn’t a two-person job. You will need to ask other people to help clean up the house.

You can either entrust some friends and family to help or hire professionals to clean their home. Consult with your loved one to see what is most helpful for them. Either way, don’t try to take on this task on your own.

Go Room-by-Room

Going into cleaning a hoarder’s San Mateo County home head-on can feel overwhelming for both you and your loved one. Therefore, you shouldn’t jump right into the clean-up task. Take it day-by-day and room-by-room. You can start in the room with the least amount of items and go from there. 

Sort Items

No matter which room you start in, you should sort the items into three piles: keep, donate, and throw away. It may take a while for your loved ones to part with these items, but they need to determine what they need and what they don’t. Have them think about how often they have used or thought about the object.

Anything broken or dangerous should go right to the throw-out pile. Find a donation center in Pacifica, CA, that your loved one enjoys, or a San Mateo County charity they support. Knowing that their beloved items will go to someone who needs them may help them feel better about letting them go.

Search for a “Dumpster Near Me”

Once you finish sorting what your loved one is keeping, donating, and throwing away, you’ll find you have to throw away more items than you can fit in a garbage can. That’s why searching for a “Dumpster near me” in San Mateo County is essential. Finding a dumpster rental will allow you to easily throw away the items and get them out of your loved one’s mind as quickly as possible.

Deep Clean the Room

Once you got rid of the items in the throw-away pile and gave the other items to a donation center in Pacifica, CA, clear out the room and give it a deep cleaning. Your loved one may not have cleaned the floors or walls of the room in a while, so everything will require a deep clean. Make sure you wear the proper protective gear if you fear coming into contact with any mold.