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all options before making a final decision. Remember that it sometimes takes a hoarder decades to clutter up a house, and it won’t take one weekend to get it empty. Safety and price are the key factors to consider when deciding on a physical cleaning process.

Cleaning Services

There are very few professional cleaning companies in the United States that can handle both the mental and physical requirements of a hoarding cleanup, although that will likely change. Before hiring someone to clean a home, please research the company thoroughly, ask for references and proof of insurance, and find out how many hoarders the company has worked with. Ask about success rates and ask to speak with hoarder clients, not just the family member who hired the company. The company 1-800-GOT-JUNK can handle Stage 1 or 2 hoarding, when the job focuses just on debris removal and not mental issues. The other two companies can take any job up to a Stage 5.

Clutter Cleaner: www.cluttercleaner.com

SteriClean: www.steri-clean.com

1-800-GOT-JUNK: www.1800gotjunk.com

ORGANIZERS

Some organizers can clean a Stage 3 house and higher, but most are better for aftercare than the initial cleanup. The organizer can teach ongoing skills to the hoarder. As with the cleaning services, research the options and get to know the organizer before hiring. This person will be working side by side with the hoarder, so make sure their personalities match. Look for Certified Professional Organizer (CPO) certification for more extreme cases.

National Association of Professional Organizers (with a searchable directory): www.napo.net

Metropolitan Organizing, LLC (Geralin Thomas): www.metropolitanorganizing.com

Abundance Organizing: www.abundanceorganizing.com

The Delphi Center for Organization (Dorothy Breininger): www.delphicenterfororganization.com

Things in Place (Standolyn Robertson): www.thingsinplace.com

Dr. DClutter Life Management: (Dr. Darnita Payden): www.drdclutter.com

SUPPLIES

Every job will need lots of different supplies, most of which can be picked up at any local or national hardware or home improvement store. The most important items are listed below.

Clothing

• Steel-toe boots

• Long socks and pants

• Long-sleeve shirts

• Tyvec protective suits with hood (when needed)

• Work gloves with latex coating to keep liquids from seeping in (Use tight-fitting gloves and avoid big, bulky leather gloves that won’t give much flexibility.)

• Respirators or masks (Make sure they read P100 or N95. If it doesn’t say either on the mask, do not wear it into the house.)

Cleaning Supplies

• 3-millimeter-thick trash bags

• Cardboard boxes for sorting only, not to be used for storing items

• Labels and permanent markers

• Pocketknife or box cutter to open old boxes and cut strings

• All-purpose cleaner

• Paper towels

• Brooms, snow shovels, and rakes

OTHER SERVICES

Dumpsters

If the family is not hiring a professional junk removal company to help, a Dumpster is indispensable. Try to find a thirty-cubic-yard Dumpster or larger (a cubic yard is roughly the equivalent size of a dishwasher). Some cities will require a permit if the Dumpster is stored on the street. If at all possible, have the Dumpster full each night so it can be picked up early the next morning.

Waste Management: www.wm.com

Document Shredding

Most houses need document shredding because of old tax and financial papers, medical records, and other secure information. I recommend calling a document shredding company that will come to the hoarder’s house, shred on-site, and give the hoarder a certificate showing that the documents have been shredded.

Shred It: www.shredit.com

Portable Storage

If storage is necessary, we recommend portable storage, which can be easily dropped off and picked up at any time. We tend to work with SmartBox USA because their boxes are the perfect size for sorting, shipping, and storage. They charge a monthly fee.

Smartbox USA: www.smartboxusa.com

Pest Control

I recommend having