Ever Done a Job at a Hoarders House?

This was job I did today, traffic areas only to say the least!  Lucky me, this is the second one I've had like this in the last 3 months.  

Her bed is under there somewhere!!!  



And this is the kitchen........

Did you charge $10 sq/ft, since you can only clean about 20 sq/ft? Tell me you did not have to move anything...  

Ha, ha! @Joe.  

That would be interesting to know what you cleaned and what you made.

I haven't had one of these that I can remember.

Crazy. It's weird that they would even bother cleaning their carpet.

"Hoarders" are often germ freaks as well. I just can't imagine doing a job like that unless they had a team moving stuff before I arrived.

How did you even give an estimate? By square feet or by the shovel?

I have not nor would I clean a hoarders house. Not until all the junk was gone, anyway.

I can't grasp HOW you would even clean. There is hardly ANY space to clean.

Hey Robert! What do you mean there are mostly germ freaks? Of the hoarder houses I have ever seen, they are FILTHY. It isn't just clutter, but moldy this and that too. If they are germ freaks how do they sit comfortable with all the filth around them?!

Ive done a few like that. Just clean around the piles of junk for 15 min and collect your check. Nothing else you can do. Other than telling them they are crazy and you are leaving.

Freemind1 wrote:I have not nor would I clean a hoarders house. Not until all the junk was gone, anyway.

I can't grasp HOW you would even clean. There is hardly ANY space to clean.

Hey Robert! What do you mean there are mostly germ freaks? Of the hoarder houses I have ever seen, they are FILTHY. It isn't just clutter, but moldy this and that too. If they are germ freaks how do they sit comfortable with all the filth around them?!

The ones that I have seen never take the items out of the packaging or remove the tags. They obsess over having things like new which is why they keep buying multiples of the same things. These people have a mental condition and those with mental conditions rarely suffer from just one type of condition, so a hoarder can also have a germ phobia or any number of isses. I see your point, though, the conditions could easily degrade to a very unsanitary condition...and probably does.

It isn't a job that I would want to accept, just easier money out there.

Actually, cleaning the carpet for this lady isn't really that bad, I've been doing it once a year for many years because she keeps calling me back saying "the carpet always looks new when you're done".  I think that's a bit of a stretch on 10 year old Olefin, but if that's the way she sees it and she's happy that's all that really matters.   I never move anything, she always has the floor clear in the rooms/areas she want's me to clean. It's a small 3 bd rm house with living and dining rm all carpeted, but two of the bd rms are so filled with stuff (like the one in the first pic I posted) I've never cleaned them. So the most I'm ever able to clean is very small walk ways around the bed in one bd rm. and the open areas in the L&D rms. And when I say open areas there's not much, maybe 50% of the 230 sf living rm and the 80 sf dining room is 75% stacked with stuff so I'm only cleaning a small walk way into kitchen, 25 sf maybe and a small hall. So yesterday I figure I cleaned 175 sf, and charged her $10 more than I did the last couple years because of my higher cost, which was $160 total, and she always pays cash. So I don't price this biased on sf or really anything except my min charge to go out and do a small job.  I don't mind doing it because she is a real nice lady, easy to deal with, and has a real need for the help/service I provide.  Really the biggest PITA is being careful not to cause an avalanche by bumping the piles with the wand or hose, it's really not that bad.

germ freaks and "chem sensitive" usually from talking with them they also seem like hypochondriacs

so funny to see this post, had to go to a call back today at a hoarders house

2 long haired dogs and prob no vacuuming for over a yr, the call back was about dog hair on the stairs after the cleaning but its literally flying around her house

re cleaned the room and stairs today, by the time I was done there was already hair on the stairs again.

so hard to move around her house and do anything, just clutter everywhere

Yes and I declined a bologna sandwich as a tip.

makes you wish you could turn into incredible hulk and just destroy your way out of the house... I cant stand clutter lol

I didn't know hoarders were germaphobics that really weird

Yes I have, there are 2 types of hoarders, one is like Robert mentioned, germ freaks, the other type is the one who doesn't give a crap, the worst one I've done is similar to the one your picture, and the second type, so it's always nasty in there, that's why I always charge her 1.5 times my regular rate for 3 rooms but one of the room is literally 2 x 4 area cause there are so much junk in there, she called the yellow van once and got it done for a lot cheaper but she said that all the spots wick back up in a few days and she came running back to me :-)

dp1 wrote:Yes I have, there are 2 types of hoarders, one is like Robert mentioned, germ freaks, the other type is the one who doesn't give a crap, the worst one I've done is similar to the one your picture, and the second type, so it's always nasty in there, that's why I always charge her 1.5 times my regular rate for 3 rooms but one of the room is literally 2 x 4 area cause there are so much junk in there, she called the yellow van once and got it done for a lot cheaper but she said that all the spots wick back up in a few days and she came running back to me :-)

That's when the price doubles to 3 "times my regular rate" right?

I usually punish lol customers who stray trying to save a buck by charging them more when I find out they cheated on me.   

Davey Cracker wrote:

dp1 wrote:Yes I have, there are 2 types of hoarders, one is like Robert mentioned, germ freaks, the other type is the one who doesn't give a crap, the worst one I've done is similar to the one your picture, and the second type, so it's always nasty in there, that's why I always charge her 1.5 times my regular rate for 3 rooms but one of the room is literally 2 x 4 area cause there are so much junk in there, she called the yellow van once and got it done for a lot cheaper but she said that all the spots wick back up in a few days and she came running back to me :-)

That's when the price doubles to 3 "times my regular rate" right?

I usually punish lol customers who stray trying to save a buck by charging them more when I find out they cheated on me.   

LOL, you have issues Dave
Well since I already charging her $ 240 for less than 200 sq ft of carpets ( I charge by room ), I can't punish her by charging more, especially her husband is disabled and once a week she has to take him down 75 steps for his doctor's appointment and back up 75 steps back to her home ( their home is on the hills area ).

I have done 2 of these this month. It is absolutely nuts how some people live but I try not to judge. After all, they pay my bills :-)

Dan
DKB Restoration