MORE THAN SIMPLE CLEANOUTS
Hoarding Cleanup in Western CO and Eastern UT
Respectful, Professional Cleanup That Prioritizes the Person First
APPROACHING HOARDING THE Human WAY
This Is Not a Simple Cleanout Job
Hoarding situations require a different approach than standard junk removal. The conditions are often hazardous, the emotional stakes are high, and the cleanup itself can cause real harm if handled without the right training, equipment, and attitude.
Encompass Environmental provides hoarding cleanup services for homes, rental properties, and commercial spaces across Western Colorado and Eastern Utah. Our team is certified, insured, and experienced in working through complex, sensitive situations with care, efficiency, and respect for everyone involved.
Understanding Hoarding Disorder
Before anything else, it helps to understand what hoarding actually is, because misconceptions about it lead to cleanup approaches that fail or make things worse.
Hoarding disorder is characterized by persistent difficulty getting rid of or parting with possessions due to a perceived need to save them. Attempts to part with possessions create considerable distress and lead to decisions to save them, with the resulting clutter disrupting the ability to use living spaces.
Hoarding disorder became a new diagnostic entry in the DSM-5 in 2013 and affects an estimated 2 to 3 percent of the population. It is more common in older age groups and people with other psychiatric diagnoses, particularly anxiety and depression. Hoarding behavior typically begins in childhood or adolescence and is chronic and progressive.
Hoarding is not the same as clutter, and it is not a lifestyle choice. Collectors acquire items in an organized, intentional, and targeted fashion. The acquisition of objects in people who hoard is largely impulsive, with little active planning, and triggered by the sight of an object that could be owned. Objects acquired by people who hoard lack a consistent theme, whereas those of collectors are narrowly focused on a particular topic.
This distinction matters for cleanup. Simply removing everything without involving the person, or working without sensitivity to the disorder, can cause significant psychological distress and often results in the living space returning to the same condition within months. Effective hoarding cleanup is a collaborative process.
You can learn more about hoarding disorder from the
American Psychiatric Association's patient resource page.
The Physical Hazards of hoarding Are Real
Why You Should Never Ignore Hoarding Situations
Beyond the psychological dimension, hoarding situations present genuine health and safety risks that require professional assessment and handling.
Fire hazards
The accumulation of materials collected by people with hoarding disorder presents
fire safety risks to both residents and firefighters.
Personal items crowding cooking and heating equipment significantly increase fire risk, and blocked windows and doors make it difficult for firefighters to enter a home to fight a fire and search for occupants.
Mold and air quality
Accumulated materials trap moisture and block ventilation, creating conditions where mold grows unchecked.
Research has found that people who spend time in damp buildings report health problems including respiratory symptoms and infections, developing or worsening asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, allergic rhinitis, and eczema.
Biohazards
Decomposing food, animal waste, rodent infestations, and in some cases human waste or sharps are common in advanced hoarding situations. These require certified biohazard handling, not standard cleaning. Our team is equipped and trained to manage this safely. See our
Biohazard Cleanup page for detail on that process.
Structural concerns
Excessive weight load, compromised HVAC systems, blocked plumbing access, and pest damage can all affect the structural integrity and habitability of a property.
Trip and fall hazards
Potential consequences of serious hoarding include health and safety concerns such as fire hazards, tripping hazards, and health code violations.
What to Expect
Our Hoarding Cleanup Process
We follow strict, by-the-book protocols to ensure every abatement project is handled with the utmost safety and compliance.
We walk the property, identify hazards, assess the scope of work, and develop a plan in coordination with you.
Whenever the person with hoarding disorder is present and willing to participate, we move at their pace and involve them in decisions about their possessions.
Biohazardous materials, sharps, animal waste, and regulated waste are handled and disposed of compliantly, separate from general debris removal.
We clean and disinfect all surfaces, using EPA-registered disinfectants.If mold is present, we assess the extent and remediate accordingly.
Identifying the signs of hoarding
When Does it Become Hoarding?
There are many misconceptions about hoarding. Not every hoarding situation is as extreme as depicted on TV. Some people have a hoarding problem, but it may not be 100% disruptive to their everyday lives and as a result, may be harder to spot.
Below are some key indicators that you or someone you may know is a victim of a hoarding problem.
Having Trouble Making Decisions
Struggling to decide what to keep, throw away, or give away, even for items with little practical value.
Excessively Shopping For New Things
Frequently buying, collecting, or accepting items that aren't needed, often driven by a sense that an item might be useful someday.
Limited Awareness of the Problem
Minimizing or not recognizing how the accumulation is affecting daily life, relationships, or the usability of living spaces.
Feeling Unable to Act on the Issue
Knowing there is a problem but feeling paralyzed about where or how to start addressing it.
Difficulty Letting Go of Objects
Significant distress at the thought of discarding items, even things that are broken, expired, or duplicated many times over.
Growing Piles With No Clear System
Items accumulate in stacks without organization, and attempts to sort or tidy the space don't make lasting progress.
Clutter That Restricts Movement
Pathways through the home become narrow or blocked, and rooms can no longer be used for their intended purpose.
Shifting Rather Than Resolving
Moving items from one pile or room to another instead of making decisions about them, with no net reduction in volume.row or blocked, and rooms can no longer be used for their intended purpose.
We Tackle Hoarding the Human Way
David Crockett, Owner
WHY CHOOSE ENCOMPASS Environmental
Your
Premier Environmental Cleanup Experts
Led by owner and Grand Junction resident David Crockett, Encompass Environmental blends small-town accountability with top-tier technical expertise.
We hold IICRC Trauma & Crime Scene, Microbial Remdiation, Strutural Drying and Water Damge Certifications. Our team undergo full background checks, and we're fully insured, bonded, and maintain spotless safety records across all our projects.
Whether you're a homeowner dealing with a remodel surprise, or a commercial property manager needing large-scale abatement, you can trust that our paperwork is airtight and our protocols are strictly by-the-book.
Complete Peace of Mind
IICRC Certified Trauma and Crime Scene Technician
IICRC Applied Microbial Remediation Technician
SBA Recognized Veteran-Owned Small Business
Full Liability Insurance & Background Checked Team
Your Questions About Hoarding Cleanup Answered
Frequently Asked Questions About Hoarding in Western CO and Eastern UT
How is hoarding cleanup different from junk removal?
Significantly. Junk removal companies haul debris. Hoarding cleanup addresses the full scope of what's present, including biohazards, rodent or animal contamination, mold, structural concerns, and the careful sorting of possessions that may have personal or financial value.
We also produce documentation that junk removal companies don't provide, which may be required by insurers, housing authorities, or social services. We wear full PPE when conditions require it and dispose of regulated waste compliantly.
Do you work directly with the person who hoards?
Whenever possible and appropriate, yes. Because there are strong attachments to the clutter, and the clutter is a result of a disorder which causes excessive acquisition and decisions to save possessions, simply removing the clutter without involving the person may not help.
Our approach is resident-first: we move at an agreed pace, explain what we're doing, and involve the person in decisions wherever that's feasible. We understand that forcing the process can be counterproductive.
What if there are biohazards or rodent contamination?
We're trained and equipped to handle biohazardous materials, sharps, animal waste, rodent droppings, and decomposing material.
These are managed separately from general debris and disposed of compliantly through licensed carriers. See our Biohazard Cleanup page for more detail on that process.
What if there's mold?
Very common in hoarding situations due to blocked ventilation and trapped moisture. We assess what's present during our initial walkthrough and incorporate mold remediation into the project scope when needed. See our Mold Remediation page for more information.
Do you coordinate with social workers, case managers, or housing authorities?
Yes. We work with whoever is managing the broader situation, including social services, property managers, insurers, and in some cases local government agencies. We can produce documentation of the completed work as required.
Will you work with insurance?
Often hoarding cleanup is partially or fully covered, particularly when the situation involves a covered loss like water damage or a health and safety compliance requirement. We coordinate directly with your carrier and adjuster and provide proper documentation to support your claim.
Is this service discreet?
Yes. Our team is professional and background-checked. We do not use signage or draw attention to the work being done.
Ready to Restore Your Property?
We help take the stress out of the situation. Compassionate, considerate and thorough; no matter the scale of hoarding.
