Crime scenes, deaths or injuries often times result in contamination of the scene with biohazardous materials such as blood, bodily fluids, or toxins. Unfortunately, the police do not clean up after a crime scene or even offer any assistance in the matter. Once the police have taken evidence from the crime scene, the area is then returned to the owner, home or business, and it is then their responsibility to deal with the cleanup of the crime scene. When there are biohazardous materials involved it can be extremely dangerous to attempt to clean up or come in contact with anything in the area without professional experience and equipment.

Who Cleans Up After a Crime Scene

When biohazardous materials are involved in a crime scene, which is often the case, an authorized crime scene cleanup company would typically come in to clean up and decontaminate the area. A crime scene cleanup company is trained and certified to provide save cleanup services while using the proper equipment to ensure the safety of those involved. In most cases, when dealing with a crime scene, homeowners or business insurance will cover the majority of the cost involved with hiring a crime scene cleanup company.

Avoid Injury or Additional Damage with Professional Service

Attempting to clean up a crime scene yourself could result in bodily harm and/or contraction of harmful pathogens and it’s important that you contact a professional, certified crime scene clean up company. Improper cleanup can also result in additional damage when the scene isn’t thoroughly cleaned and decontaminated. Oftentimes, there can be lingering smells, biohazardous materials which have soaked into floors or furniture, or other damage which may be neglected if not properly cleaned. To avoid personal injury contact an authorized cleanup company if you’re dealing with the aftermath of a crime scene.

A hoarder can be quickly overwhelmed by the obsessive-compulsive desire to find, buy, or otherwise acquire worthless items.  Though these items can quite literally be anything, some of the most common include:

•    Old Magazines & Newspapers

•    Empty Bags, Boxes, & Bottles

•    Clothes That No Longer Fit

•    Pens, Pencils, & Other Writing Utensils

•    Food & Beverage Items

Some less common but more extreme examples of hoarded items are:

•    Live Animals (e.g. Cats)

•    Hair

•    Fingernail Clippings

•    Used Bandages

•    Dirty Diapers

However, unlike serious collectors, hoarders do not generally take pride in the items they collect, which have no appreciable value and normally no sentimental value.  In fact, they may even feel ashamed and embarrassed for their possessions.

There are several other health, psychological, and social problems that may arise from hoarding.

Problems that Hoarders May Face

Hoarding is considered a form of obsessive compulsive disorder, and as such it comes with many issues that other OCD sufferers commonly face:

•    Depression – Due to the compulsive need to collect clutter, hoarders may suffer from feelings of worthlessness, anxiety, and other distresses associated with severe depression.

•    Isolation – Hoarders do not generally invite friends and family into their homes because of the embarrassment associated with their hoarded items, leading to moderate to complete social isolation.

•    Financial Distress – Sometimes a hoarder may collect items that they must buy, which can quickly lead to a loss of income, debt, and even bankruptcy.

•    Marital & Family Problems – The hoarder is not the only victim that suffers from the disorder.  Compulsive hoarding also puts a large strain on relationships with spouses, children, parents, and others.

•    Paranoia – Many hoarders feel defensive and paranoid about their hoarded items, which may manifest in feelings of suspicion toward those around them or hours spent looking through garbage to ensure nothing was mistakenly thrown out.

•    Loss of Living Space – Hoarders often fill their entire home with the objects in their collection, making it impossible to sleep in a bed, prepare and eat meals, sit in chairs or on sofas, or use showers, bathtubs, or toilets.

•    Health Risks – Risk of fire, trip-and-falls, vermin infestation, or disease are common among hoarders.

•    Eviction – Hoarders face the very real possibility of losing their home or apartment from landlord eviction or lawful intervention.

The dangers and problems that a hoarder may face are as unique as the items they may collect.  While it is possible that some hoarders may face different problems than what is listed above, these are by far the most common.

Helping a Hoarder Get Back to Normal

Hoarding is a serious psychiatric condition, and a mental health professional such as a psychiatrist or psychologist can offer therapy and medications that might help.  Family members can also help by supporting their loved one as they go through the difficult changes associated with ridding themselves of hoarding behavior.

One crucial step in the therapy of a hoarder is to remove the clutter they have collected and return their home to a normal, healthy living space.  This should only be attempted when the hoarder themselves feels comfortable and the hoarder’s therapist feels that it is a good time.

But, keep in mind that a hoarder’s collection may pose serious health hazards, and you should contact a professional contamination disposal service in order to ensure proper, safe, and adequate decontamination of the hoarder’s home.

In the San Diego, California area, contact Bio-One, the area’s experts in hazardous clean-up, for peace of mind at the most competitive price.

What is Hoarding? And How is it Different from Collecting?

It is usually painfully obvious when someone is hoarding, but a hoarder shouldn’t be confused with a collector or ordinary pack rat.

A collector usually selects a single item or theme of items that they search for and collect responsibly. Collectors enjoy organizing, displaying, and adding to their collection when their budget allows. And while hoarders often select items to collect in the same way, their collections usually lack any kind of organization, takes over normal living space, and may lead to the incurring of substantial debt. Hoarders also lack the pride that most collectors take in their collections, feeling shame and embarrassment instead.

Also, unlike a pack-rat who normally stores items neatly and out of the way to maintain sentimental or appreciating value, a hoarder is much more likely to pile and clutter items wherever they can.

How Hoarding is Normally Diagnosed

Hoarding is usually diagnosed as someone who:

• Avoids Throwing Things Away – This may include old newspapers or magazines, empty bags or boxes,       food, and clothing that no longer have any value or use.
• Experiences moderate to severe anxiety when throwing something away.
• Cannot keep items or possessions organized.
• Has an intense feeling of embarrassment about their hoarded items.
• Experiences a sense of paranoia about others touching their possessions.
• Fears running out of something or not having something later when they need it.
• Obsessively checks the garbage in case something was accidently thrown out.
Other factors that might be considered when diagnosing hoarding disorder include:
• Depression
• Social Isolation
• Family Problems
• Marital Problems
• Financial Difficulty
• Health Hazards in the Home
• Loss of Living Space (i.e. no place to sleep or eat inside the home)

Of course, you should always consult with a medical or psychiatric professional to diagnose hoarding disorder.

Treatment of Hoarding Disorder

As hoarders often feel a sense of paranoia and compulsion when it comes to their possessions, as well as defensive and embarrassed about their condition, trying to help can be difficult. Treatment of a hoarding disorder is a slow and delicate process, and it is best to seek professional help from a licensed psychiatrist to avoid exacerbating the situation.

One of the major points of hoarding disorder treatment is removing the clutter from the hoarder’s home. However, this can be a hazardous process as hoarders often collect food and other items that might pose a risk if handled improperly.

In Arizona, contact Bio-One – the state’s most trusted clean-up and decontamination service – if you need professional help in removing the clutter and getting on with your life.

Stay Safe and Avoid Biohazardous Waste

Being exposed to biohazardous waste can be very harmful to your health and it’s important to avoid it where possible. There are many different forms of biohazardous waste and many types are unknown to many people, therefore it’s important to understand what biohazardous waste is and the different types that exist to avoid harm to yourself or others. If you’re unsure whether something is biohazardous, it’s very important that you contact a professional to ensure the safe removal and disposal of said materials.

Biohazardous waste is any waste containing infectious materials or potentially infectious substances such as blood.

Different Types of Biohazardous Waste

• Human blood and blood products – Serum, plasma and other blood components.
• Human bodily fluids – Semen, vaginal secretions, cerebral spinal fluid, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, and saliva from dental procedures.
• Microbiological wastes – Wastes from a laboratory that contain or have been contaminated with infectious agents.
• Pathological waste – Human tissue, organs, and body parts.
• Animal waste – Animal carcasses, body parts, and any bedding material used by animals which have been inoculated with human pathogenic microorganisms infectious to humans.

Sharps waste – Needles, blades, glass pipettes, and any other wastes that could cause injury during handling.

Disposing of Biohazardous Waste

If you’ve determined that a material is biohazardous, cleaning and disposing of that material should be done safely and professionally. Due to the potential risks involved with handling biohazardous waste, it is highly recommended to contact a licensed and certified biohazardous cleanup service. There are many regulations in place as to the proper transportation and disposal of biohazardous waste and therefore should be done by an experienced biohazardous waste management company.