Hoarding cleanup is the careful sorting, removal and sanitizing of a home where belongings have built up until daily living has become hard or unsafe, and it is done by a private cleanup company that you hire directly. On Bainbridge Island, the first step is a calm conversation with the person living in the home, when that is possible, about what matters most to them. Biohazard Network connects you with an independent local company; it does not do the cleanup or any part of the work.
If you are a family member or a property manager facing this, feeling overwhelmed is a normal reaction. Hoarding is a recognized condition, and the goal here is a safer home, not blame. This page explains the work, what to set aside, and what shapes the cost, so you can talk with a company with a clear head.
What hoarding cleanup involves
The best cleanups move at a pace the person can manage. Where the person living in the home is able to take part, their consent and choices guide what stays and what they decide to let go. Rushing can cause real distress, so ask any company how it handles a person who wants to be present.
Clutter versus biohazard
Many homes only need sorting and hauling. Ordinary cleaning is not enough when biohazards are present. A biohazard is biological material, such as body fluids or animal waste, that can carry disease. Bloodborne pathogens are germs carried in blood that can cause illness.
Two hazards deserve care. The Washington State Department of Health1 (DOH) says all rodent droppings should be handled as if infectious and warns against vacuuming or sweeping them, because that stirs up dust. Sharps are used needles, syringes and lancets; Kitsap Public Health District2 has a program called Safely Handling Sharps. If you see either, leave that area alone.
Keeping what matters
Before anything leaves the home, agree on a short list of things to find and protect:
- Legal and financial documents, mail and bills
- Photos, letters and keepsakes
- Medicines and medical devices
- Keys, phones and wallets
- Jewelry, cash and other valuables
Ask the company how it sets these aside and how it tells you what it found.
Safety first
The first rooms to clear are the ones that keep a person safe: clear paths to every exit, a working kitchen and a usable bathroom. The rest of the home can follow later.
What to expect from the company you hire
A company works room by room. The crew wears protective equipment such as gloves, suits and respirators. Where biohazards exist, it sets up containment, which means sealing off a work area so contamination does not spread. Porous materials, such as carpet, mattresses and upholstery that soak up fluids, may have to be removed. Disinfection, meaning applying products that kill germs, comes after the affected materials are gone. Odor work makes sense only once the source has been removed; see odor remediation on Bainbridge Island. DOH also says not to paint or caulk over mold.
In Kitsap County, hauling biohazardous or biomedical waste is regulated by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission and Kitsap Public Health District2, and companies need UTC approval and a KPHD Solid Waste Hauling Permit. A separate KPHD Site Restoration Hauler permit applies when a clean-up company hauls site waste in its own equipment. Ask how waste from your home will be hauled, and ask for photos and a written scope of work for insurance.
Some work may be separate from the cleanup: repairs, pest control and restoration after water, fire or mold damage. How biohazard cleanup fits with restoration explains the difference.
To check a company yourself, ask whether its crew trains to OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard3, 29 CFR 1910.1030, and follows the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup, a standard from the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), a non-profit organization for the cleaning and restoration industries. Then look the business up on the Department of Labor & Industries4 (L&I) tool called Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business4, and read our certifications guide for what the answers mean.
What affects the cost
No honest company can price a hoarding cleanup without seeing the home. The main factors are:
- Volume: how many rooms and how much has to leave.
- Sorting pace: careful, item-by-item sorting with the person present takes longer.
- Biohazards: animal waste, sharps or mold add protective steps and regulated disposal.
- Hauling: how many loads, and what kind of waste.
- Repairs afterward: flooring, walls or fixtures may need separate work.
- Travel: if the company is based in Tacoma, ask whether travel is in the quote; the Tacoma Narrows Bridge carries SR 16 between Gig Harbor and Tacoma, and its tolls apply only toward Tacoma.
Insurance may cover related damage, but there are no guarantees. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner5 tells homeowners to understand what their policy does and doesn’t cover, and says you have the right to choose your own contractor for covered repairs. It also warns that signing a contractor’s assignment of benefit form could affect your rights, so read it before you sign.
Usually covered: Homeowner insurance protects your home and belongings from damage caused by specific risks, says the Insurance Commissioner’s page on how home insurance works. For damage from those risks, dwelling coverage typically covers repairing or replacing your damaged home.
Usually not covered: Standard homeowner and renter policies exclude wear and tear and neglect: insurance covers sudden accidents, not ongoing issues, and you must properly maintain your home, says the Insurance Commissioner’s smoke damage page, which lists what standard policies exclude.
Ask your insurer: “What does my policy cover, and does that include cleanup and repairs after hoarding in my home?” Source: Filing a homeowner insurance claim (Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner)5
Local help on Bainbridge Island
Bainbridge Island is an incorporated city.
- If a home is reported or found unsafe: Kitsap Public Health District2 takes reports through its Report a Public Health Concern page, by phone at 360-728-2235 or online. The city’s Planning and Community Development (PCD) Department coordinates and manages development and land-use activity on Bainbridge Island, so it is the office to ask about permits for repairs.
- If animals live in the home: the Kitsap Humane Society covers Bainbridge Island. Washington law expects animals to have areas kept reasonably clean, and an officer who believes an animal is being neglected may get a warrant to remove it. A call to the Humane Society early can protect both the animals and the person.
- If you worry your parent cannot care for themselves, DSHS’s Adult Protective Services investigates self-neglect of vulnerable adults, and you do not need proof to make a report.
See unattended death cleanup for that situation.
Who to call first
In an emergency, call 911.These official offices may be part of the first steps. They are government pages, not ours.
- Kitsap County Medical Examiner (opens in a new tab)After a sudden or unexpected death, cleanup waits until this office is done.
- Kitsap Public Health District (opens in a new tab)For local health questions, such as a home that was used as a drug lab.
- Kitsap Public Health: permitted waste haulers (opens in a new tab)Cleanup companies that haul away waste here need this permit.
- Washington Crime Victims Compensation Program (L&I) (opens in a new tab)If a crime happened, it may help with some costs, such as funeral expenses. It doesn't pay for cleanup.
- Verify a contractor (L&I lookup) (opens in a new tab)Look up whether a company is a registered contractor before work starts.
- Washington State Department of Health (opens in a new tab)State health rules, such as for drug lab cleanup and hantavirus.