Hoarding cleanup in Lakewood is done by an independent cleanup company that sorts, clears and sanitizes a home at a pace the person living there can accept. The first step is making the home safe to enter and agreeing on what must be kept. Biohazard Network does not do this work; we can connect you with an independent local company that you hire directly.
If you are a family member or property manager facing this for the first time, feeling unsure is normal. Hoarding is a recognized condition, not a character flaw, and the person living in the home deserves respect at every step.
What hoarding cleanup involves
The work means removing what the person decides to let go, then cleaning and sanitizing each room. Ordinary cleaning is not enough when items have built up over time, because clearing them can uncover hidden health hazards that call for protective equipment and careful handling.
Clutter versus biohazard
Many rooms may simply hold belongings that need sorting. A biohazard is anything that can spread disease, such as blood, bodily fluids or rodent droppings. The Washington State Department of Health1 (DOH) says all rodent droppings should be handled as if infectious, and it warns against vacuuming or sweeping them. Sharps, meaning used needles, syringes and lancets, are another hazard to leave for the crew.
Respect, pace and consent
A rushed clear-out can be very hard on the person. Ask each company how sorting decisions are made, whether the person can be present, and whether the work can happen in shorter sessions.
What to do first
Start with safety: clear paths to the exits, nothing piled near the stove, and a working bathroom. Do not touch droppings, needles or anything wet or stained; DOH1 notes that a dust mask does not protect against viruses.
If someone has died in the home, the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office2 comes first. A medical examiner is the official who investigates certain deaths, and this office determines the cause and manner of death for deaths under its jurisdiction. Cleanup waits until the scene is released, meaning officials say the home may be entered and cleaned; see unattended death cleanup in Lakewood.
Keep what matters
Make a short list of things to watch for: identification and legal papers, photos, medicines, keys and valuables. Ask the company to set these aside if found, and agree on one safe box or room for them. If the person rents, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) advises not throwing damaged things away yet, because the insurer may want to inspect them.
How a company works room by room
A company may start with exit paths, then the kitchen and bathroom, then other rooms. Ask what each stage includes: protective equipment for the crew; containment, which means sealing off a work area so dust and germs do not spread; removal of items the person lets go; and disinfection, which means using products that kill germs on surfaces. Porous materials, such as carpet and mattresses that soak up fluids, may need removal rather than cleaning. Odor remediation, meaning removing the cause of an odor rather than covering it, comes after the source is gone, as our page on odor remediation in Lakewood explains.
Biomedical waste, the materials Washington law lists such as discarded human blood and sharps waste, has its own regulated path. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department3’s Infectious Waste Management program permits and inspects businesses that generate, transport or treat infectious waste, so ask how the company will handle it. Also ask for written records and photos you can share with an insurer.
What may be separate
Repairs, pest control, and water, mold or fire restoration may be separate jobs, sometimes done by other companies. Our guide to how biohazard cleanup fits with restoration explains how these pieces connect.
Checking a company
Before you hire, ask each company whether its crew follows OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard4, 29 CFR 1910.1030 (bloodborne pathogens are germs carried in blood), and the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup from the IICRC, the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification, a non-profit organization for the cleaning and restoration industries. You can look up the company yourself with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) tool Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business, and our certifications guide explains what each of these means.
What affects the cost
No price can be given without seeing the home. Ask for a written quote that explains what drives it:
- the volume of items and number of rooms
- how slowly sorting must go so the person can decide
- biohazards such as droppings or sharps
- hauling and disposal
- repairs once rooms are clear
- travel to the property
Travel matters for island homes in the county: on the Pierce County ferry, vehicles and drivers must be in position with tickets 20 minutes before departure, and leaving Ketron Island needs a reservation at least 60 minutes ahead.
Can insurance help?
Insurance may help with related damage, but there is no guarantee. The OIC5 says you can ask your agent or company whether a loss is covered without filing a claim, so ask before work starts. A homeowner policy generally includes limited coverage for debris removal, though most homeowner policies don’t cover gradual leaks. If a company offers an assignment of benefit form, read it with care, since the OIC warns that signing it could affect your rights.
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 in Lakewood
Lakewood is an incorporated city: its Planning and Public Works Department performs permitting, building inspections and development review, and its code enforcement officers work in the Lakewood Police Department. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department3 is the local health department, and under state law a local health officer must prevent, control or abate nuisances detrimental to public health. Its Healthy Housing program offers tenant and landlord resources but is not a hoarding complaint program.
When pets live in the home
Lakewood Animal Control serves Lakewood, DuPont, and Steilacoom, and you can contact it if you are worried about animals in the home. Washington law expects animal areas to be kept reasonably clean and free from excess waste and noxious odors. When an officer has probable cause to believe that law was broken, the officer may obtain a warrant and remove the animal, so it can help to ask for advice early.
When the person is an older adult
Aging and Disability Resources (ADR), a Pierce County program that runs the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC), is a place to start. If a person 60 or older can no longer care for themselves and their health is at risk, Adult Protective Services investigates self-neglect of vulnerable adults. You can report online at any hour, with no proof and without giving your name. If the person is in immediate danger, call emergency services.
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.
- Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department (opens in a new tab)For local health questions, such as a home that was used as a drug lab.
- 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.