Seek professional hoarding cleanup and decontamination services to protect your family. Hoarding cases present significant risks to human health and  should never be taken lightly. A hoarding site may pose different types of health hazards as you may find mold, biological waste, and other harmful debris there. All these can contaminate the living environment, making it an unhealthy place to live. In this guide, we’ll take you through some hoarding hazards, but before that let’s find out what exactly is hoarding? What is Hoarding? Hoarding is a complex mental health disorder that's known to affect one million people in the US. It's a condition that makes it difficult for the affected people to part with possessions or discard them. Due to psychological issues, hoarders collect different stuff. Some stick to certain types of belongings such as books, clothing, household, supplies, food items, and even pets. Left unchecked, hoarders can set up life-threatening living situations for themselves or their families. The most serious hoarding case occurs when the sufferer won't let go of anything. But how is hoarding a health hazard? Keep reading to get the answer. Hoarding Hazards A hoarding site can be unhealthy or even dangerous for everyone present. Different kinds of dangerous biohazards can lurk in the piles of debris. Uncared pets might be carrying fleas and other infestations and may leave behind urine and feces. Decaying meat and other rotting food are commonly found at hoarding sites and they are a health hazard themselves. Not to forget the vermin and rodents that they attract. That’s the reason why infestations associated with rats, roaches, maggots, etc., are more common in hoarding cases. On top of that, unchecked hoarding properties usually have pipe leaks and unmaintained HVAC systems. Any resultant moisture damage can translate into mold infestation in 48 hours. Mold invasion is another health hazard for residents, especially with our high humidity here in Greenville, Greer, Taylors and all over the Upstate of SC. Depending on the type of mold present, you or your family can experience allergic reactions and respiratory problems that will persist and worsen as long as mold stays. Call Us for Hoarding Cleanup and Decontamination Hoarding cleanup and decontamination are not as simple as it sounds. Since the contaminants often become airborne, the very act of waste removal can pose additional dangers. Plus, you can’t just dump the items that need to be discarded. They must be handled according to the local and state guidelines for biohazardous waste disposal. Items that need to be saved need to be cautiously inspected, cleaned, and decontaminated. After waste removal, the space also needs to be cleaned, disinfected, as well as deodorized. Mold inspection and effective remediation need to be conducted. All these tasks require considerable expertise and the use of specialized equipment and protective gear that professional restoration experts possess. For safe and efficient cleanup, contact STOP today.