Hoarding vs. Clutter. What’s the Difference?

Hoarding and clutter are not the same. But what is the difference between them? We’ll help you tell them apart!

Knowing the difference between hoarding and clutter can help you identify a problem before it spirals out of control. Your loved one may be developing a hoarding disorder without you realizing it. Or they could just need a little help cleaning up.

Being able to tell hoarding and clutter apart is crucial for coming up with a successful solution for whatever challenges you and your loved one are facing.

Many hoarders do not acknowledge that they have a hoarding problem.

Instead, they may simply refer to themselves as “pack rats” and make light of the problem.

On the other hand, you may confuse a bit of clutter for a hoarding problem and stress yourself out unnecessarily. Either way, understanding the basics of hoarding vs. clutter can help save you time, money, and stress.

The Hoarders911 team provides the best hoarding cleaning service in NYC.

We’ll help you learn the difference between hoarding and clutter, and provide solutions for it all!

Hoarding Vs. Clutter

Clutter is simply any amount of unorganized items laying around in your home. It could be anything from the craft supplies your little one didn’t put away, to the collection of dead pens in your junk drawer.

You can accumulate clutter in a short time if you don’t have proper storage space. If you lead a busy lifestyle, you may end up with a pile of junk that you told yourself you’d get to later, but never found the time to do so.

As long as you don’t let things go too far, having a bit of clutter on occasion is completely normal. Once the clutter starts to take over your home, you may have a more serious problem to consider.

Most people don’t notice hoarding until the clutter has completely overrun the home.

But you can catch it sooner if you know what to look out for.

Not everyone with clutter is a hoarder. But all hoarders have clutter. The difference is that hoarding is linked to mental illness, while even healthy people can have clutter.

The biggest telltale sign of hoarding is a deep attachment to the clutter, resulting in an intense anxiety response towards throwing anything away.

If you notice your loved one struggling with this kind of attachment, you may want to get help from a hoarding professional to determine your next move.

The extreme reactions that hoarders have to things make decluttering their homes much more difficult. On top of clutter, hoarders commonly deal with health risks like structural damage, mold, and pests.

It’s best if you get help from someone with experience.

Hoarders911 has been helping people recover from hoarding for nearly 3 decades.

We will help you identify a hoarding problem and declutter the home safely. There is nothing we haven’t seen. No matter what you need, our team will be ready with a solution.

Call today for a free assessment: 718 627 5781

SERVICES WE OFFER

JUNK REMOVAL

CLUTTER CLEARING

HEAVY DUTY CLEANING

PEST EXTERMINATION