What we usually find, floor by floor
A lot of houses around here are 70 to 100 years old. A Cleveland double in Slavic Village, a bungalow in Parma, a colonial in Lakewood, a worker's house in Akron's Goodyear Heights or Firestone Park, a brick home in Canton: they're built tall and narrow, with a basement under everything and often an attic over it. Each floor brings its own problems.
The basement
This is usually the fullest and the hardest. Things go down the stairs and don't come back up. The basement also holds the furnace, the water heater, the laundry and the electrical panel. When boxes press against a gas furnace, that's a fire risk, and it's one reason we often clear a path to the mechanicals on day one.
Water is the other worry. Spring thaw, heavy rain or a failed sump pump can leave an inch of water on a basement floor. Cardboard and clothing soak it up and grow mold, and the smell rises into the whole house. Old basement stairs are steep and narrow, so crews carry by hand and take their time.
The main floor
The kitchen often goes first here, especially if there's spoiled food or a stove that can't be used safely. Then we open paths: front door to back door, bedroom to bathroom. Homes with pet or human waste, rodent droppings and heavy odor are normal work for us. We don't judge, and we don't comment. We remove what's soiled, sanitize, and keep working on the smell.
Upstairs and the attic
Many older homes here have a second floor or a finished attic with a steep stairway. Papers, holiday decorations and boxes from decades back end up there. In summer an attic can be hot, so we work it early in the day.
The garage
Detached garages off a driveway or an alley are common, and they're often packed to the rafters. Old paint, motor oil and chemicals get set aside for proper disposal.
Winter changes the plan, not the answer
We work all year. Winter just means more planning.
- Snow and ice. Steps, porches and driveways get cleared and salted before anything heavy moves. East side suburbs in the snowbelt can get lake-effect snow fast, so we watch forecasts.
- Frozen pipes. If a house sat empty, or the heat was off because no one could reach the furnace, pipes may have burst. We clean up what that leaves behind. The plumbing repair isn't our work, but your project manager can connect you with trusted local professionals.
- Dumpster placement. A 30-yard dumpster is a steel box about 22 feet long. In winter it needs a spot where plows won't bury it or block the street. Your project manager handles placement and any permit the city needs.
Families often call after a holiday visit, when someone finally saw how things had gotten. Any season is the right one to call.
Help that already exists in your county
Northeast Ohio has more local hoarding help than most places. Here is what we confirmed.
Cuyahoga County. The Hoarding Connection of Cuyahoga County is run through the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging and brings together more than 20 public, nonprofit and private groups. It offers education, community resources and peer-led Buried in Treasures groups. It doesn't provide cleanouts itself. For an adult who may not be safe, Cuyahoga County Adult Protective Services takes calls at (216) 420-6700, 24 hours a day. It serves adults 60 and older and adults 18 to 59 with disabilities, and it handles self-neglect.
Summit County. The Summit County Hoarding Task Force runs through the County of Summit ADM Board. You can call (330) 762-3500 and ask for the Hoarding Task Force Coordinator. It offers education, consultation and referrals. Summit County Adult Protective Services is at (330) 643-7217, 24 hours a day, for adults 60 and older.
Lorain, Medina and Stark counties. Each county's Job and Family Services department handles APS. The simplest way to reach the right office is the statewide Ohio line, 1-855-644-6277 (855-OHIO-APS), or the state's online APS report. Call the phone line if you want to report without giving your name.
If someone is in danger right now, call 911. A report doesn't mean you've given up on your mom. A caseworker can help with health, money and services, and we can help with the house. Many families do both.
When a housing inspector is involved
In Akron, housing complaints go to the city's Housing Compliance Division through 311. Outside Akron in Summit County, Summit County Public Health takes interior and exterior housing complaints, including trash buildup and pests, at (330) 926-5600. In Cleveland, the Department of Building and Housing handles code complaints, and serious cases can go to Cleveland's own Housing Court. Suburbs like Euclid, Parma, Elyria, Medina and Canton use their own city building or housing departments.
If you've gotten an order, send us a photo of it. Your project manager will plan around what it requires. Often that's clear exits, a path to the furnace and electrical panel, garbage removed and working smoke detectors. That first step is faster than a full cleanout and can buy time for the rest.
Where the stuff goes
On day one, crews set up keep, donate and discard areas. Photos, letters, cash, jewelry, savings bonds and important papers are boxed for the family. Money hides in books, freezers and coat pockets. It all comes back to you.
Usable furniture and household goods go to local thrift stores and charities. Scrap metal, cardboard and electronics get recycled where we can.
The rest goes to a landfill or transfer station. In Cuyahoga County, Rumpke's Harvard Avenue Transfer Station in Newburgh Heights has a drop-off area open to the public. In Stark County, Kimble's Canton Transfer Station on Bolivar Road is open to the public too. You won't have to load a car. Your project manager arranges the dumpster or truck and the disposal.
Read more about the full process on our hoarding cleanup page.
Estates and probate
In Ohio, each county has its own probate court. That means the Cuyahoga County Probate Court for Cleveland and its suburbs, the Summit County Probate Court in Akron, and separate probate courts for Lorain, Medina and Stark. Usually someone has to be appointed before the house can be emptied or sold.
We don't give legal advice. We work around the timeline your attorney or the court sets, and we go through every drawer and box for wills, deeds, titles and bank statements before anything leaves. See our estate cleanout page.
Cities and neighborhoods
A local project manager covers Cleveland (Slavic Village, Old Brooklyn, West Park, Tremont, Collinwood), Lakewood, Parma, Euclid, Garfield Heights, Cleveland Heights and Strongsville; Akron (Goodyear Heights, Firestone Park, Highland Square, Ellet), Cuyahoga Falls, Stow and Barberton; Lorain, Elyria and Avon; Medina, Brunswick and Wadsworth; and Canton, North Canton, Massillon and Alliance.
Cost
We don't publish prices, because every house is different. A packed basement with water damage is a much bigger job than a small ranch where the clutter stops at the kitchen. Our cost page explains what moves the number. Financing is available. If you're still working out how to bring this up with your dad, start with helping a family member.
Common questions
Can you clear a basement with water damage and mold?
Yes. We remove wet and moldy belongings, clean and sanitize surfaces, and deodorize. If the foundation, sump pump or walls need repair, your project manager can connect you with trusted local professionals.
Is there hoarding help in Cuyahoga or Summit County besides a cleanup company?
Yes. Cuyahoga County has the Hoarding Connection of Cuyahoga County through the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, and Summit County has a Hoarding Task Force through the ADM Board. Both offer education and referrals, and neither does cleanouts.
How do I report that my mom isn't safe at home in Ohio?
Call your county's Adult Protective Services, or the statewide line at 1-855-644-6277, any time. Cuyahoga's line is (216) 420-6700 and Summit's is (330) 643-7217. If she's in danger right now, call 911.
Do you work in January and February?
Yes. We clear and salt walkways, place the dumpster where plows won't bury it, and plan around storms. Cold weather can actually help with odor while we work.
Will the neighbors know what's going on?
We keep it low-key and private. Crews don't talk about the job outside. On close streets with doubles and narrow driveways, neighbors may see a dumpster, but they won't hear details from us.
Does my dad get a say in what stays?
Yes. Nothing that belongs to him gets thrown away without a plan he's been part of. We move at a pace he can handle, even when that's slower than the rest of the family would like.