The Complete Guide to Hoarding Cleanup Detroit (2025 Guide) | HazWash™
Facing Hoarding With Compassion & Clarity
If you or a loved one are struggling with hoarding, you’re not alone. Thousands of families across Metro Detroit face the same overwhelming challenge: rooms stacked high with belongings, odors that won’t go away, and homes that no longer feel safe.
🚫 Don’t Attempt Cleanup If Biohazards Are Present
Feces, urine, blood, decomposition, or chemicals turn a cleanout intoregulated hazmat work. DIY or junk hauling can lead to fines and liability.
Here’s the truth: hoarding cleanup isn’t just “throwing things away.” It’s about safety, health, and compliance. One wrong step — like hiring an unlicensed junk hauler — can turn into six-figure fines or long-term liability.
That’s why we created this guide. By the end, you’ll know:
What tools and protective equipment are truly required
The hidden risks of hiring unlicensed junk haulers or cleaners
The step-by-step HazWash™ cleanup process you can do at home.
The difference between White Glove vs Platinum Glove service
Why certified cleanup is the only safe, legal solution
🧾 Costly Mistake Alert
- Unlicensed junk hauling → EPA/DOT/OSHA violations
- No manifests → you keep liability
- Dumpstered biohazards → fines $25,000+/day
Most families don’t realize a “cheap $500 junk haul” can spiral into$100,000+ in fines. Don’t risk it — Download our Free 6-Point Compliance Checklistto learn how to protect yourself.
Certified handling protects your family and property.
Tools & Equipment Needed for Hoarding Cleanup
Imagine trying to tackle a hoarded home with only garbage bags and gloves. You’d quickly realize how unsafe — and overwhelming — it really is. The right tools aren’t just about efficiency; they’re about health, safety, and compliance.
✅ Essential Equipment
🗑️ Dumpster
Staged safely; permits as needed
🧰 Contractor Bags
6–8 mil for heavy debris
🧺 Mobile Cans
Tight spaces, quick staging
📦 Banker & Brown Boxes
Docs, keepsakes, valuables
🏷️ Labels & Notebooks
Track chain-of-custody items
💡 Pro Tip: Always use banker boxes for paperwork. It keeps medical, legal, and financial records separate so nothing gets lost.
✅ Protective Gear (PPE)
10 mil puncture-resistant gloves
N95 masks (minimum)
Optional but often required: Tyvek suits, full-face respirators, goggles, face shields
✅ Cleaning Tools
Shovels & brooms for debris
Hospital-grade disinfectants (When Biohazards are present)
Cleaners, Mops, Rags, Brushes, Buckets (For Deep Cleaning)
⚠️ Hazard Warning
If biohazards or significant chemicals arepresent (over 25 gallons), cleanup becomesregulated hazmat work. Thatrequires certified handling, packaging, anddisposal with documentation.
🔒 Compliance Advantage:HazWash™ documents, labels, and transportshazards under EPA/DOT/OSHA/EGLE rules.
👉 When hazards are present, HazWash™ ensures full compliance while restoring homes safely and discreetly.
The Hidden Cost of Cutting Corners
💸 Cutting Corners Gets Expensive
- EPA/RCRA fines: $25,000+/day
- DOT hazmat: $55,000+/shipment
- OSHA BBP/HAZWOPER: $14,502 per worker
- Civil suits & criminal exposure
It’s tempting to save money by hiring junk haulers or regular cleaners. But hoarding cleanup is not junk removal — it often involves regulated waste and biohazards. Mishandling them doesn’t just create health risks, it creates massive criminal and financial consequences.
🚔 Criminal Penalties You Could Face
Improper handling of hazardous or biohazardous waste can bring felony charges at both the federal and state level:
Federal (EPA / DOT / OSHA)
- RCRA — 42 U.S.C. § 6928(d)
Felony charges, up to 5 years in prison per violation, plus fines of $50,000+/day. - DOT Hazmat — 49 CFR 171–180
Civil fines of $55,000+/shipment; if knowingly violated, up to 5 years in prison. - OSHA — 29 CFR 1910.1030 & 1910.120
$14,502 per exposed worker; willful/repeat violations can double and trigger criminal liability.
Michigan (EGLE Part 111/115)
- Part 111 — MCL § 324.1115
Up to 2 years imprisonment and fines up to $10,000/day. - Part 115 — MCL § 324.11546
Misdemeanor charges and fines of $5,000+/day for unlawful disposal.
Repeat or intentional violations → escalate to felonies and longer prison terms.
💸 The Real Financial Penalties
- EPA/RCRA fines: $25,000+/day, per violation
- DOT hazmat transport fines: $55,000+/shipment
- OSHA violations: $14,502 per exposed worker
- Civil lawsuits: Families/landlords can be sued if illness, death, or damage results from unlicensed cleanup
🧾 Costly Mistake Alert
That “cheap $500 junk haul” can explode into $100,000+ in penalties, lawsuits, and cleanup do-overs — the cost of a full college doctorate, all because someone said they’d do it cheaper.
🔒 Compliance Advantage
Certified cleanup doesn’t just protect your home — it protects your wallet and reputation. With HazWash™, you’re backed by the paperwork regulators demand:
- Licensed PPE, disinfectants, and disposal partners
- Waste handled under EPA, DOT, and RCRA compliance
- Full documentation & e-manifests
- Discreet crews — no neighborhood stigma
UN2814 —
Infectioussubstances (human)
UN3291 —
Regulatedmedicalwaste
The HazWash™ Hoarding Cleanup Process
Every home is different, but our proven 5-step system ensures safe, organized, and compassionate restoration — whether you’re learning what’s involved or ready for certified help.
It’s tempting to save money by hiring junk haulers or regular cleaners. But hoarding cleanup is not junk removal — it often involves regulated waste and biohazards. Mishandling them doesn’t just create health risks, it creates massive criminal and financial consequences.
🔒 The HazWash™ Hoarding Cleanup Process
Step 1: Hazard Assessment & LiabilityTransfer
Inspect for urine, feces, blood, animalremains, chemicals, infestations. Label,package, and document hazards. Liabilitytransfers once licensed carriers takecustody.
Step 2: Dumpster Placement & Staging
Use safe access routes. Never dumpsterbiohazards or regulated chemicals.Coordinate placements & protectdriveways.
💡 Pro Tip: Start staging from the garage or the closest exit to the dumpster — it can cut hours off labor.
Step 3: Sorting & Organizing
Banker boxes for documents, brown boxesfor keepsakes, contractor bags for waste —preserving valuables while clearinghazards.
Step 4: Deep Cleaning
Top-to-bottom sanitation. Householdcleaners for standard clutter;hospital-grade disinfectants with PPE forbiohazards.
💡 Pro Tip: Clean top-to-bottom in one continuous pass to prevent dust and pathogens from resettling on sanitized surfaces.
Step 5: Odor Elimination
Fogging (EPA-approved), hydroxyls foroccupied spaces, ozone for vacantproperties — all by trained techs only.
Step 1: Hazard Assessment & Liability Transfer
Inspect for hazards including human/animal waste, blood, tissues, chemicals, flammables, or infestations. If any biohazards exist — such as urine, feces, blood, or animal remains — the cleanup legally qualifies as hazardous and requires certified handling.
👉 HazWash™ ensures all hazards are properly labeled, packaged, and documented. Once materials leave your property, the waste is transported by licensed carriers — and all liability is legally transferred to the courier and final destination waste facility for proper disposal.
📄 Chain of Custody = Your Liability Shield
- Labeled & documented hazardous streams
- Licensed transporter pickup & e-manifests
- Liability transfers at acceptance by the facility
🔒 Compliance Advantage
Every pound of waste that leaves your property is:
Documented & labeled
Transported by licensed carriers
Legally removed from your responsibility
✅ Once it’s gone, you’re protected.
Step 2: Dumpster Placement & Staging
Strategic placement saves hours of labor — but safety comes first. After all hazards have been removed and packaged for licensed transport, never dispose of biohazards, chemicals, or other regulated waste in a standard dumpster.
For general clutter and non-hazardous debris:
Place dumpsters in driveways, garages, or other cleared areas for easy access
Coordinate with property management for condo/apartment placements
Always use plywood under dumpsters to prevent cracks or scratches in driveways
💡 Pro Tip
Start staging from the garage or the entry/exit closest to the dumpster — it cuts hours off total labor.
Step 3: Sorting & Organizing
Unlike junk haulers who toss everything, HazWash™ carefully separates items into banker boxes, brown boxes, and contractor bags — protecting valuables while removing waste.
Banker Boxes → important documents
Brown Boxes → keepsakes & valuables
Contractor Bags → unsalvageable waste
❤️ Real Story from Detroit
We recently worked with a retired schoolteacher living with Multiple Sclerosis. At first, she was hesitant to part with anything. Instead of pushing, we asked gentle, inquisitive questions that helped her realize which items no longer served her.
Within hours, she went from saying “don’t touch that” to asking us to clear even more rooms. By the end, she was smiling, grateful, and relieved to finally have a safe, livable home again.
👉 This is why HazWash™ doesn’t just clear clutter — we restore dignity and peace of mind.
💡 Pro Tip
Always call your county’s HHW program to confirm accepted materials.
Documentation provided upon request and attached to your service record.
Step 4: Deep Cleaning
After clutter is cleared, every room must be sanitized thoroughly:
Work top-to-bottom (ceiling to floor), starting in the farthest corner so debris and dust don’t resettle in already cleaned areas.
Choose the right cleaning method for the situation:
For standard clutter cleanup → use household cleaners (multi-surface sprays, degreasers, floor cleaner, mop/bucket, scrub brushes, microfiber cloths) and some old-fashioned elbow grease.
For biohazard contamination (feces, urine, blood, animal remains) → only hospital-grade disinfectants are appropriate, applied with proper PPE and training.
Prevent cross-contamination by moving methodically toward the exit, never tracking dirt or hazards back into cleaned rooms.
💡 Pro Tip
Always clean ceiling-to-floor in one continuous flow — it keeps dust, debris, and pathogens from resettling in freshly sanitized areas.
Step 5: Odor Elimination
Once clutter and waste are cleared, HazWash™ uses a proven three-stage odor removal process:
Hospital-Grade Fogging — Fogging with EPA-approved disinfectants neutralizes bacteria and pathogens. ⚠️ Requires respirator, goggles, and PPE training to prevent serious injury or death.
Hydroxyl Generator Treatment — Safe for occupied spaces, hydroxyls neutralize deep-set odors at the molecular level.
Ozone Treatment (if needed) — For severe cases, ozone is deployed in vacant properties. Ozone is powerful but hazardous if misused, which is why only trained crews should apply it.
🔒 Compliance Advantage
Some odor treatments — especially ozone — can be dangerous and even deadly if applied incorrectly. HazWash™ technicians are trained and certified to ensure every treatment is safe, effective, and fully compliant.(See also: Odor Control in Detroit Homes). Coming Soon
By the time our process is complete, the property isn’t just cleared — it’s fully organized, sanitized, and safe to live in again.
White Glove vs Platinum Glove Service
Every family’s needs are different. That’s why HazWash™ offers two levels of hoarding cleanup:
🧤 White Glove
- Fast sort & removal
- Docs gathered into banker boxes
- Valuables boxed (not cataloged)
- Goal: quick safety reset
Best for budgets with some DIY sorting afterward.
👑 Platinum Glove
- Docs sorted into labeled folders
- Valuables cataloged with notebook
- Detailed labeling for easy access
- Includes odor control & sanitation
Best for zero-guesswork organization & long-term peace of mind.
❤️ Real Story
One Detroit client thought White Glove would be enough. But after seeing how much could be overlooked, they upgraded to Platinum for full cataloging — and were relieved knowing nothing important was lost.
🔒 Compliance Advantage
Both White and Platinum restore homes to a safe, livable condition. Platinum adds detailed documentation and organization, giving families long-term peace of mind.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hoarding Cleanup in Detroit
A: Costs vary based on the size of the home and level of service. At HazWash™, we offer both White Glove (basic sorting & removal) and Platinum Glove (detailed organization & documentation). Every job includes a free estimate before work begins.
A: White Glove focuses on safety and fast clearing, while Platinum Glove includes detailed sorting of documents and valuables with a catalog system so families know exactly where everything is.
A: Yes, if biohazards are present. Feces, urine, animal remains, blood, and chemicals can create health risks and legal liabilities. HazWash™ is OSHA, EPA, and DOT certified to remediate these hazards safely.
A: Most projects range from one to several days depending on the level of clutter, hazards present, and the chosen service level. We provide a timeline during the free estimate.
A: We work with unmarked vehicles and discreet crews. In some cases a dumpster may be on-site, but it looks like a standard cleanout or renovation container.
Compassionate, compliant hoarding cleanup — safety, dignity, and documentation.