8/10/2022
This story is from our Stories from the Frontlines of Clutter series where we take you behind the scenes on a typical day at Life Easier. Click here to read more.
Me – “Ok is that human poop on the mattress?”
Client – “Yes.” (She didn’t turn to look at me.)
Me (scanning the last room of the house on our home tour) – “I don’t normally handle projects that have dead animals, animal waste or human waste. Those jobs typically need a decontamination agency. You’ve got fecal matter on at least one mattress. I think that’s vomit over there that I’m seeing. We have blood and fecal matter on the dirty underwear here (I pointed to the floor where underpants lay in a path that led from the bed to the bathroom.) You have mouse poop all over the carpet in the living room.”
Client looked down at her hands. She was sitting on the corner of her bed, shoulders slumped forward. She said nothing.
Me – “The problem I see here is that this is a pretty small job for them. You actually don’t have a lot of stuff in general. I can see the floor and, thankfully, it’s hardwood not carpet. If we could clear the empty boxes and get rid of all the food that’s laying around then we could figure out next steps. (I choked back a gag as I spied a bowl of leftover cereal that was now brown and had a bunch of dead fruit flies in it.) The other problem is that they will come with logo’d trucks and your neighbors will know what’s happening. Not something that a subdivision of this caliber probably is used to seeing. Finally, it is not lost on me that it took you 6 months to call me. I know your sister was very worried about you when I spoke to her in March. It’s brave of you to ask for help.”
Client – “So you will help me?” She looked me in the eyes, finally a bit of hope flickering.
Me – “Yes, but you have homework to do before I come Tuesday or I won’t work with you. You have to pick up all the laundry, wash it and put it away starting with all the clothing with bodily fluid on it. Second, you cannot shop at all while working for me outside of food and necessities. No shopping or I won’t be back. Going forward you will deal with the messes made with your own waste and vomit and any other bodily fluids. Carpets have to go to a cleaner. Mouse poop has hantavirus and I’m not messing with it.”
Client- (relieved and smiling a bit) – “Deal.”
