Big win on that hoarder cleanout but lost a helper to the dust - lessons from the trenches

Just wrapped up a 3-day deep clean on a hoarder house in north Jersey, charged $4500 for the full gut including hauling out 20 loads of junk with my Ford F-150 and all the Ecolab disinfectants we could carry. It was a win revenue-wise but my helper bailed mid-job after breathing in all that moldy crap, even with N95 masks on. Saw a similar rant on r/CleaningTips about depression houses taking forever, and yeah it rings true. Guy in the Cleaning Business Owners Facebook group mentioned using a HEPA vac like the Shop-Vac 5-gallon to cut down on dust clouds, wish I'd done that from the start. Lost half a day reshuffling, but the client was thrilled with the transformation. Anyone else had a helper tap out on a messy job like this? Feels like a mixed bag sometimes.

damn those hoarder jobs are the worst, lost two guys last year to one that was basically a biohazard.

Ugh, north Jersey humidity makes everything stickier and grosser. My last one was a sweat fest.

Get a good respirator, not just N95. The half-face with P100 filters saved my lungs on a similar gig.

FML, just quoted a potential hoarder and now I'm second guessing taking it. Clients never mention the real mess upfront.

Try sectioning the job into zones, quote per room to avoid all-day surprises. Worked for me on a bad one.

Helpers quitting mid-job sucks, train em better on what to expect or hire temps for the rough stuff.

This is why I solo the big cleans now, no drama but man it's exhausting hauling alone.

Same here in the burbs, lost a seasonal guy to allergies last spring. Dust bunnies win sometimes.

Screw these clients who let it get that bad, then act shocked at the price. Rage inducing.

Felt this, my back's still killing me from a similar loss last month. Hang in there.

Use a commercial steamer like the Dupray Neat for tough grime, cuts time in half and less dust flying.

Yeah, those jobs test your limits. My team and I commiserate over beers after.

Insurance companies love jacking rates after one bad cleanout claim. Collective BS.

Don't skimp on PPE, saw a guy end up in the ER from a dusty attic clean. Not worth it.

Proud of pulling off a $6k mansion refresh last week, no losses. Team stayed solid with bonuses.

Hit $100k this year on residential cleans alone, focusing on referrals kept the wins coming.

Commiseration from FL, humidity turns every clean into a swamp battle but we push through.