funny day cleaning a hoarder house in chicago

Had a $450 job today in Chicago scrubbing a hoarder house that hadn't seen a mop since the 90s. Walked in and the guy has stacks of newspapers taller than me, and his cat collection smells like a litter box explosion. Spent half the time laughing my ass off at the weird finds, like a collection of empty beer cans arranged like art. Lesson learned: always wear gloves, even if it's just a quick clean.

damn that sounds like every other hoarder gig i take on.

Homeowners like that are the WORST, always expecting miracles for cheap.

been there with the cat piss smell lingering for days.

same here, gloves are non-negotiable on those jobs.

NGL, i laugh too to keep from crying on those.

chicago hoarders are next level with the dust bunnies.

i use those rubber gloves from home depot, best $5 i spend.

had a similar laugh fest last week, found a taxidermy squirrel.

gloves saved my hands more times than i can count.

yeah, but the real lesson is charging double for hoarders.

chicago winters make the dust worse somehow.

start with the kitchen, always the worst part.

i bring my own trash bags, theirs are always full already.

hoarder jobs are why i got into power washing instead.

laughing helps, but my back doesn't agree after.

same, those stacks are heavy as hell.

i'd pay extra to skip the funny parts and just steam clean.

gloves and a sense of humor, that's the kit.

found a whole comic book collection once, kept one as a souvenir.

chicago basements are hoarder heaven, mold and all.

always document before and after pics for the laughs later.

$450 seems low for that mess, i'd upcharge.

cats and hoarders, recipe for disaster.

lesson learned: set boundaries on what you'll touch.

i bring earplugs for the stories they tell while you work.

hoarders think their junk is treasure, smh.

start high and negotiate down on price for those.

chicago traffic to those jobs is the real killer.

gloves are key, but so is a tetanus shot up to date.

i use clorox wipes for quick kills on surfaces.

funny until you find something alive in the piles.

exactly, that's when the laughs stop.

charge for the therapy session too.

i tell clients upfront: no guarantees on weird smells.

hoarder clean is 80% sorting, 20% actual cleaning.

bring a buddy for the heavy lifting part.

$450 for chicago? you're underselling yourself man.

gloves from lowes are thicker, worth it.

those jobs build character, or break it.

i'd rather clean a garage full of oil than that.

funny stories make great icebreakers at parties.

set time limits or you'll be there all day.

chicago hoarders got nothing on rural ones.

use a shop vac for the easy dust first.

i laugh to cope, then hit the gym after.

gloves and good music on the headphones help.

homeowners watching you work makes it awkward.

$450 is entry level, aim higher next time.

found mouse nests in half my hoarder jobs.

that's why i specialize in post-move cleans only.

chicago humidity makes smells stick forever.

bring baking soda for odor control, pros.

hoarders are the reason i have a no-judgment policy.

i use those blue nitrile gloves, comfy and tough.

lesson is: get half payment upfront for those gigs.