Trash Friends is able to assist people suffering from hoarding disorder to downsize through our decluttering sessions. While we often call the people who perform these services “declutterers” in order to avoid any confusion about what the job entails, the proper term for people who perform decluttering sessions with people who hoard is “professional organizer”. Our company’s primary professional organizer (and owner of Trash Friends), Adrian “Trash” Hadlock, grew up in a hoarded home, and overcame his own struggle with severe hoarding disorder five years ago. Trash is being recommended as a professional organizer by several therapists and outpatient programs in Chicago, and is also currently pursuing his certification in professional organizing from NAPO (National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals). In 2025, he plans to also become certified as an ADHD coach, specializing in women and AFAB people with ADHD. On April 23rd, 2025, he will be the guest speaker at FutureU’s Self-Care Conference, where he will give a presentation on ‘ADHD and hoarding behaviors in Women and AFAB people: Removing the stigma, managing disorganization, and reclaiming your home’.

None of our professional organizers will ever force or pressure you to get rid of anything you are not ready to. These decluttering sessions are nothing like the TV show ‘Hoarders’; We will not come in and take everything away in two days, and Trash Friends does not support those types of extreme “clean outs”, as they can be severely damaging to the client’s mental health, generally intensify the hoarding in the long-run, and can sometimes even lead to suicide. Decluttering sessions are a long, slow process that can require frequent sessions over a period of many months, or even years. Trash Friends supports harm-reduction: Making sure there are paths of egress, getting the home up to fire code standards, and minimizing potential risk for the client and their family/housemates. The standard length of a decluttering session is four hours; However, some people are only able to do a couple of hours at a time. We are happy to accommodate any limitations you have. In emergency situations, such as a possible eviction, we are also able to offer full-day sessions.

Additionally, we offer donation pick-up services; While the removal of donations may not be able to take place at the same time as your decluttering session, we will ensure all donations are taken away ASAP, giving you more space in your home. We also offering virtual group body doubling sessions through Zoom that are held every other week on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings; Body doubling is extremely helpful for people with hoarding disorder who would like to try decluttering on their own. Document shredding, digital decluttering (emails, etc.), car decluttering, and laundry services are also available!

All too often, we hear about people with hoarding disorder hiring a cleaner, only to have the cleaner leave when they see the state of the home. Our cleaners are experienced in working with clients dealing with symptoms of hoarding and severe clutter, even those living in squallored conditions; They will never leave due to the state of your home. While there may be certain areas they are not able to access due to the clutter, they will always do their very best to give you the most thorough cleaning possible. We believe everyone deserves a clean home no matter where they are in their journey with hoarding.

We also have resident handyqueers at Trash Friends, who will be happy to come to your home and make any necessary repairs for you, so you do not have to allow building maintenance or service workers who may not be understanding of your situation into your home. All our employees sign NDAs, which prohibit them from reporting your living conditions, or the number of animals in your home, to landlords or government agencies.

Lastly, Adrian “Trash” Hadlock has developed a recovery program for hoarding based on the Stages of Change Model, which utilizes aspects of cognitive behavioral therapy (currently considered to be the most effective treatment for hoarding disorder). Unlike other hoarding recovery groups, Trash Talk is non-theistic and does not require that you believe in a higher power in order to recover. Trash Talk meetings are held over Zoom every Monday night from 6:30pm-7:30pm. You can find more information here [link to page]

Trash Friends is able to assist people dealing with depression, no matter how chronic or severe. All our cleaners are experienced in depression nest cleanings, and would be happy to help you reclaim your space. We understand that poor mental health often leads to less than ideal living conditions, and that in turn, your living conditions can have a detrimental impact on your mental health; Let us help you break out of the cycle. Our cleaners are able to pick up accumulated garbage, wash all your dishes, tidy up and do light organizing, remove expired food from the refrigerator and clean it out, do laundry (we’ll even put it away for you if you show us where it goes!), and more! When you get a depression nest cleaning, we will ask you what your priorities are, and you may choose to have any services performed that you would like. And yes, we often times are called back to perform a depression nest cleaning time and time again in the same space after an initial cleaning; This is very common, and we will never judge you for finding yourself in a place where you require this type of help a second, third, or even a tenth time. We are happy to help anytime you need it, no matter how often you need it.

Trash Friends is able to assist people living with ADHD to complete tasks that have been put off due to task avoidance and overwhelm. Our cleaners would be more than happy to wash your dishes, wash and fold your laundry, and assist with managing disorganization and clutter.

One thing many people with ADHD do not realize is that hoarding tendencies are often a symptom of ADHD. Our decluttering services can assist in downsizing and managing the amount of clutter, no matter how minimal or severe. We are well-versed in clearing out “junk rooms” and curbing hobby collecting. Extensive information about our decluttering services can be found under “I Have Hoarding Disorder…”.

Our organizers can assist you in creating personalized organization systems that work for you and make sense to your unique brain; If any of the systems are not working out for you long-term, we are always happy to take your feedback and retool. Additionally, we can create an individualized cleaning and organizing schedule for you based on your personal schedule and the needs of your space to assist you with maintenance.

Trash Friend’s virtual group body doubling sessions act as an accountability group for completing tasks and are a great way for people with ADHD to overcome task avoidance. Working alongside others increases your sense of responsibility in completing the task at hand, and makes otherwise mundane activities more enjoyable.