A reformed hoarder once had so many possessions he could barely move around his house and said he could never walk past a bin without taking something with him.
Paul Salt, 64, from Woking, Surrey, admitted how what started as a love of recycling became an obsession that destroyed his life – until a council official cleaned up the mess and restored it to its “shine”.
The retired school janitor, nicknamed ‘Skip Man’ for never being able to walk past a bin, said living alone allowed his collection to get out of control.
He said: “I kept thinking, ‘I’ll keep that’ or ‘that part might be useful’ and when I started living on my own I started putting things everywhere.”
‘It didn’t matter where I was because no one insisted that I get rid of anything.
Paul Salt, 64, from Woking, Surrey, once had so much stuff he could barely move in his house and said he could never walk past a bin without taking something with him.
‘One night when I was going to bed, I didn’t have much room to get there, which I was used to, and I fell a little. I started to get a little scared.’
Scared and desperate for a change, Paul contacted his local council for help and an officer was sent to his home to help him clean up the mess.
He said the process began around February of last year and was finally authorized in June after working two hours a week.
He added: “It had a huge impact on my life. I was more out than I was in. I had all this stuff around me and it was starting to scare me, so I contacted the council and asked if there was anyone who could help me. ‘
Since the big clean, Paul’s quality of life has improved greatly and he was finally able to take pride in his home again, inviting guests who couldn’t believe their eyes.
He says that although the cleaning process has allowed him to stay home more, he is not glued to the couch and loves taking photos by the canal.
Paul attributes his new life to Spelthorne council worker Lee Jolliffe, who came to help him clean up the mess.
The retired school janitor, nicknamed ‘Skip Man’ for never being able to walk past a bin, said living alone allowed his collection to get out of control (pictured: Paul’s guest room before it was cleaned out) .
Scared and desperate for a change, Paul contacted his local council for help and an officer was sent to his home to help him clean up the mess (pictured: Paul’s guest room after it has been cleaned ).
One night when he was trying to go to bed, he fell a little because of the mess and that’s when he started to get “a little scared” (pictured: Paul’s bedroom before it was cleaned).
He said the process started around February last year and was finally cleared in June after working two hours a week (pictured: Paul’s bedroom after cleaning it).
Paul said: ‘It has definitely improved my quality of life. Now I can get more involved doing other parts.
‘I would highly recommend Lee for what he has done for me. He made you feel comfortable and never pressured me to do anything. In fact, he spoke to me like a human being. He made it a little easier.
‘Do not give up. Always try to talk to other people who have gone through the same problem.’
Jolliffe has worked for the council for years and has a lot of experience with people who have mental health problems, which he believes has helped prepare him for his role as a dedicated hoarding and ordering officer.
She says that after talking to Paul about his hoarding problems, the couple went through the house room by room, starting with the bedroom.
The officer, who lives in both Spelthorne and Woking, said: ‘It’s a very rewarding job. Everywhere you go, the client is at a crisis point and there are many things he can implement to improve his life.
‘Paul’s house was at level six or seven on the hoarding scale, so it was pretty high level hoarding.
Since the big clean, Paul’s quality of life has improved greatly and he was finally able to take pride in his home again, inviting guests who couldn’t believe their eyes.
‘He didn’t want to get rid of anything in particular, but he was very happy to donate things.
‘He really committed to it because he could see he was helping other people. She also wants to help people who find themselves in her situation.”
Now Paul has been given the opportunity to help others, stating that another hoarder has already contacted him for advice.
Jolliffe encourages other hoarders who are struggling to approach the council, so their lives can be changed like Paul’s was.
He concluded: ‘Paul himself is a changed man. He’s really shining now compared to before, where he was a bit down.
‘He now has people where he wasn’t before, he has integrated with some local community groups and he really feels like his life has changed.
“This shows that the service works and that there are many people who need help but don’t know where to go.”
