Caldecon, Inc. provides hoarding services to residential and commercial customers.
Pack Rat houses are known as houses that contain an over-abundance of materials usually collected by the habitat dweller. It is also known as hoarding which is defined as the acquisition of, and inability to discard worthless items even though they appear (to others) to have no value. We understand that hoarding is a disease.
Hoarding is listed as the fourth symptom dimension of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) in the DSM IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). We understand this and are empathetic to the customer and will strive to make our clients as comfortable as possible while at the same time realizing that this is a distressed property. Oftentimes distressed properties are a health risk to the home dweller and pose an immediate danger to the occupant.
Caldecon will strive to work with your insurance adjuster to start the cleanup process; however, it is our experience that most hoarding cleanup jobs won’t be covered by insurance companies. We also realize that hoarding cleanup jobs can be expensive because of the man hours needed to complete these jobs. We will make every effort to get your cleanup job finished as quickly and painlessly as possible. Most often, the contents of these houses need to be sorted because they are a mixture of valuable property and domestic waste. Caldecon will work with the customer in sorting out salvageable property, possibly donating to Goodwill or some similar organization.
Every customer and house has different needs. We have even cleaned out homes while the owner is living inside the house. While this might sound unusual, we will do whatever is necessary and comfortable for you. Our procedure is to photograph the homes we clean, every day, as we clean. This generally helps us remember where things were days later when we put them back and helps everyone remember items as the process continues.
Our process generally begins with emptying the house completely, hauling readily apparent refuse to large bins placed outside the home for transport to domestic waste dumping facilities. Questionable property is always set aside for the client to decide what to do with. Other property such as furniture and personal belongings are stored in a secure place. Later, structural contents such as carpets, curtains, 40 year old stoves, can be cleaned or removed depending on their condition and the customers’ needs. The house is then vacuumed and cleaned from top to bottom, meaning ceilings, walls and flooring. Referrals to pest control companies or structural contractors can be made at this point if needed. Restoration of the home to a livable and clean condition is our goal. After the home is sanitized, we move cleaned furniture and possessions back in the house. It is our experience that this is the most rewarding part of the job because for the customer, it is like receiving a new home and a fresh start on life again!
Below are a few testimonials from our customers:
These people are amazing.
By karen g.
We were at a loss trying to figure out how to make my uncle's house livable again. He had 50 years of collected stuff in it. He could only walk through in narrow dangerous cluttered paths. But then we found Elizabeth Freebird who owns and operates Caldecon Inc. She was not even slightly overwhelmed by the task. Under her command the house was emptied, sorted, cleaned, painted, repaired and restored to a livable condition in one week. Her crew was cheerful and hardworking. Elizabeth is a kind non-judgemental person who was helpful and thoughtful in so many ways.I can't imagine what we would have done without her and her crew. A totally great experience to work with them even under the difficult circumstances.
Posted 10/02/07 at 4:41pm
We got our lives back! Thank you Caldecon!
By Lucinda G.
My mother is a hoarder and has let her property get seriously run down. I have tried for years to get her to let go of some of her "Stuff" to no avail. She had a stroke several years ago and I have been wanting to move in with her but her "Stuff" left no room for me. I knew I couldn't clean out the contents of an 1800 Sq.Ft house, sort and take things to storage all by myself. My blood pressure went sky high with the anxiety I was feeling. I was also too embarrassed to let family and friends see how things have gotten. Every time I tried to help my Mom get organized and clean up, we would just end up arguing over her "Stuff". I called Caldecon and Elizabeth Freebird, its founder and CEO, came out and talked to my Mom and I. She saw our plight and came up with a master plan to clean and de-clutter the house and give my Mom back control of her environment. Elizabeth's empathy helped my Mom to finally make a giant step and let professionals help her. The Caldecon crew spent 12 days packing up things and taking them to storage. They filled 4 dumpsters full of trash, ripped out the carpet, washed, cleaned, deodorized and painted the entire inside of her house. They also cleaned out the garage and back yard. We now have a clean house and property and a fresh start. I have since moved in with my Mom and we are continuing to renovate the house with new appliances, flooring and furniture. My Mom has a renewed zest for living that I haven't seen in years and we are having fun for a change. Due to her clean and de-cluttered environment, even her health has improved. She is now able to do many more things for herself, rather than just sit in the middle of her "Stuff". Elizabeth and Caldecon has given us both our lives back, and we are no longer ruled by Mom's "Stuff". If you (or a family member) is a hoarder or are unable to care for your home, and you want to change your life, call Caldecon. Many Baby Boomers have elderly parents that have accumulated "treasures" for many years and you don't know where to start to help sort through it all, let alone have the time to devote to such a task. Let Elizabeth develop a plan suited to your special situation. Do not be ashamed or embarrassed a single day longer. Caldecon was the answer to my prayers!
One of the most important jobs that we do is cleaning up after a death on a property. Many times, death is unattended by family or others and not discovered for a period of time. The body starts to undergo the natural processes of death, rigor mortis and then decomposition. Rigor mortis is caused by chemical changes in the body’s muscle tissue and usually lasts about 24 hours, after which the body starts to break down and decompose.
Decomposition Cleanup
After death, as the body begins to decompose, hydrogen sulfide, known in the industry as “dead man odor” begins to be expelled by the body. Hydrogen sulfide results when body bacteria begin to break down sulfites in amino acids, especially during decay. The speed of this naturally occurring process depends much on the air temperature, (i.e. weather, if windows are left open) and conditions inside of a home or apartment at the time of death. I have seen situations in which there was very little biohazard, even after a few weeks because the air conditioning was on, which made the home cool and slowed down the decomposition process. The most common cleanup that we do associated with an unattended death is the odor remediation. While the above example was most favorable, the odor in the home was still overwhelming.
We do not begin to treat the odor problem until the biohazard is completely removed. We do have special enzymes, specifically made for human decomposition odor that will help with odor temporarily while working or when items need to be found and/or removed from the property, but this is only a temporary solution. Is the odor of hydrogen sulfide harmful? In large amounts in confined spaces, yes, but we have hardly ever seen this type of condition with one person in an unattended death setting and usually the odor can be reduced by opening some doors and windows when first discovered.
The odor of death will not terminate until the biohazard is removed (cleaned up) completely since that is what is causing the smell. Biohazardous waste goes far beyond what the eye can see. It is not uncommon to see the outline of the body in an unattended death on carpeting, tile, linoleum or cement. In the case of carpeting, of course it must be removed but what can be seen on the top sometimes is not always indicative of what is underneath. Blood and body fluids may pool under carpeting to a much larger area. Biohazardous waste can also seep through flooring and concrete. I have seen biohazardous waste seep through standard quarter inch plywood floors, run up drywall, under 2 by 4 wall studs and into other apartment units and even to the outer stucco on buildings. Although these are the most serious cases in which the deceased was not found for a lengthy amount of time, it does prove that what is apparent on the outside, might not be indicative of an entire death scene. Simply mopping up what is readily seen is only the beginning of an unattended death cleanup. Leaving the smallest amount of body fluids and human waste will also attract ants and animals and the odor will surely not disappear.
We at Caldecon are experienced licensed professionals who do more than just mop up your property. We have dedicated our lives into doing the job correctly and by industry standards, treating your property as if it were our own. We understand what types of materials, machinery and equipment to use to properly sanitize and restore your home.
For more information regarding our odor remediation services please click here >> odor remediation <<. We employ the use of industrial ozone generators to property remediate your home and property.
The State of California is one of two states in the United States at the time of this writing to impose laws and regulations in regards to the disposal of biohazardous waste. Biohazardous waste must be cleaned up and disposed of by a state licensed company or person who must also hold a contract with a biohazardous waste facility, special to the disposal of blood, body fluids and bio-waste. Safety is a major concern.
*All biohazardous waste materials are removed and disposed of as required by the State of California Department of Public Health Medical Waste Laws, Regulations and Standards, Medical Waste Management Act; Cal/Osha Blood Borne Pathogen Standards as listed in CCR Title 8, Chapter 4 (Division of Industrial Safety), Sub-Chapter 7 (General Industry Safety Orders), Group 16 (Control of Hazardous Substances), Article 109 (Hazardous Substances and Processes);
According to the F.B.I., there were 16,204 homicides in 2009 in the United States* and according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department 2009 censure, there were 314 in Los Angeles County, the lowest in 50 years. Caldecon crime and trauma scene cleaning has cleaned a number of high profile murder scenes in the Southern California area and is experienced with dealing with law enforcement agencies such as the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, the United States Army and private government security contractors.
A usual crime scene is processed by the homicide department, detectives, forensic units and other law enforcement related professionals. At all these scenes, there are other chemicals/solvents such as fingerprint dust, chalk and marker prints, stickers, needles, bloody gauze/medical supplies and candle wax that need to be removed from the scene besides dried blood and body fluids. In almost all cases, homeowners or business insurance coverage is used. Most importantly we find that the business owner needs the scene cleaned up quickly and discretely so that business can resume.
If your business or home has been affected by a violent event, it will most likely take a few days to a few weeks before you will be able to access the area. Call us today, we know what to expect and can help you restore your home or business quickly, safely and professionally.
Hydrogen sulfide , also known as "dead man odor" is a contaminant which needs special attention. Caldecon uses industrial ozone generators to remediate decomp odor after the biohazardous material has been removed. Only when the source of the odor has been removed can we start the odor remediation. Other obnoxious odors such as smoke and some pet odors can also be remediated with special enzymes which eat and destroy the source of the odor if sprayed on the source.Nothing beats an ozone generator though.
Foggers and air movers, with a change of the home filter and an scented additive will deodorize your house for a few weeks, but eventually the odor will return if the source has not been fully decontaminated.
Ozone generators actually change the molecules in the air from O2 to O3, thus destroying the molecular structure and the odor with it. Caldecon has a proven process to clean your property of severe odors. Call us today! (866) 442-0088.
About Pet Odor
Did you know that feline urine (cats) doesn't evaporate like most animal urine? Much of the feline urine actually crystallizes and stays as a solid and therefore needs to be removed completely or sealed if the structure (trusses and foundation) cannot be removed...so when it rains or gets muggy or humid out, cat urine will seem to re-appear or intensify.
There are few things more devastating to a family and a community than a suicide. Unfortunately, suicides do happen. Caldecon provides complete disinfection of these scenes, including the removal of all blood, stains, body fluids, mattresses and any furniture. (At the client's request) Our cleanup team is always discreet and our trucks are not labeled with our services for your privacy concerns. Caldecon will arrive in a discreet non-lableled vehicle and it is our policy to never speak to the media, neighbors or any outside agency.
Suicide scenes range from complete multi-room devastation to contamination in a very small area. We are equipped and will remove any affected furniture, mattresses, carpeting and items upon the client's request, at the time of our cleanup. We will not leave you with more people to call for mattress or other furniture removal. Basically, it is our job to remove and restore your area to livable conditions. We do not want you to experience or see any history of a tragedy.
Our suicide cleanup service is likely to be covered by the homeowner's insurance policy. It's not something anyone regularly thinks about but in most cases, the cost of the cleanup would be covered. Remember to use a state licensed biohazardous waste cleanup compan. Caldecon holds TSW #243.
We also use industrial ozone generators for odor abatement problems. Our odor abatement enzymes and generators are truly the most professional and effective tools in the business today. We do not run around with little ambient hotel ozone generators and tell you the odor will go away with time like other companies may say. We know from experience that odors can be completely destroyed.
By law, all biohazardous waste must be disposed of at a special biohazardous waste facility. We are legally contracted with a major biohazarous waste sanitation facility located in Sun Valley, California. We at Caldecon can provide rapid response to your company or home clean-up needs and we ensure that your biohazardous waste is removed and tranported to the proper waste facility. We are a crime scene cleaning company servicing the los angeles metro area and beyond. Call us at (818)442-0055.
Warning: Click the following Next link to view images, some of these images are disturbing and not for recreative purposes.
Gross Filth is biohazardous waste such as feces, animal waste, urine and vomit. Nobody wants to deal with it but Caldecon will. Call us, we have the proper equipment to remove, sanitize and deodorize your site safely. We strive to keep ourselves safe from bloodborne pathogens during the sanitization processes by wearing OSHA compliant personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times while working the scene. Our company uses the only EPA approved, hospital grade disinfectant which kills over 500 viruses and bacteria forms on contact. (Virkon)
Caldecon, Inc. has served commercial and industrial customers when accidents have occurred on the job. It is our goal to sanitize these sites quickly and discreetly in order to restore your business back to it's pre-accident state. Industrial and Commercial accident cleanups are quickly becoming one of Caldecon's specialty services. We are proud to announce that we have recently worked extensively with General Mills, Inc ., a fortune 500 all American company at their Los Angeles, California plant, cleaning and disinfecting 6 floors of machinery, piping and equipment. (march 2008)
*According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, "Fisherman, Loggers, Pilots and Flight Engineers, Structural Iron and Metal Workers, Trash Collectors and Farm Workers have the most dangerous jobs. Not surprisingly, the deadliest jobs are those where men make up the majority of workers. Murder, falls, and other accidents account for most job-related deaths. "
Has your attic been contaminated by a wild animal living there? Rats, mice, possums, birds, bats and other rodents sometimes can find a home in your attic. Attic insulation makes a very cozy home for many rodents and many times you will find your attic out of control, filled with rodent droppings and urine. Your home or business may start to smell, urine spots may start to appear on your ceiling.
Like any other room in your house that has been infested by these unhealthy characters, we at Caldecon are professionals at removing and decontaminating these spaces while disinfecting and sanitizing your structure. It is common to find huge amounts of droppings in the attic as seen below.
We employ large industrial attic vacuums specifically designed to vacuum cellulose and old wood chip attic insulation at about 2,000 square feet per hour. This makes the old day long job of manually bagging the same amount of material faster and easier on time spent on labor. These vacuums are powerful and effective at removing all materials from your attic space including the animal waste, scraps, dust and old dirt.
After removing the contaminated insulation and animal waste, we disinfect and clean beams and joists with virucidal disinfectants. Photos are taken before, during and after the cleanup job for your inspection. Our cleaning process is no different than cleaning any other area of your property.
The above picture shows possum droppings that littered every corner of this 1800 square foot attic. We were able to remove 100% of the material in the attic and disinfect the area in one day. The picture below shows urine pools on the drywall (ceiling) of the home. Many homes have their air conditioning units in the attic which is a concern to many that they may be breathing in contaminated air from their attic.
Call Caldecon today for your Attic Decontamination and Cleaning needs. (866) 442-0088.
customer and will strive to make our clients as comfortable as possible while at the same time realizing that this is a distressed property. Oftentimes distressed properties are a health risk to the home dweller and pose an immediate danger to the occupant.
One of the most important jobs that we do is cleaning up after a death on a property. Many times, death is unattended by family or others and not discovered for a period of time. The body starts to undergo the natural processes of death, rigor mortis and then decomposition. Rigor mortis is caused by chemical changes in the body’s muscle tissue and usually lasts about 24 hours, after which the body starts to break down and decompose.
According to the F.B.I., there were 
Gross Filth is biohazardous waste such as feces, animal waste, urine and vomit. Nobody wants to deal with it but Caldecon will. Call us, we have the proper equipment to remove, sanitize and deodorize your site safely. We strive to keep ourselves safe from bloodborne pathogens during the sanitization processes by wearing OSHA compliant personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times while working the scene. Our company uses the only EPA approved, hospital grade disinfectant which kills over 500 viruses and bacteria forms on contact. (Virkon) 
