“I Know That I Cluttered Up”

Woman who hoarded for years: "Sometimes, I'd look for things, couldn't find it, and ... and bought it again."

84-year-old Carrie Adams has lived in the house at the corner of Riggs Road and Eastern Ave in Northeast D.C. since 1959 -- but her sons say they haven't been allowed to come inside for years.

"I know that I cluttered up," Adams told News4's Richard Jordan. "I realized it later. I had other problems, and I think that when you have problems you find something else that will help kind of ease your mind. And I got into it, and I got into it to deep."

Adams' sons eventually got so concerned they reported her to Adult Protective Services.

Adams said the fire marshal told her the living conditions in her home create a fire hazard and the home has to be cleaned out.

"Sometimes, I'd look for things, couldn't find it, and ... and bought it again," she said.

Wednesday a cleaning crew paid for by Adams' sons came to clear out the clutter.

Adams said she knows there's a lot of junk in the house but she's wanted to manage the process herself.

Instead nearly everything was taken out and discarded this morning.

"I wanted to do it myself," she said. "This is upsetting."

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