Best of Skokie Patch Anniversary Celebration: Wednesday

To celebrate Skokie Patch’s one-year anniversary, each day this week we’ll highlight stories with mass viewing at the website.

Patch followed Skokie native and owner of American Hoarders Craig Strauss as he cleaned up people’s homes and attempted to rescue hoarders from their possessions. Strauss said he had firsthand knowledge of the problem, describing his father as a hoarder. 

In most cases, hoarding is a psychological disorder that's characterized as an inability to throw away items, experts said. The collection can include the person's urine, animals and even something as obscure as toasters.

Read more: The best stories from Skokie Patch’s first year.