Homicide Cleanup
After investigators depart, homicide cleanup removes blood, tissue and contaminated materials.
See homicide cleanupGet blood, body fluids, fingerprint powder and odor removed from a home, apartment, rental or business in North Decatur once police release the property. Most crime scene cleanups take one to three days.
Crime scene cleanup, also called forensic cleaning or trauma scene cleanup, is the removal of blood, body fluids, tissue and contaminated materials after a violent crime, then disinfection and odor removal so the property is safe to use again.
Police and detectives gather evidence, while the medical examiner or coroner removes the deceased. Their work does not include cleaning. When the investigation ends, they release the scene, leaving cleanup to the landlord, the family or whoever owns the property.
Crime scene cleaners, also called forensic cleaners or a forensic clean up crew, treat every drop of blood as infectious. They trace how far it traveled, remove what cannot be disinfected, clean and treat every surface, and haul the hazardous materials away under medical waste rules. It is a form of biohazard remediation, and the cleanup process covers these steps from start to finish.

Documentation for landlords and insurance companies includes pictures, the project scope and waste records to help you move forward.
Crews separate your keepsakes, documents and photos, and ask you before discarding any of them.
You receive an explanation of each step and price factor before work, allowing an informed decision for your family.
Calls are answered day and night, and crews arrive in unmarked vehicles so neighbors do not know what happened.
Crime scene cleaning services are needed any time a violent event leaves blood or body fluids behind. Common situations include:
Blood spatter on ceilings and walls, plus soaked carpet and subfloor where a person fell.
Floors, furniture and walls can have blood and tissue in several rooms.
In warehouses, offices and stores, crews isolate work areas throughout commercial crime scene cleanup.
A standoff may leave tear gas or pepper spray deposits across ductwork, textiles and wall surfaces.
What you do during the first hours matters to your insurance claim, health and total cost. Take these steps before technicians arrive:
Call (888) 440-9227Most residential crime scene cleanup costs between $1,500 and $7,500. Published cost guides show this range. Companies generally set a price for the whole job rather than charging by the hour. Surface blood limited to a small area may cost less. When several rooms or the subfloor are affected, costs may exceed $10,000. An on-site assessment determines the final price.
Published national cost guides are the source for these ranges, rather than an inspection of your property. After an on-site assessment, the price for your property is determined and shared with you before cleanup begins.
Ask about cost: (888) 440-9227Coverage depends on your policy. Homeowners and renters insurance may cover crime scene cleanup as a sudden and accidental loss, and a deductible may apply.
Victims of violent crime can ask the Georgia Crime Victims Compensation Program, run by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, about crime scene cleanup. The program lists crime scene sanitization among eligible expenses. Insurance is usually checked first.
The owner usually coordinates and covers crime scene cleanup costs in rentals and common areas.
Find out if biohazard cleanup is covered, if the cleanup company is your choice, and what records and photos the adjuster requires.
The terms of your renters or homeowners policy decide whether a violent crime is covered. Tell your insurer about the event soon and save the claim number.
Differences between crime scenes do not change the safe order of the work. Often described as the remediation process, crime scene cleanup proceeds step by step, beginning with the first walk-through and ending at final inspection.
Technicians walk the scene with you or your representative, photograph it and agree the scope before work starts.
The crew wears complete personal protective equipment and seals the affected area with negative air and plastic sheeting.
Any saturated carpet, drywall, furniture, padding or mattress is cut out and secured in sealed medical waste bags.
Technicians clean every surface before using hospital-grade disinfectant registered by the EPA for its required contact time.
Odors are addressed where they begin with air scrubbers, ozone or hydroxyl machines, while HVAC vents receive inspection.
Sealed containers go to a permitted medical waste facility with the paperwork that tracks them.
Technicians can check surfaces with ATP testing, and you receive claim records and photographs.
Removed flooring and drywall can then be replaced by your contractor or your insurer's vendor.
You can call anytime. A specialist in crime scene cleanup takes your call, explains each step and agrees on a start time with you.
Blood and bodily fluids may pose serious health risks. Visible contamination is usually only part of what is present.
Saturated items count as regulated medical waste. They cannot go in household trash or a dumpster, and must go to an approved treatment facility.
The task of cleaning a place where your loved one suffered can feel overwhelming. That emotional burden is why many families use professional crime scene cleaners.
Hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV can be present in blood. The CDC reports that hepatitis B can survive on surfaces for at least seven days, even when the blood looks dry.
Can you clean it yourself? A few drops of fresh blood on a hard, non-porous surface can be cleaned with gloves and an EPA-registered disinfectant. If blood touches fabric, wood, carpet or drywall, or spreads beyond visible edges, you need professional cleanup.
Blood-soaked material has to be removed, while material that allows complete disinfection can be cleaned.

Federal rule 29 CFR 1910.1030 sets requirements for protective equipment, training and handling whenever workers can be exposed to blood.
A disinfectant for blood should carry EPA registration and stay on each surface for the complete labeled contact period.
Georgia treats soaked materials from a biohazard scene as biomedical waste. Georgia Environmental Protection Division solid waste rules control how it is handled, transported and treated, so it cannot go in household trash.
Georgia uses a mixed system. Elected county coroners lead local death investigations, and the state Medical Examiner or Coroner's Office within the Georgia Bureau of Investigation performs forensic autopsies. Cleanup starts after police or the medical examiner or coroner release the scene.
Most crime scene cleanup work requires one to three days at the property. A small scene that happened recently may take one day, but a heavy scene requiring structural removal can last two to five days.
The full crime scene cleanup guide covers what is cleaned or removed, odor and air quality work, and the rules that apply in your state.
Read the full crime scene cleanup guide
Containment, entry and cleanup plans can be influenced by local housing, population and access details.
With a 45.1% renter share, some cleanup calls require a tenant and property owner to agree on access and material removal.
The median home in North Decatur was built in 1977, so cleanup may involve common drywall, carpet, and sheet flooring assemblies.
When 38.0% of seniors live alone, clear item documentation can help an absent relative make careful decisions about belongings.
Because 54.2% of housing is single-family, some calls involve one household while others require coordination around shared building areas.
During your call, ask whether cleanup is available in surrounding communities and ZIP codes.
After investigators depart, homicide cleanup removes blood, tissue and contaminated materials.
See homicide cleanup
Suicide cleanup is completed privately and with care, protecting families from seeing the scene.
See suicide cleanup
Trauma scene cleanup after accidents, injuries and violent events.
See trauma scene cleanup
Walls, carpets, furnishings and hard floors receive blood cleanup, with safe disposal afterward.
See blood cleanup
Cleanup when a death went unnoticed for days, with decomposition and odor control.
See unattended death cleanup
Death odor removal at the source with air scrubbers, hydroxyl and ozone treatment.
See death odor removal
Hoarding cleanup combines respectful sorting, removal and deep cleaning.
See hoarding cleanup
Raw sewage cleanup of Category 3 black water, with disinfection and drying.
See raw sewage cleanupMost scenes take one to three days on site. A minor scene may need a day, while an extensive job involving subfloor removal may require up to five days.
Published guides put most residential crime scene cleanups between $1,500 and $7,500. Small surface cleanups can cost less, and large or multi-room scenes can pass $10,000.
No. Law enforcement returns control of the scene after gathering the evidence. The person who controls the property or its owner is responsible for arranging cleanup.
When cleaning crime scenes, the cleaning process covers containment, affected material removal, full cleaning and disinfection, odor treatment and medical waste disposal.
Yes. Hepatitis B and some other viruses can live for days within blood that has dried on surfaces. Take equal care with blood whether fresh or dried.
Law enforcement and the medical examiner or coroner remove evidence and the deceased without cleaning the property. The family, landlord or property owner generally arranges crime scene cleanup through professional crime scene cleaners.
Crews carry out respectful, discreet crime scene cleanup, arrive in unmarked vehicles and take calls 24 hours a day.