Crime Scene Cleanup
Crime scene cleaning after police release the property, from blood to odor.
See crime scene cleanupGet blood, bodily fluids, contaminated materials and odor removed after investigators release a home, rental, business or vehicle in DeKalb County. The cleanup scope is based on where contamination traveled.
Homicide cleanup is specialized crime scene work performed after investigators complete their duties and release the property. It removes bodily fluids, blood and other contaminated materials.
The investigation is the responsibility of law enforcement and the medical examiner or coroner, not property cleaning. A relative, landlord, owner or other person with authorization can arrange homicide cleaning once officials have released the scene.
Cleanup technicians first trace where contamination reached, including areas around the affected room. Unaffected spaces are protected. Materials that cannot be disinfected come out, while surfaces suitable for disinfection receive treatment. This goes beyond routine cleaning and also includes odor removal, proper hazardous waste packaging and disposal, plus insurance company records if requested.

Photos, item lists, scope notes and disposal documents can support conversations with insurance companies and property owners.
Ask which materials can be cleaned, which need removal, how waste exits the site and what the restoration stage will include.
You can request unmarked vehicles and limit entry to authorized people, which helps protect privacy during a painful event.
Before any removal choice, salvageable personal property is set aside and discussed with you.
A homicide cleaning service is needed if a violent death leaves biological material or blood in a vehicle, business, rental or home. Situations that commonly require this work include:
The affected area can be isolated while offices, stores, warehouses or shared spaces are assessed for contamination.
Seats, carpet, trim and insulation are checked to decide what can be cleaned and what must be removed.
Tracing the entire path is necessary when tissue and blood can reach carpet, walls, furnishings, ceilings or concealed joints.
Blood cleanup may involve a bedroom, living area, hallway and nearby surfaces that were exposed during the event.
Before technicians enter for cleanup, focus on staying away from exposure, preserving helpful claim details and respecting the active investigation. Your first steps are:
Call (888) 440-9227The published planning figures in available homicide cleanup cost guides range between $2,500 and $9,000 when the work involves a violent crime scene. A smaller scene has figures from $2,000 to $6,000 while a larger scene has figures from $3,000 to $10,000 under those guides. These amounts do not serve as a quote. The assessment shapes the final scope.
Published national cost guides are the source for these ranges, rather than an inspection of your property. An on-site assessment determines your property's price, which is explained to you before the cleanup starts.
Ask about cost: (888) 440-9227A homeowners, renters or commercial policy may pay for homicide cleanup, but coverage depends on the policy, the loss and the deductible.
Find out which waste documents, photographs, item inventories, invoices and scope records the insurance company requires. Keep copies of everything you submit.
The lease, local law, property ownership and policy terms can affect who arranges work and who pays. The tenant and landlord should contact their respective insurance companies.
Tell the insurer what happened after police release the scene. Check if coverage includes restoration, biohazard cleanup and damaged structural materials.
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 remediation process follows a controlled order after scene release. Every step is based on where contamination traveled, which materials can be saved and what waste rules apply.
Known affected areas are identified by the authorized person, then technicians assess surrounding surfaces, contents, floor borders and possible routes of spread.
Clean rooms are kept apart from the work area. To reduce tracking into other areas, cleanup technicians wear appropriate personal protective equipment and follow work-zone controls.
Surface-specific methods collect bodily fluids and blood that are visible before detailed cleaning and disinfection.
If carpet, drywall, pad, subfloor or upholstery cannot be thoroughly disinfected, removal is limited to the minimum workable area.
Cleanable surfaces receive detailed scene cleaning, followed by an EPA-registered disinfectant kept wet for the label contact time.
Targeted treatment and air filtration can address odors in connected spaces, room air and retained materials once the source has been removed.
After contaminated waste is sealed and labeled, it is moved in accordance with applicable requirements and available disposal records are retained.
Once work is complete, retained personal property is returned as arranged, and removed finishes are documented for restoration services.
Phone any hour. A homicide cleanup specialist answers, explains the steps and agrees a start time with you.
Blood, other bodily fluids and contamination hidden from view may create serious health risks. A dry appearance or a visibly small area does not remove those concerns.
Loved ones may find the scene profoundly upsetting. Professional cleanup allows family members to avoid direct exposure to the affected space and personal property.
Hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV can be carried through blood. Dried blood must still be controlled carefully because the CDC says hepatitis B survives on surfaces for at least seven days.
Fluids can enter seams, grout, carpet pad, subfloor and wall cavities. Cleaning the visible mark does not address material below or behind the surface.
Can you clean it yourself? Disposable gloves may be used to clean a minor amount of fresh blood from hard non-porous material, along with an EPA-registered disinfectant left for the entire label contact time. Stay out and seek professional cleanup if blood affected drywall, fabric, wood, carpet or any space whose boundaries are uncertain.
Porous material usually comes out after it absorbs blood. Non-porous surfaces can often be kept, provided that every exposed section is accessible and can be disinfected.

The schedule depends on scene size, the depth of contamination, the number of rooms, scene access and the amount of material that must be removed. You can get a more useful timeline after the initial assessment.
| Scene | Typical time on site |
|---|---|
| Limited affected area with accessible surfaces | Schedule set after inspection and scene release |
| Porous material removal within one room | Could need a distinct restoration stage after cleaning |
| Several rooms or structural contamination | Often involves a phased cleanup scope and extended restoration |
Odor removal begins by finding and removing the source. Fragrance alone cannot correct fluids absorbed into carpet, subfloor, drywall, furniture or hidden cavities.
After affected material has been removed, HEPA air scrubbers may be used to capture airborne particles. In an occupied setting, hydroxyl treatment may be appropriate if allowed by the equipment instructions. Ozone can only be used under strict controls with the treatment space empty. Cleaning may also include an inspection of adjacent rooms and vents before you move ahead.
The full homicide cleanup guide covers what is cleaned or removed, odor and air quality work, and the rules that apply in your state.
Read the full homicide cleanup guide
Planning for access, containment and cleanup can depend on local population, housing and entry conditions.
At 34.3% renter occupancy, cleanup needs vary between leased units and owner occupied homes, especially around authorization for demolition.
A 1967 median build year points to varied interior finishes, so each affected material needs its own cleaning or removal decision.
With 29.2% of seniors living alone, private cleanup communication may need to include a relative who lives somewhere else.
The local 78.7% single-family share makes household level privacy practical while affected rooms are isolated and treated.
Ask on the call about cleanup options for neighboring communities and ZIP codes.
Crime scene cleaning after police release the property, from blood to odor.
See crime scene cleanup
Blood cleanup on carpet, hard floors, walls and furniture with safe disposal.
See blood cleanup
Trauma scene cleanup addresses the aftermath of accidents, injuries and violent incidents.
See trauma scene cleanup
After a person dies at home, cleanup addresses fluids, odors and belongings that were affected.
See death cleanup
Private, careful suicide cleanup so families do not have to face the scene.
See suicide cleanup
When a death remains undiscovered for days, cleanup addresses decomposition and controls odors.
See unattended death cleanup
Forensic cleaning of blood, tissue, fingerprint powder and investigation residue.
See forensic cleaning
At the source, death odor removal uses air scrubbers plus hydroxyl and ozone treatment.
See death odor removalYou should not attempt cleanup when blood has entered furniture, drywall, carpet, fabric, wood or a concealed area. Bloodborne pathogens and unseen spread can create serious health risks. Keep people and pets away, wait for scene release and arrange professional cleanup for any affected area whose full boundary is unclear.
Unaffected items can remain under protection or be moved away from the contaminated zone to a clean location. Each belonging inside the scene receives its own assessment. Belongings with hard, non-porous surfaces might be cleaned. Porous belongings may require removal, but you should be consulted about photographs, documents and treasured items before any choice is final.
Both authorities must clear the property first: law enforcement and the medical examiner or coroner. A relative, landlord, manager or owner with authority can then arrange cleanup. Biohazard remediation, blood cleanup, surface disinfection, odor treatment and hazardous waste removal may be completed by homicide cleaners. Police are responsible for investigating the scene, not performing the cleaning service.
For violent crime scene work, the published homicide cleanup cost is $2,500 to $9,000. A smaller scene is listed at $2,000 to $6,000, while a larger scene is listed at $3,000 to $10,000. Police release status, scene dimensions, depth of contamination, number of rooms and disposal requirements all affect the scope.
First, cleanup technicians identify the affected area and establish containment around it. Technicians wearing protective gear collect visible material, remove porous items that cannot be disinfected, clean remaining surfaces and apply an EPA-registered disinfectant for its label contact time. The team finishes by packaging hazardous waste and checking the completed cleanup scope.
A homeowners policy might pay for homicide scene cleanup or death cleanup, but coverage varies according to policy language, exclusions, the event and the deductible. Notify the insurer prior to the start of work. Before work starts, find out which documents are required and ask about biohazard cleanup, personal property, restoration and damaged materials.
Discreet, respectful homicide cleanup, 24 hours a day, with crews in unmarked vehicles.