Homicide Cleanup
After investigators leave, homicide cleanup removes contaminated materials along with tissue and blood.
See homicide cleanupGet blood, body fluids, fingerprint powder and odor removed from a home, apartment, rental or business in City Park once police release the property. Most crime scene cleanups take one to three days.
Forensic cleaning, trauma scene cleanup and crime scene cleanup all describe the same work: removing tissue, blood, contaminated materials and body fluids following a violent crime. The property can safely be used again after odor treatment and disinfection.
It starts where the investigation ends. Police, detectives and the medical examiner or coroner collect evidence and remove the deceased, but they do not clean. The scene is released to the property owner, the family or the landlord, and the cleanup becomes their responsibility.
Forensic cleaners, also known as a forensic clean up crew or crime scene cleaners, assume that each drop of blood may be infectious. Their work includes finding where it spread, taking away anything that cannot be disinfected, treating and cleaning the surfaces, and removing hazardous materials under medical waste rules. The full process is biohazard remediation and covers cleanup from start to finish.

The cleaning plan and pricing factors are explained in advance, helping you decide what suits your household.
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.
Daytime and nighttime calls are answered, and crews come in unmarked vehicles so the event remains discreet around neighbors.
You may need crime scene cleaning services whenever blood or body fluids remain after a violent event. Typical situations include:
More than one room is often affected, including floors, furnishings and walls with blood or tissue.
Broken glass with blood, damaged doors and fingerprint powder throughout the home.
Discreet cleaning keeps relatives from having to enter the affected space.
Tear gas or pepper spray residue on walls, fabrics and HVAC ductwork after a standoff.
Before cleanup technicians get there, your early actions can affect health, the insurance claim and what the work ultimately costs:
Call (888) 440-9227Published guides put a typical residential crime scene cleanup at $1,500 to $7,500 for most homes. A small area of surface blood can run $500 to $2,500 while scenes with blood in the subfloor or several rooms can reach $10,000 and up. Most companies price by the job, not the hour. The final price is set after the on-site assessment.
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) 440-9227Crime scene cleanup coverage is determined by the terms in your renters or homeowners policy. The loss may qualify as sudden and accidental, subject to your deductible.
The owner usually coordinates and covers crime scene cleanup costs in rentals and common areas.
Find out whether your policy covers biohazard cleanup, whether a cleanup company is your choice, and which records or images the adjuster requires.
After a violent crime, coverage is based on the terms in your renters or homeowners policy. Make the event report quickly, then write down your claim number.
Victims of violent crime can ask their judicial district's Crime Victim Compensation program whether cleanup costs can be included in a compensation claim, since several district programs list crime scene cleanup. Insurance is usually checked first.
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.
Before starting, technicians join you or your representative for an inspection, take photos and confirm the planned work.
Plastic barriers and negative air isolate the affected area while technicians use complete personal protective equipment.
Saturated drywall, carpeting, padding, mattresses and furnishings are removed, placed in bags and sealed for medical waste disposal.
All surfaces receive cleaning followed by an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant applied for the full contact time.
Odors are addressed where they begin with air scrubbers, ozone or hydroxyl machines, while HVAC vents receive inspection.
Paperwork follows each closed container through delivery to a permitted facility for medical waste.
ATP testing can be used to check surfaces, while photographs and records support your insurance claim.
Removed flooring and drywall can then be replaced by your contractor or your insurer's vendor.
You can call anytime. You speak with a crime scene cleanup specialist who outlines the process and schedules a start time with you.
Blood and bodily fluids can be hazardous to your health, and contamination often extends beyond the visible area.
You may find it deeply difficult to clean where someone close to you was harmed. For that reason alone, many households turn to professional crime scene cleaners.
Carpet does not stop blood from reaching the pad and subfloor, while grout and spaces under baseboards can trap it. A surface-only cleaning leaves concealed residue that can bring back bacteria and odor.
Hepatitis C, HIV and hepatitis B may exist in blood. Despite dry-looking blood, hepatitis B may survive on surfaces for at least seven days, according to the CDC.
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. Anything that reached fabric, carpet, wood or drywall, or any amount you cannot see the edges of, needs professional cleanup.
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.
| Scene | Typical time on site |
|---|---|
| Light scene, one area | Often one to two days |
| One to two rooms in a typical scene | Often one to three days |
| Several affected rooms or a subfloor removal | Often two to five days |
Odor removal starts with removing the source. Spraying fragrance over blood or tissue only hides the smell for a few days.
With contaminated material gone, the cleanup team can capture airborne particles using HEPA air scrubbers. Hydroxyl generators may operate safely around people, and stubborn odor can be treated with ozone when rooms are empty. Thermal fogging gets into fabrics and wall cavities. HVAC ductwork is also inspected to prevent smells from spreading between rooms.
Whenever employees may encounter blood, federal rule 29 CFR 1910.1030 requires proper training, handling and protective equipment.
Disinfectants used on blood should be registered by the EPA and left on the surface for the full contact time on the label.
Colorado treats waste that can cause infectious disease, including human blood and body fluids, as infectious waste. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's medical waste rules apply to its handling, so it should not go in household trash.
Colorado has no statewide medical examiner. Death investigation is county-based, led mostly by elected county coroners, with a few counties using a medical examiner or coroner. Cleanup starts after police or the coroner release the scene.
The full crime scene cleanup guide covers what is cleaned or removed, odor and air quality work, and the rules that apply in Colorado and Denver County.
Read the full crime scene cleanup guide
Local population patterns, housing and site access may affect how containment and cleanup are planned.
National Jewish Health is about 1 mile from City Park, which is useful to know when an exposure or injury needs medical attention.
Nearby places include City Park West, Skyland, and Whittier, so share the full street address and any building or unit number when you call.
As a Denver neighborhood, this community may include several building styles, so cleanup planning should start with the exact property type.
Ask on the call about cleanup options for neighboring communities and ZIP codes.
After investigators leave, homicide cleanup removes contaminated materials along with tissue and blood.
See homicide cleanup
Suicide cleanup is completed privately and with care, protecting families from seeing the scene.
See suicide cleanup
Trauma scene cleanup is needed after violent events, accidents and injuries.
See trauma scene cleanup
Carpet, solid floors, walls and furnishings receive blood cleanup that includes safe disposal.
See blood cleanup
Decomposition cleanup and odor control are needed after a death goes unnoticed for several days.
See unattended death cleanup
Death odor removal targets the source through ozone treatment, hydroxyl and air scrubbers.
See death odor removal
Hoarding cleanup combines respectful sorting, removal and deep cleaning.
See hoarding cleanup
Sewage cleanup removes Category 3 black water from raw sewage, then disinfects and dries the area.
See raw sewage cleanupMost crime scenes require one to three days of on-site cleaning. A light scene can be done in a day and a heavy scene with subfloor removal can take up to five days.
Initial access and agreement on the scope require someone to be present. Once that is complete, families often leave while technicians perform the cleanup.
Yes. Forensic cleaning includes both chemical deposits and fingerprint dust. Dry removal is followed by a suitable cleaner for each surface to prevent powder stains.
Your homeowners or renters policy terms determine coverage, and you may have a deductible. Tell your insurer about the event and find out whether your policy covers biohazard cleanup.
When cleaning crime scenes, the cleaning process covers containment, affected material removal, full cleaning and disinfection, odor treatment and medical waste disposal.
Some viruses, such as hepatitis B, can survive in dried blood on surfaces for days. Approach dried blood just as you would fresh blood.
Respectful, discreet crime scene cleanup is available 24 hours a day, and crews arrive in unmarked vehicles.