Professional biohazard cleanup is not a service that people need every day, so it’s no surprise that there are a lot of misconceptions about it. We hope you never need our biohazard cleanup services, but if you do, here’s what you need to know about the common myths that surround this important service.
You can clean up biohazards yourself with bleach.
In most cases where a crime, serious injuries, or a death has occurred, blood or other bodily fluids will be present at the scene. While your first impulse may be to grab a few bottles of bleach and a sponge, this is not, in any way, a do-it-yourself task nor is bleach the right cleaner to use. The presence of blood and fluids always increases the chance that biohazards are also there, but they cannot be seen with the naked eye.
Bleach will kill some but not all biohazards. In addition, bleach can irritate eyes, skin, and lungs; destroy fabric and metals; and be very dangerous if it’s mixed with other types of cleaning solutions. At Advanced Bio Treatment, we use cleaning agents that are specifically formulated to safely clean all traces of biohazardous material from a scene. Our technicians are also trained in the latest and most effective methods for eradicating disease-causing pathogens.
Law enforcement cleans up biohazards on crime scenes.
Whether law enforcement has been called to a crime scene, accident scene, unattended death, or other location where biohazards may be a problem, officers do not have any responsibility for cleaning up blood, bodily fluids or tissues left behind. Not only that, but law enforcement investigators may also leave behind forensic materials, such as fingerprint dust. A professional biohazard cleanup company will remove both biohazards and substances left by law enforcement.
Blood and fluids were from a healthy person, so there’s no danger.
This common misconception could not be further from the truth. Bloodborne pathogens such as hepatitis, MRSA, and HIV may not have caused visible symptoms yet still be present. Bacteria and viruses pose a serious threat to the health of the elderly, the very young, and persons with immune system disorders, so it’s never worth taking the risk of taking on biohazard cleanup yourself.
I can let everything dry then safely clean up myself.
Delaying cleanup in order to allow blood or other fluids to dry will not make the cleanup process less dangerous. Although not all pathogens remain dangerous for lengthy periods of time, research shows that some—such as MRSA, staph, C. diff, and many others—can survive for months on dry surfaces. Most respiratory tract viruses can persist for days, and HIV can persist for more than a week. According to research published by the National Institutes of Health, common pathogens “may well survive or persist on surfaces for months and can thereby be a continuous source of transmission if no regular preventive surface disinfection is performed.”
Biohazard cleaning services are available only at crime scenes.
Cleaning up hazardous bloodborne and airborne pathogens may be needed after many types of incidents, not only in the wake of a crime. At Advanced Bio Treatment, our highly trained team has the skills, methods, and products to return your home or business to a clean, safe condition regardless of the reason it may have become contaminated.
Call us for biohazard cleanup and waste disposal, infectious disease control and prevention services, crime scene cleanup, blood cleanup, and more. A live operator is standing by 24/7 to take your call at 800-295-1684.
