Death Cleanup Services

Bodies begin decomposing shortly after death. This biological process is wholly natural, but it has the unwelcome side effect of spreading potential contaminants and odors to the surrounding area. The longer bodies go undiscovered, the harder it is to deal with such issues.

Death scene cleanup works to mitigate such effects and stop them from getting worse. By performing tasks like removing decomposition odors and sanitizing surfaces, professional cleaners make it easier for families and estates to move on in the wake of their tragic losses.

Death scene cleanup also plays a vital role in the continued health and viability of business enterprises. Companies that want to operate in accordance with local, state and federal biohazard regulations depend on cleaners to disinfect and deodorize their premises in a timely, thorough fashion.

No matter how close survivors were to a deceased person in life, dealing with the aftereffects of their death can be a traumatic experience. This can make it difficult to attend to business aspects like administering estates and arranging funerals.

The most effective death scene companies offer comprehensive, compassionate services specifically designed to make these burdens easier to bear. When searching for options, consumers and families need to look for the following characteristics:

Expertise

Cleaners should have many years of experience making spaces safe to reoccupy following deaths and severe traumatic incidents. Since each event is unique, it’s critical to work with a cleanup company that understands how to provide nuanced, complete treatment.

Always ask companies about their expertise with death-specific services. Although disastrous events may also demand other forms of remediation, such as storm- or fire-damage repair, these undertakings are different from the biohazard cleanup associated with deaths.

Credentials

Death scene cleanup demands a particular skill set that isn’t easy to come by. While working with experienced, well-trained providers is always smart, reviewing professional certifications is an easy way to verify that a company is up to the task.

It’s also important to verify that the death scene or crime scene cleanup team coming on to your company’s property or into your home is properly insured by choosing to carry a Pollution Liability policy as an added protection.

Paperwork, Transparency and Insurance Assistance

Good death scene cleaners make things easier by providing comprehensive documentation and explanations of the process. This allows people to pursue insurance claims and move forward. We are also happy to work directly with your insurance company if you need assistance filing a claim.

Availability

Death doesn’t wait for anything. The best cleaners have live operators, dispatchers, and technicians available to assist people at all times, so don’t settle for less.

People describe the smell of death in various ways. The human body’s complex chemistry can produce many different compounds that contribute to the unmistakably unpleasant odor associated with corpses. In addition, the microorganisms responsible for decomposition can release new substances that give death scenes a definitive lingering smell.

Some people say that dead bodies carry the smell of feces and rotting flesh, while others describe foul mothball, rotten-egg, cabbage and garlic scents. It’s worth noting that although the human body releases dozens of different chemicals and each situation produces a unique microbiological signature, the smells associated with decomposition are invariably disagreeable, and people who encounter them may even become physically ill.

The conditions of a person’s death have a significant impact on how long it will take for their corpse to smell. For instance, the nature of someone’s fatal injuries and where they died can both affect the level of biological activity that occurs following their passing. As a general rule, bodies left in hot, wet climates may begin emitting odors after only a few hours, while those in colder or drier conditions can take a few days to start smelling.

According to the UN World Health Organization, most dead bodies produced by trauma injuries pose minimal health risks to responders. At the same time, individuals who mishandle dead bodies can easily contribute to cross-contamination that results in food poisoning syndrome, gastroenteritis and other health ailments. Such risks may be especially relevant in cases where people die of serious diseases. In general, it’s best to leave handling, disposal and other tasks involving dead bodies to professionals who know how to take the appropriate precautions.

Q: How do you remove death or decomposition odor?

How do professionals eliminate dead body odors if they’re so persistent? Here at Advanced Bio-Treatment, we utilize specialized equipment, cleaners, and our cleanup teams have advanced training to properly handle the scene of a death. Removing the unpleasant smell of a decaying body is only a portion of what we do, we also decontaminate, disinfect, and return a home of business to its original state that is safe for inhabitants.

Cleaning up following death is an emotionally tough, stressful undertaking. While some tasks demand the assistance of lawyers who administer the deceased’s estate, others require hard work and time. For instance, families may take steps like listing unwanted items for sale, cleaning homes in preparation to sell them, placing things into self-storage or donating possessions to charitable organizations.

What Are the Health Risks of Cleaning up a Death Scene?

Cleaning up a death scene introduces unique hazards, such as exposure to the flu, HIV, various forms of hepatitis and other viruses. Coming into contact with biological contaminants places responders in danger of lasting harm caused by a range of different pathogens. Some of the harsh cleaning chemicals used to sanitize death scenes may also pose occupational exposure risks.

One of the most significant risks of postmortem cleanup lies in overlooking crucial steps. Contrary to what people might see depicted in the media, death scene contamination isn’t always apparent. Not working with a professional may allow threats to persist and even negatively impact future residents.

The Advanced Bio-Treatments team offers 24/7 death cleanup services across a broad region of the U.S. We’re proud to serve Texas and all continental states east of the Mississippi River with the exception of Wisconsin. For more information about our services in specific areas and neighborhoods, please contact one of our specialists at 800-295-1684.

Not all deaths include traumatic events, and not all traumas lead to death. While both can be notoriously difficult to resolve, the primary difference is that trauma scene cleanups don’t always involve death or the removal of dead bodies, although there may be bodily fluids.

This distinction doesn’t mean that people can deal with either issue alone. Both situations carry the potential for contamination, permanent property damage and disease, so it’s vital to work with a reputable death scene cleanup service.

Like the lives that precede them, each death is different. Since each case is unique, don’t hesitate to reach out for a custom quote any time of day, 7 days a week.