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 Oakland Park once police release the property. Most crime scene cleanups take one to three days.
Crime scene cleanup means taking out tissue, contaminated materials, body fluids and blood following a violent crime. Often termed trauma scene cleanup or forensic cleaning, it includes odor removal and disinfection to make the property safe for use again.
Police and detectives gather evidence, while the medical examiner 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.
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.

Photos, scope and waste records are ready for insurance companies and landlords, so you can move forward.
You receive an explanation of each step and price factor before work, allowing an informed decision for your family.
Crews separate your keepsakes, documents and photos, and ask you before discarding any of them.
You can call during the day or overnight, and unmarked vehicles help keep the situation private from neighbors.
A violent event may create a need for crime scene cleaning services when body fluids or blood remain. These situations commonly include:
The home may contain bloody broken glass, door damage and widespread fingerprint dust.
A private service means your family does not need to confront the scene.
A fall can leave blood on walls and ceilings, with saturation reaching carpet and subfloor.
Tissue and blood may affect furniture, walls and flooring across multiple rooms.
Your health, final cost and insurance claim can all be affected by what happens in the first hours. While waiting for cleanup technicians:
Call (888) 440-9227According to published cost guides, a residential crime scene cleanup most often costs from $1,500 through $7,500. Crime scene cleanup companies commonly price the full job, not each hour. Limited surface blood may mean a lower cost, while subfloor contamination or several affected rooms can push the bill past $10,000. Final pricing follows an on-site assessment.
The figures shown are national ranges from published cost guides and are not based on an on-site visit. You learn what your property will cost after the on-site assessment and before any work 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.
Victims of violent crime can ask the Florida Attorney General's Bureau of Victim Compensation about cleanup, since its rules count crime scene cleanup costs as a compensable loss. Insurance is usually checked first.
The terms of your renters or homeowners policy decide whether a violent crime is covered. Keep your claim number after reporting the event without delay.
In rental units and common areas, the owner usually arranges and pays for crime scene cleanup.
Find out if biohazard cleanup is covered, if the cleanup company is your choice, and what records and photos the adjuster requires.
Although no two crime scenes are alike, each remediation process uses one safe sequence. The crime scene cleanup process moves in that order from an initial walk-through through the final inspection.
Technicians inspect and photograph the scene alongside you or your representative, then get agreement on the scope before beginning.
The affected area is sealed with plastic sheeting and negative air, and technicians wear full 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.
Technicians inspect HVAC vents and target the odor source using ozone, hydroxyl generators or air scrubbers.
Sealed containers go to a permitted medical waste facility with the paperwork that tracks them.
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.
Phone any hour. A crime scene cleanup specialist answers, explains the steps and agrees a start time with you.
Blood and bodily fluids can be hazardous to your health, and contamination often extends beyond the visible area.
HIV and the hepatitis B and C viruses may be carried in blood. The CDC reports that hepatitis B can survive on surfaces for at least seven days, even when the blood looks dry.
Medical waste rules apply to soaked materials. They must be taken to an authorized treatment site instead of a dumpster or household garbage.
Blood can enter grout, flow beneath baseboards and pass through carpet to padding and subfloor. A surface-only cleaning leaves concealed residue that can bring back bacteria and odor.
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.

Most crime scene cleanups take one to three days on site. A small, recent scene can be finished in a day, while heavy scenes with structural removal take two to five days.
| Scene | Typical time on site |
|---|---|
| Light scene, one area | Often one to two days |
| A common scene across one to two rooms | 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.
The cleanup team can address the air after taking out contaminated materials. HEPA air scrubbers capture particles, while hydroxyl generators are safe to operate with people in the space. For persistent odor, ozone treatment can be used in vacant rooms. Thermal fogging reaches fabrics and cavities inside walls, and checking HVAC ducts keeps smell from traveling to other rooms.
The full crime scene cleanup guide covers what is cleaned or removed, odor and air quality work, and the rules that apply in Florida and Broward County.
Read the full crime scene cleanup guide
Local housing, population and access details can shape containment, access and cleanup planning.
Rental households account for 41.7% locally, which can add access questions when the affected room is inside a managed property.
Because the median home dates to 1972, cleanup plans should distinguish washable surfaces from absorbent carpet, padding, and wallboard.
There are 1,850 seniors living alone locally, so cleanup communication should be calm, clear, and accessible to distant family members.
With 49.2% single-family housing, cleanup plans should fit both private homes and units with common halls, walls, or ventilation.
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
Private, careful suicide cleanup so families do not have to face the scene.
See suicide cleanup
Trauma scene cleanup after accidents, injuries and violent events.
See trauma scene cleanup
Carpet, solid floors, walls and furnishings receive blood cleanup that includes safe disposal.
See blood cleanup
Cleanup after an undiscovered death includes odor control and the effects of days of decomposition.
See unattended death cleanup
Air scrubbers, hydroxyl and ozone treatment support death odor removal at its source.
See death odor removal
Respectful sorting, item removal and deep cleaning are included in hoarding cleanup.
See hoarding cleanup
Disinfection and drying follow sewage cleanup of Category 3 black water from raw sewage.
See raw sewage cleanupDried surface blood can hold certain viruses, including hepatitis B, for multiple days. Approach dried blood just as you would fresh blood.
Policy details control both coverage and any deductible for homeowners or renters insurance. Call your insurer, report the event and ask about biohazard cleanup coverage.
Someone needs to give access and agree the scope at the start. After access and scope are settled, your family can choose not to remain during cleanup.
Affirmative. Forensic cleaning includes both chemical deposits and fingerprint dust. Dry removal is followed by a suitable cleaner for each surface to prevent powder stains.
The cleaning process for cleaning crime scenes includes isolation, soaked material removal, surface cleaning and disinfection, odor control and medical waste disposal.
No. The scene is released by law enforcement when the evidence has been collected. Responsibility for cleaning belongs to the property owner or whoever oversees the location.
Respectful, discreet crime scene cleanup is available 24 hours a day, and crews arrive in unmarked vehicles.