Crime Scene Cleanup
After police release the property, crime scene cleaning addresses blood and odor.
See crime scene cleanupGet blood, bodily fluids, contaminated materials and odor removed after investigators release a home, rental, business or vehicle in Mecklenburg County. The cleanup scope is based on where contamination traveled.
Homicide cleanup is crime scene cleanup focused on the removal of contaminated materials, blood and bodily fluids. The specialized work starts only when investigators are finished and the property has been released.
Cleaning the property is not part of the work performed by law enforcement or the medical examiner or coroner, whose attention is on the investigation. After scene release, the homicide cleaning service may be arranged by relatives, a property owner, a landlord or another authorized person.
The cleanup process goes beyond ordinary cleaning services. Cleanup technicians locate contamination in the affected area and surrounding areas, protect unaffected rooms, remove materials that cannot be disinfected and treat cleanable surfaces. The work also includes hazardous waste packaging, waste disposal, odor removal and records for an insurance company when requested.

Your discussions with insurance companies and property owners may be supported by photographs, item inventories, work notes and waste documentation.
You are consulted about recoverable personal property after it is isolated and before a removal decision occurs.
Your questions can cover items marked for removal, surfaces to be cleaned, plans for taking waste away and remaining restoration needs.
During a painful event, privacy can be supported when you limit entry to approved people and ask that crews arrive in unmarked vehicles.
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:
Blood cleanup may cover exposed surfaces in a bedroom, hallway, living space and nearby affected areas.
A visible blood mark can extend beneath flooring and behind trim, so wiping only the surface is insufficient.
Tracing the entire path is necessary when tissue and blood can reach carpet, walls, furnishings, ceilings or concealed joints.
While stores, offices, shared spaces or warehouses are checked for contamination, the affected area can remain isolated.
Respect for the investigation comes first. You should also avoid exposure and retain details that may be useful for a claim. Before cleanup technicians enter, take these steps:
Call (888) 440-9227The available homicide cleanup cost guides list $2,500 to $9,000 for a violent crime scene. They also list $2,000 to $6,000 for a smaller scene and $3,000 to $10,000 for a larger scene. These are published planning ranges, not a quote. The final scope depends on the assessment.
These ranges come from published national cost guides, not from a site visit. After an on-site assessment, the price for your property is determined and shared with you before cleanup begins.
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.
Victims of violent crime can ask the North Carolina Department of Public Safety's Office of Victim Compensation Services about crime scene cleanup, which the program lists among accepted expenses. Insurance is usually checked first.
After the scene is released by police, inform the insurer about the loss. Ask whether biohazard cleanup, damaged building materials and restoration are included.
Find out which waste documents, photographs, item inventories, invoices and scope records the insurance company requires. Make copies of all materials before submission.
Who organizes and pays for the work may depend on ownership, the lease, applicable local law and insurance terms. The tenant and landlord should contact their respective insurance companies.
Scene release comes before a controlled remediation process can start. Decisions at every stage depend on contamination travel, applicable waste rules and whether each material is suitable to be saved.
Known affected areas are identified by the authorized person, then technicians assess surrounding surfaces, contents, floor borders and possible routes of spread.
The work zone is separated from clean rooms. Cleanup technicians use suitable personal protective equipment and controls that reduce tracking beyond the scene.
Collection of visible blood and bodily fluids comes first, using surface-specific methods before the area is carefully cleaned and disinfected.
Removal focuses on the smallest practical area when affected padding, upholstery, drywall, carpet or subfloor cannot be fully disinfected.
Each retained surface receives detailed scene cleaning, then an EPA-registered disinfectant stays wet for its full 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.
The completed scope is reviewed, saved personal property is returned as agreed and removed finishes are listed for restoration services.
Call any hour. Your homicide cleanup specialist answers the phone, describes what happens next and works with you on a start time.
Blood, bodily fluids and hidden contaminated materials can present serious health risks, even when the visible area looks small or dry.
Loved ones may find the scene profoundly upsetting. Professional cleanup allows family members to avoid direct exposure to the affected space and personal property.
Blood can carry hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. The CDC says hepatitis B can survive on surfaces for at least seven days, so dried blood still requires careful controls.
Soaked porous material and used protective equipment may require regulated packaging, transport and disposal under applicable medical waste rules.
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. If blood reached carpet, wood, fabric, drywall or an area with unclear edges, keep away and seek professional cleanup.
The time required for homicide cleaning depends on how large the scene is, how deep contamination went, how many rooms are involved, available access and how much material needs removal. A useful schedule can be discussed following the initial assessment.
| Scene | Typical time on site |
|---|---|
| A small affected area on reachable surfaces | Schedule set after inspection and scene release |
| Porous material removal within one room | May require cleaning plus a separate restoration phase |
| Several rooms or structural contamination | Typically requires work in stages followed by a longer restoration |
Odor removal begins by finding and removing the source. Fragrance alone cannot correct fluids absorbed into carpet, subfloor, drywall, furniture or hidden cavities.
HEPA air scrubbers may filter particles from the air following removal of contaminated material. If equipment instructions permit, hydroxyl treatment can be suitable where a space remains occupied. Strict controls apply to ozone, and nobody may be in the treatment area. Vents and rooms next to the scene may also be checked as part of cleaning before you continue.
Under the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, workers are subject to requirements covering training, exposure controls and protective equipment.
A disinfectant should be EPA-registered for the intended use and remain on the surface for the full contact time shown on its label.
North Carolina treats soaked materials from a biohazard scene as medical waste. Rules from the state Department of Environmental Quality's Solid Waste Section control how it is packaged, stored, transported and treated, so it cannot go in household trash.
North Carolina uses a statewide medical examiner system run by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, with county medical examiners appointed in each county. Cleanup starts after police or the medical examiner or coroner release the scene.
The full homicide cleanup guide covers what is cleaned or removed, odor and air quality work, and the rules that apply in North Carolina and Mecklenburg County.
Read the full homicide cleanup guide
Planning for access, containment and cleanup can depend on local population, housing and entry conditions.
The approximately 2.5 mile trip to Atrium Health University City matters when an injury must be assessed before anyone returns to the affected space.
The surrounding area includes Brookstone, Mallard, and Harris Pointe, so cleanup travel may cross several local streets or municipal boundaries.
A cleanup plan for this neighborhood should account for adjacent homes or units when setting odor control and containment boundaries.
Your phone conversation can include questions about service in nearby ZIP codes and communities.
After police release the property, crime scene cleaning addresses blood and odor.
See crime scene cleanup
Carpet, solid floors, walls and furnishings receive blood cleanup that includes safe disposal.
See blood cleanup
Trauma scene cleanup addresses the aftermath of accidents, injuries and violent incidents.
See trauma scene cleanup
Home cleaning following a death includes affected possessions as well as fluid and odor cleanup.
See death cleanup
Suicide cleanup is completed privately and with care, protecting families from seeing the scene.
See suicide cleanup
Cleanup after an undiscovered death includes odor control and the effects of days of decomposition.
See unattended death cleanup
Investigation residue, tissue and fingerprint powder are addressed along with forensic cleaning of blood.
See forensic cleaning
Death odor removal at the source with air scrubbers, hydroxyl and ozone treatment.
See death odor removalA policy may pay covered costs in full or in part once the deductible applies, but coverage is not identical for every situation. Give claim information to the insurance company and ask whether emergency response work, affected building materials, biohazard cleanup and restoration are covered. Save your invoices, disposal paperwork, scope details and photographs.
A murder scene is cleaned by professional homicide cleaners after investigators allow access. Tasks can involve removing absorbed fluids, setting containment, completing detailed cleanup, applying disinfectant, odor removal and waste disposal. A family member should neither enter nor attempt cleanup if blood or bodily fluids remain in an area.
First, cleanup technicians identify the affected area and establish containment around it. Technicians use protective gear while collecting visible material and removing porous items that disinfection cannot make safe. Remaining surfaces are cleaned before an EPA-registered disinfectant is left on for its labeled contact time. They then package hazardous waste and check the completed scope.
Yes, separate hazards may exist at the same property. When evidence controls no longer apply, hoarding cleanup services may begin for the property's heavy contents. Sewage cleanup can be required following a sewage backup, and drying may be needed where water damage occurred. Each hazard needs a separate disposal plan, cleaning process and containment setup.
Items outside the contaminated zone can be protected in place or moved to a clean area. Items within the scene are assessed individually. Hard, non-porous belongings may be cleanable. Before deciding, the team should speak with you about papers, photos and keepsakes, while absorbent property may have to be removed.
The conditions can vary between them. Trauma scene cleanup and death cleanup are categories that apply to each. Law enforcement retains control of the homicide location before release, and the property may have residue left by evidence work. Because the person was not found immediately, an unattended death commonly brings decomposition and odor concerns across a larger area.
Discreet, respectful homicide cleanup, 24 hours a day, with crews in unmarked vehicles.