Crime Scene Cleanup
Crime scene cleaning begins after police release and covers blood, odor and the affected property.
See crime scene cleanupGet blood, bodily fluids, contaminated materials and odor removed after investigators release a home, rental, business or vehicle in King County. The cleanup scope is based on where contamination traveled.
Homicide cleanup is a specialized form of crime scene cleanup that removes blood, bodily fluids and other contaminated materials after investigators finish their work and release the property.
While the medical examiner or coroner and law enforcement concentrate on investigative duties, they do not clean what remains at the property. Homicide cleaning can be arranged after release of the scene by an authorized person, including an owner, landlord or relative.
Ordinary cleaning services do not cover the full process. Cleanup technicians protect rooms outside the scene while locating affected material in the immediate space and nearby areas. They treat surfaces that are cleanable and remove those materials where disinfection is not possible. Odor treatment, the packaging and disposal of hazardous waste, and requested records for an insurance company are also included.

You can request unmarked vehicles and limit entry to authorized people, which helps protect privacy during a painful event.
Photos, item lists, scope notes and disposal documents can support conversations with insurance companies and property owners.
You can ask what will be cleaned, what must be removed, how waste will leave the property and what remains for restoration.
Before any removal choice, salvageable personal property is set aside and discussed with you.
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:
After the family retrieves essential belongings and police release the unit, the landlord or authorized property manager may organize scene cleanup.
The affected area can stay separate during contamination assessments of offices, warehouses, stores and common spaces.
Surface wiping is not enough when visible blood extends under the floor or behind trim.
Tracing the entire path is necessary when tissue and blood can reach carpet, walls, furnishings, ceilings or concealed joints.
Begin by honoring the investigation, limiting exposure and keeping information that may help with a claim. Take these steps before cleanup technicians are allowed to enter:
Call (888) 440-9227A typical violent crime scene runs $2,500 to $9,000 according to published guides. Smaller homicide scenes are listed lower, at $2,000 to $6,000 and larger ones higher, at $3,000 to $10,000 each. Treat these as planning figures rather than a quote. The assessment of your scene decides the final scope.
Published national cost guides are the source for these ranges, rather than an inspection of your property. An on-site assessment determines your property's price, which is explained to you before the cleanup starts.
Ask about cost: (888) 440-9227Homicide cleanup may be paid through a renters, homeowners or commercial policy. Whether it applies depends on the specific loss, policy terms and deductible.
The lease, local law, property ownership and policy terms can affect who arranges work and who pays. Landlords and tenants should contact their insurers.
Report what occurred to the insurance company after police clear the scene. 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. Keep copies of everything you submit.
Washington's Crime Victims Compensation Program, run by the Department of Labor and Industries, does not pay for crime scene cleanup, so victims of violent crime should ask what it does cover. Insurance is usually checked first.
After scene release, a controlled order guides the remediation work. Each step reflects how far contamination went, which items can remain and the waste rules that govern the material.
The authorized person identifies known affected areas, and technicians inspect nearby surfaces, floor edges, contents and possible travel paths.
The work zone is separated from clean rooms. Suitable personal protective equipment and controls help cleanup technicians limit the movement of contamination outside 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.
Cleanable materials undergo detailed scene cleaning before an EPA-registered disinfectant is applied and stays wet throughout the label contact time.
Once the source is gone, air filtration and targeted treatment can address odor in room air, remaining materials and connected spaces.
After contaminated waste is sealed and labeled, it is moved in accordance with applicable requirements and available disposal records are retained.
The closing assessment examines completed work, returns salvageable personal property according to the agreement and records removed finishes for restoration services.
You can call anytime. You speak with a homicide cleanup specialist who outlines the process and schedules a start time with you.
Serious health risks may remain in bodily fluids, blood and contaminated material out of sight. Those risks can still be present if the visible spot appears dry or limited.
For family and loved ones, the scene may be very distressing. Professional cleanup allows family members to avoid direct exposure to the affected space and personal property.
Fluids can enter seams, grout, carpet pad, subfloor and wall cavities. Wiping what you can see leaves contamination within material below the surface or behind it.
Hepatitis C, HIV and hepatitis B may be present in blood. According to the CDC, hepatitis B remains viable on surfaces for at least seven days, meaning dried blood needs careful controls.
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. When blood enters carpet, drywall, wood, fabric or an area without clear limits, avoid the space and get professional cleanup.
Porous material usually comes out after it absorbs blood. Non-porous surfaces can often be kept, provided that every exposed section is accessible and can be disinfected.

A timeline for homicide cleaning is shaped by scene access and size, the number of affected rooms, depth of contamination and amount that must be taken out. You can receive a more practical schedule once the initial assessment is complete.
| Scene | Typical time on site |
|---|---|
| Small affected area on accessible surfaces | Inspection and official scene release determine the schedule |
| A single room requiring removal of porous materials | 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.
Once contaminated materials are gone, airborne particles can be filtered with HEPA air scrubbers. Hydroxyl treatment is an option for occupied spaces when permitted by equipment instructions. Ozone treatment needs an empty area and strict controls. Before you proceed, the cleaning process may also involve inspecting neighboring rooms and vents.
The full homicide cleanup guide covers what is cleaned or removed, odor and air quality work, and the rules that apply in your state.
Read the full homicide cleanup guide
Local population patterns, housing and site access may affect how containment and cleanup are planned.
In an area with 9.4% renter occupancy, direct homeowner approval can simplify choices about opening walls or replacing affected finishes.
The 1974 median year matters during odor work because cabinets, wall cavities, and floor layers can hold the source.
A 12.2% share living alone still matters because delayed discovery can increase odor movement and the amount of affected material.
Because 94.1% of local housing is single-family, owners often can make direct decisions about removing affected structural materials.
Ask on the call about cleanup options for neighboring communities and ZIP codes.
Crime scene cleaning begins after police release and covers blood, odor and the affected property.
See crime scene cleanup
Blood cleanup clears blood from furniture, walls, hard floors and carpet, followed by safe disposal.
See blood cleanup
Trauma scene cleanup is needed after violent events, accidents and injuries.
See trauma scene cleanup
Fluids, odor and impacted belongings are addressed when a home is cleaned after a death.
See death cleanup
Careful, private suicide cleanup keeps family members from having to confront the scene.
See suicide cleanup
Cleanup when a death went unnoticed for days, with decomposition and odor control.
See unattended death cleanup
Forensic cleaning addresses investigation residue, fingerprint powder and tissue along with cleaning of blood.
See forensic cleaning
Air scrubbers, hydroxyl and ozone treatment support death odor removal at its source.
See death odor removalThe process begins with cleanup technicians identifying the affected area and establishing containment. 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. The team finishes by packaging hazardous waste and checking the completed cleanup scope.
Yes, one property can contain several distinct hazards. After evidence limits are lifted, hoarding cleanup services can address the large volume of contents. After a sewage backup, sewage cleanup may be necessary along with drying for areas affected by water damage. Each hazard needs its own containment, cleaning process and disposal plan.
Cleaning it yourself is inappropriate if blood reached an unseen space or absorbent materials such as carpet, drywall, furniture, fabric or wood. Bloodborne pathogens and unseen spread can create serious health risks. Prevent access by people and animals, wait until release, and use professional cleanup wherever the full boundary of an affected area cannot be determined.
Once property clearance comes from law enforcement as well as the medical examiner or coroner, an authorized manager, relative, owner or landlord may organize cleanup. Homicide cleaners perform biohazard remediation, blood cleanup, disinfection, odor work and hazardous waste removal. Police examine the scene, but completing the cleaning service is not their responsibility.
Investigators must permit entry before professional homicide cleaners start work at a murder scene. Containment, detailed surface cleaning, removal of absorbed fluid, disinfection, waste disposal and odor removal may be part of the job. Do not ask a family member to enter or clean a room that still contains bodily fluids or blood.
Items outside the contaminated zone can be protected in place or moved to a clean area. Each belonging inside the scene receives its own assessment. Hard, non-porous belongings may be cleanable. Absorbent items may need removal, while photos, documents and keepsakes should be discussed with you before a decision is made.
Discreet, respectful homicide cleanup, 24 hours a day, with crews in unmarked vehicles.