Crime Scene Cleanup
After the property is released by police, crime scene cleaning removes blood and controls odor.
See crime scene cleanupGet blood, bodily fluids, contaminated materials and odor removed after investigators release a home, rental, business or vehicle in Cabell County. The cleanup scope is based on where contamination traveled.
Homicide cleanup is specialized crime scene work performed after investigators complete their duties and release the property. It removes bodily fluids, blood and other contaminated materials.
Cleaning the property is not part of the work performed by law enforcement or the medical examiner, 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.

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.
Ask which materials can be cleaned, which need removal, how waste exits the site and what the restoration stage will include.
Personal property that can be saved is separated and discussed with you before removal decisions are made.
Homicide cleanup services are needed when a violent death leaves blood or other biological material in a home, rental, business or vehicle. Common situations include:
The landlord or an authorized property manager may schedule scene cleanup once police release the rental and essential items have been taken by the family.
While stores, offices, shared spaces or warehouses are checked for contamination, the affected area can remain isolated.
Blood cleanup may involve a bedroom, living area, hallway and nearby surfaces that were exposed during the event.
Each seat, piece of trim, section of carpet and insulation area is assessed for cleaning or removal.
Before technicians enter for cleanup, focus on staying away from exposure, preserving helpful claim details and respecting the active investigation. Your first steps are:
Call (888) 351-0904According to available homicide cleanup cost guides, planning for a violent crime scene uses a published range from $2,500 to $9,000 as guidance. For smaller scenes, they list $2,000 to $6,000 as a planning range, while larger scenes use $3,000 to $10,000 in the same guides. This is not a quote. The assessment sets the final scope.
These ranges come from published national cost guides, not from a site visit. The price for your property is set after the on-site assessment, and you hear it before work starts.
Ask about cost: (888) 351-0904A homeowners, renters or commercial policy may pay for homicide cleanup, but coverage depends on the policy, the loss and the deductible.
After the scene is released by police, inform the insurer about the loss. Ask about policy coverage for biohazard cleanup, affected construction materials and the restoration phase.
Local requirements, property ownership, lease conditions and policy language can determine who pays and arranges cleanup. Tenants and landlords should each contact the appropriate insurer.
Victims of violent crime can ask the West Virginia Crime Victims Compensation Fund whether cleanup costs can be included in a compensation claim. Insurance is usually checked first.
Check with your insurance company about its requirements for photos, inventories, work notes, bills and waste documentation. Retain everything you send to the insurance company.
Remediation proceeds in a controlled sequence once the scene is released. The path of contamination, the materials that are still safe to save and applicable waste rules guide each step.
Technicians check contents, nearby surfaces, possible travel paths and flooring edges after an authorized person identifies the affected areas already known.
The cleanup area is isolated from unaffected rooms. Cleanup technicians use suitable personal protective equipment and controls that reduce tracking beyond the scene.
Surface-specific methods collect bodily fluids and blood that are visible before detailed cleaning and disinfection.
Carpet, pad, drywall, upholstery or subfloor that cannot be fully disinfected is removed in the smallest practical area.
Cleanable surfaces receive detailed scene cleaning, followed by an EPA-registered disinfectant kept wet for the 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.
Applicable rules guide the sealing, labeling and movement of contaminated waste, while available disposal documentation is kept.
Once work is complete, retained personal property is returned as arranged, and removed finishes are documented for restoration services.
You can call anytime. Your homicide cleanup specialist answers the phone, describes what happens next and works with you on a start time.
Serious health risks can come from blood, bodily fluids and contamination you cannot see. The concern remains even if visible signs seem dry or limited.
Wall cavities, subfloor, padding, grout and seams can absorb fluids. Cleaning the visible mark does not address material below or behind the surface.
The scene can be deeply distressing for loved ones. Direct contact with the affected room and personal property can be avoided by family members through professional cleanup.
Under applicable medical waste requirements, saturated porous items and worn protective equipment may need regulated packaging, disposal and transport.
Can you clean it yourself? With disposable gloves, a small quantity of fresh blood may be cleaned off a hard, non-porous area by keeping an EPA-registered disinfectant on it for the full label contact time. Seek professional cleanup and keep away whenever blood reaches fabric, carpet, drywall, wood or a location with unknown edges.
Blood-absorbing porous materials generally must be taken out. A non-porous surface can often stay if the entire exposed portion can be reached and 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 |
|---|---|
| A small affected area on reachable surfaces | Schedule set after inspection and scene release |
| Porous material removal within one room | May involve cleanup followed by restoration as another 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.
After affected material has been removed, HEPA air scrubbers may be used to capture airborne particles. In an occupied setting, hydroxyl treatment may be appropriate if allowed by the equipment instructions. Ozone can only be used under strict controls with the treatment space empty. Cleaning may also include an inspection of adjacent rooms and vents before you move ahead.
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
Planning for access, containment and cleanup can depend on local population, housing and entry conditions.
Knowing that St Marys Medical Center is about 1.8 miles away helps households plan where to seek care before arranging scene cleanup.
Gaylersville is near Beverly Hills, Marcum Terrace, and Stamford Park, which can matter when family members are arriving from surrounding communities.
The Cabell County location helps orient travel, while the neighborhood and full address identify where private cleanup work actually occurs.
Ask on the call about cleanup options for neighboring communities and ZIP codes.
After the property is released by police, crime scene cleaning removes blood and controls odor.
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 after accidents, injuries and violent events.
See trauma scene cleanup
Cleaning a home after someone dies, including fluids, odor and affected belongings.
See death cleanup
Families are spared from facing the scene through discreet and considerate suicide cleanup.
See suicide cleanup
Cleanup when a death went unnoticed for days, with decomposition and odor control.
See unattended death cleanup
Investigation residue, tissue and fingerprint powder are addressed along with forensic cleaning of blood.
See forensic cleaning
Air scrubbers, hydroxyl and ozone treatment support death odor removal at its source.
See death odor removalItems outside the contaminated zone can be protected in place or moved to a clean area. Each belonging inside the scene receives its own assessment. Non-porous belongings made from hard materials may be cleanable. Before deciding, the team should speak with you about papers, photos and keepsakes, while absorbent property may have to be removed.
Cleanup technicians start by locating the affected area's boundaries before putting containment in place. With protective gear on, technicians gather visible material and take out porous items unsuitable for disinfection. After cleaning surfaces that remain, they use a disinfectant registered by the EPA for the contact time shown on its label. Hazardous waste is packaged before the finished scope receives a final check.
Once property clearance comes from law enforcement as well as the medical examiner, 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 are responsible for investigating the scene, not performing the cleaning service.
Yes, different hazards can affect the same location. When evidence controls no longer apply, hoarding cleanup services may begin for the property's heavy contents. Sewage cleanup may be needed after a sewage backup, and water damage may require drying. Each hazard needs a separate disposal plan, cleaning process and containment setup.
Yes. 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. Decomposition and broader odor problems are often present after an unattended death because some time elapsed before discovery.
A homeowners policy may cover death cleanup or homicide scene cleanup, but the answer depends on the event, exclusions, deductible and policy language. Contact the insurer before work begins. Check which exact records you need before work begins, along with policy terms for affected materials, personal property, restoration and biohazard cleanup.
Respectful, discreet homicide cleanup is available 24 hours a day, and crews arrive in unmarked vehicles.