Homicide Cleanup
After investigators leave, homicide cleanup removes contaminated materials along with tissue and blood.
See homicide cleanupGet blood, body fluids, fingerprint powder and odor removed from a home, apartment, rental or business in Tampa Palms once police release the property. Most crime scene cleanups take one to three days.
Crime scene cleanup, also called forensic cleaning or trauma scene cleanup, is the removal of blood, body fluids, tissue and contaminated materials after a violent crime, then disinfection and odor removal so the property is safe to use again.
It starts where the investigation ends. Police, detectives and the medical examiner collect evidence and remove the deceased, but they do not clean. The scene is released to the property owner, the family or the landlord, and the cleanup becomes their responsibility.
Crime scene cleaners, also called forensic cleaners or a forensic clean up crew, treat every drop of blood as infectious. They trace how far it traveled, remove what cannot be disinfected, clean and treat every surface, and haul the hazardous materials away under medical waste rules. It is a form of biohazard remediation, and the cleanup process covers these steps from start to finish.

Before work begins, you learn the process and cost factors so your family can choose what is right.
Photos, scope and waste records are ready for insurance companies and landlords, so you can move forward.
Crews put aside photos, papers and meaningful belongings for you to examine before any disposal.
Phone support is available day and night, while crews use unmarked vehicles to protect your privacy nearby.
A violent event may create a need for crime scene cleaning services when body fluids or blood remain. These situations commonly include:
Blood spatter on ceilings and walls, plus soaked carpet and subfloor where a person fell.
The home may contain bloody broken glass, door damage and widespread fingerprint dust.
After a standoff, pepper spray or tear gas residue can remain on fabric, walls and HVAC ducts.
More than one room is often affected, including floors, furnishings and walls with blood or tissue.
The first hours matter for your health, your insurance claim and the final cost. Before the cleanup technicians arrive:
Call (888) 351-0904Published cost guides put most residential crime scene cleanups between $1,500 and $7,500. Most crime scene cleanup companies price by the job, not the hour. A small area of surface blood can cost less, and scenes where blood reached the subfloor or several rooms can pass $10,000. The final price is set after the on-site assessment.
Published national cost guides are the source for these ranges, rather than an inspection of your property. You learn what your property will cost after the on-site assessment and before any work begins.
Ask about cost: (888) 351-0904Check the homeowners or renters policy that applies to the property. It may include crime scene cleanup when an event is classified as accidental and sudden, and you may owe a deductible.
Ask whether biohazard cleanup is covered, whether you can choose the cleanup company and what photos or records the adjuster needs.
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.
After a violent crime, coverage is based on the terms in your renters or homeowners policy. Keep your claim number after reporting the event without delay.
The owner usually coordinates and covers crime scene cleanup costs in rentals and common areas.
A safe, consistent order guides the remediation process, even though every crime scene differs. From the opening walk-through until final inspection, the crime scene cleanup process follows that sequence.
You or your representative walks through the area with technicians, who document it in photos and settle the scope before cleaning begins.
Plastic barriers and negative air isolate the affected area while technicians use complete personal protective equipment.
Crews cut away soaked mattresses, furniture, carpet, pad and drywall, then bag and seal them as medical waste.
Technicians clean every surface before using hospital-grade disinfectant registered by the EPA for its required contact time.
HVAC vents are examined, and air scrubbers, ozone or hydroxyl generators are used to treat the source of smells.
Sealed containers go to a permitted medical waste facility with the paperwork that tracks them.
Surfaces can be checked with ATP testing, and you get photos and records for your insurance claim.
Removed flooring and drywall can then be replaced by your contractor or your insurer's vendor.
Phone any hour. You speak with a crime scene cleanup specialist who outlines the process and schedules a start time with you.
Serious health risks can come from blood and bodily fluids, including contamination beyond what you are able to see.
Blood can contain HIV, hepatitis C and hepatitis B. According to the CDC, hepatitis B remains viable on surfaces for at least seven days, including when blood appears dry.
Having to clean the area where a family member was hurt creates a serious emotional burden. For that reason alone, many households turn to professional crime scene cleaners.
Materials that are saturated become regulated medical waste. They must be taken to an authorized treatment site instead of a dumpster or household garbage.
Can you clean it yourself? For a few drops of blood that are fresh and limited to a non-porous hard surface, use gloves plus an EPA-registered disinfectant. If blood touches fabric, wood, carpet or drywall, or spreads beyond visible edges, you need professional cleanup.
Materials that can be completely disinfected are cleaned and kept. Anything penetrated by blood must be taken out.

Most crime scene cleanup work requires one to three days at the property. A small scene that happened recently may take one day, but a heavy scene requiring structural removal can last 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 |
| Heavy scene, several rooms or subfloor removal | Often two to five days |
The source must be removed before the odor can be addressed. Spraying fragrance on tissue or blood masks the smell for just a few days.
With contaminated material gone, the cleanup team can capture airborne particles using HEPA air scrubbers. Hydroxyl generators may operate safely around people, and stubborn odor can be treated with ozone when rooms are empty. Thermal fogging gets into fabrics and wall cavities. HVAC ductwork is also inspected to prevent smells from spreading between 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 Hillsborough County.
Read the full crime scene cleanup guide
Planning for access, containment and cleanup can depend on local population, housing and entry conditions.
For an injury during discovery, Adventhealth Tampa is the nearest listed hospital at approximately 3.6 miles away.
With Richmond Place, Terrace Park, and West Meadows close by, accurate street and unit details help avoid confusion during a sensitive response.
Neighborhood level directions help narrow the location, but crews still need entrance details before bringing containment and cleaning equipment inside.
Your phone conversation can include questions about service in nearby ZIP codes and communities.
After investigators leave, homicide cleanup removes contaminated materials along with tissue and blood.
See homicide cleanup
Families are spared from facing the scene through discreet and considerate suicide cleanup.
See suicide cleanup
Trauma scene cleanup is needed after violent events, accidents and injuries.
See trauma scene cleanup
Blood cleanup on carpet, hard floors, walls and furniture with safe disposal.
See blood cleanup
Decomposition cleanup and odor control are needed after a death goes unnoticed for several days.
See unattended death cleanup
Death odor removal targets the source through ozone treatment, hydroxyl and air scrubbers.
See death odor removal
Deep cleaning, respectful sorting and removal are all part of hoarding cleanup.
See hoarding cleanup
Raw sewage cleanup treats Category 3 black water and includes both drying and disinfection.
See raw sewage cleanupNo. Once evidence collection is complete, law enforcement releases the property. Responsibility for cleaning belongs to the property owner or whoever oversees the location.
The medical examiner, detectives and police gather evidence and take the deceased away, but cleanup is not their role. A landlord, property owner or family typically arranges crime scene cleanup with professional crime scene cleaners.
The cleaning process for cleaning crime scenes includes isolation, soaked material removal, surface cleaning and disinfection, odor control and medical waste disposal.
Crime scene cleanup is also known as biohazard remediation, forensic cleaning, trauma cleanup or forensic clean up. Workers performing the service are known as forensic cleaners or crime scene cleaners.
On-site work lasts one to three days for most scenes. A minor scene may need a day, while an extensive job involving subfloor removal may require up to five days.
Your homeowners or renters policy terms determine coverage, and you may have a deductible. Tell your insurer about the event and find out whether your policy covers biohazard cleanup.
Discreet, respectful crime scene cleanup, 24 hours a day, with crews in unmarked vehicles.