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 Hillsborough 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 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.
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.

When discussing the loss with property owners and insurance companies, you can use photos, inventories, scope notes and disposal paperwork.
You are consulted about recoverable personal property after it is isolated and before a removal decision occurs.
Ask which materials can be cleaned, which need removal, how waste exits the site and what the restoration stage will include.
You can request unmarked vehicles and limit entry to authorized people, which helps protect privacy during a painful event.
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:
A visible blood mark can extend beneath flooring and behind trim, so wiping only the surface is insufficient.
The affected area can stay separate during contamination assessments of offices, warehouses, stores and common spaces.
A landlord or authorized property manager may arrange scene cleanup after police release the unit and the family removes essential belongings.
An assessment of seats, insulation, trim and carpet identifies what may remain after cleaning and what needs removal.
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) 351-0904The 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.
The figures shown are national ranges from published cost guides and are not based on an on-site visit. An on-site assessment determines your property's price, which is explained to you before the cleanup 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.
Tell the insurer what happened after police release the scene. Ask about policy coverage for biohazard cleanup, affected construction materials and the restoration phase.
Find out which waste documents, photographs, item inventories, invoices and scope records the insurance company requires. Keep copies of everything you submit.
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.
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.
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.
After the authorized person points out known affected areas, technicians examine floor edges, belongings, adjacent surfaces and potential travel routes.
A barrier separates clean spaces from the work zone. Cleanup technicians rely on proper personal protective equipment and containment controls to keep contamination from being tracked past the scene.
Surface-specific methods collect bodily fluids and blood that are visible before detailed cleaning and disinfection.
If carpet, drywall, pad, subfloor or upholstery cannot be thoroughly disinfected, removal is limited to the minimum workable area.
After thorough scene cleaning, an EPA-registered disinfectant remains wet on each cleanable surface for the contact time stated on its label.
With the source removed, remaining materials, adjoining areas and the room air may receive air filtration and targeted odor treatment.
Applicable rules guide the sealing, labeling and movement of contaminated waste, while available disposal documentation is kept.
The completed scope is reviewed, saved personal property is returned as agreed and removed finishes are listed 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.
Blood, bodily fluids and hidden contaminated materials can present serious health risks, even when the visible area looks small or dry.
Blood may contain HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C. The CDC says hepatitis B can survive on surfaces for at least seven days, so dried blood still requires careful controls.
Seeing the affected space can cause loved ones deep distress. Professional cleanup lets family members avoid direct contact with the affected space and personal property.
Soaked absorbent materials and used protective equipment may need compliant packaging, transport and disposal under relevant medical waste rules.
Can you clean it yourself? A small amount of fresh blood on a hard, non-porous surface may be cleaned with disposable gloves and an EPA-registered disinfectant used for its full 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 | Work schedule established following release and assessment |
| 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.
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 OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, establishes requirements for worker protective equipment, training and controls for exposure.
The selected disinfectant should have EPA registration for its intended purpose and stay on the material for the complete labeled contact time.
Florida calls it biomedical waste, and the term covers absorbent materials saturated with blood or body fluids. The Florida Department of Health's rules control packing, transport and treatment, so it cannot go in household trash.
Florida uses district medical examiners, with the Medical Examiners Commission under the Florida Department of Law Enforcement overseeing them. Cleanup starts after police or the medical examiner 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 Florida and Hillsborough County.
Read the full homicide cleanup guide
Local population patterns, housing and site access may affect how containment and cleanup are planned.
Rental housing represents 21.0% of households here, so cleanup information should still explain when a landlord must approve structural work.
A median year built of 1996 makes careful moisture readings useful when deciding whether wallboard or flooring can remain.
The local senior population includes 1,247 people living alone, and any cleanup in a home like theirs calls for discreet, respectful planning.
With 81.7% single-family housing, crews may need to inspect basements, crawl spaces, garages, and other areas unique to detached homes.
You can ask about cleanup in nearby communities and ZIP codes during the call.
After the property is released by police, crime scene cleaning removes blood and controls odor.
See crime scene cleanup
Blood cleanup on carpet, hard floors, walls and furniture with safe disposal.
See blood cleanup
Following accidents, violence or injuries, trauma scene cleanup addresses the affected area.
See trauma scene cleanup
Fluids, odor and impacted belongings are addressed when a home is cleaned after a death.
See death cleanup
Suicide cleanup is completed privately and with care, protecting families from seeing the scene.
See suicide cleanup
When a death remains undiscovered for days, cleanup addresses decomposition and controls odors.
See unattended death cleanup
Forensic cleaning addresses investigation residue, fingerprint powder and tissue along with cleaning of blood.
See forensic cleaning
At the source, death odor removal uses air scrubbers plus hydroxyl and ozone treatment.
See death odor removalInvestigators must permit entry before professional homicide cleaners start work at a murder scene. The work may include waste disposal, containment, odor removal, disinfection, careful cleaning and taking out absorbed fluids. A family member should neither enter nor attempt cleanup if blood or bodily fluids remain in an area.
Once release comes from the medical examiner and law enforcement, cleanup is arranged by an authorized owner, landlord, relative or manager. For biohazard remediation and blood cleanup, homicide cleaners can disinfect surfaces, treat odors and complete hazardous waste removal. Police examine the scene, but completing the cleaning service is not their responsibility.
Property outside the contaminated space can either be covered in place or transferred into a clean room. Each belonging inside the scene receives its own assessment. Non-porous belongings made from hard materials may be cleanable. Porous belongings may require removal, but you should be consulted about photographs, documents and treasured items before any choice is final.
Some or all covered expenses may be paid after the deductible, although terms vary for every policy and every situation. Give the insurance company the claim details and ask about emergency response work, biohazard cleanup, building materials and restoration. Store copies of photographs, scope documentation, invoices and disposal papers.
Yes. Different property conditions can be present in each, although both qualify as death cleanup and trauma scene cleanup. A homicide scene remains under law enforcement control until release and may include evidence-processing residue. Because the person was not found immediately, an unattended death commonly brings decomposition and odor concerns across a larger area.
You should not attempt cleanup when blood has entered furniture, drywall, carpet, fabric, wood or a concealed area. Bloodborne pathogens and hidden contamination may lead to serious health risks. Keep people and pets out while awaiting scene release, then arrange professional cleanup when any affected area has uncertain edges.
Respectful, discreet homicide cleanup is available 24 hours a day, and crews arrive in unmarked vehicles.