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 Fulton 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.
The investigation is the responsibility of law enforcement and the medical examiner or coroner, not property cleaning. A relative, landlord, owner or other person with authorization can arrange homicide cleaning once officials have released the scene.
Cleanup technicians first trace where contamination reached, including areas around the affected room. Unaffected spaces are protected. Materials that cannot be disinfected come out, while surfaces suitable for disinfection receive treatment. This goes beyond routine cleaning and also includes odor removal, proper hazardous waste packaging and disposal, plus insurance company records if requested.

Your discussions with insurance companies and property owners may be supported by photographs, item inventories, work notes and waste documentation.
To help preserve your privacy during a painful time, you may ask for unmarked vehicles and restrict access to authorized people.
Before any removal choice, salvageable personal property is set aside and discussed with you.
You can ask what will be cleaned, what must be removed, how waste will leave the property and what remains for restoration.
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:
Seats, carpet, trim and insulation are checked to decide what can be cleaned and what must be removed.
A landlord or authorized property manager may arrange scene cleanup after police release the unit and the family removes essential belongings.
A bedroom, hall, living area and surrounding exposed surfaces may all require blood cleanup after the event.
Blood that appears on the surface may travel behind trim or below flooring, leaving a wipe incomplete.
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) 440-9227According 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.
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) 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.
Victims of violent crime can ask the Georgia Crime Victims Compensation Program, run by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, about crime scene cleanup. The program lists crime scene sanitization among eligible expenses. Insurance is usually checked first.
The lease, local law, property ownership and policy terms can affect who arranges work and who pays. Landlords and tenants should each speak with an insurer.
Have the insurance company identify every needed invoice, photo, item list, disposal record and scope note. Make copies of all materials before submission.
Tell the insurer what happened after police release the scene. Ask about policy coverage for biohazard cleanup, affected construction materials and the restoration phase.
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 work zone is separated from clean 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.
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.
Once work is complete, retained personal property is returned as arranged, and removed finishes are documented for restoration services.
Call any hour. A specialist in homicide cleanup takes your call, explains each step and agrees on 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.
Soaked absorbent materials and used protective equipment may need compliant packaging, transport and disposal under relevant medical waste rules.
Hepatitis C, HIV and hepatitis B may be present in blood. The CDC says hepatitis B can survive on surfaces for at least seven days, so dried blood still requires careful controls.
Loved ones may find the scene profoundly upsetting. Direct contact with the affected room and personal property can be avoided by family members through professional cleanup.
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. When blood enters carpet, drywall, wood, fabric or an area without clear limits, avoid the space and get 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 |
|---|---|
| Limited affected area with accessible surfaces | Schedule set after inspection and scene release |
| Porous material removal within one room | Could need a distinct restoration stage after cleaning |
| Several rooms or structural contamination | Often involves a phased cleanup scope and extended 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.
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.
Georgia treats soaked materials from a biohazard scene as biomedical waste. Georgia Environmental Protection Division solid waste rules control how it is handled, transported and treated, so it cannot go in household trash.
Georgia uses a mixed system. Elected county coroners lead local death investigations, and the state Medical Examiner or Coroner's Office within the Georgia Bureau of Investigation performs forensic autopsies. 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 Georgia and Fulton County.
Read the full homicide cleanup guide
Local population patterns, housing and site access may affect how containment and cleanup are planned.
For an injury during discovery, Emory University Hospital Midtown is the nearest listed hospital at approximately 1.2 miles away.
Reynoldstown, Old Fourth Ward, and Cabbagetown are nearby, which helps define practical routes for crews, equipment, and sealed waste containers.
A neighborhood address can differ from its broader city label, making the full street and unit information important for discreet cleanup access.
You can ask about cleanup in nearby communities and ZIP codes during the call.
Crime scene cleaning begins after police release and covers blood, odor and the affected property.
See crime scene cleanup
Walls, carpets, furnishings and hard floors receive blood cleanup, with safe disposal afterward.
See blood cleanup
Trauma scene cleanup is needed after violent events, accidents and injuries.
See trauma scene cleanup
After a person dies at home, cleanup addresses fluids, odors and belongings that were affected.
See death cleanup
Careful, private suicide cleanup keeps family members from having to confront the scene.
See suicide cleanup
When a death remains undiscovered for days, cleanup addresses decomposition and controls odors.
See unattended death cleanup
Forensic cleaning of blood also covers investigation residue, tissue and fingerprint powder.
See forensic cleaning
At the source, death odor removal uses air scrubbers plus hydroxyl and ozone treatment.
See death odor removalPublished homicide cleanup cost data lists a violent crime scene at $2,500 to $9,000. For a smaller scene, the published range is $2,000 to $6,000, compared with a larger scene at $3,000 to $10,000. The finished scope depends on police release, disposal needs, contamination depth, room count and scene size.
Right. Both are forms of death cleanup and trauma scene cleanup, but the conditions can differ. Evidence-processing material may remain at a homicide scene, which is controlled by law enforcement until formal release. Decomposition and broader odor problems are often present after an unattended death because some time elapsed before discovery.
Once investigators approve entry, professional homicide cleaners can begin cleaning the murder scene. Their work can include containment, removal of absorbed fluids, detailed cleaning, disinfection, odor removal and waste disposal. Any family member should stay outside and avoid cleaning a space where blood or other bodily fluids remain.
Whether homeowners coverage applies to homicide scene cleanup depends on what happened, the policy wording, its deductible and any exclusions. The same is true for death cleanup. Speak with the insurer before cleanup starts. Ask the insurer about required documentation, biohazard cleanup, damaged materials, personal property and restoration before work starts.
A policy may pay covered costs in full or in part once the deductible applies, but coverage is not identical for every situation. Give the insurance company the claim details and ask about emergency response work, biohazard cleanup, building materials and restoration. Keep photos, scope notes, invoices and disposal records.
Both authorities must clear the property first: law enforcement and the medical examiner or coroner. A relative, landlord, manager or owner with authority can then arrange cleanup. Homicide cleaners may address hazardous waste removal, odor control, disinfection, blood cleanup and biohazard remediation. Police conduct the investigation, but the cleaning service is not part of their work.
Discreet, respectful homicide cleanup, 24 hours a day, with crews in unmarked vehicles.