Homicide Cleanup
After investigators depart, homicide cleanup removes blood, tissue and contaminated materials.
See homicide cleanupGet blood, body fluids, fingerprint powder and odor removed from a home, apartment, rental or business in Third Ward 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 or coroner 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.
A forensic clean up crew, forensic cleaners and crime scene cleaners all treat blood as infectious, down to every drop. The team tracks its spread and removes materials that disinfection cannot save. All surfaces are treated and cleaned, while hazardous items are taken away in line with medical waste rules. This end-to-end process is a form of biohazard remediation.

You can take the work scope, disposal documents and photographs to landlords or insurance companies and move forward.
The cleaning plan and pricing factors are explained in advance, helping you decide what suits your household.
Your documents, photographs and keepsakes are separated for you to check, and nothing is discarded without your permission.
Phone support is available day and night, while crews use unmarked vehicles to protect your privacy nearby.
Crime scene cleaning services are needed any time a violent event leaves blood or body fluids behind. Common situations include:
Commercial crime scene cleanup in offices, stores and warehouses, with work areas isolated during cleaning.
Broken glass with blood, damaged doors and fingerprint powder throughout the home.
A private service means your family does not need to confront the scene.
Blood spatter on ceilings and walls, plus soaked carpet and subfloor where a person fell.
Before cleanup technicians get there, your early actions can affect health, the insurance claim and what the work ultimately costs:
Call (888) 440-9227According to published cost guides, a residential crime scene cleanup most often costs from $1,500 through $7,500. Crime scene cleanup companies commonly price the full job, not each hour. Limited surface blood may mean a lower cost, while subfloor contamination or several affected rooms can push the bill past $10,000. Final pricing follows an on-site assessment.
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) 440-9227Your policy controls whether crime scene cleanup has coverage. A homeowners or renters policy might classify the event as accidental and sudden, with a possible deductible.
Find out if biohazard cleanup is covered, if the cleanup company is your choice, and what records and photos the adjuster requires.
For common spaces or rented units, crime scene cleanup is generally arranged and paid for by the owner.
Coverage after a violent crime depends on the terms of your homeowners or renters policy. Report the event quickly and keep the claim number.
Victims of violent crime can ask the North Carolina Department of Public Safety's Office of Victim Compensation Services about crime scene cleanup, which the program lists among accepted expenses. Insurance is usually checked first.
Differences between crime scenes do not change the safe order of the work. Often described as the remediation process, crime scene cleanup proceeds step by step, beginning with the first walk-through and ending at final inspection.
Technicians walk the scene with you or your representative, photograph it and agree the scope before work starts.
Technicians put on full personal protective equipment, then contain the affected area using plastic sheeting and negative air.
Saturated drywall, carpeting, padding, mattresses and furnishings are removed, placed in bags and sealed for medical waste disposal.
All surfaces receive cleaning followed by an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant applied for the full contact time.
Technicians inspect HVAC vents and target the odor source using ozone, hydroxyl generators or air scrubbers.
Each sealed container is followed through delivery by paperwork and taken to an authorized medical waste treatment site.
You receive records and photos for the claim, and technicians can use ATP testing to check surfaces.
Removed flooring and drywall can then be replaced by your contractor or your insurer's vendor.
Phone any hour. A crime scene cleanup specialist answers, explains the steps and agrees a start time with you.
Blood and bodily fluids can carry serious health risks, and the contamination you can see is rarely all of it.
Carpet does not stop blood from reaching the pad and subfloor, while grout and spaces under baseboards can trap it. Odor and bacteria may return when hidden material remains after a surface wipe.
Cleaning the place where a loved one was hurt is a heavy burden. That emotional burden is why many families use professional crime scene cleaners.
Materials that are saturated become regulated medical waste. An approved facility must treat them because they cannot be placed with household waste or in a dumpster.
Can you clean it yourself? Wear gloves and apply an EPA-registered disinfectant when fresh blood is limited to a few drops on any hard, non-porous surface. Call for professional cleanup if the amount has no visible boundary or has entered carpet, textiles, drywall or wood.
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 |
| Standard scene affecting one to two rooms | Often one to three days |
| Extensive scene requiring subfloor removal or several rooms | Often two to five days |
Odor removal begins by taking away its source. If fragrance is sprayed over tissue or blood, the smell is hidden for only a few days.
Once contaminated materials have been removed, HEPA air scrubbers can capture particles. The cleanup team may run hydroxyl generators safely with people present, or use ozone in empty rooms when odor persists. Thermal fogging can enter wall cavities and fabrics, while checks of HVAC ductwork help keep the smell from moving into other rooms.
The full crime scene cleanup guide covers what is cleaned or removed, odor and air quality work, and the rules that apply in North Carolina and Mecklenburg County.
Read the full crime scene cleanup guide
Local housing, population and access details can shape containment, access and cleanup planning.
The nearest listed emergency facility is Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center, about 0.4 miles away, so medical care remains separate from property cleanup.
Gateway, Uptown, and Fourth Ward are nearby, which helps define practical routes for crews, equipment, and sealed waste containers.
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 depart, homicide cleanup removes blood, tissue and contaminated materials.
See homicide cleanup
Careful, private suicide cleanup keeps family members from having to confront the scene.
See suicide cleanup
Trauma scene cleanup after accidents, injuries and violent events.
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 at the source with air scrubbers, hydroxyl and ozone treatment.
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 cleanupAffirmative. Hepatitis B and some other viruses can live for days within blood that has dried on surfaces. Use the same precautions for dry and fresh blood.
The medical examiner, detectives and police gather evidence and take the deceased away, but cleanup is not their role. The family, landlord or property owner generally arranges crime scene cleanup through professional crime scene cleaners.
Most scenes take one to three days on site. One day may cover a light scene, and up to five days may be necessary for a heavy scene that includes removing subfloor.
Coverage depends on the terms of your homeowners or renters policy, and a deductible may apply. Notify the insurance company, then ask if biohazard cleanup is included in your coverage.
When cleaning crime scenes, the cleaning process covers containment, affected material removal, full cleaning and disinfection, odor treatment and medical waste disposal.
Initial access and agreement on the scope require someone to be present. Once that is complete, families often leave while technicians perform the cleanup.
Crews carry out respectful, discreet crime scene cleanup, arrive in unmarked vehicles and take calls 24 hours a day.