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 Shelby County. The cleanup scope is based on where contamination traveled.
Homicide cleanup means removing blood, other bodily fluids and contaminated material from a released property after investigative work is complete. It is a specialized type of crime scene cleanup.
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.
This work involves more than an ordinary cleaning service. Technicians identify contamination both in and around the affected space, isolate rooms that were not affected and take out anything that cannot be disinfected. Surfaces that can remain are treated. When requested, the scope also covers insurance company records, hazardous waste packaging and disposal, and odor removal.

Photos, item lists, scope notes and disposal documents can support conversations with insurance companies and property owners.
Personal property that can be saved is separated and discussed with you before removal decisions are made.
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 bedroom, hall, living area and surrounding exposed surfaces may all require blood cleanup after the event.
Once police release the unit and essential belongings are removed by the family, an authorized manager or landlord may arrange scene cleanup.
Because blood and tissue may affect ceilings, furniture, walls, hidden joints and carpet, every travel path must be located.
The affected area can be isolated while offices, stores, warehouses or shared spaces are assessed for contamination.
Respect for the investigation comes first. You should also avoid exposure and retain details that may be useful for a claim. Before cleanup technicians enter, take these steps:
Call (888) 351-0904The published planning figures in available homicide cleanup cost guides range between $2,500 and $9,000 when the work involves a violent crime scene. A smaller scene has figures from $2,000 to $6,000 while a larger scene has figures from $3,000 to $10,000 under those guides. These amounts do not serve as a quote. The assessment shapes the final scope.
Published national cost guides are the source for these ranges, rather than an inspection of your property. After an on-site assessment, the price for your property is determined and shared with you before cleanup begins.
Ask about cost: (888) 351-0904Homicide cleanup may be paid through a renters, homeowners or commercial policy. Whether it applies depends on the specific loss, policy terms and deductible.
Check with your insurance company about its requirements for photos, inventories, work notes, bills and waste documentation. Make copies of all materials before submission.
Responsibility for arranging the work and covering the cost can vary with local law, ownership, insurance terms and the lease. Landlords and tenants should contact their insurers.
Victims of violent crime can ask the Tennessee Treasury Department's Criminal Injuries Compensation Program about crime scene cleanup, which it can help with when the crime happened in a victim's home. Insurance is usually checked first.
Tell the insurer what happened after police release the scene. Ask whether biohazard cleanup, damaged building materials and restoration are included.
After scene release, a controlled order guides the remediation work. Each step reflects how far contamination went, which items can remain and the waste rules that govern the material.
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 rely on proper personal protective equipment and containment controls to keep contamination from being tracked past the scene.
Before detailed cleaning and disinfection, visible bodily fluids and blood are gathered using a method appropriate for each surface.
If carpet, drywall, pad, subfloor or upholstery cannot be thoroughly disinfected, removal is limited to the minimum workable 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.
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.
You can call anytime. A homicide cleanup specialist answers, explains the steps and agrees a start time with you.
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.
Hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV can be carried through blood. According to the CDC, hepatitis B remains viable on surfaces for at least seven days, meaning dried blood needs careful controls.
Under applicable medical waste requirements, saturated porous items and worn protective equipment may need regulated packaging, disposal and transport.
Seams, wall voids, grout, subfloors and carpet pads may hold fluids. Material concealed behind or under a surface remains after only the visible spot is cleaned.
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.
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 |
| A single room requiring removal of porous materials | Cleaning may be completed before a separate restoration step |
| Several rooms or structural contamination | Usually needs a staged scope and longer restoration work |
Odor cannot be corrected with fragrance alone when fluids remain absorbed in drywall, hidden cavities, carpet, furniture or subfloor. The source must be located and removed first.
HEPA air scrubbers may filter particles from the air following removal of contaminated material. If equipment instructions permit, hydroxyl treatment can be suitable where a space remains occupied. Strict controls apply to ozone, and nobody may be in the treatment area. Vents and rooms next to the scene may also be checked as part of cleaning before you continue.
Under 29 CFR 1910.1030, the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard addresses worker training, protective equipment and exposure controls.
Use an EPA-registered disinfectant suitable for the purpose, and leave the surface wet throughout the contact time on the product label.
Tennessee treats soaked materials from a biohazard scene as medical waste, a type of special waste. Rules from the Department of Environment and Conservation's Division of Solid Waste Management control its treatment and disposal, so it cannot go in household trash.
Tennessee uses a mix of state and county medical examiners, with county medical examiners investigating deaths and the Office of the State Chief Medical Examiner supporting 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 Tennessee and Shelby County.
Read the full homicide cleanup guide
Containment, entry and cleanup plans can be influenced by local housing, population and access details.
The nearest listed emergency facility is Methodist Hospitals of Memphis, about 0.6 miles away, so medical care remains separate from property cleanup.
With Stonewall Place, Crosstown, and Speedway Terrace close by, accurate street and unit details help avoid confusion during a sensitive response.
A cleanup plan for this neighborhood should account for adjacent homes or units when setting odor control and containment boundaries.
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
Carpet, solid floors, walls and furnishings receive blood cleanup that includes safe disposal.
See blood cleanup
Trauma scene cleanup is needed after violent events, accidents and injuries.
See trauma scene cleanup
Cleaning a home after someone dies, including fluids, odor and affected belongings.
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
Death odor removal targets the source through ozone treatment, hydroxyl and air scrubbers.
See death odor removalFor violent crime scene work, the published homicide cleanup cost is $2,500 to $9,000. While the smaller range is $2,000 to $6,000, costs for a larger scene are listed at $3,000 to $10,000. The finished scope depends on police release, disposal needs, contamination depth, room count and scene size.
After your deductible, insurance might pay part or all of the covered expense, but the answer differs for every policy and every situation. When reporting claim details, ask the insurance company about biohazard cleanup, emergency response work, structural materials and restoration. Keep photos, scope notes, invoices and disposal records.
If blood affected wood, furnishings, fabric, drywall, carpet or somewhere hidden, the cleanup is not suitable for DIY work. Bloodborne pathogens and unseen spread can create serious health risks. Until official release, keep pets and people outside, then arrange professional cleanup if you cannot identify the affected area's complete limits.
Right. Both are forms of death cleanup and trauma scene cleanup, but the conditions can differ. A homicide scene remains under law enforcement control until release and may include evidence-processing residue. Time between death and discovery means an unattended death may involve decomposition along with more extensive odor issues.
After law enforcement and the medical examiner release the property, an authorized owner, relative, landlord or manager arranges cleanup. For biohazard remediation and blood cleanup, homicide cleaners can disinfect surfaces, treat odors and complete hazardous waste removal. Police conduct the investigation, but the cleaning service is not part of their work.
Cleanup technicians first map the affected area and set containment. 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.
Discreet, respectful homicide cleanup, 24 hours a day, with crews in unmarked vehicles.