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 Cabell County. The cleanup scope is based on where contamination traveled.
Homicide cleanup is crime scene cleanup focused on the removal of contaminated materials, blood and bodily fluids. The specialized work starts only when investigators are finished and the property has been released.
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.
Ordinary cleaning services do not cover the full process. Cleanup technicians protect rooms outside the scene while locating affected material in the immediate space and nearby areas. They treat surfaces that are cleanable and remove those materials where disinfection is not possible. Odor treatment, the packaging and disposal of hazardous waste, and requested records for an insurance company are also included.

When discussing the loss with property owners and insurance companies, you can use photos, inventories, scope notes and disposal paperwork.
You may protect privacy by requesting unmarked vehicles and allowing only authorized people into the property during this difficult event.
Ask which materials can be cleaned, which need removal, how waste exits the site and what the restoration stage will include.
Personal property that may be saved is separated so you can discuss it before deciding what needs removal.
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:
While stores, offices, shared spaces or warehouses are checked for contamination, the affected area can remain isolated.
Visible blood may continue beneath flooring or behind trim, which makes surface wiping incomplete.
An assessment of seats, insulation, trim and carpet identifies what may remain after cleaning and what needs removal.
A landlord or authorized property manager may arrange scene cleanup after police release the unit and the family removes essential belongings.
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) 440-9227Available homicide cleanup cost guides put violent crime scenes in the $2,500 to $9,000 range. They place smaller scenes in a range from $2,000 to $6,000 and larger scenes between $3,000 and $10,000 based on their published figures. These are planning ranges rather than a quote. An assessment determines the final scope.
These national ranges are taken from published cost guides, rather than a property visit. After an on-site assessment, the price for your property is determined and shared with you before cleanup begins.
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 West Virginia Crime Victims Compensation Fund whether cleanup costs can be included in a compensation claim. Insurance is usually checked first.
Who organizes and pays for the work may depend on ownership, the lease, applicable local law and insurance terms. Landlords and tenants should each speak with an insurer.
Tell the insurer what happened after police release the scene. Ask whether biohazard cleanup, damaged building materials and restoration are included.
Ask the insurance company which photos, item lists, scope notes, invoices and waste records it needs. Save a copy of every submitted document.
The remediation process follows a controlled order after scene release. Every step is based on where contamination traveled, which materials can be saved and what waste rules apply.
After the authorized person points out known affected areas, technicians examine floor edges, belongings, adjacent surfaces and potential travel routes.
The work zone is separated from clean rooms. To reduce tracking into other areas, cleanup technicians wear appropriate personal protective equipment and follow work-zone controls.
Surface-specific methods collect bodily fluids and blood that are visible before detailed cleaning and disinfection.
The smallest practical sections of upholstery, subfloor, carpet, padding or drywall are removed when complete disinfection is not possible.
After thorough scene cleaning, an EPA-registered disinfectant remains wet on each cleanable surface for the contact time stated on its label.
After source removal, filtered air and focused treatments can reduce odor affecting indoor air, materials that remain and adjoining areas.
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.
Call any hour. A homicide cleanup specialist answers, explains the steps and agrees 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.
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.
Soaked porous material and used protective equipment may require regulated packaging, transport and disposal under applicable medical waste rules.
Fluids can enter seams, grout, carpet pad, subfloor and wall cavities. Cleaning the visible mark does not address material below or behind the surface.
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 | Inspection and official scene release determine the schedule |
| One room with porous material removal | May involve cleanup followed by restoration as another phase |
| Several rooms or structural contamination | Typically requires work in stages followed by a longer restoration |
Source removal comes before other odor work. Adding fragrance cannot resolve odor from fluid absorbed by subfloor, furniture, concealed cavities, drywall or carpet.
After affected material has been removed, HEPA air scrubbers may be used to capture airborne particles. In an occupied setting, hydroxyl treatment may be appropriate if allowed by the equipment instructions. Ozone can only be used under strict controls with the treatment space empty. Cleaning may also include an inspection of adjacent rooms and vents before you move ahead.
Under the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, workers are subject to requirements covering training, exposure controls and protective equipment.
The selected disinfectant should have EPA registration for its intended purpose and stay on the material for the complete labeled contact time.
West Virginia classes waste capable of causing infectious disease as infectious medical waste. The state Department of Health's Office of Environmental Health Services oversees how it is packed, transported and treated, so it cannot go in household trash.
West Virginia runs a statewide system. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner oversees death investigations in every county, working with county medical examiners. 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 your state.
Read the full homicide cleanup guide
Local housing, population and access details can shape containment, access and cleanup planning.
Knowing that Cabell Huntington Hospital is about 0.9 miles away helps households plan where to seek care before arranging scene cleanup.
With Enslow Park Place, Whitaker Terrace, and Southside close by, accurate street and unit details help avoid confusion during a sensitive response.
Properties within this Huntington neighborhood may share alleys, entries, or parking, so equipment movement should be planned around nearby residents.
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
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
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
Cleanup when a death went unnoticed for days, with decomposition and odor control.
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 removalProperty outside the contaminated space can either be covered in place or transferred into a clean room. Every object within the scene is reviewed separately. Hard, non-porous belongings may be cleanable. Absorbent items may require removal, but decisions about keepsakes, records and photographs should first be reviewed with you.
Yes, separate hazards may exist at the same property. After evidence limits are lifted, hoarding cleanup services can address the large volume of contents. Sewage cleanup may be needed after a sewage backup, and water damage may require drying. Containment, disposal and the cleaning process must each be planned for the specific hazard.
Once investigators approve entry, professional homicide cleaners can begin cleaning the murder scene. Containment, detailed surface cleaning, removal of absorbed fluid, disinfection, waste disposal and odor removal may be part of the job. Any family member should stay outside and avoid cleaning a space where blood or other bodily fluids remain.
For violent crime scene work, the published homicide cleanup cost is $2,500 to $9,000. Published figures put a smaller scene between $2,000 and $6,000, while the larger range runs from $3,000 to $10,000. Scene size, depth, room count, disposal and police release affect the final scope.
Cleaning it yourself is inappropriate if blood reached an unseen space or absorbent materials such as carpet, drywall, furniture, fabric or wood. Serious health risks can result from contamination you cannot see and bloodborne pathogens. Until official release, keep pets and people outside, then arrange professional cleanup if you cannot identify the affected area's complete limits.
Yes. Each falls under death cleanup and trauma scene cleanup, yet the conditions may not be the same. Law enforcement retains control of the homicide location before release, and the property may have residue left by evidence work. Decomposition and broader odor problems are often present after an unattended death because some time elapsed before discovery.
Crews carry out respectful, discreet homicide cleanup, arrive in unmarked vehicles and take calls 24 hours a day.