Crime Scene Cleanup
Crime scene cleaning after police release the property, from blood to odor.
See crime scene cleanupGet blood, bodily fluids, contaminated materials and odor removed after investigators release a home, rental, business or vehicle in Denver 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.
Law enforcement and the medical examiner or coroner focus on the investigation. They do not clean the property. Once the scene is released, property owners, relatives, landlords or other authorized people arrange the homicide cleaning service.
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.

You are consulted about recoverable personal property after it is isolated and before a removal decision occurs.
You can request details about cleaning, necessary removals, waste movement off the property and the work left for restoration.
During a painful event, privacy can be supported when you limit entry to approved people and ask that crews arrive in unmarked vehicles.
Your discussions with insurance companies and property owners may be supported by photographs, item inventories, work notes and waste documentation.
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:
A living space, bedroom, hallway and adjacent surfaces may each require blood cleanup after the event.
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.
Blood that appears on the surface may travel behind trim or below flooring, leaving a wipe incomplete.
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) 440-9227Published figures for a violent crime scene start with a typical $2,500 to $9,000 per job. Smaller homicide scenes sit at $2,000 to $6,000 while larger scenes reach $3,000 to $10,000 in the same guides. Think of these as planning ranges, not a price quote. Your final scope is set after the 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) 440-9227Insurance may pay toward homicide cleanup through a commercial, homeowners or renters policy. Coverage is determined by the loss, the policy and its deductible.
Tell the insurer what happened after police release the scene. Ask whether biohazard cleanup, damaged building materials and restoration are included.
The lease, local law, property ownership and policy terms can affect who arranges work and who pays. Landlords and tenants should contact their insurers.
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 their judicial district's Crime Victim Compensation program whether cleanup costs can be included in a compensation claim, since several district programs list crime scene cleanup. Insurance is usually checked first.
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.
Known affected areas are identified by the authorized person, then technicians assess surrounding surfaces, contents, floor borders and possible routes of spread.
A barrier separates clean spaces from the work zone. To reduce tracking into other areas, cleanup technicians wear appropriate personal protective equipment and follow work-zone controls.
Before detailed cleaning and disinfection, visible bodily fluids and blood are gathered using a method appropriate for each surface.
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.
With the source removed, remaining materials, adjoining areas and the room air may receive air filtration and targeted odor treatment.
Contaminated waste is sealed, labeled and moved according to applicable rules, with disposal records retained when available.
A final check covers finished work, the agreed return of saved personal property and a list of removed finishes for restoration services.
Call at any time. 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.
Applicable medical waste rules may require regulated disposal, transportation and packaging for used protective equipment and saturated porous materials.
Fluids can enter seams, grout, carpet pad, subfloor and wall cavities. Material concealed behind or under a surface remains after only the visible spot is cleaned.
Hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV can be carried through blood. Hepatitis B can live on surfaces for at least seven days, the CDC says, which makes controls necessary even for dry blood.
Can you clean it yourself? Disposable gloves may be used to clean a minor amount of fresh blood from hard non-porous material, along with an EPA-registered disinfectant left for the entire label contact time. If blood reached carpet, wood, fabric, drywall or an area with unclear edges, keep away and seek professional cleanup.
Non-porous surfaces can often remain when every exposed area is accessible and disinfectable. Porous material that absorbed blood usually needs removal.

Under the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, workers are subject to requirements covering training, exposure controls and protective equipment.
For its stated use, the disinfectant should be EPA-registered and allowed to remain on the surface for every minute required by the label.
Colorado treats waste that can cause infectious disease, including human blood and body fluids, as infectious waste. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's medical waste rules apply to its handling, so it should not go in household trash.
Colorado has no statewide medical examiner. Death investigation is county-based, led mostly by elected county coroners, with a few counties using a medical examiner or coroner. Cleanup starts after police or the coroner release the scene.
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.
The full homicide cleanup guide covers what is cleaned or removed, odor and air quality work, and the rules that apply in Colorado and Denver County.
Read the full homicide cleanup guide
Local population patterns, housing and site access may affect how containment and cleanup are planned.
Knowing that HCA Healthone Presbyterian St. Luke's is about 0.4 miles away helps households plan where to seek care before arranging scene cleanup.
Because Capitol Hill, City Park West, and Alamo Placita are nearby, parking and equipment staging are easiest to plan once the exact entrance is known.
In Cheesman Park, identifying the correct building entrance can reduce unnecessary movement through shared spaces during a sensitive cleanup.
During your call, ask whether cleanup is available in surrounding communities and ZIP codes.
Crime scene cleaning after police release the property, from blood to odor.
See crime scene cleanup
Carpet, solid floors, walls and furnishings receive blood cleanup that includes safe disposal.
See blood cleanup
Trauma scene cleanup after accidents, injuries and violent events.
See trauma scene cleanup
Cleaning a home after someone dies, including fluids, odor and affected belongings.
See death cleanup
Families are spared from facing the scene through discreet and considerate suicide cleanup.
See suicide cleanup
When a death remains undiscovered for days, cleanup addresses decomposition and controls odors.
See unattended death cleanup
Forensic cleaning of blood, tissue, fingerprint powder and investigation residue.
See forensic cleaning
Death odor removal targets the source through ozone treatment, hydroxyl and air scrubbers.
See death odor removalBoth 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 examine the scene, but completing the cleaning service is not their responsibility.
After your deductible, insurance might pay part or all of the covered expense, but the answer differs for every policy and every situation. Give claim information to the insurance company and ask whether emergency response work, affected building materials, biohazard cleanup and restoration are covered. Retain all photos, work notes, bills and waste records.
A homeowners policy may cover death cleanup or homicide scene cleanup, but the answer depends on the event, exclusions, deductible and policy language. Before work starts, contact the insurance company. Ask about biohazard cleanup, damaged materials, personal property, restoration and the exact documents needed before work begins.
The process begins with cleanup technicians identifying the affected area and establishing containment. Technicians wearing protective gear collect visible material, remove porous items that cannot be disinfected, clean remaining surfaces and apply an EPA-registered disinfectant for its label contact time. They then package hazardous waste and check the completed scope.
A typical violent crime scene cleanup is listed in published guides at $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. Police release status, scene dimensions, depth of contamination, number of rooms and disposal requirements all affect the scope.
DIY cleaning is not appropriate when blood reached carpet, wood, fabric, drywall, furniture or a hidden space. Contamination that is not visible, along with bloodborne pathogens, can present 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.
You can request respectful, discreet homicide cleanup 24 hours a day, and crews use unmarked vehicles.