Crime Scene Cleanup
After police release the property, crime scene cleaning addresses blood and odor.
See crime scene cleanupGet blood, bodily fluids, contaminated materials and odor removed after investigators release a home, rental, business or vehicle in Broward 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.
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.
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.

Disposal records, scope details, photos and item lists can help when you speak with insurance companies or property owners.
Personal property that may be saved is separated so you can discuss it before deciding what needs removal.
You may protect privacy by requesting unmarked vehicles and allowing only authorized people into the property during this difficult event.
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 may be necessary after a violent death affects a rental, vehicle, home or business with blood or biological material. Common circumstances include:
Once police release the unit and essential belongings are removed by the family, an authorized manager or landlord may arrange scene cleanup.
Checks of carpet, insulation, seats and trim determine which materials are cleanable and which require removal.
Surface wiping is not enough when visible blood extends under the floor or behind trim.
Blood and tissue can reach walls, ceilings, furniture, carpet and hidden joints, so the full path must be traced.
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) 351-0904Available 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. An on-site assessment determines your property's price, which is explained to you before the cleanup starts.
Ask about cost: (888) 351-0904A homeowners, renters or commercial policy may pay for homicide cleanup, but coverage depends on the policy, the loss and the deductible.
Find out which waste documents, photographs, item inventories, invoices and scope records the insurance company requires. Keep copies of everything you submit.
The lease, local law, property ownership and policy terms can affect who arranges work and who pays. Landlords and tenants should contact their insurers.
Victims of violent crime can ask the Florida Attorney General's Bureau of Victim Compensation about cleanup, since its rules count crime scene cleanup costs as a compensable loss. Insurance is usually checked first.
Once police release the property, explain the event to your insurer. Check if coverage includes restoration, biohazard cleanup and damaged structural materials.
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.
A barrier separates clean spaces from the work zone. Cleanup technicians use suitable personal protective equipment and controls that reduce tracking beyond the scene.
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 surfaces receive detailed scene cleaning, followed by an EPA-registered disinfectant kept wet for 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.
Contaminated waste is sealed, labeled and moved according to applicable rules, with disposal records retained when available.
The completed scope is reviewed, saved personal property is returned as agreed and removed finishes are listed for restoration services.
You can call anytime. A specialist in homicide cleanup takes your call, explains each step and agrees on a start time with you.
Blood, other bodily fluids and contamination hidden from view may create serious health risks. A dry appearance or a visibly small area does not remove those concerns.
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.
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.
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.
Can you clean it yourself? A small amount of fresh blood on a hard, non-porous surface may be cleaned with disposable gloves and an EPA-registered disinfectant used for its full label contact time. When blood enters carpet, drywall, wood, fabric or an area without clear limits, avoid the space and get professional cleanup.
Porous material usually comes out after it absorbs blood. Non-porous surfaces can often be kept, provided that every exposed section is accessible and can be disinfected.

Under the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, workers are subject to requirements covering training, exposure controls and protective equipment.
Use an EPA-registered disinfectant suitable for the purpose, and leave the surface wet throughout the contact time on the product label.
Florida calls it biomedical waste, and the term covers absorbent materials saturated with blood or body fluids. The Florida Department of Health's rules control packing, transport and treatment, so it cannot go in household trash.
Florida uses district medical examiners, with the Medical Examiners Commission under the Florida Department of Law Enforcement overseeing them. Cleanup starts after police or the medical examiner release the scene.
A timeline for homicide cleaning is shaped by scene access and size, the number of affected rooms, depth of contamination and amount that must be taken out. You can receive a more practical schedule once the initial assessment is complete.
The full homicide cleanup guide covers what is cleaned or removed, odor and air quality work, and the rules that apply in Florida and Broward County.
Read the full homicide cleanup guide
Local population patterns, housing and site access may affect how containment and cleanup are planned.
At roughly 1.2 miles away, Holy Cross Hospital is the closest listed hospital for urgent care after a cut, puncture, or exposure.
Riverland is near Melrose Manors, Riverside Park, and Flamingo Park, which can matter when family members are arriving from surrounding communities.
As a Fort Lauderdale neighborhood, Riverland may include several building styles, so cleanup planning should start with the exact property type.
Ask on the call about cleanup options for neighboring communities and ZIP codes.
After police release the property, crime scene cleaning addresses blood and 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
Home cleaning following a death includes affected possessions as well as fluid and odor cleanup.
See death cleanup
Careful, private suicide cleanup keeps family members from having to confront the scene.
See suicide cleanup
Cleanup after an undiscovered death includes odor control and the effects of days of decomposition.
See unattended death cleanup
Forensic cleaning of blood also covers investigation residue, tissue and fingerprint powder.
See forensic cleaning
Death odor removal at the source with air scrubbers, hydroxyl and ozone treatment.
See death odor removalYes. 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.
Once property clearance comes from law enforcement as well as the medical examiner, an authorized manager, relative, owner or landlord may organize cleanup. Homicide cleaners perform biohazard remediation, blood cleanup, disinfection, odor work and hazardous waste removal. Police investigate the scene, but they do not perform the cleaning service.
Yes, additional hazards may be present at the property. Heavy accumulations may be addressed through hoarding cleanup services once evidence restrictions have ended. Sewage cleanup can be required following a sewage backup, and drying may be needed where water damage occurred. Each hazard needs a separate disposal plan, cleaning process and containment setup.
Items outside the contaminated zone can be protected in place or moved to a clean area. Scene property is evaluated item by item. Hard, non-porous belongings may be cleanable. Absorbent items may need removal, while photos, documents and keepsakes should be discussed with you before a decision is made.
A homeowners policy may cover death cleanup or homicide scene cleanup, but the answer depends on the event, exclusions, deductible and policy language. Speak with the insurer before cleanup starts. Ask the insurer about required documentation, biohazard cleanup, damaged materials, personal property and restoration before work starts.
The process begins with cleanup technicians identifying the affected area and establishing 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. The team finishes by packaging hazardous waste and checking the completed cleanup scope.
Respectful, discreet homicide cleanup is available 24 hours a day, and crews arrive in unmarked vehicles.