Crime Scene Cleanup
Crime scene cleaning begins after police release and covers blood, odor and the affected property.
See crime scene cleanupGet blood, bodily fluids, contaminated materials and odor removed after investigators release a home, rental, business or vehicle in Duval 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.
The investigation is the responsibility of law enforcement and the medical examiner, not property cleaning. A relative, landlord, owner or other person with authorization can arrange homicide cleaning once officials have released the scene.
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.

You may protect privacy by requesting unmarked vehicles and allowing only authorized people into the property during this difficult event.
Before any removal choice, salvageable personal property is set aside and discussed with you.
You can ask what will be cleaned, what must be removed, how waste will leave the property and what remains for restoration.
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:
Tracing the entire path is necessary when tissue and blood can reach carpet, walls, furnishings, ceilings or concealed joints.
After the family retrieves essential belongings and police release the unit, the landlord or authorized property manager may organize scene cleanup.
Checks of carpet, insulation, seats and trim determine which materials are cleanable and which require removal.
The affected area can be isolated while offices, stores, warehouses or shared spaces are assessed for contamination.
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) 440-9227Available 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.
The figures shown are national ranges from published cost guides and are not based on an on-site visit. After an on-site assessment, the price for your property is determined and shared with you before cleanup begins.
Ask about cost: (888) 440-9227Insurance may pay toward homicide cleanup through a commercial, homeowners or renters policy. Coverage is determined by the loss, the policy and its deductible.
Responsibility for arranging the work and covering the cost can vary with local law, ownership, insurance terms and the lease. Landlords and tenants should each speak with an insurer.
Tell the insurer what happened after police release the scene. Find out whether the policy includes damaged building components, restoration and biohazard cleanup.
Check with your insurance company about its requirements for photos, inventories, work notes, bills and waste documentation. Keep copies of everything you submit.
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.
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.
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.
Visible blood and bodily fluids are collected with methods suited to each surface before detailed cleaning and disinfection begin.
Removal focuses on the smallest practical area when affected padding, upholstery, drywall, carpet or subfloor cannot be fully disinfected.
Each retained surface receives detailed scene cleaning, then an EPA-registered disinfectant stays wet for its full 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.
Waste containing contamination is labeled, sealed and transported under relevant rules, and disposal records are saved when available.
Once work is complete, retained personal property is returned as arranged, and removed finishes are documented for restoration services.
Phone any hour. Your homicide cleanup specialist answers the phone, describes what happens next and works with you on a start time.
Blood, bodily fluids and hidden contaminated materials can present serious health risks, even when the visible area looks small or dry.
For family and loved ones, the scene may be very distressing. Direct contact with the affected room and personal property can be avoided by family members through professional cleanup.
Fluids may travel into carpet padding, joints, grout, walls and the subfloor. Cleaning the visible mark does not address material below or behind the surface.
Blood can carry hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. Dried blood must still be controlled carefully because the CDC says hepatitis B survives on surfaces for at least seven days.
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. When blood enters carpet, drywall, wood, fabric or an area without clear limits, avoid the space and get professional cleanup.
Homicide cleaning has no set schedule. Scene size, access, contamination depth, room count and the volume of material requiring removal all affect timing. The initial assessment allows for a more useful timeline.
| Scene | Typical time on site |
|---|---|
| A small affected area on reachable surfaces | Schedule set after inspection and scene release |
| Porous material removal within one room | May involve cleanup followed by restoration as another phase |
| Several rooms or structural contamination | Often involves a phased cleanup scope and extended restoration |
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.
Once contaminated materials are gone, airborne particles can be filtered with HEPA air scrubbers. Hydroxyl treatment is an option for occupied spaces when permitted by equipment instructions. Ozone treatment needs an empty area and strict controls. Before you proceed, the cleaning process may also involve inspecting neighboring rooms and vents.
The OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, establishes requirements for worker protective equipment, training and controls for exposure.
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.
The full homicide cleanup guide covers what is cleaned or removed, odor and air quality work, and the rules that apply in Florida and Duval County.
Read the full homicide cleanup guide
Local housing, population and access details can shape containment, access and cleanup planning.
For an injury during discovery, Shands Jacksonville is the nearest listed hospital at approximately 2.7 miles away.
Harborview, Magnolia Gardens, and Sherwood Forest are nearby, which helps define practical routes for crews, equipment, and sealed waste containers.
As a Jacksonville neighborhood, Carver Manor may include several building styles, so cleanup planning should start with the exact property type.
You can ask about cleanup in nearby communities and ZIP codes during the call.
Crime scene cleaning begins after police release and covers blood, odor and the affected property.
See crime scene cleanup
Walls, carpets, furnishings and hard floors receive blood cleanup, with safe disposal afterward.
See blood cleanup
Trauma scene cleanup addresses the aftermath of accidents, injuries and violent incidents.
See trauma scene cleanup
Home cleaning following a death includes affected possessions as well as fluid and odor cleanup.
See death cleanup
Suicide cleanup is completed privately and with care, protecting families from seeing the scene.
See suicide cleanup
Cleanup when a death went unnoticed for days, with decomposition and odor control.
See unattended death cleanup
Forensic cleaning addresses investigation residue, fingerprint powder and tissue along with cleaning of blood.
See forensic cleaning
Death odor removal at the source with air scrubbers, hydroxyl and ozone treatment.
See death odor removalInsurance may pay some or all covered costs after the deductible, but no answer applies to every policy or 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. Contamination that is not visible, along with bloodborne pathogens, can present serious health risks. Keep people and pets out while awaiting scene release, then arrange professional cleanup when any affected area has uncertain edges.
A homeowners policy may cover death cleanup or homicide scene cleanup, but the answer depends on the event, exclusions, deductible and policy language. Notify the insurer prior to the start of work. Before work starts, find out which documents are required and ask about biohazard cleanup, personal property, restoration and damaged materials.
Professional homicide cleaners clean a murder scene after investigators give permission to enter. Containment, detailed surface cleaning, removal of absorbed fluid, disinfection, waste disposal and odor removal may be part of the job. A family member should not enter or clean an area that still contains blood or bodily fluids.
Cleanup technicians first map the affected area and set 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.
Right. The conditions can vary between them. Trauma scene cleanup and death cleanup are categories that apply to each. A homicide scene remains under law enforcement control until release and may include evidence-processing residue. Because the person was not found immediately, an unattended death commonly brings decomposition and odor concerns across a larger area.
Respectful, discreet homicide cleanup is available 24 hours a day, and crews arrive in unmarked vehicles.