After Death Cleaning Services
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After a death in the family, the last thing that you want to do is tend to the aftermath. Not only is this a gruesome task that puts the individuals cleaning through long-lasting psychological pressure, but it poses a significant health risk to take care of the cleanup without the proper sanitization.
With after death cleaning services – also known as biohazard cleanup – you don’t have to worry about the logistics anymore. In this complete guide, you’ll learn everything there is to know about after death cleaning services, including what these specialists handle and how much it costs.
What is After Death Cleaning Services?
After death cleaning services goes by many names. Whether you call it bioremediation, biohazard cleanup, or after-death cleaning services, it’s important to understand what exactly goes on behind the biohazard tape.
After death cleaning services include complete remediation of the affected rooms after a loved one has passed away. No matter the state of the body or how they were found, these professionals are licensed and trained to handle the scene with care. Not only will they be respectful of the surroundings and sensitive about the situation, but they will ensure that the space is safe for those remaining to visit again.
No matter how short or long of a time it has been since the body was found, decomposition sets in quickly. For the safety of everyone involved, every room and every item in those rooms must be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized to prevent any infectious diseases or health hazards from bacteria.
First Steps after Finding Someone who Died?
Whether you are a family member, a friend, or a bystander, there’s a lot of mistakes that you can unknowingly make when you find a body, and in the critical hours afterwards. First and foremost, it’s important to recognize your emotional state. Most bodies are found either early in the morning or late at night, and combining the shock of the event with a lack of sleep or a lack of food can make the situation worse.
The best and first thing that you should do when finding a dead body is to leave the premises immediately. Not only will this help you psychologically, but it gives you physical space to prevent you from touching anything, breathing potentially infectious air, and allows you to gather your bearings.
Next, you should call the police to file a report of the discovery and provide information about what happened and how you found them. After that, you should start looking for after death cleaning services.
What Not to Do After an Unattended Death
Out of the many mistakes that family members or loved ones can make after discovering a death, many of these have been discovered over time based on what people have done. Some people jump straight into logistics. Others start cleaning up the body immediately on finding them.
Don’t try to clean up the scene yourself – Household cleaners, even undiluted, can’t clean the odors and bacteria that come with death. You should never try to clean the scene up yourself, as this can expose you to dangerous bacteria and fluids that can pose significant health risks. Furthermore, it will exacerbate the mental and emotional toll it takes on you, as the imagery will stick with you for years, even if you are feeling numb from shock in the moment.
Don’t rely on your insurance for all the answers – Insurance companies might not have all the answers, but they’re most likely the first ones you’ll talk to outside of the police who filed the report. It’s best to talk to an experienced lawyer to help you navigate the legal steps for declaring the death, but only after you’ve had some time to grieve.
Don’t avoid talking about the loss – It’s easy to clam up and hide away from the world when you are grieving. (1) A lot of families or friend groups drift apart after the loss of someone close to them, and that can weigh heavily on the psyche. To cope with that, it’s important to build your social group and talk about it in productive ways. Try a mediator or a counselor if your family struggles to talk about it together. Grief is a powerful force.
“Grief is something that’s not just experienced emotionally, but also physically.” – Forbes
Don’t jump right into the logistics – As a surviving family member or friend, it can be tempting to distract yourself with the logistics and work required to declare the death, particularly if you are responsible for them as part of a legal arrangement such as a will or marriage.
It can feel like one last thing to help them with. The best thing that you can do is start talking to an emotional counselor for your own psychological health, as well as speaking with an experienced lawyer about how you should handle the situation.
Hazards of Cleaning an Unattended Death Yourself
Furthermore, there is always the psychological toll of cleaning up a dead body. While everyone thinks they can handle the sight of a dead body, it’s different when you’re up close and personal, especially if it is someone you knew. These can cause lifelong emotional and mental scars that are difficult to work through.
The best course of action is to call an after death cleaning service. Not only are these professionals trained and licensed to completely clean and sanitize the space with the right equipment and cleaning, but they are experienced with handling the bodies while remaining sensitive and respectful to the situation.
Understanding the Biohazard Clean Up Process
Learning what happens after finding a body is not something anyone should have to prepare for, but there are a million questions that go through your mind when you’re faced with the situation.
Below are the answers to several questions that commonly come up. If you have additional questions, it’s best to consult with the right professional.
For grief, you should consult with a counselor; for legal questions, it’s best to consult with a lawyer. For additional information or questions related to the cleanup process or safety around the situation, you should ask your after death cleaning service.
Who Pays for Blood Cleanup After a Death?
“OVC administers two Victims of Crime Act formula grant programs that support crime victim compensation and assistance” – Department of Justice
There are several ways to reach out for support in your time of need, which is why it is so important to talk about it.
How Much Does Biohazard Cleanup Cost After a Death?
The exact costs depend on the type of death, the location of the death, and the municipality it occurred in. These costs may range from a per-project basis to a per-hour basis. Most often, per-project costs are anywhere from $5,000 up, while per-hour costs can range anywhere from $200 and up.
The best way to get a quote for your particular case is to call after death cleaning services in your region and request a site assessment. Once they assess the site, you’ll receive a quote for the services based on what they expect to spend. Like other types of contractor work, however, hidden problems may require a new quote to address if the problem is severe enough to warrant additional work.
What To Do after Death Cleaning Services leave
Once you’ve received clearance from the police, death cleaning services will usually begin. Once they have cleared the scene as safe to enter again, it can be difficult to look at the space the same way.
You may notice that the space feels different, or smells different. While there should be little to no lingering odor of the death, the chemicals used in sanitizing the space will likely remove any of the familiar smells.
Common tasks you will need to attend to:
- Ensure there are no visible traces of the death remaining
- Gather any important documents in the space that you may need for the deceased individual
- Open the windows wherever possible for fresh air exchange
- Change the locks, if necessary for protecting a vacant house
- Call the cleaning service back if the odors from the incident linger for longer than 2-3 weeks
Understanding the Cost of Cleaning Up a Death Scene
A lot of people will balk at the cost of a biohazard cleaning service when they first receive their quote. It’s difficult to deal with unexpected costs, especially when they are as high as these projects tend to be.
Unfortunately, these costs are justified in the amount of skill, cleaning materials, and labor that goes into proper sanitization and cleaning of the space to ensure it is safe for entry again.
The costs can easily be inflated if the body was found unattended after several days or weeks because of the amount of work it requires to clean up the excessive volume of fluids, bacteria, and potential pathogens that that level of decomposition has.
What Happens to a Body if Left Unattended?
A body that is left unattended is called an unattended death. These are much more difficult to clean as decomposition sets in quickly. As a rule of thumb, the longer the body is left unattended, the worse the decomposition is.
The environment can also have a significant effect on the rate that a body decomposes, leading to the spread and saturation of the biohazard into the space. Humidity and heat are the two primary factors that can affect the rate of decay.
The more humid and hot the space is, the faster decomposition sets in and progresses. While less humidity won’t necessarily slow down the decomposition significantly, it can change how it progresses, leading to desiccation, or drying of the remains. The colder the environment is, decomposition can be significantly slowed or even halted depending on the temperatures.
Hiring the Right Cleanup Team
You should always ask these four questions:
- What services do you offer, and what is your standard rate?
- Is your team fully insured with the required training?
- What does your process look like?
- What happens after cleanup services are complete?
In addition to asking questions, you can also read their reviews online and request more information from different companies. Remember, the least expensive isn’t always the right one to go for; you need it to be done well the first time around. That means a comprehensive service with everything included, with a team that appears professional and sensitive to the situation is best.
Remember, it’s not just about the body. It’s also about you, your family, and your mental health. While the death cleanup service isn’t a replacement for a counselor, they should still be sensitive to your needs and questions during these difficult times. Click here to Learn More about Professional Death Cleanup services.
References:
1. Forbes, Losing a Parent Expert Tips for Coping with Grief, https://forbes.com/health/mind/losing-a-parent/
2. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime, About OVC Funding, https://ovc.ojp.gov/funding
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