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 Baltimore City. The cleanup scope is based on where contamination traveled.
Homicide cleanup is specialized crime scene work performed after investigators complete their duties and release the property. It removes bodily fluids, blood and other contaminated materials.
Cleaning the property is not part of the work performed by law enforcement or the medical examiner, whose attention is on the investigation. After scene release, the homicide cleaning service may be arranged by relatives, a property owner, a landlord or another authorized person.
This work involves more than an ordinary cleaning service. Technicians identify contamination both in and around the affected space, isolate rooms that were not affected and take out anything that cannot be disinfected. Surfaces that can remain are treated. When requested, the scope also covers insurance company records, hazardous waste packaging and disposal, and odor removal.

Before any removal choice, salvageable personal property is set aside and discussed with you.
Your discussions with insurance companies and property owners may be supported by photographs, item inventories, work notes and waste documentation.
You may protect privacy by requesting unmarked vehicles and allowing only authorized people into the property during this difficult event.
You can request details about cleaning, necessary removals, waste movement off the property and the work left for restoration.
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.
Surface wiping is not enough when visible blood extends under the floor or behind trim.
Once police release the unit and essential belongings are removed by the family, an authorized manager or landlord may arrange scene cleanup.
Blood and tissue can reach walls, ceilings, furniture, carpet and hidden joints, so the full path must be traced.
Your first steps are to respect the investigation, avoid exposure and preserve useful claim information. Before cleanup technicians enter:
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. After an on-site assessment, the price for your property is determined and shared with you before cleanup begins.
Ask about cost: (888) 351-0904Homicide cleanup may be paid through a renters, homeowners or commercial policy. Whether it applies depends on the specific loss, policy terms and deductible.
Local requirements, property ownership, lease conditions and policy language can determine who pays and arranges cleanup. The tenant and landlord should contact their respective insurance companies.
The Maryland Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, part of the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention and Policy, lists crime scene cleanup among eligible expenses for crime victims. Insurance is usually checked first.
Report what occurred to the insurance company after police clear the scene. Find out whether the policy includes damaged building components, restoration and biohazard cleanup.
Ask the insurance company which photos, item lists, scope notes, invoices and waste records it needs. Keep copies of everything you submit.
Remediation proceeds in a controlled sequence once the scene is released. The path of contamination, the materials that are still safe to save and applicable waste rules guide each step.
Technicians check contents, nearby surfaces, possible travel paths and flooring edges after an authorized person identifies the affected areas already known.
The work zone is separated from clean rooms. Cleanup technicians rely on proper personal protective equipment and containment controls to keep contamination from being tracked past the scene.
Visible blood and bodily fluids are collected with methods suited to each surface before detailed cleaning and disinfection begin.
If carpet, drywall, pad, subfloor or upholstery cannot be thoroughly disinfected, removal is limited to the minimum workable area.
Each retained surface receives detailed scene cleaning, then an EPA-registered disinfectant stays wet for its full label contact time.
Once the source is gone, air filtration and targeted treatment can address odor in room air, remaining materials and connected spaces.
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.
You can call anytime. You speak with a homicide cleanup specialist who outlines the process and schedules a start time with you.
Blood, bodily fluids and hidden contaminated materials can present serious health risks, even when the visible area looks small or dry.
Fluids can enter seams, grout, carpet pad, subfloor and wall cavities. A surface mark may be cleaned while affected material underneath or behind it goes untreated.
For family and loved ones, the scene may be very distressing. Professional cleanup lets family members avoid direct contact with the affected space and personal property.
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? 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. Seek professional cleanup and keep away whenever blood reaches fabric, carpet, drywall, wood or a location with unknown edges.
Non-porous surfaces can often remain when every exposed area is accessible and disinfectable. Porous material that absorbed blood usually needs removal.

The OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, sets worker requirements for exposure controls, training 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.
Maryland calls this special medical waste, which can include blood-soiled articles. Maryland Department of the Environment rules control how it is handled, transported and treated, so it cannot go in household trash.
Maryland uses a statewide system run by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, part of the Maryland Department of Health, which investigates sudden, violent or suspicious deaths. 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 your state.
Read the full homicide cleanup guide
Planning for access, containment and cleanup can depend on local population, housing and entry conditions.
Burleith-Leighton is listed about 2.0 miles from Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, a relevant distance when prompt evaluation follows a biohazard exposure.
With Liberty Square, Panway/Braddish Avenue, and Hanlon-Longwood close by, accurate street and unit details help avoid confusion during a sensitive response.
Neighborhood level directions help narrow the location, but crews still need entrance details before bringing containment and cleaning equipment inside.
Ask on the call about cleanup options for neighboring communities and ZIP codes.
After the property is released by police, crime scene cleaning removes blood and controls odor.
See crime scene cleanup
Walls, carpets, furnishings and hard floors receive blood cleanup, with safe disposal afterward.
See blood cleanup
Trauma scene cleanup after accidents, injuries and violent events.
See trauma scene cleanup
After a person dies at home, cleanup addresses fluids, odors and belongings that were affected.
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 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 removalA homeowners policy might pay for homicide scene cleanup or death cleanup, but coverage varies according to policy language, exclusions, the event and the deductible. 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.
If blood affected wood, furnishings, fabric, drywall, carpet or somewhere hidden, the cleanup is not suitable for DIY work. Bloodborne pathogens and hidden contamination may lead to serious health risks. Keep people and pets away, wait for scene release and arrange professional cleanup for any affected area whose full boundary is unclear.
Once investigators approve entry, professional homicide cleaners can begin cleaning the murder scene. Their work can include containment, removal of absorbed fluids, detailed cleaning, disinfection, odor removal and waste disposal. Any family member should stay outside and avoid cleaning a space where blood or other bodily fluids remain.
The published homicide cleanup cost for a violent crime scene ranges from $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. Police release status, scene dimensions, depth of contamination, number of rooms and disposal requirements all affect the scope.
Cleanup technicians start by locating the affected area's boundaries before putting containment in place. After putting on protective gear, technicians collect material they can see. They remove porous items beyond disinfection, clean surfaces left in place and follow the label contact time when using a disinfectant registered by the EPA. They then package hazardous waste and check the completed scope.
Yes. Different property conditions can be present in each, although both qualify as death cleanup and trauma scene cleanup. Law enforcement retains control of the homicide location before release, and the property may have residue left by evidence work. An unattended death often involves decomposition and wider odor concerns because time passed before the person was found.
You can request respectful, discreet homicide cleanup 24 hours a day, and crews use unmarked vehicles.