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What is a Crime Cleanup Service?

Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

A crime cleanup service is a business charged with erasing the blood, debris, and other waste that is left behind when someone dies as the result of a crime, such as a shooting, stabbing, or even a hit and run. Once the police have gathered the evidence they need, it is the crime clean up service's job to step in and clean the home, business, or site. Typically, a crime cleanup service is also used to clean up natural death scenes and suicides. For example, this type of service may be used after someone dies of natural causes, but isn't discovered quickly, beginning to decompose and leave behind a scene that may be too much for his family and loved ones to handle, both physically and emotionally.

A large part of what a crime cleanup service does is handle blood and other types of hazardous waste. Those who work in this field must be well trained in the safe removal of blood products that may contain pathogens, such as HIV and hepatitis. Blood-borne pathogens pose a serious health risk to humans and must be handled carefully to prevent exposure. If a family member or loved one was left to tackle this type of job, he would probably have great difficulty keeping himself safe and ensuring that the property was properly disinfected. Instead, many people choose to seek the help of a crime cleanup service.

A crime scene is cleaned by a business that specalizes in removing debris such as blood.
A crime scene is cleaned by a business that specalizes in removing debris such as blood.

A crime cleanup service is not at all like a traditional house cleaning or janitorial service. It won't clean the bathroom or vacuum carpets that are not affected by the crime or death. Instead, this type of service sticks to erasing the physical and visual effects of the crime, cleaning and decontaminating the floors, walls, furniture and anything else that has been affected. It may also air out a property and deodorize each affected room, removing and disposing of any gore that might be left behind.

A crime cleanup service cleans blood, debris, and waste from a crime scene.
A crime cleanup service cleans blood, debris, and waste from a crime scene.

Besides crime and death scenes, crime cleanup services may also clean up after sites of vandalism and trauma. They are often called on to clean police cruisers, jail cells, and illegal drug labs that have been shut down. They may also clean up after automobile accidents and industrial mishaps. Some of these services even help landlords by cleaning up after tenants who have left rental properties in ill repair. A crime cleanup service can even be instrumental in clearing animal waste from buildings and getting rid of unpleasant pet odors.

Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a WiseGEEK writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.

Learn more...
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a WiseGEEK writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.

Learn more...

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    • A crime scene is cleaned by a business that specalizes in removing debris such as blood.
      By: Loren Rodgers
      A crime scene is cleaned by a business that specalizes in removing debris such as blood.
    • A crime cleanup service cleans blood, debris, and waste from a crime scene.
      By: djtaylor
      A crime cleanup service cleans blood, debris, and waste from a crime scene.
    • Crime cleanup services are often called on to clean jail cells.
      By: Tracy King
      Crime cleanup services are often called on to clean jail cells.
    • Crime cleanup services are often called upon to clean police cruisers.
      By: mario beauregard
      Crime cleanup services are often called upon to clean police cruisers.