Homicide Cleanup
Homicide cleanup of blood, tissue and contaminated materials after investigators leave.
See homicide cleanupGet blood, body fluids, fingerprint powder and odor removed from a home, apartment, rental or business in Jewelers Row once police release the property. Most crime scene cleanups take one to three days.
Crime scene cleanup means taking out tissue, contaminated materials, body fluids and blood following a violent crime. Often termed trauma scene cleanup or forensic cleaning, it includes odor removal and disinfection to make the property safe for use again.
It starts where the investigation ends. Police, detectives and the medical examiner collect evidence and remove the deceased, but they do not clean. The scene is released to the property owner, the family or the landlord, and the cleanup becomes their responsibility.
Crime scene cleaners, also called forensic cleaners or a forensic clean up crew, treat every drop of blood as infectious. They trace how far it traveled, remove what cannot be disinfected, clean and treat every surface, and haul the hazardous materials away under medical waste rules. It is a form of biohazard remediation, and the right team takes care of the entire process.

Daytime and nighttime calls are answered, and crews come in unmarked vehicles so the event remains discreet around neighbors.
Nothing important is thrown away without asking you, including keepsakes, documents and pictures set apart for inspection.
You can take the work scope, disposal documents and photographs to landlords or insurance companies and move forward.
The cleaning plan and pricing factors are explained in advance, helping you decide what suits your household.
A violent event may create a need for crime scene cleaning services when body fluids or blood remain. These situations commonly include:
Blood on shattered glass, broken doors and fingerprint powder may remain across the home.
Tissue and blood may affect furniture, walls and flooring across multiple rooms.
Private cleanup so family members never have to face the scene themselves.
Tear gas or pepper spray residue on walls, fabrics and HVAC ductwork after a standoff.
The first hours matter for your health, your insurance claim and the final cost. Before the cleanup technicians arrive:
Call (888) 351-0904According to published cost guides, a residential crime scene cleanup most often costs from $1,500 through $7,500. Crime scene cleanup companies commonly price the full job, not each hour. Limited surface blood may mean a lower cost, while subfloor contamination or several affected rooms can push the bill past $10,000. Final pricing follows an on-site assessment.
These ranges come from published national cost guides, not from a site visit. You learn what your property will cost after the on-site assessment and before any work begins.
Ask about cost: (888) 351-0904Coverage is available in many cases. Renters and homeowners insurance may classify crime scene cleanup as both sudden and accidental, then subtract your deductible.
The owner usually coordinates and covers crime scene cleanup costs in rentals and common areas.
Most homeowners and renters policies treat a violent crime as a covered event. Report it quickly and keep the claim number.
Victims of violent crime can ask the Illinois Attorney General's Crime Victim Services Division whether cleanup costs can be included in a compensation claim. Insurance is usually checked first.
Ask whether biohazard cleanup is covered, whether you can choose the cleanup company and what photos or records the adjuster needs.
Although no two crime scenes are alike, each remediation process uses one safe sequence. The crime scene cleanup process moves in that order from an initial walk-through through the final inspection.
Before starting, technicians join you or your representative for an inspection, take photos and confirm the planned work.
The crew wears complete personal protective equipment and seals the affected area with negative air and plastic sheeting.
Soaked carpet, pad, drywall, mattresses and furniture are cut out, bagged and sealed as medical waste.
All surfaces receive cleaning followed by an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant that stays wet for the full contact time.
Technicians inspect HVAC vents and target the odor source using ozone, hydroxyl generators or air scrubbers.
Paperwork follows each closed container through delivery to a permitted facility for medical waste.
Surfaces can be checked with ATP testing, and you get photos and records for your insurance claim.
Removed flooring and drywall can then be replaced by your contractor or your insurer's vendor.
You can call anytime. A specialist in crime scene cleanup takes your call, walks you through the process and confirms when work can start.
Serious health risks can come from blood and bodily fluids, including contamination beyond what you are able to see.
Soaked materials are regulated medical waste. They cannot go in household trash or a dumpster, and must go to an approved treatment facility.
Grout may hold blood that also seeps below trim and penetrates carpeting, pad and subfloor. Odor and bacteria may return when hidden material remains after a surface wipe.
Blood can contain HIV, hepatitis C and hepatitis B. Hepatitis B can stay infectious on surfaces for at least seven days, the CDC reports, despite blood looking dry.
When a small blood spill is safe to clean yourself. Wear gloves and apply an EPA-registered disinfectant when fresh blood is limited to a few drops on any hard, non-porous surface. Anything that reached fabric, carpet, wood or drywall, or any amount you cannot see the edges of, needs professional cleanup.
Most crime scene cleanups take one to three days on site. A small, recent scene can be finished in a day, while heavy scenes with structural removal take two to five days.
| Scene | Typical time on site |
|---|---|
| Light scene, one area | Often one to two days |
| Standard scene affecting one to two rooms | Often one to three days |
| Extensive scene requiring subfloor removal or several rooms | Often two to five days |
Removing the source is the first step in odor removal. Fragrance sprayed onto blood or tissue merely covers the odor for a few days.
The cleanup team can address the air after taking out contaminated materials. HEPA air scrubbers capture particles, while hydroxyl generators are safe to operate with people in the space. For persistent odor, ozone treatment can be used in vacant rooms. Thermal fogging reaches fabrics and cavities inside walls, and checking HVAC ducts keeps smell from traveling to other rooms.
Federal rule 29 CFR 1910.1030 establishes handling, training and protective equipment requirements where occupational blood exposure is possible.
Blood requires disinfectant registered with the EPA and applied for the entire contact time specified on its label.
Illinois treats soaked materials from a biohazard scene as potentially infectious medical waste (PIMW). Illinois EPA rules control how it is packed, transported and treated, so it cannot go in household trash.
In Cook County, the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office investigates sudden and unexplained deaths. Cleanup starts after police or the medical examiner release the scene.
Most crime scene cleanups take one to three days on site. A small, recent scene can be finished in a day, while heavy scenes with structural removal take two to five days.
The full crime scene cleanup guide covers what is cleaned or removed, odor and air quality work, and the rules that apply in your state.
Read the full crime scene cleanup guide
Local housing, population and access details can shape containment, access and cleanup planning.
Ann & Robert H Lurie Childrens Hospital Of Chicago is about 1.1 miles from Jewelers Row, which is useful to know when an exposure or injury needs medical attention.
Local records list Ann & Robert H Lurie Childrens Hospital Of Chicago nearest at 1.1 miles and also name Northwestern Memorial Hospital, giving two references after an exposure.
The location sits near The Loop, Theatre District, and Financial District, making local landmarks helpful when a property entrance is hard to find.
A neighborhood address can differ from its broader city label, making the full street and unit information important for discreet cleanup access.
Ask on the call about cleanup options for neighboring communities and ZIP codes.
Homicide cleanup of blood, tissue and contaminated materials after investigators leave.
See homicide cleanup
Private, careful suicide cleanup so families do not have to face the scene.
See suicide cleanup
Accidents, injuries and violent incidents may require trauma scene cleanup.
See trauma scene cleanup
Blood cleanup on carpet, hard floors, walls and furniture with safe disposal.
See blood cleanup
When a death remains undiscovered for days, cleanup addresses decomposition and controls odors.
See unattended death cleanup
Death odor removal at the source with air scrubbers, hydroxyl and ozone treatment.
See death odor removal
Hoarding cleanup combines respectful sorting, removal and deep cleaning.
See hoarding cleanup
Raw sewage cleanup of Category 3 black water, with disinfection and drying.
See raw sewage cleanupAbsolutely. Removing fingerprint powder and chemical residue belongs in the forensic cleaning process. Dry removal comes first, then the right cleaner for each surface so the powder does not stain.
It is called crime scene cleanup, forensic cleaning, forensic clean up, trauma cleanup or biohazard remediation. Crime scene cleaners or forensic cleaners are the terms for people who perform the work.
Police, detectives and the medical examiner collect evidence and remove the deceased, but they do not clean. The property owner, the family or the landlord arranges crime scene cleanup, usually with professional crime scene cleaners.
When cleaning crime scenes, the cleaning process covers containment, affected material removal, full cleaning and disinfection, odor treatment and medical waste disposal.
Someone needs to give access and agree the scope at the start. Once that is complete, families often leave while technicians perform the cleanup.
Indeed. Viruses including hepatitis B may remain viable for days in dry blood left on a surface. Approach dried blood just as you would fresh blood.
Respectful, discreet crime scene cleanup is available 24 hours a day, and crews arrive in unmarked vehicles.