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 Forest Acres once police release the property. Most crime scene cleanups take one to three days.
Crime scene cleanup, also called forensic cleaning or trauma scene cleanup, is the removal of blood, body fluids, tissue and contaminated materials after a violent crime, then disinfection and odor removal so the property is safe to use again.
Cleanup begins only after the investigation is finished. Evidence is gathered and the deceased is removed by police, detectives and the medical examiner, none of whom clean the property. Once released, the scene becomes the responsibility of its owner, landlord or the family.
A forensic clean up crew, forensic cleaners and crime scene cleaners all treat blood as infectious, down to every drop. The team tracks its spread and removes materials that disinfection cannot save. All surfaces are treated and cleaned, while hazardous items are taken away in line with medical waste rules. This end-to-end process is a form of biohazard remediation.

Documentation for landlords and insurance companies includes pictures, the project scope and waste records to help you move forward.
Your documents, photographs and keepsakes are separated for you to check, and nothing is discarded without your permission.
You hear the cleanup steps and what affects the price before any work starts, so you can make the right decision for your family.
You can call during the day or overnight, and unmarked vehicles help keep the situation private from neighbors.
You may need crime scene cleaning services whenever blood or body fluids remain after a violent event. Typical situations include:
A standoff may leave tear gas or pepper spray deposits across ductwork, textiles and wall surfaces.
A private service means your family does not need to confront the scene.
Work areas remain isolated while commercial crime scene cleanup takes place in stores, warehouses and offices.
Broken glass with blood, damaged doors and fingerprint powder throughout the home.
What you do during the first hours matters to your insurance claim, health and total cost. Take these steps before technicians arrive:
Call (888) 351-0904Published cost guides put most residential crime scene cleanups between $1,500 and $7,500. Most crime scene cleanup companies price by the job, not the hour. A small area of surface blood can cost less, and scenes where blood reached the subfloor or several rooms can pass $10,000. The final price is set after the on-site assessment.
Published national cost guides are the source for these ranges, rather than an inspection of your property. After an on-site assessment, the price for your property is determined and shared with you before cleanup begins.
Ask about cost: (888) 351-0904Check the homeowners or renters policy that applies to the property. It may include crime scene cleanup when an event is classified as accidental and sudden, and you may owe a deductible.
Property owners typically pay for and organize crime scene cleanup in shared areas and rental homes.
Victims of violent crime can ask the Tennessee Treasury Department's Criminal Injuries Compensation Program about crime scene cleanup, which it can help with when the crime happened in a victim's home. Insurance is usually checked first.
Find out whether your policy covers biohazard cleanup, whether a cleanup company is your choice, and which records or images the adjuster requires.
Your homeowners or renters policy terms determine coverage following a violent crime. Report the event quickly and keep the claim number.
A safe, consistent order guides the remediation process, even though every crime scene differs. From the opening walk-through until final inspection, the crime scene cleanup process follows that sequence.
You or your representative walks through the area with technicians, who document it in photos and settle the scope before cleaning begins.
The crew wears complete personal protective equipment and seals the affected area with negative air and plastic sheeting.
Crews cut away soaked mattresses, furniture, carpet, pad and drywall, then bag and seal them as medical waste.
All surfaces receive cleaning followed by an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant applied for the full contact time.
Technicians inspect HVAC vents and target the odor source using ozone, hydroxyl generators or air scrubbers.
Sealed containers go to a permitted medical waste facility with the paperwork that tracks them.
Surfaces can be checked with ATP testing, and you get photos and records for your insurance claim.
A contractor you choose or your insurer's vendor can replace any drywall and floors removed during cleaning.
Phone any hour. Your crime scene cleanup specialist answers the phone, describes what happens next and works with you on a start time.
Blood and bodily fluids may pose serious health risks. Visible contamination is usually only part of what is present.
Materials that are saturated become regulated medical waste. They must be taken to an authorized treatment site instead of a dumpster or household garbage.
Grout may hold blood that also seeps below trim and penetrates carpeting, pad and subfloor. Surface cleaning leaves it there, where odor and bacteria come back.
Cleaning the place where a loved one was hurt is a heavy burden. For that reason alone, many households turn to professional crime scene cleaners.
Can you clean it yourself? Wear gloves and apply an EPA-registered disinfectant when fresh blood is limited to a few drops on any hard, non-porous surface. If blood touches fabric, wood, carpet or drywall, or spreads beyond visible edges, you need 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 |
| Major scene with multiple rooms or removed subfloor | Often two to five days |
Odor removal starts with removing the source. Spraying fragrance over blood or tissue only hides the smell for a few days.
Once contaminated materials have been removed, HEPA air scrubbers can capture particles. The cleanup team may run hydroxyl generators safely with people present, or use ozone in empty rooms when odor persists. Thermal fogging can enter wall cavities and fabrics, while checks of HVAC ductwork help keep the smell from moving into other rooms.
Federal rule 29 CFR 1910.1030 establishes handling, training and protective equipment requirements where occupational blood exposure is possible.
Choose a disinfectant with EPA registration for blood cleanup, then keep it in place throughout the label's stated contact period.
Tennessee treats soaked materials from a biohazard scene as medical waste, a type of special waste. Rules from the Department of Environment and Conservation's Division of Solid Waste Management control its treatment and disposal, so it cannot go in household trash.
Tennessee uses a mix of state and county medical examiners, with county medical examiners investigating deaths and the Office of the State Chief Medical Examiner supporting them. Cleanup starts after police or the medical examiner release the scene.
The full crime scene cleanup guide covers what is cleaned or removed, odor and air quality work, and the rules that apply in Davidson County and Tennessee.
Read the full crime scene cleanup guide
Containment, entry and cleanup plans can be influenced by local housing, population and access details.
A listed distance of 2.9 miles to Tristar Southern Hills Medical Center gives a practical medical reference when someone has contacted blood or waste.
The surrounding area includes Bridle Downs, Highlands of Brentwood, and Hunters Branch, so cleanup travel may cross several local streets or municipal boundaries.
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
Families are spared from facing the scene through discreet and considerate suicide cleanup.
See suicide cleanup
Trauma scene cleanup after accidents, injuries and violent events.
See trauma scene cleanup
Carpet, solid floors, walls and furnishings receive blood cleanup that includes safe disposal.
See blood cleanup
When a death remains undiscovered for days, cleanup addresses decomposition and controls odors.
See unattended death cleanup
Air scrubbers, hydroxyl and ozone treatment support death odor removal at its source.
See death odor removal
Hoarding cleanup with respectful sorting, removal and deep cleaning.
See hoarding cleanup
Sewage cleanup removes Category 3 black water from raw sewage, then disinfects and dries the area.
See raw sewage cleanupInitial access and agreement on the scope require someone to be present. Once that is complete, families often leave while technicians perform the cleanup.
No. Law enforcement returns control of the scene after gathering the evidence. The person who controls the property or its owner is responsible for arranging cleanup.
On-site work lasts one to three days for most scenes. A minor scene may need a day, while an extensive job involving subfloor removal may require up to five days.
The medical examiner, detectives and police gather evidence and take the deceased away, but cleanup is not their role. A landlord, property owner or family typically arranges crime scene cleanup with professional crime scene cleaners.
Your homeowners or renters policy terms determine coverage, and you may have a deductible. Notify the insurance company, then ask if biohazard cleanup is included in your coverage.
When cleaning crime scenes, the cleaning process covers containment, affected material removal, full cleaning and disinfection, odor treatment and medical waste disposal.
Crews carry out respectful, discreet crime scene cleanup, arrive in unmarked vehicles and take calls 24 hours a day.