Situations
Unattended death cleanup
When someone dies alone and isn't found for a while, the home needs more than ordinary cleaning. An independent company can deal with it, so the family or landlord doesn't have to.
Phone answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
First, the medical examiner
A death that wasn't expected, or where nobody saw a doctor recently, usually comes under the Whatcom County Medical Examiner. Its staff decide when your loved one can be moved and to which funeral home. Their number is 360-738-4557.
Washington law makes it an offense to move or disturb a body the medical examiner is responsible for without permission (RCW 68.50.050). Wait for the investigator to finish.
Why the cleanup goes deeper
Fluids can run under flooring and into the subfloor, and odor settles into soft furnishings, drywall and the air ducts. Covering the smell or airing the room out doesn't remove the source.
A cleanup company finds how far things have spread, removes the affected materials, disinfects what stays and treats the odor. Sometimes walls, flooring or a mattress have to go.
Turn the heat off or down and keep doors and windows closed until then, unless the company tells you otherwise.
Before you call, it helps to know
- Roughly how long it may have been before the person was found
- Which rooms were affected, and what the floors are made of
- Whether it is a house, an apartment or a manufactured home
- Who has a key, and who can say yes to the work (owner, landlord, executor)
Questions
Can I take personal belongings out first?
Once the medical examiner and police have finished, usually yes. Ask the company before you go in; it can tell you what is safe to handle and set things aside for you.
Who arranges the cleanup if the person rented?
Often the landlord, because it is their building. Family members are still welcome to call and ask. See the landlord page for how that usually works.
Other situations
- Crime scene cleanupAfter a homicide, an assault or a break-in, once police have released the home.
- Suicide cleanupQuiet, careful cleanup, so the family doesn't have to do it.
- Blood and bodily fluid cleanupInjuries, falls and illness at home, at work or in a rental.
- Hoarding cleanupHomes with animal or human waste, spoiled food or sharps under the clutter.
- Disinfection after illnessSurfaces and rooms after someone was sick or died of an illness.
- Vehicle cleanupBlood or bodily fluids in a car, truck or RV.
Whenever you are ready
There is no rush and no obligation. Call to ask questions, get a quote, or simply understand what would happen next.
Talk it through first
Call when you are ready. Say what happened, where, and whether police or the medical examiner have released the place. An independent cleanup company can then explain what it would do.
Call (360) 555-0108Phone answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Calls may be recorded. Read the referral disclosure and privacy policy.