Unattended death cleanup
Unattended death and decomposition cleanup
When someone dies alone and is not found for a while, the home needs more than ordinary cleaning. A call connects you with an independent company that does this work in Stockton.
Lines answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Why this is different from ordinary cleaning
After a death that went unnoticed for days or longer, fluids can soak through flooring and into the subfloor, and odor settles into soft materials and the air system. Surface cleaning and air fresheners do not reach it.
In San Joaquin County, deaths like this are usually looked into by the San Joaquin County Office of the Medical Examiner. The office says that an investigation does not mean a crime is suspected, and that a person who died alone is one of the reasons a body is taken for examination.
Once the medical examiner and police have finished, the home is returned to the family or the property owner.
The work
What the work usually includes
- Removing affected flooring, pad and, where needed, sections of subfloor or drywall.
- Removing and disposing of a mattress, chair or other furniture that absorbed fluids.
- Cleaning and disinfecting the remaining surfaces.
- Odor treatment, sometimes including the heating and air system.
- Packing the waste for a permitted medical waste facility.
Before you book
Questions to ask on the phone
You can ask any of these on the first call. A reputable company will answer them plainly.
- Are you registered with the California Department of Public Health as a trauma scene waste management practitioner?
- Will you give me a written price before work starts, and what could change it?
- Which materials do you expect to remove, and will you show me before you do?
- Can you work with my insurer or with a CalVCB claim by providing an itemized invoice and photos?
- How will the waste leave the home, and where does it go?
- Can I keep personal items or papers that are set aside during the work?
Questions
Unattended death: common questions
Can the smell be removed completely?
Usually, once the source materials are out and the area is treated. How long it takes depends on how long the person was undiscovered and what the room is made of. Ask the company what they expect after they see it.
What about my relative's belongings?
Tell the company what you want to keep: papers, photos, jewelry, keepsakes. Items that can be cleaned can often be set aside. Items that absorbed fluids usually cannot be saved.
The person rented. Who arranges cleanup?
It depends on the lease and the situation, and it is worth a conversation between the family and the landlord early on. See the guide for landlords.
Other situations
Other cleanup situations
- Crime Scene CleanupAfter a homicide, assault or other violent event, once police have released the scene.
- Suicide CleanupQuiet, discreet cleanup after a suicide, so family members do not have to do it.
- Blood and Bodily Fluid CleanupAfter an injury, a fall, an accident or a serious illness at home.
- Hoarding Cleanup with BiohazardsWhen a hoarded home has animal or human waste, needles or rotting food in it.
- Infectious Disease DisinfectionCleaning and disinfection after illness or contamination with infectious material.
- Vehicle Biohazard CleanupBlood or bodily fluids in a car, truck or van after an injury, death or crime.
- Needle and Sharps CleanupUsed needles found in a home, a rental unit, a yard or a business.
When you are ready
One call to a cleanup company that serves Stockton
Say what happened, where, and roughly when. The company will ask a few questions, explain what the work involves and arrange a visit if you want one.
Talk to a biohazard cleanup company
Your call is connected with an independent cleanup company that works in Stockton and San Joaquin County. You can ask questions first. There is no obligation to book.
Call (209) 555-0161Lines answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Calls may be recorded. Read the referral disclosure and the privacy policy.