Crime Scene Cleanup
Crime scene cleaning after police release the property, from blood to odor.
See crime scene cleanupGet blood, bodily fluids, contaminated materials and odor removed after investigators release a home, rental, business or vehicle in Milwaukee County. The cleanup scope is based on where contamination traveled.
Homicide cleanup means removing blood, other bodily fluids and contaminated material from a released property after investigative work is complete. It is a specialized type of crime scene cleanup.
Cleaning the property is not part of the work performed by law enforcement or the medical examiner or coroner, whose attention is on the investigation. After scene release, the homicide cleaning service may be arranged by relatives, a property owner, a landlord or another authorized person.
This work involves more than an ordinary cleaning service. Technicians identify contamination both in and around the affected space, isolate rooms that were not affected and take out anything that cannot be disinfected. Surfaces that can remain are treated. When requested, the scope also covers insurance company records, hazardous waste packaging and disposal, and odor removal.

Photos, item lists, scope notes and disposal documents can support conversations with insurance companies and property owners.
Before any removal choice, salvageable personal property is set aside and discussed with you.
Ask which materials can be cleaned, which need removal, how waste exits the site and what the restoration stage will include.
You can request unmarked vehicles and limit entry to authorized people, which helps protect privacy during a painful event.
Homicide cleanup services are needed when a violent death leaves blood or other biological material in a home, rental, business or vehicle. Common situations include:
The landlord or an authorized property manager may schedule scene cleanup once police release the rental and essential items have been taken by the family.
Blood cleanup may cover exposed surfaces in a bedroom, hallway, living space and nearby affected areas.
The affected area can stay separate during contamination assessments of offices, warehouses, stores and common spaces.
An assessment of seats, insulation, trim and carpet identifies what may remain after cleaning and what needs removal.
Begin by honoring the investigation, limiting exposure and keeping information that may help with a claim. Take these steps before cleanup technicians are allowed to enter:
Call (888) 351-0904The available homicide cleanup cost guides list $2,500 to $9,000 for a violent crime scene. They also list $2,000 to $6,000 for a smaller scene and $3,000 to $10,000 for a larger scene. These are published planning ranges, not a quote. The final scope depends on the assessment.
These ranges come from published national cost guides, not from a site visit. An on-site assessment determines your property's price, which is explained to you before the cleanup starts.
Ask about cost: (888) 351-0904A renters, commercial or homeowners policy may cover homicide cleanup costs. The particular policy, nature of the loss and applicable deductible determine coverage.
Tell the insurer what happened after police release the scene. Find out whether the policy includes damaged building components, restoration and biohazard cleanup.
Responsibility for arranging the work and covering the cost can vary with local law, ownership, insurance terms and the lease. The tenant and landlord should contact their respective insurance companies.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice Crime Victim Compensation Program lists crime scene cleanup among covered costs, so victims of violent crime can ask about including it in a claim. Insurance is usually checked first.
Find out which waste documents, photographs, item inventories, invoices and scope records the insurance company requires. Keep copies of everything you submit.
After scene release, a controlled order guides the remediation work. Each step reflects how far contamination went, which items can remain and the waste rules that govern the material.
After the authorized person points out known affected areas, technicians examine floor edges, belongings, adjacent surfaces and potential travel routes.
The work zone is separated from clean rooms. Cleanup technicians use suitable personal protective equipment and controls that reduce tracking beyond the scene.
Visible blood and bodily fluids are collected with methods suited to each surface before detailed cleaning and disinfection begin.
Removal focuses on the smallest practical area when affected padding, upholstery, drywall, carpet or subfloor cannot be fully disinfected.
Each retained surface receives detailed scene cleaning, then an EPA-registered disinfectant stays wet for its full label contact time.
Targeted treatment and air filtration can address odors in connected spaces, room air and retained materials once the source has been removed.
Contaminated waste is sealed, labeled and moved according to applicable rules, with disposal records retained when available.
Once work is complete, retained personal property is returned as arranged, and removed finishes are documented for restoration services.
You can call anytime. A homicide cleanup specialist answers, explains the steps and agrees a start time with you.
Blood, other bodily fluids and contamination hidden from view may create serious health risks. A dry appearance or a visibly small area does not remove those concerns.
Hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV can be carried through blood. Hepatitis B can live on surfaces for at least seven days, the CDC says, which makes controls necessary even for dry blood.
Soaked porous material and used protective equipment may require regulated packaging, transport and disposal under applicable medical waste rules.
Wall cavities, subfloor, padding, grout and seams can absorb fluids. Wiping what you can see leaves contamination within material below the surface or behind it.
Can you clean it yourself? Disposable gloves may be used to clean a minor amount of fresh blood from hard non-porous material, along with an EPA-registered disinfectant left for the entire label contact time. When blood enters carpet, drywall, wood, fabric or an area without clear limits, avoid the space and get professional cleanup.
A timeline for homicide cleaning is shaped by scene access and size, the number of affected rooms, depth of contamination and amount that must be taken out. You can receive a more practical schedule once the initial assessment is complete.
| Scene | Typical time on site |
|---|---|
| Limited affected area with accessible surfaces | Work schedule established following release and assessment |
| A single room requiring removal of porous materials | May require cleaning plus a separate restoration phase |
| Several rooms or structural contamination | Usually needs a staged scope and longer restoration work |
Odor removal begins by finding and removing the source. Fragrance alone cannot correct fluids absorbed into carpet, subfloor, drywall, furniture or hidden cavities.
After contaminated material is removed, HEPA air scrubbers can filter airborne particles. Hydroxyl treatment may be used in occupied settings when equipment instructions allow it. Ozone requires strict controls and an empty treatment area. The cleaning process may also include checking vents and adjacent rooms before you move forward.
Under the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, workers are subject to requirements covering training, exposure controls and protective equipment.
The selected disinfectant should have EPA registration for its intended purpose and stay on the material for the complete labeled contact time.
Wisconsin calls it infectious waste, and items saturated with human blood or body fluids are treated as infectious. The Department of Natural Resources rules control storage, transport and treatment, so it cannot go in household trash.
Wisconsin has no state medical examiner. Each county runs death investigations through either an elected coroner or an appointed medical examiner, and some counties share one. Cleanup starts after police or the medical examiner or coroner release the scene.
The full homicide cleanup guide covers what is cleaned or removed, odor and air quality work, and the rules that apply in your state.
Read the full homicide cleanup guide
Planning for access, containment and cleanup can depend on local population, housing and entry conditions.
The approximately 2.7 mile trip to Ascension Columbia St Marys Hospital Milwaukee matters when an injury must be assessed before anyone returns to the affected space.
The surrounding area includes Schlitz Park, Haymarket, and Deer District, so cleanup travel may cross several local streets or municipal boundaries.
Neighborhood level directions help narrow the location, but crews still need entrance details before bringing containment and cleaning equipment inside.
During your call, ask whether cleanup is available in surrounding communities and ZIP codes.
Crime scene cleaning after police release the property, from blood to odor.
See crime scene cleanup
Blood cleanup clears blood from furniture, walls, hard floors and carpet, followed by safe disposal.
See blood cleanup
Trauma scene cleanup addresses the aftermath of accidents, injuries and violent incidents.
See trauma scene cleanup
Home cleaning following a death includes affected possessions as well as fluid and odor cleanup.
See death cleanup
Families are spared from facing the scene through discreet and considerate suicide cleanup.
See suicide cleanup
Cleanup when a death went unnoticed for days, with decomposition and odor control.
See unattended death cleanup
Forensic cleaning addresses investigation residue, fingerprint powder and tissue along with cleaning of blood.
See forensic cleaning
At the source, death odor removal uses air scrubbers plus hydroxyl and ozone treatment.
See death odor removalInsurance may pay some or all covered costs after the deductible, but no answer applies to every policy or every situation. Share claim facts with the insurance company, then ask how the policy addresses restoration, building materials, biohazard cleanup and emergency response work. Store copies of photographs, scope documentation, invoices and disposal papers.
You should not attempt cleanup when blood has entered furniture, drywall, carpet, fabric, wood or a concealed area. Bloodborne pathogens and hidden contamination may lead to serious health risks. Keep people and pets away, wait for scene release and arrange professional cleanup for any affected area whose full boundary is unclear.
Yes, additional hazards may be present at the property. When evidence controls no longer apply, hoarding cleanup services may begin for the property's heavy contents. Sewage cleanup may be needed after a sewage backup, and water damage may require drying. Each hazard needs a separate disposal plan, cleaning process and containment setup.
Belongings beyond the affected area may stay protected where they are or be relocated to an uncontaminated space. Each belonging inside the scene receives its own assessment. Hard, non-porous belongings may be cleanable. Before deciding, the team should speak with you about papers, photos and keepsakes, while absorbent property may have to be removed.
Cleanup technicians start by locating the affected area's boundaries before putting containment in place. Technicians use protective gear while collecting visible material and removing porous items that disinfection cannot make safe. Remaining surfaces are cleaned before an EPA-registered disinfectant is left on for its labeled contact time. They then package hazardous waste and check the completed scope.
For violent crime scene work, the published homicide cleanup cost is $2,500 to $9,000. While the smaller range is $2,000 to $6,000, costs for a larger scene are listed at $3,000 to $10,000. Scene size, depth, room count, disposal and police release affect the final scope.
Respectful, discreet homicide cleanup is available 24 hours a day, and crews arrive in unmarked vehicles.