For families
You don’t have to clean this up yourself.
When someone dies at home, or a crime happens where you live, trained people can take this off your hands. Search your city to see the verified companies who cover it.
What happens first
- Make sure everyone is safe. If anyone is hurt or in danger, call 911.
- Wait for the scene to be released. Police or the medical examiner will tell you when you can go back in. You don’t have to be the one who goes in first.
- Don’t clean it yourself, and don’t ask friends to. Blood and bodily fluids can carry disease, and household cleaners don’t make a room safe.
- Call a verified company. They’ll ask a few questions, explain the cost, and can usually come the same day.
Who pays? Many homeowner’s and renter’s policies cover this cleanup, and most companies here will bill your insurer directly. If a crime happened, your state’s victim compensation program may also help. Find your state’s program or read what cleanup costs.
What a good company will do
- Answer the phone with a real person, at any hour.
- Explain the cost before they start, and put it in writing.
- Work with your insurance company so you don’t have to.
- Arrive in unmarked vehicles if you ask, and treat your home and belongings with respect.
- Remove biohazard waste legally, and tell you when the space is safe.
Questions to ask on the first call
- How soon can you be here?
- Will you bill my insurance directly? What will I owe?
- Can you set aside photos, papers and keepsakes for me to look through?
- How will I know the space is safe when you’re done?
See all 12 questions to ask, and how insurance and cost help work.
Every company on this site was checked by a person before it got the green Verified badge. Here’s what we check.
You’re not alone. If you’re struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is free and open all day and night. Call or text 988.