Crime Scene Cleanup
After police release the property, crime scene cleaning addresses blood and odor.
See crime scene cleanupGet blood, bodily fluids, contaminated materials and odor removed after investigators release a home, rental, business or vehicle in Orleans Parish. The cleanup scope is based on where contamination traveled.
Homicide cleanup is a specialized form of crime scene cleanup that removes blood, bodily fluids and other contaminated materials after investigators finish their work and release the property.
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.

Your discussions with insurance companies and property owners may be supported by photographs, item inventories, work notes and waste documentation.
Your questions can cover items marked for removal, surfaces to be cleaned, plans for taking waste away and remaining restoration needs.
During a painful event, privacy can be supported when you limit entry to approved people and ask that crews arrive in unmarked vehicles.
Personal property that may be saved is separated so you can discuss it before deciding what needs removal.
A homicide cleaning service is needed if a violent death leaves biological material or blood in a vehicle, business, rental or home. Situations that commonly require this work 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.
The affected area can be isolated while offices, stores, warehouses or shared spaces are assessed for contamination.
A living space, bedroom, hallway and adjacent surfaces may each require blood cleanup after the event.
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.
Published national cost guides are the source for these ranges, rather than an inspection of your property. You learn what your property will cost after the on-site assessment and before any work begins.
Ask about cost: (888) 351-0904Homicide cleanup may be paid through a renters, homeowners or commercial policy. Whether it applies depends on the specific loss, policy terms and deductible.
After the scene is released by police, inform the insurer about the loss. Find out whether the policy includes damaged building components, restoration and biohazard cleanup.
Victims of violent crime can ask the Louisiana Crime Victims Reparations Board, supported by the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, about crime scene cleanup. The program lists it among eligible expenses. Insurance is usually checked first.
The lease, local law, property ownership and policy terms can affect who arranges work and who pays. Tenants and landlords should each contact the appropriate insurer.
Find out which waste documents, photographs, item inventories, invoices and scope records the insurance company requires. Make copies of all materials before submission.
Remediation proceeds in a controlled sequence once the scene is released. The path of contamination, the materials that are still safe to save and applicable waste rules guide each step.
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. To reduce tracking into other areas, cleanup technicians wear appropriate personal protective equipment and follow work-zone controls.
Before detailed cleaning and disinfection, visible bodily fluids and blood are gathered using a method appropriate for each surface.
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.
After contaminated waste is sealed and labeled, it is moved in accordance with applicable requirements and available disposal records are retained.
The closing assessment examines completed work, returns salvageable personal property according to the agreement and records removed finishes for restoration services.
Call any hour. A specialist in homicide cleanup takes your call, explains each step and agrees on a start time with you.
Serious health risks can come from blood, bodily fluids and contamination you cannot see. The concern remains even if visible signs seem dry or limited.
The scene can be deeply distressing for loved ones. Professional cleanup lets family members avoid direct contact with the affected space and personal property.
Blood may contain HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Dried blood must still be controlled carefully because the CDC says hepatitis B survives on surfaces for at least seven days.
Applicable medical waste rules may require regulated disposal, transportation and packaging for used protective equipment and saturated porous materials.
Can you clean it yourself? A small amount of fresh blood on a hard, non-porous surface may be cleaned with disposable gloves and an EPA-registered disinfectant used for its full label contact time. Stay out and seek professional cleanup if blood affected drywall, fabric, wood, carpet or any space whose boundaries are uncertain.
Non-porous surfaces can often remain when every exposed area is accessible and disinfectable. Porous material that absorbed blood usually needs removal.

The schedule depends on scene size, the depth of contamination, the number of rooms, scene access and the amount of material that must be removed. You can get a more useful timeline after the initial assessment.
| Scene | Typical time on site |
|---|---|
| A small affected area on reachable surfaces | Inspection and official scene release determine the schedule |
| One room with porous material removal | Could need a distinct restoration stage after cleaning |
| Several rooms or structural contamination | A staged plan and more extensive restoration work are usually necessary |
Source removal comes before other odor work. Adding fragrance cannot resolve odor from fluid absorbed by subfloor, furniture, concealed cavities, drywall or carpet.
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.
The full homicide cleanup guide covers what is cleaned or removed, odor and air quality work, and the rules that apply in Louisiana and Orleans Parish.
Read the full homicide cleanup guide
Planning for access, containment and cleanup can depend on local population, housing and entry conditions.
A listed distance of 1.3 miles to New Orleans East Hospital gives a practical medical reference when someone has contacted blood or waste.
Barrington Park is near Little Woods, New Orleans East, and Read Blvd East, which can matter when family members are arriving from surrounding communities.
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.
After police release the property, crime scene cleaning addresses blood and odor.
See crime scene cleanup
Carpet, solid floors, walls and furnishings receive blood cleanup that includes safe disposal.
See blood cleanup
Trauma scene cleanup after accidents, injuries and violent events.
See trauma scene cleanup
Cleaning a home after someone dies, including fluids, odor and affected belongings.
See death cleanup
Families are spared from facing the scene through discreet and considerate suicide cleanup.
See suicide cleanup
Decomposition cleanup and odor control are needed after a death goes unnoticed for several days.
See unattended death cleanup
Forensic cleaning of blood, tissue, fingerprint powder and investigation residue.
See forensic cleaning
At the source, death odor removal uses air scrubbers plus hydroxyl and ozone treatment.
See death odor removalUnaffected items can remain under protection or be moved away from the contaminated zone to a clean location. Every object within the scene is reviewed separately. Belongings with hard, non-porous surfaces might be cleaned. Absorbent items may need removal, while photos, documents and keepsakes should be discussed with you before a decision is made.
Cleanup technicians start by locating the affected area's boundaries before putting containment in place. Technicians wearing protective gear collect visible material, remove porous items that cannot be disinfected, clean remaining surfaces and apply an EPA-registered disinfectant for its label contact time. Next, technicians package the hazardous waste and inspect all completed work.
Yes, separate hazards may exist at the same property. After evidence limits are lifted, hoarding cleanup services can address the large volume of contents. After a sewage backup, sewage cleanup may be necessary along with drying for areas affected by water damage. Containment, disposal and the cleaning process must each be planned for the specific hazard.
Whether homeowners coverage applies to homicide scene cleanup depends on what happened, the policy wording, its deductible and any exclusions. The same is true for death cleanup. Before work starts, contact the insurance company. Ask about biohazard cleanup, damaged materials, personal property, restoration and the exact documents needed before work begins.
DIY cleaning is not appropriate when blood reached carpet, wood, fabric, drywall, furniture or a hidden space. Contamination that is not visible, along with bloodborne pathogens, can present serious health risks. Prevent access by people and animals, wait until release, and use professional cleanup wherever the full boundary of an affected area cannot be determined.
Professional homicide cleaners clean a murder scene after investigators give permission to enter. The work may include waste disposal, containment, odor removal, disinfection, careful cleaning and taking out absorbed fluids. Any family member should stay outside and avoid cleaning a space where blood or other bodily fluids remain.
Crews carry out respectful, discreet homicide cleanup, arrive in unmarked vehicles and take calls 24 hours a day.