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 Orleans Parish. 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.
The cleanup process goes beyond ordinary cleaning services. Cleanup technicians locate contamination in the affected area and surrounding areas, protect unaffected rooms, remove materials that cannot be disinfected and treat cleanable surfaces. The work also includes hazardous waste packaging, waste disposal, odor removal and records for an insurance company when requested.

Your questions can cover items marked for removal, surfaces to be cleaned, plans for taking waste away and remaining restoration needs.
When discussing the loss with property owners and insurance companies, you can use photos, inventories, scope notes and disposal paperwork.
During a painful event, privacy can be supported when you limit entry to approved people and ask that crews arrive in unmarked vehicles.
You are consulted about recoverable personal property after it is isolated and before a removal decision occurs.
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:
An assessment of seats, insulation, trim and carpet identifies what may remain after cleaning and what needs removal.
Because blood and tissue may affect ceilings, furniture, walls, hidden joints and carpet, every travel path must be located.
Surface wiping is not enough when visible blood extends under the floor or behind trim.
The affected area can stay separate during contamination assessments of offices, warehouses, stores and common spaces.
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) 351-0904According to available homicide cleanup cost guides, planning for a violent crime scene uses a published range from $2,500 to $9,000 as guidance. For smaller scenes, they list $2,000 to $6,000 as a planning range, while larger scenes use $3,000 to $10,000 in the same guides. This is not a quote. The assessment sets the final scope.
These national ranges are taken from published cost guides, rather than a property visit. You learn what your property will cost after the on-site assessment and before any work begins.
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.
Local requirements, property ownership, lease conditions and policy language can determine who pays and arranges cleanup. Landlords and tenants should contact their insurers.
Check with your insurance company about its requirements for photos, inventories, work notes, bills and waste documentation. Make copies of all materials before submission.
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.
Report what occurred to the insurance company after police clear the scene. Find out whether the policy includes damaged building components, restoration and biohazard cleanup.
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.
Technicians check contents, nearby surfaces, possible travel paths and flooring edges after an authorized person identifies the affected areas already known.
A barrier separates clean spaces from the work zone. Suitable personal protective equipment and controls help cleanup technicians limit the movement of contamination outside the scene.
Collection of visible blood and bodily fluids comes first, using surface-specific methods before the area is carefully cleaned and disinfected.
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.
Applicable rules guide the sealing, labeling and movement of contaminated waste, while available disposal documentation is kept.
A final check covers finished work, the agreed return of saved personal property and a list of 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 may remain in bodily fluids, blood and contaminated material out of sight. Those risks can still be present if the visible spot appears dry or limited.
Applicable medical waste rules may require regulated disposal, transportation and packaging for used protective equipment and saturated porous materials.
Seeing the affected space can cause loved ones deep distress. With professional cleanup, your family can avoid touching personal property or entering the affected area.
Seams, wall voids, grout, subfloors and carpet pads may hold fluids. A surface mark may be cleaned while affected material underneath or behind it goes untreated.
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.
Whether an item absorbed blood helps determine what remains. Porous material usually requires removal, while non-porous surfaces may stay when all exposed parts are reachable for disinfection.

The time required for homicide cleaning depends on how large the scene is, how deep contamination went, how many rooms are involved, available access and how much material needs removal. A useful schedule can be discussed following the initial assessment.
| Scene | Typical time on site |
|---|---|
| A small affected area on reachable surfaces | Schedule set after inspection and scene release |
| Porous material removal within one room | May involve cleanup followed by restoration as another phase |
| Several rooms or structural contamination | Usually needs a staged scope and longer restoration work |
Finding the odor source and taking it out is the first step. Fragrance does not fix fluids that have soaked into furniture, carpet, drywall, subfloor or concealed cavities.
HEPA air scrubbers may filter particles from the air following removal of contaminated material. If equipment instructions permit, hydroxyl treatment can be suitable where a space remains occupied. Strict controls apply to ozone, and nobody may be in the treatment area. Vents and rooms next to the scene may also be checked as part of cleaning before you continue.
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
Local population patterns, housing and site access may affect how containment and cleanup are planned.
Gentilly Terrace is listed about 2.9 miles from Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, a relevant distance when prompt evaluation follows a biohazard exposure.
Gentilly, Gentilly Woods, and Milneburg are nearby, which helps define practical routes for crews, equipment, and sealed waste containers.
As a New Orleans neighborhood, Gentilly Terrace may include several building styles, so cleanup planning should start with the exact property type.
Ask on the call about cleanup options for neighboring 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
After a person dies at home, cleanup addresses fluids, odors and belongings that were affected.
See death cleanup
Suicide cleanup is completed privately and with care, protecting families from seeing the scene.
See suicide cleanup
Cleanup after an undiscovered death includes odor control and the effects of days of decomposition.
See unattended death cleanup
Forensic cleaning of blood, tissue, fingerprint powder and investigation residue.
See forensic cleaning
Death odor removal at the source with air scrubbers, hydroxyl and ozone treatment.
See death odor removalCleaning it yourself is inappropriate if blood reached an unseen space or absorbent materials such as carpet, drywall, furniture, fabric or wood. Bloodborne pathogens and hidden contamination may lead to serious health risks. Until official release, keep pets and people outside, then arrange professional cleanup if you cannot identify the affected area's complete limits.
A homeowners policy might pay for homicide scene cleanup or death cleanup, but coverage varies according to policy language, exclusions, the event and the deductible. Contact the insurer before work begins. Ask about biohazard cleanup, damaged materials, personal property, restoration and the exact documents needed before work begins.
Right. Different property conditions can be present in each, although both qualify as death cleanup and trauma scene cleanup. A homicide scene remains under law enforcement control until release and may include evidence-processing residue. An unattended death often involves decomposition and wider odor concerns because time passed before the person was found.
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. A sewage backup may make sewage cleanup necessary, while resulting water damage might also need drying. Each hazard needs a separate disposal plan, cleaning process and containment setup.
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. The team finishes by packaging hazardous waste and checking the completed cleanup scope.
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. Cleaning may work for hard, non-porous items. Absorbent items may require removal, but decisions about keepsakes, records and photographs should first be reviewed with you.
Respectful, discreet homicide cleanup is available 24 hours a day, and crews arrive in unmarked vehicles.