Blood Cleanup is Better Left to the True Professionals

screenshot of local news cast that shows an upset woman with a facemask

About 20% of Americans pass away at home every year. If living alone, this is called an unattended death, an often overlooked situation that can not only impact loved ones but also those living in close proximity to the deceased. Ana Cardenas, a woman renting an apartment in El Paso found out first-hand how an unattended death can have lasting implications.

According to KTSM El Paso, “Cardenas woke up around 4 a.m. to the sound of something dripping. When she got up to see what the noise was, what she thought was rain was actually blood splattered across the walls, her bed and her body. The blood, which covered parts of her bed, walls, furniture and even her hair, was coming from her upstairs neighbor. Cardenas said it was a man who had died.”

KTSM even walked through Cardenas apartment after it was ‘disinfected’. The ceiling had been removed, but flies and a foul smell still lingered. This is a clear sign the apartment was not properly disinfected by a professional biohazard remediation company specializing in this type of loss mitigation. Cleaning companies that offer biohazard remediation in addition to other services routinely underestimate the knowledge and experience necessary to guarantee full remediation and disinfection of a property. Not to mention, they very rarely have the regulatory-required training, licensing and exposure control practices to protect themselves and others in the proper remediation, transport, storage and disposal of this federally recognized hazardous waste. 

What Should You Do in This Situation?

These are no ordinary circumstances, which is why you need to call a professional. A biohazard remediation professional that specializes in unattended death cleaning will provide you with one of their dedicated customer care advisors who will always be available to answer questions and guide you through the remediation process. A reputable biohazard remediation company should dispatch a local field team for an on-site assessment very quickly and is insured, licensed and bonded.

Professional Response to an Unattended Death is Vital

The longer a person’s remains are unattended, the further along they will be in the decomposition process. It is well known that numerous volatile gases are produced during the autolysis, bloat, active decay and skeletonization stages of the human body decomposition process. Aerosolized pathogens product by a decompositional event are not only biological hazards, but can adsorb onto and absorb into nearly any surface as they diffuse into the surround area. These decomposition byproducts are known to be harmful to humans and cause significant physical damage to the home or property. A decomposed body can impact a home’s livability in as little as a few hours in warm weather conditions. It is imperative that the scene of an unattended death be completely remediated, disinfected, deodorized and tested for confirmation of cleaning.

Not all biohazard remediation companies are created equal – many are generalists, few are true experts. When biohazards, blood, and bodily fluids are involved, you need a dependable expert to ensure proper environmental remediation and occupant protection from infectious pathogens. 

The Dangers of Blood & Bodily Fluid

Unattended deaths can be contaminated with large amounts of blood and body fluids that may contain harmful bloodborne pathogens, including common agents like HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and MRSA. This is why it is crucial for a certified professional with extensive training to complete an unattended death cleanup and disinfection. 

Science-Based Unattended Death Cleaning

Aftermath Services’ methods go beyond simply cleaning what is visually apparent – we thoroughly remediate and disinfect all  affected areas. Upon completion, we use adenosine triphosphate (ATP) testing technology to guarantee hospital-level standards of disinfection verification.

How We Can Help

Aftermath Services is the leading nationwide provider of biohazard remediation services and specializes in unattended death cleanup services to individual families, property managers, and commercial businesses. Following bioremediation work, we provide our proprietary BioWash process to ensure that all surfaces are thoroughly cleaned, disinfected and deodorized. Our experts are available 24/7 to assist you. All of our services are performed by Aftermath employees (no subcontractors), and we stand by our work with a 100% Customer Satisfaction Guarantee.

Contact us today for more information on our biohazard remediation services.

 

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