December 5, 2024

After a violent crime, a suicide, or a terrible accident, the victim’s family often has to clean up. In the past, they needed a bucket, a mop, and bleach to do it. But it is best to let professionals clean up a place where there may be biohazards because they have the right tools, skills, and training.

A Step-By-Step Guide for Cleaning up a Crime Scene

Cleaning up a crime scene is a highly specialized and potentially dangerous job that someone can only do with the proper training and skills for comprehensive property damage in Spokane. When cleaning up a crime scene, it is vital to ensure that the people doing the cleaning and anyone who might come into contact with the area in the future is safe.

If you must do it, here are some steps:

  1. Wear personal protective equipment (PPE), gloves, goggles, and respirators, if necessary.
  2. Check the area for dangers or biohazardous materials like blood, bodily fluids, or tissue.
  3. If there are any sharp objects, put them in a sharps container.
  4. Take out any biohazardous items, like blood-soaked fabrics or tissues, and put them in bags marked “biohazard.”
  5. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and use an EPA-registered cleaning solution that kills bloodborne pathogens to clean surfaces and equipment.
  6. Let the cleaning solution sit on the surface for as long as the manufacturer says to ensure it works.
  7. Rinse the spot with water and pat it dry with clean towels.
  8. Follow all local, state, and federal rules to eliminate biohazardous waste.
  9. Use hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid to clean all equipment, PPE, and surfaces that may have come in contact with biohazardous materials.
  10. Carefully remove PPE and throw it away in the right places.
  11. Wash your hands carefully using soap and water. 

How to Use Cleansing Solutions Correctly

You should use cleaning solutions to clean up a crime scene, especially to clean and disinfect areas with biohazardous materials like blood, body fluids, and tissue. The EPA and work should approve these solutions against pathogens that you can spread through blood.

Follow the directions on the bottle and let the cleaning solution sit on the spot for the time suggested. This ensures complete disinfection. When cleaning solutions are mixed, they can make toxic fumes and other dangerous chemicals.

How to Get Rid of Biohazardous Waste in a Safe Way

Local, state, and federal laws say how to eliminate biohazardous waste like blood-soaked materials, bodily fluids, and tissues. This includes putting the waste in the proper containers, labeling them, and transporting them to a licensed and authorized company that handles medical waste.

The contents of biohazardous waste bags should be marked with a color code and a label. Also, before throwing away any equipment or surfaces that may have come into contact with biohazardous materials, it is essential to clean them properly. Follow this link for more details.

Why Is Thorough Decontamination Necessary?

It is essential to do a thorough decontamination to ensure that all biohazardous materials have been adequately cleaned and disinfected and that there is no risk of exposure to infectious agents. This means that surfaces, equipment, and personal protective equipment (PPE) used in the cleanup process must be cleaned and disinfected correctly. 

Also, it is important to set up a decontamination area and follow the proper steps for removing contaminated clothing and PPE and getting rid of it. Thorough decontamination lowers the chance of infection and ensures that crime scene cleaners and other people who may come into contact with the area are safe. Following best practices and guidelines is essential to ensure a crime scene cleanup is done safely and well. 

If you are looking for trauma cleanup, it is crucial to communicate with the company to ensure they understand your needs and expectations. This way, you can be sure the job will be done to your satisfaction and with minimal stress.

Conclusion

It is essential to know that cleaning up a crime scene with biohazardous materials can be dangerous and emotionally upsetting. Because of this, it is best to leave the cleaning up to professionals with the proper training, skills, and tools to handle the situation safely and effectively.

If you try to clean up a crime scene without the right training and tools, you could spread contamination and put your health at risk. With professionals’ help, we can ensure that cleaning up biohazardous materials is safe and effective by following best practices and guidelines for crime scene cleanup.