After an injury or illness at home
Blood and bodily fluid cleanup
A bad fall, a deep cut or a sudden illness can leave more blood than a household can safely clean. A biohazard cleanup company removes it, disinfects the area and disposes of the waste properly.
Reachable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Why it matters
Blood can carry infection
Hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV can be carried in blood (OSHA).
Disinfectant needs time
The EPA says a surface has to stay visibly wet for the product's full contact time, which can mean applying it more than once. A quick wipe is not enough.
Soft materials hold it
Carpet pad, upholstery and mattresses absorb fluids. They often have to be removed rather than cleaned.
Signs it is too much to clean yourself
- The blood has soaked into carpet, a mattress or a couch.
- It has dried, or has run under baseboards or into gaps in the floor.
- There is a lot of it, or it is in more than one room.
- You are not sure whose blood it is or whether they had an infection.
Ask about the disinfectant
A good question for any company: which product do you use, and what is its contact time? The answer tells you whether surfaces will be left wet long enough to work.
Questions people ask
Can I clean a small amount of blood myself?
A small spot on a hard surface usually can be, with gloves and a disinfectant used as its label directs. Call a company when it has soaked into something or covers a larger area.
What if the blood is in a rented apartment?
Tell the landlord or manager. The owner usually decides who does the work and who pays for it.
Other situations
- Crime scene cleanupAfter a homicide, an assault or another violent crime, once police hand the home back.Read more
- Unattended death cleanupWhen a person died alone and days passed before anyone knew.Read more
- Suicide cleanupQuiet, careful cleanup so the family does not have to face the room.Read more
Call whenever you feel ready
You do not need to know the right words or have a plan. Say what happened, where it is, and whether the police or the medical examiner have finished. The company takes it from there, and the decision to hire stays with you.
Speak with a cleanup company
An independent company that works around Knoxville answers. Tell them what happened and where, then ask how they would handle it and how they price the job. The choice to go ahead is yours alone.
Call (865) 276-0393Reachable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Calls may be recorded; see the referral disclosure and privacy policy for details.