Homes in Knoxville and nearby towns
Disinfection after a serious illness
After a serious infectious illness in the home, some families want rooms, bathrooms and surfaces disinfected before others move back in. A biohazard cleanup company can do that with registered products used properly.
Reachable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
How disinfection actually works
Clean first
Dirt and fluids shield germs. Surfaces are cleaned before they are disinfected.
Use a registered product
The EPA registers disinfectants and lists which ones work against which germs.
Leave it wet
Every product has a contact time. The surface has to stay visibly wet for all of it.
Questions to ask
- Which product will you use, and is it registered for the germ involved?
- What is its contact time, and how do you make sure surfaces stay wet that long?
- What happens to bedding, mattresses and soft furnishings?
- When is it safe for children and pets to come back in?
Follow your doctor or the health department first
If a doctor or the health department has given you instructions for the illness, follow those. Share them with the company so its plan matches.
Questions people ask
Is a cleanup company's disinfection better than doing it myself?
The products may be similar. The difference is the protective gear, the method, and the removal of materials that cannot be disinfected.
Can they disinfect a car as well?
Ask when you call. Many companies that do homes also do vehicles.
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.