If someone needs help right now
If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 any time to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Cleanup can wait until you’re safe and the right people have been called. When you’re ready, so are we.
Who cleans up after a death in a home in Knoxville?
Police, the medical examiner and funeral homes take care of the person. Cleaning the home afterward usually falls to the family, the property owner or a landlord. Most people don’t know that until they’re standing in the doorway.
That’s the part we do. Family, landlords, property managers and estate executors call us, and we take it from there.
What kinds of situations we clean up after
- An unattended death, where someone passed away and wasn’t found right away
- A suicide or other death at home
- An injury or accident that left blood in the home or garage
- A serious illness that left a room contaminated
- Other situations involving blood or bodily fluids
If you’re not sure whether your situation is something we handle, call or text and describe it in whatever words you have. You won’t shock us, and you won’t be judged.
Why you shouldn’t clean blood or bodily fluids yourself
Beyond how hard it is emotionally, blood and bodily fluids can carry germs, and they soak into carpet, pad, subfloor and furniture further than they appear on the surface. Household cleaners and a mop don’t reach what’s underneath, and the odor often returns later.
We wear protective gear, remove what’s affected and disinfect the area so it’s safe for your family again.
What gets removed and what gets disinfected
Every situation is different, but the work follows the same idea: remove what can’t be safely cleaned, then clean and disinfect what stays.
- Usually removed: soaked carpet and pad, bedding and soft furniture that absorbed fluids, and sections of drywall or subfloor when fluids reached them
- Cleaned and disinfected: hard floors, walls, fixtures, cabinets and other surfaces
- Odor: treated after the source is gone, not covered up
Before anything leaves the home, we’ll ask you about personal items. Photos, papers, jewelry and keepsakes are set aside for you, not thrown out.
What happens when you call us
You’ll reach a person, any hour. We’ll ask a few simple questions: where the home is, roughly which rooms are affected, whether the police or medical examiner have released the home, and how you’d like us to get in. You don’t need exact details, and you can stop and call back whenever you need to.
From there we set a time to look at the space, explain what we’ll do in plain language and give you a written estimate. Nothing starts until you say so.
You don’t need to be there
Many families would rather not be in the home while we work, and that’s completely fine. We can get access through a family member, a landlord or a lockbox, keep you updated by phone or text, and let you know when it’s done.
If you do want to be there, we’ll go at your pace and answer your questions.
Privacy and discretion
We keep it quiet. We don’t talk to neighbors about why we’re there, we don’t post about these jobs, and we don’t share details with anyone you haven’t asked us to. If there’s anything else you’d like us to keep in mind, tell us when you call.
Does homeowners insurance cover trauma cleanup?
Sometimes. Some homeowners and renters policies include this kind of cleanup and some don’t, so check your policy or call your insurance company. We work with your adjuster and document everything: photos, notes, and a record of what was removed and why. See insurance help for more.
We don’t give prices over the phone for this work. We look at the space and give you a written estimate before we start.