Trauma & Crime Scene Cleanup

What happens during trauma and crime scene cleanup?

Trauma and crime scene cleanup begins after police or investigators release the property. A trained crew removes blood-soaked porous materials, cleans and disinfects hard surfaces with EPA-registered products, treats odor, and packages contaminated waste for lawful disposal. The industry reference is the ANSI/IICRC S540 standard, which assumes the scene has already been released by law enforcement.

When can cleanup start after police leave?

Not until the scene is officially released. The ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup (second edition, 2023) states that it assumes all scenes have been released by law enforcement or regulatory agencies. Until then, investigators may still need to document or collect evidence, and nothing should be moved or wiped down.

Once police hand the property back, arranging the cleanup typically falls to the property owner, a family member, a landlord or the building manager. If you're unsure whether the scene is released, ask the investigating officer before anyone goes in.

Who calls whom

A typical sequence: police or the coroner's office finish their work and release the space; the owner or family calls a cleanup company and their insurer; the cleanup crew documents conditions for the claim. If a death was involved, the steps with the coroner are covered on our unattended death cleanup page.

Why porous materials usually go

Blood moves quickly into carpet pad, upholstery, mattresses and the paper face of drywall. OSHA treats items caked with dried blood that could still release it as regulated waste, so these materials are usually cut out and bagged rather than scrubbed.

What does the cleanup actually involve?

The work separates what can be safely cleaned from what has to be removed. Hard, non-porous surfaces such as sealed tile, metal and glass can usually be decontaminated. Absorbent materials that hold blood below the surface usually cannot.

Disinfection is a two-part job: clean first, then disinfect. The EPA's guide to EPA-registered disinfectants explains that a product only works if the surface stays visibly wet for its full contact time. That is why a quick wipe with a household spray falls short. S540 also calls for confirmation of cleaning before a space is handed back.

1. Walk-through and scope. The crew identifies every affected surface, including splatter on ceilings, inside vents and under furniture, and photographs conditions for the insurer.
2. Containment. The work area is sealed off and a clean route is set up so contamination isn't carried into the rest of the home or building.
3. Removal of porous materials. Carpet, pad, upholstery and affected drywall are cut out and placed in closable, leak-resistant, labeled containers.
4. Clean, then disinfect. Remaining hard surfaces are cleaned of visible residue, then treated with an EPA-registered disinfectant for the full label contact time.
5. Odor treatment. Residual odor is addressed at its source; subfloors or framing may be sealed after treatment.
6. Confirmation and handback. The area is checked against the cleanup plan before rebuilding or reoccupancy.

Homes, apartments, offices and vehicles

S540 covers structural, contents and vehicle remediation. In multi-unit buildings, property managers also need to protect shared hallways and neighboring units, so containment and a planned waste route matter as much as the cleaning itself.

What should property managers and business owners plan for?

A commercial scene adds people who aren't directly involved: tenants, employees, customers and vendors. Plan who may enter the area, how long it will stay closed, and how the waste will leave the building without passing through busy spaces. Keep a written record of what was removed and where it went.

If employees could be exposed to blood during or after the incident, remember that OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030 applies to employers whose workers have that exposure. It requires protective equipment at no cost and decontamination of work surfaces with an appropriate disinfectant. In most cases the simplest answer is to keep staff out and let a trained crew do the work.

Who pays for crime scene cleanup in Illinois?

There are usually several possible sources, and each has its own rules, so it helps to look at all of them early. The Illinois Attorney General's Crime Victim Compensation program lists crime-scene cleanup among the expenses it may help offset for eligible victims of violent crime. Reimbursement is capped at $45,000 for crimes on or after August 7, 2022, and $27,000 for earlier crimes, and eligibility requirements apply.

Sources: Illinois Attorney General, Crime Victim Compensation; Illinois Department of Insurance, consumer insurance information.

Our insurance claim assistance page explains how we help document a claim with photos and an itemized scope. The guide biohazard and trauma scene cleanup: who pays and why it's confidential goes deeper on privacy and payment.

After the cleaning is done

Once surfaces are disinfected, the room may still need new drywall, flooring or paint. Separating cleanup from rebuilding keeps the insurance file clear. Ongoing odor problems are handled through odor removal and air quality treatment.

Trauma scene cleanup in DuPage and Will County

From our Lisle headquarters, certified technicians respond 24/7 for families, landlords and businesses in Aurora, Romeoville, Lombard and Westmont, along with the rest of DuPage and Will County. This page is part of our wider biohazard cleanup services, which also include hazardous waste disposal.

If you'd rather write first, contact us here. To talk with someone now, call (630) 241-1111.