When a loved one passes and you’re left to manage the cleanup, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed—there’s a lot to think about.
One of the most important things you can do right away is to keep people out of the property until it’s been properly assessed and cleaned. After law enforcement has cleared the scene, no one should re-enter the home until it’s been inspected and treated by a professional biohazard cleanup company. Doing so can help protect your health, preserve property, and reduce cleanup costs.
Here’s why restricting access matters—and how it helps streamline the biohazard remediation process:
1. Protecting Health from Hidden Biohazards
Biohazard contamination isn’t always obvious. Even if things look clean, bacteria and viruses can linger on surfaces like light switches, doorknobs, and flooring. It’s easy to come into contact with biohazards without realizing it—especially in homes where blood, bodily fluids, and hoarding are present.
2. Avoiding Cross-Contamination
Every step taken through a contaminated area can unintentionally spread bodily fluids, blood, and biohazardous materials to other parts of the home. This expands the impacted area, increasing the scope of the cleanup, the time involved, and the total cost. Keeping people out until the scene is assessed prevents this escalation.
3. Security
It’s a hard thing to talk about, but in some cases, people may try to enter the home before it’s been cleaned—and take things that don’t belong to them. Personal belongings can be removed, sometimes with no way of knowing what was lost. This not only spreads contamination but can also result in lost or stolen property, including items of sentimental or legal importance. Prompt response by a professional team can discourage unauthorized access.
4. Get Answers Sooner
A hazard assessment by BioteamAZ includes thorough photo documentation of the scene. This can provide important insights into the condition of the property—information that’s most accurate when captured immediately after law enforcement releases the site. This record is useful for insurance purposes and can help family members better understand the condition of the home.
BioteamAZ can help you by providing board up services, coordinating with a locksmith, and locating important documents to help you move forward on the next steps of handling affairs. We specialize in unattended death cleanup, suicide cleanup, and crime scene cleaning throughout Arizona. Based in Maricopa County, our team responds quickly and discreetly, providing same-day consultations and services.
Contact BioteamAZ for Professional Biohazard Cleanup Services
If you’re facing the challenges of a traumatic loss or unattended death in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tucson, or surrounding areas, don’t navigate it alone. Call BioteamAZ at (602) 246-8326 or complete our contact form here for a free consultation. We’re available 24/7 to support you with expert trauma scene cleanup and compassionate care.
