When someone was not found right away
Unattended death cleanup in Appleton
When a person dies alone and is found days or weeks later, the room needs more than cleaning. Fluids soak into flooring and walls, and the odor stays until the source is removed. An independent company can do that work.
Phone answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
First, the coroner or medical examiner
Deaths that are sudden, unexpected or unattended are reported to the county. In Outagamie County that is the Coroner's Office; in Winnebago and Calumet counties it is the medical examiner. They decide when the person can be moved and when the home is released.
Once it is released, close the door to that room and turn the heat down if you can. Do not open windows into the rest of the house, and do not use air fresheners or bleach on the stain. They do not remove the source and can make it harder to see.
Why it takes more than one visit sometimes
Fluids travel
They pass through carpet into pad and subfloor, and along floors to the next room. What shows on the surface is usually smaller than what is underneath.
Odor is a material problem
Smell comes from the material that absorbed fluids. It goes when that material is out and the area is treated.
Insects
Flies and other insects are common in these rooms. The company should deal with them as part of the work.
Belongings
Clothes, bedding and soft furniture near the body are rarely saved. Papers and photos in other rooms often are.
Questions people ask
We live out of state. Can this be arranged by phone?
Usually, yes. Many families arrange it by phone and hand over a key through a neighbor, a property manager or a lockbox. Ask the company how it confirms the work is done.
Is it safe to go in and get documents?
Wait until the company has looked at the room. Ask them to set aside papers, keys and valuables they come across.
Other situations
- Crime scene and trauma cleanupAfter an assault, a shooting or a break-in with injuries, once police release the home.
- Suicide cleanupGentle, practical help for the room, so family members do not have to do it.
- Blood and bodily fluid cleanupFalls, injuries and illness that left blood or fluids on floors, walls or furniture.
- Hoarding cleanup with biohazardsPacked homes where animal or human waste, spoiled food or mold make it unsafe.
- Infectious disease disinfectionCleaning and disinfecting after illness, with products used as their labels direct.
- Vehicle biohazard cleanupBlood or bodily fluids in a car, truck or van, after police release it.
Appleton and the Fox Cities
Talk it through before you decide
You do not need to know the right words. Describe the room and what happened, and ask what the company would do first.
When the home has been released
Call and say what happened, in your own words. An independent cleanup company will explain what the work involves. You decide whether to go ahead.
Call (920) 555-0110Phone answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Calls may be recorded. See the referral disclosure and the privacy policy.