A plain answer
Who cleans up after the police leave?
Not the police, and not the coroner or medical examiner. Their job ends when they release the home. The cleanup is arranged by whoever is responsible for the property, usually with a specialist company.
Who arranges it
A homeowner or the family
If the home is owned, the owner or the family arranges it.
A landlord
In a rental, usually the landlord or property manager.
A business
The business owner or manager, often through its insurer.
Nobody yet
If the person lived alone and nobody is in charge, the executor or next of kin can arrange it later. Close the door meanwhile.
Can family do it themselves?
Nothing stops you. Most people who have tried say they wish they had not. Blood and fluids carry infection risk, soak deeper than they look, and the work is hard to forget.
Professional companies use protective equipment of the kind OSHA requires of employers whose staff handle blood, and they dispose of the waste properly.
Other guides
- After a death at homePolice, the coroner or medical examiner, the funeral home, then the room.
- Who pays for biohazard cleanupInsurance, Wisconsin crime victim compensation, landlords and estates.
- For landlords and property managersA death or injury in a rental unit: the order of things.
- How a referral worksWhat happens when you call, and what to ask the company.
- Questions and answersShort answers to what people ask most.
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.