What does a crime scene cleaner do?
We are regularly asked what we do during our working days. This is often at a petrol station or a shop, when the customer service assistants see the subtle logo on our uniform and ask “what does Empire Environmental do?”. The abridged version of the answer is “We are crime scene cleaners”, but in reality there is much more to our work that just those five words.
Many of us will have seen a TV programme or movie featuring crime scenes, scenes of traumatic injuries, or even serious illness. You may have been unfortunate enough to have seen such a thing in real life. But have you ever thought about the people who clean up crime scenes?
The immediate image that comes to mind is of white suits, shoe covers and the all-round CSI or Forensic Investigator outfits. On occasion this isn’t far from the truth - we do indeed wear suits for some of our work, because sometimes it is necessary to ensure our safety and to protect ourselves whilst carrying out our work. The very reasoning behind such PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) demonstrates that the work of a crime scene cleaner doesn’t fall within the usual remit of a domestic cleaner.
We are regularly asked what we do during our working days. This is often at a petrol station or a shop, when the customer service assistants see the subtle logo on our uniform and ask “what does Empire Environmental do?”. The abridged version of the answer is “We are crime scene cleaners”, but in reality there is much more to our work than just those five words.
What is your first thought when it comes to crime scene cleaning? Is it ‘I couldn’t do that’, or perhaps ‘I didn’t know there was a demand for that outside of Hollywood’. I can assure you that there is! Speaking from personal experience a general reaction is the former: a screwed up face followed by “oh no I couldn’t do that, full credit to you”.
But if we didn’t do it, who would? We manage the aftermath of some of the most difficult and unexpected moments in life, which is essential in minimising the trauma of friends and relatives, who would otherwise have to deal with it themselves. It is also vital in properly managing the risk of infection or injury during the cleaning process. This is exactly why we are here, to remove that element of psychological trauma and fully manage the clean up process, returning the environment to how it was before.
You will notice that I refer to incidents which are not crime-related as crime scenes. This is because most people who find themselves in these awful situations don’t know what they need or what to search for online. Popular entertainment, as alluded to above, becomes their basis of knowledge and thus a good umbrella becomes ‘crime scene cleaning’. We would refer to ‘biohazard cleaning’ or ‘environmental cleaning’, but this would miss out a huge portion of the population that wouldn’t initially think of these industry terms. The worry in missing these people is that the stress of the situation grows - the council, police, ambulance service, fire service or coroner will not clean up after these incidents, and so people are left high and dry, desperately trying to figure out what to do.
If you use a search engine for ‘cleaner needed urgently’ or ‘house cleaner’ it is highly likely that you will see a list of domestic cleaning companies, most of which don’t undertake this type of work. It is likely that if you search ‘biohazard cleaner near me’ the results would be closer to your needs. But why?
‘Crime scenes’ in our context covers a multitude of things, from break-ins which have caused broken glass and mess within a property, to stabbings, severe traumatic injuries, natural deaths and even serious medical incidents which have resulted in the presence of biological hazards (biohazards) such as blood, vomit and/or faeces. We find that many people contact us after a relative has become unwell at home and there are biohazards present. The latter are not typically resulting from ‘crime’ but we receive these calls because cleaning up blood in many peoples minds equals a need for a crime scene cleaner. It’s not every day that the need for these services come to light, but when they do it is important that the end goal of contacting the right people to help is achieved. We have spoken with, and indeed helped, many people who have contacted us after a relative has passed away of natural causes and their property needs cleaning due to biohazard presence after searching for a crime scene cleaner.
A startling number of people live alone within the UK and are isolated from the world with few or no relatives or friends, minimal outside contact or daily interaction. This has become exacerbated by the COVID-19 lockdown and the need for vulnerable people to physically isolate themselves from risk of harm through transmission of illnesses. Often, sadly, these people pass away alone at home having become even more isolated than before, with no-one being immediately aware. In such cases their death can be undiscovered for some time, whether that be days, weeks or even months.
Without going in to too much detail, an alone death or an ‘unattended’ death results in decomposition and often insect-pest presence in the form of maggots and flies. Such situations lead to a foul odour and a very unpleasant environment to be in, which worsens as time goes on and is exacerbated by factors such as temperature and moisture. Once the deceased person has been located and their body has been moved by the coroner it is often the case that cleaning is required, including disposal of affected materials such as furniture and flooring.
Decomposition, biohazards and human waste can become widespread and require a true eye for detail when it comes to their removal and cleaning. Blood smells, and ensuring that every last drop is removed requires a professional approach and therefore a trained biohazard cleaner. A regular domestic cleaner who does not undertake crime scene cleaning or biohazard cleaning is not likely to be trained, equipped or prepared for such a situation. Even knowing the correct way to use cleaning products is an element of our work, such as matching products specifically to the cleaning needs, considering dwell time, safety around humans and/or pets, safety for food preparation surfaces and compatibility with the surfaces to be cleaned.
Here’s a little task for you: Have a look at a bottle of your favourite disinfectant cleaning product. Does it display a dwell or contact time on the label? This is the manufacturers specific guidance as to how long the product needs to be on a surface for it to work to its declared standard. Do you do this when cleaning, or do you spray and wipe away?
If a bottle says ‘Dwell Time: 5 Minutes’, this means that the product must be on the surface and wet for 5 minutes to achieve, say, 99.9% disinfection. Wiping away before this, or allowing the surface to dry, will allow some microorganisms to survive. When TV adverts for these household cleaners show a quick spray-and-wipe technique, this gives a false impression of their sterilising ability.
We use industry specific cleaning products in the right way, such as heavy duty cleaners, scum removers and enzymes which accelerate the natural decomposition of proteins within bodily fluids and aid odour removal. We also use disinfectants with a rating of 99.99% and many other products depending on the surface which needs cleaning and the contamination present. These chemicals, unlike common household cleaners, may work with a dwell of as little as 30 seconds. We often deploy an Ozone Generator to remove odour within an environment rather than using air freshener which simply covers the odour for a short time. These are all aspects of our work which are a step further than that of a domestic cleaner, this allows us to tackle all aspects of extreme cleaning (cleaning beyond the capability of a domestic cleaner).
An extremely crucial aspect as well is insurance. We are insured specifically for the purposes of crime scene cleaning, extreme cleaning and, essentially, all aspects of cleaning which are not standard domestic cleaning. This allows us to focus on our specialist services and excel in their delivery.
Our work is specific to our field and has led us to be recognised as a top recommended business and a provider of the highest standards of service. With a variety of services available we are often undertaking work which includes cleaning properties prior to a person being discharged from hospital because their home is not safe for them to return to. We also provide after-death cleaning (or as we like to refer to it, bereavement cleaning) which returns a property to a hospitable and safe environment. Crime scenes, biohazards, extreme filth and grime, extremely dirty bathrooms, blood and all aspects of cleaning which a domestic cleaner is unable (or untrained) to help with are all daily aspects of our work.
Would you ever think of a need for a crime scene cleaner? There are many stories we could share, many tales of how we have helped and how we have seen some situations which would be beyond comprehension, and certainly many results of our work which you may not initially believe are possible. But with hard work, the right equipment and knowledge we are able to provide services which excel expectations consistently. This makes us proud to say, when asked, that “we are crime scene cleaners”.
In another blog article I go through a case study of a real life situation we attended, explaining the content of the original call through to the cleaning process, odour elimination and sanitisation provided.
What makes specialist cleaners different?
It all begins with an idea.
Our team are from an Emergency Services background, or from the Military, Civil Service and National Health Service, which gives us a breadth of situational awareness through our exposure to some challenging circumstances - this also fed our understanding that it is extremely difficult to get help with the more extreme natures of cleaning.
More often than not, if you internet search terms similar to “who cleans up after someone has died” or “do the emergency services cleanup blood” or even “get help cleaning a filthy house”, you will find that most companies appearing in searches are domestic cleaning companies which offer regular cleaning for homes each and every week or couple of weeks. But are all of these companies fully equipped, trained, insured and have all of the relevant tools available to deal with such extremes? - Often, the case is that they do not, but I am sure they can help in a way. Some domestic and commercial cleaning companies do offer biohazard cleaning as a part of their service.
Google search “specialist cleaning near me”
We aim to be the best at what we do, and what we do is very different to standard cleaning, which is why we do not provide regular cleaning services and probably won’t show up in searches for “domestic cleaner needed”.
It is important to us, and to our clients, that we are at the top of our game and work to the industry standard in specialist cleaning. With a focus purely on Biohazard Cleaning, Extreme Cleaning (gross-filth or ‘utter devastation’ as a client of ours once referred to it) and Hazardous Cleaning. Yes, we are able to provide additional services such as property clearance (including void properties or those used as a drugs den) also needle sweeps and sharps handling. But all of these services carry risk, a risk which we take on and manage so that you don’t have to.
“Cleaning that includes biohazards come with risks, often those which can not be immediately seen. Not just a risk to yourselves but also to anyone who is ‘cleaning up’. It is very important that such risks are managed by a team who are trained, prepared and equipped to understand them and handle them to the highest possible standards, delivering the best results”
Another aspect of our work which was essential to us was that we weren’t going to have someone calling us on the phone while we are in the middle of a clients clean saying “are you done yet, we’ve got another client lined up and we need you to be quick”. Our commitment to clients is key and we ensure the highest of standards are achieved. There is a phrase similar to “we will work as fast as we can, but as slowly as we need to” - all of our work requires attention to detail and takes longer than normal cleaning. Be that a property which hasn’t been cleaned for years and is in quite a mess, or the unfortunate circumstance of someone dying at home and a cleanup is needed.
This takes longer than regular domestic cleaning, it requires the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) and an eye for detail and attention. These things can not be rushed and we ensure that we take as long as is needed to return a property to how it should be.
A huge driving force for us has always been that no-one should have to go through the trauma of cleaning up after someone has died, or cleaning up after someone has been extremely unwell. This would stay with you for a long time and is itself a traumatic experience. We do this for you - this is why we are here. We have the skill and experience, backed up by industry-standard-setting training to complete specialist cleaning work to the best of standards, so that you don’t have to.
Importantly we enjoy our work. We are able to tackle tasks which solve a problem, often a big problem. Being able to completely remove evidence of a traumatic event, or turning a house around that has been in quite a state for a while is extremely rewarding for us, and for our clients. Our can-do approach puts us in a strong position to support our clients from start to finish.
We see some sights which few do. We are extremely aware of the impact of traumatic events, be those the unexpected results of an accident or a sudden death, or the longer term affects of hoarding and neglected properties - every story has a background, and we understand this.
We have invested a great deal of time and money into ensuring that we are trained to the highest standard, carry appropriate specialist qualifications and are capable of handling all extremes of cleaning. The ability to provide specialist cleaning is much greater than a title, it is also having a focus on a specific set of services which are not diluted by the ‘routine’ elements of domestic cleaning.
What is extreme cleaning?
The definition within dictionaries of ‘extreme’ is of a character or kind removed from that of the average. Extreme is usually defined as the very highest degree. This could mean that the three levels of cleaning would be general (or domestic), deep (more thorough) and extreme (requiring the highest level of time, effort and attention to clean).
The term ‘extreme cleaning’ is generally used by those within the industry and sets about differentiating a level of cleaning requirement from that of others, such as standard general cleaning and deep cleaning.
With a growing need for biohazard cleaning, after death cleaning, drugs den clearance, hoarding clearance and hoarding cleaning across the UK, including a rise in violent crime, people seek clarity on the terminology and an increased ease of accessing the right service for them.
There is no set definition of ‘extreme cleaning’. It is often referred to as heavy-duty cleaning or deep cleaning, but it is in fact to a greater level than deep cleaning. The definition within dictionaries of ‘extreme’ is of a character or kind removed from that of the average. Extreme is usually defined as the very highest degree. This could mean that the three levels of cleaning would be general (or domestic), deep (more thorough) and extreme (requiring the highest level of time, effort and attention to clean).
Extreme cleaning usually partners biohazard cleaning, waste removal (food, human, animal, filth and grime), extremely soiled items and contamination. This can be carried out in private land, private homes, commercial premises and industrial buildings.
So if deep cleaning is deeper cleaning, how is this different to extreme cleaning?
Think of a property which hasn’t been cleaned for 5 years. There is a lot of clutter, food waste, animal waste, the toilet is full so the occupants have been using the bath as a toilet. The carpet has trodden-in animal waste and there is an unhealthy and unpleasant smell. This is extreme cleaning and requires Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and generally Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE). Amongst the clutter and waste there may be sharps which can be extremely difficult to see to the untrained eye. There is likely to be human waste and decomposition of food-stuffs. In general it would appear quite unpleasant and the majority of standard domestic cleaning companies would be within their rights to decline such a job as this demands a greater period of time to clean, specialist equipped and knowing ‘where to start’. Regularly cleaning companies contact us for such a job and ask that we either offer them advice or complete the clean ourselves.
Quite rightly, such an environment should only be tackled by those who are trained in extreme cleaning, carry the appropriate insurances to cover such work and have all of the equipment at their disposal to ensure a thorough and safe working environment with the greatest level of results.
Due to the nature of such a cleaning need, an extreme cleaning company will need to visit ahead of any work estimate. This is two fold; to understand the work required, the hours, the risk level, equipment, and personnel required and secondly to ensure that an accurate estimation of cost can be made.
As with all work of this nature, every situation is different to the last and to the next. Each environment must be taken on its own merit and for that reason we personally do not provide an estimate without first attending the location, or at very least seeing some pictures so that we can understand fully what the requirements are.
With the varying levels of cleaning requirements and a multitude of companies who offer different degrees of cleaning solutions, it is important that you contact the right people. If you were to search for a ‘cleaning company’ in your local area you will see a long list of general domestic cleaning companies. If however you were looking for a specialist to take on an extreme cleaning project near you, you would look to search for something similar to ‘extreme cleaner Oxford’ or ‘extreme cleaning company Oxfordshire’ or perhaps ‘biohazard cleaning Swindon’ or ‘hoarder cleaning Cheltenham’. It’s important that the company you are speaking with are equipped and able to complete extreme cleaning tasks to the highest standard.
Always look for a suitably insured company (they should be insured for biohazard cleaning and deep cleaning as a minimum) one that has the appropriate waste carrier licence and have in mind that extreme cleaning by its very definition, is more costly than general domestic cleaning. It is true to say that you get what you pay for and that is true of any professional service.
If you think that we may be able to help you, please do feel free to get in touch. You can complete our short contact form or give us a call. Our friendly team are on hand to offer advice, guidance and a no obligation visit.