When a loved one commits suicide it’s fair to assume that first responders will decontaminate the scene. But they don’t, creating yet another dilemma for families who are freshly traumatized by a sudden and devastating loss. Driven to remove the memory from your home as quickly as possible, your first impulse may be to clean the space yourself. But there are several reasons why you shouldn’t take on this burden.
For one, suicide cleanup is a traumatic and overwhelming experience of its own. Although you may think you can push through this task by suppressing your emotions, you’re at risk of developing PTSD and prolonging your grief. It's best to avoid the scene and leave this process to the professionals.
Additionally, you may be subject to harmful diseases if you don’t clean up the scene properly. Pathogens linger long after a surface has been scrubbed, leaving you and your family at risk of developing bloodborne infections like Hepatitis C and HIV if your cleaning process has not been thorough enough. Certified specialists in biohazard remediation are the only people qualified to perform this intensive work. Let them restore your home with the assurance that it will be sanitary.
Bio-One is here to help in this regard. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you need assistance. We’re on standby 24/7, every day of the year, and are always available to answer any questions you might have.
We’re here to meet your needs, wherever you are. From the parched land of Southern Nevada to the aquamarine beaches of West Florida, Bio-One has over 80 offices located across the nation—and we continue to grow. You can find us in areas as metropolitan as Philadelphia and as pastoral as Colorado Springs. But even if you don’t live in one of these cities, our offices service multiple counties nearby. Please visit our “locations” tab on our website to find your neighborhood, and we’ll be available to assist you.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, compulsive hoarding disorder affects an estimated 2 to 6 percent of the population. That’s between 6.5 and 20 million people respectively—if you consider the latest figures from the United States Census Bureau. While inadvertently mythologized through reality television, hoarding is a serious problem that can diminish one’s quality of life and create significant safety hazards. As opposed to collectors, who invariably organize their material in a clean and organized manner, hoarders obsessively and haphazardly accumulate a myriad of items that often have no practical value. They face severe distress when confronted with the prospect of discarding these items, leading to a dangerous and unsanitary aggregation of clothes, trash, broken appliances and more.
In addition to generating mold, harboring disease and creating fire hazards, hoarding—according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America—often causes distress within the family and threatens the social development of children. While the nation’s leading psychiatrists didn’t classify hoarding as a distinct mental disorder until 2013, it’s a significant problem that many Americans face within our local communities. That’s why you shouldn’t feel ashamed if you’re thinking about contacting Bio-One to assist you or a loved one with hoarding cleanup. We will work with you to address your individual situation, especially if that includes removing extreme piles of clutter, searching for sentimental valuables, and restoring your home’s sense of safety and comfort. Don’t hesitate to contact us with questions or concerns. It can be the first step towards recovery.
Sudden and inexplicable tragedies like suicide and homicide are emotionally devastating experiences that leave trauma, property damage and unanswered questions in their wake. Our certified technicians conduct their work in a manner that is sensitive to your needs, considerate of your privacy and empathetic towards your grief. That’s why we strive to be on-site, at your side, an hour after you give us a call. We don't require payment or insurance authorization before a service because our primary concern is restoring your home quickly and courteously. Staying true to this prerogative is what makes us the most compassionate organization in the industry. Don’t hesitate to give us a call if you have any questions or concerns. We’re happy to help—day and night.
Needles and sharps can be dangerous and carry infectous fluids. If you want to know how to properly dispose of your sharps, please visit https://safeneedledisposal.org.
You SHOULD NOT be throwing needles and sharps directly into the trash. They need to be handled carefully and by a trained professional. Did you know Bio-One will pick up these items for you?
If you are a part of the medical field, dental industry, or a tattoo shop, these are all places we can pick up from! If you think you might need this, take a look at our locations page to find a Bio-One franchise close to you.
Author: Michael Fulweber
Trauma and crime scene cleaning is not just a 9-5 job, anything can happen at any hour. Recently Bio-One Houston South was called out on Easter Day 2018 to assist a family that was amid a very traumatic event. A loved one had committed suicide via a gunshot wound to the head. As squeamish as that might sound, just image what the family was experiencing.
To set the stage it was very late on a Saturday night, the evening before Easter Day when Bio-One Houston South received the call. When speaking with the family the sense of urgency to clean up the blood before the family would return home was critical. Unfortunately, nobody was home to allow access until the following morning. The team was assembled and ready to go first thing the following morning.
When arriving on scene we were met by a family friend whom gave us access to the home. It’s always a little nerve racking when entering as every trauma and crime scene is very different. There was blood at the door, hallway and the living room, the living room being where most of the bio was concentrated. At this point the trauma scene cleanup plan was formulated and Bio-One Houston South began remediation of bloodborne pathogens. Bio-One Chemicals were applied initially to eliminate any infectious diseases. Once properly sprayed all effected surfaces were wiped down and cleaned. All bio was treated and placed into red bags for medical waste disposal in accordance with OSHA Standards.
Upon completion of blood remediation, every effected area was combed over with specialty lights to ensure all areas were cleaned. Once this was determined Bio-One Houston South can now offer a certificate of remediation if the homeowner requests such a document. Later that day the family was contacted to make sure the cleaning was performed to their expectations. The reward is always the follow up, the gentleman stated that the “job we did was fantastic, beyond believable”.
The bottom line is to trust the pro’s when it comes to a suicide, murder or undiscovered death cleanup. There is no reason to put family members in a situation to where they are retraumatized of the event. Plus, normal household chemicals will not eliminate infectious diseases, always call a professional like Bio-One Houston South.
If you have any questions contact us, we’re here to help 24/7.
When 1st responders leave and the crime scene tape comes down, Bio-One is dispatched to help families in need. Recently Bio-One Houston South received such a call to help an apartment community with a murder/suicide cleanup of a young married couple.
When first arriving on scene there is always a sense of uncertainty; what is behind the closed door? The initial “shock and awe” quickly subsides to a job that needs the help of Bio-One for blood remediation. A safe game plan must be formulated to properly clean such a scene.
Determine where a safe bio- free zone is locate that is free of any blood that could potentially contain infectious diseases. This is where the staging process of tools, chemicals and other needed material can be placed for quick access.
Proper PPE (personal protective equipment) must be worn by all technicians, the safe zone is the area where they will be suited & ready to work.
Moving into the scene it’s crucial to work small sections & clean with Bio-One Chemicals that will destroy infectious diseases.
If there is blood on the carpet that must be treated & then removed. With the apartment mentioned there was the master bedroom that had blood stained carpet, but the bathroom had laminate flooring. In both scenes the blood soaked through the carpet & the laminate flooring so both had to be treated & removed to expose the subfloor for further remediation.
During the process all bio is placed into a “red bag” for transportation to the medical waste facility for proper disposal in accordance with OSHA Standards.
Once all is remediated high powered lights are used to see if there is any blood left, the tiniest drops can hide from the naked eye, lights will help illuminate any areas of concern.
Once fully treated Bio-One Houston South will give the apartment community a certificate of remediation so that community staff knows it’s safe to enter.
Every job is different and very unique which makes trauma and crime scene cleaning difficult and should only be performed by trained B.O.T.S. Certified technicians. Bio-One Houston South works hard to educate apartment communities about the risks involved with doing clean ups themselves. These can be very dangerous situations. We hope you never have to call but if in need Bio-One is there to help during a very traumatic event.
