QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Biohazard cleanup often involves situations people have never faced before. Below are answers to common questions about what needs to be cleaned, how the process works, and when professional help is necessary.
What is considered a biohazard? A biohazard is biological material that may pose a health or safety risk. This can include blood, bodily fluids, human or animal waste, decomposition-related contamination, certain infectious materials, and other substances that may contain harmful microorganisms.
Situations involving these materials may require specialized cleaning, disinfection, protective equipment, and proper disposal rather than ordinary household cleaning.
What does biohazard cleanup include? Biohazard cleanup typically involves identifying the affected area, removing contaminated materials when necessary, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, controlling odors, and properly handling and disposing of biohazardous waste.
The exact process depends on the type of incident, the materials involved, how long the contamination has been present, and the surfaces or structures affected.
When should I call a professional biohazard cleanup company? Professional help should be considered whenever blood, bodily fluids, decomposition, animal waste, potentially infectious materials, or other hazardous contamination is present.
Situations such as unattended deaths, crime scenes, suicides, traumatic injuries, severe hoarding, and extensive rodent contamination often require specialized procedures and equipment that go beyond normal cleaning.
Can I clean up blood or bodily fluids myself? Small everyday spills may sometimes be manageable with appropriate precautions, but larger amounts of blood or bodily fluids, contamination involving porous materials, or situations connected to a traumatic event can require professional cleanup.
A trained biohazard cleanup team can evaluate the affected area and determine what materials can be cleaned and what may need to be removed and disposed of.
How much does biohazard cleanup cost? The cost of biohazard cleanup varies based on the type and extent of contamination, the size of the affected area, the materials involved, the amount of labor required, and whether contaminated flooring, furniture, drywall, or other materials must be removed.
Because every situation is different, ATL Bio can evaluate the circumstances and provide information about the expected scope and cost of the cleanup.
Is biohazard cleanup covered by insurance? Biohazard cleanup may be covered under some homeowners, renters, commercial property, or other insurance policies depending on the cause of the incident and the terms of the policy.
ATL Bio can provide documentation and assist with the insurance process when applicable, but coverage ultimately depends on the individual insurance policy and claim.
Who pays for unattended death cleanup? Responsibility for unattended death cleanup generally falls to the property owner, estate, family, landlord, or other party responsible for the property. In some cases, homeowners or property insurance may provide coverage for some or all of the cleanup costs.
ATL Bio can help clients understand the cleanup scope and provide documentation that may be needed for an insurance claim.
How long does crime scene cleanup take? The amount of time required depends on the size of the affected area, the level of contamination, the materials involved, and whether structural materials need to be removed.
Some cleanups may be completed relatively quickly, while more extensive situations can require additional time for removal, cleaning, disinfection, odor treatment, and restoration preparation.
What happens during unattended death cleanup? An unattended death can result in biological contamination and strong odors, particularly when a person is not discovered immediately.
Cleanup may involve removing contaminated materials, cleaning and disinfecting affected surfaces, treating odors, and identifying contamination that has reached flooring, walls, furnishings, or other areas of the property.
Does ATL Bio provide suicide cleanup? Yes. ATL Bio provides discreet and compassionate suicide cleanup following suicides and other traumatic incidents.
The team handles blood, bodily fluids, contaminated materials, cleaning, disinfection, odor concerns, and proper disposal while respecting the privacy and circumstances of the people involved.
What is trauma cleanup? Trauma cleanup refers to professional cleaning following an incident involving blood, bodily fluids, or other biological contamination. This may include accidents, violent incidents, suicides, homicides, medical emergencies, and other traumatic events.
How long does hoarding cleanup take? The length of a hoarding cleanup depends on the size of the property, the amount of accumulated material, the condition of the home, and whether biohazards, animal waste, pests, odors, or other contamination are present.
Some projects can be completed in a relatively short period, while severe hoarding situations may require a more extensive cleanup plan.
What is involved in hoarding cleanup? Hoarding cleanup can involve sorting and removing unwanted items, clearing pathways and living areas, cleaning and sanitizing affected surfaces, addressing odors, and identifying biohazards such as animal waste, spoiled materials, or other contamination.
The cleanup plan should be based on the specific condition of the property and the goals of the property owner or family.
Do you provide hoarding cleanup for apartments and rental properties? Yes. ATL Bio can provide hoarding and biohazard cleanup for homes, apartments, rental properties, and other residential environments.
Property managers and landlords may also contact ATL Bio when a unit requires extensive cleaning or remediation after a tenant leaves.
Can rodent droppings make you sick? Rodent urine, droppings, nesting materials, and contaminated dust can contain bacteria, viruses, and other potentially harmful substances.
Because disturbing dried rodent waste can spread contaminated particles into the air, extensive infestations should be approached carefully and may require professional cleanup and disinfection.
What is Hantavirus? Hantaviruses are viruses associated with certain rodents. People may be exposed through contact with infected rodent urine, droppings, saliva, or contaminated materials.
Properties with significant rodent contamination may require careful removal and disinfection procedures designed to minimize unnecessary disturbance of contaminated materials.
How should mouse or rodent droppings be cleaned? Rodent droppings should not simply be swept or vacuumed when contamination is significant, as this can disturb dried material and spread particles.
Professional rodent feces cleanup may include controlled removal of droppings and nesting materials, cleaning and disinfection of affected areas, and disposal of contaminated materials.
Does ATL Bio provide Hantavirus cleanup and disinfection? Yes. ATL Bio provides Hantavirus cleanup and disinfection for properties affected by rodent droppings, rodent feces, nesting materials, and related contamination.
The appropriate process depends on the extent and location of the rodent activity and the condition of the affected property.
What is the difference between cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting? Cleaning removes dirt, debris, and contamination from surfaces. Sanitizing reduces the amount of certain microorganisms present, while disinfecting uses appropriate products and procedures to destroy or deactivate targeted microorganisms on surfaces.
Biohazard remediation may involve several of these steps depending on the type of contamination.
Can biohazard cleanup remove odors? Odor treatment is often part of biohazard remediation, particularly following decomposition, unattended deaths, animal contamination, or severe hoarding.
Effective odor removal typically requires identifying and addressing the source rather than simply masking the smell. Contaminated materials may need to be cleaned, treated, or removed before lingering odors can be properly addressed.
Does ATL Bio provide deep cleaning and disinfection services? Yes. ATL Bio provides professional deep cleaning, sanitization, and disinfection services for homes and other properties when more extensive cleaning is required.
These services can be particularly helpful when a property has experienced significant contamination, neglect, hoarding conditions, illness-related concerns, or other circumstances requiring a more thorough cleaning process.
Every cleanup situation is different. If you are dealing with a crime scene, unattended death, blood or bodily fluid contamination, hoarding condition, rodent infestation, odor problem, or another potentially hazardous situation, ATL Bio can help you determine the appropriate next steps.
Our team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the areas we serve.
