When a serious or violent incident happens in a home or business, the aftermath is something no one should have to face alone. We provide professional crime scene cleaning across the whole of the UK, attending discreetly once a property has been released by the police, and working to a clinical standard so the space is safe and liveable again. Every technician is trained, vetted and fully insured, and any contaminated waste is removed by a licensed clinical-waste carrier. You can request a callback through our contact page or email us at [email protected], and we will talk you through what happens next.
What is crime scene cleaning?
Crime scene cleaning is the specialist decontamination and restoration of a property following a homicide, serious assault, suicide or other violent incident. It goes well beyond a standard clean. Blood and other bodily fluids can carry bloodborne pathogens, and they often penetrate flooring, walls, upholstery and subfloor materials in ways that are not visible from the surface. The work involves identifying every affected area, removing anything that cannot be safely decontaminated, and disinfecting the remaining surfaces to a clinical standard.
It also covers the practical and emotional weight of what has happened. Families are often dealing with grief, shock or an ongoing police process at the same time as needing the property made safe. Our role is to take the physical cleanup off their hands entirely, so they are not the ones scrubbing a scene or deciding what can be salvaged.
When is crime scene cleaning needed?
Crime scene cleaning is called for after any incident where blood, bodily fluids or other biological material have contaminated a property as a result of violence or a serious crime. Common situations include:
- A homicide or violent assault in a residential property
- A suicide or attempted suicide
- A serious accident involving significant blood loss
- A stabbing, shooting or similar violent incident in a business, vehicle or public-facing space
We are contacted by a range of people depending on who is responsible for the property. Family members often reach out directly when a death has occurred in a home. Landlords and letting agents frequently arrange cleaning before a rental property can be re-let. Employers may need a workplace made safe again, and councils or housing associations sometimes coordinate cleaning on behalf of a tenant or a property they manage. Whoever you are, you do not need to have been involved in the incident to arrange the cleanup.
How we handle it
- Assess the property and confirm the scene has been formally released by the police before any work begins.
- Contain the affected area, restricting access and setting up protective barriers to stop contamination spreading to unaffected parts of the property.
- Remove contaminated items as clinical waste, including flooring, furnishings or materials that cannot be safely decontaminated.
- Clean and disinfect every affected surface to a clinical standard, using hospital-grade disinfectants suited to bloodborne pathogens.
- Deodorise the property to address any lingering odour from biological contamination.
- Verify the area is safe, checking that all affected surfaces and materials have been properly treated before the property is handed back.
- Hand over waste documentation, giving you a clear record of what was removed and how it was disposed of.
Health, safety and compliance
Crime scene cleaning involves direct exposure to blood and bodily fluids, so it is treated as a bloodborne-pathogen risk throughout. Our technicians wear full personal protective equipment for every job, including protective suits, gloves, eye protection and respiratory protection where needed. All cleaning is carried out with hospital-grade disinfectants appropriate for biological contamination, and every technician is trained in the safe handling, containment and disposal of biohazardous material.
Anything that cannot be decontaminated is removed and disposed of by a licensed clinical-waste carrier, in line with Environment Agency waste regulations. This keeps the process compliant from removal through to final disposal, and it means you are not left responsible for handling or storing hazardous material at any point.
What crime scene cleaning typically costs
Costs vary considerably depending on the size of the affected area, how extensively it has been contaminated, and whether flooring, furnishings or structural materials need to be removed. As a general guide, most biohazard and trauma cleans fall somewhere in the region of £600 to £3,000, though every situation is different.
We always agree a written price with you before any work begins, and the initial assessment is free. For a fuller breakdown of what affects the price, see our guide to biohazard cleaning costs.
Is it covered by insurance?
Crime scene cleaning is often covered under a buildings or contents insurance policy, particularly for homeowners and landlords, although this depends on the specific terms of the policy. If you are unsure whether your situation is covered, it is worth checking directly with your insurer.
We are happy to liaise with insurers on your behalf to help support a claim, including providing the documentation and reports they typically ask for. You can find out more on our insurance claims page.
Why choose a professional service
Crime scene cleaning is not something to take on personally, and not only because of the physical risk. Blood and bodily fluids carry a genuine health hazard, and without the right training, equipment and disinfectants it is very difficult to know a property has actually been made safe rather than just made to look clean.
There is also the matter of doing it once, properly, rather than discovering weeks later that contamination was missed beneath flooring or inside a wall cavity. A professional service brings trained technicians, the correct waste-disposal route, and the discretion to carry out the work without drawing attention to what has happened. We cover the whole of the UK and are available at any hour, so however and whenever you need to arrange this, we are able to help. If you would like to talk through your situation, get in touch and we will take it from there.
Related services: if the incident falls outside a strict crime scene, our trauma cleaning service covers a wider range of situations, our forensic cleaning service applies where certified biohazard remediation is required, and our blood spill cleanup service is available for contained, non-fatal incidents.