When someone was not found right away
Unattended death cleanup
If a person died alone and some time passed, the room needs more than cleaning. Fluids can reach the subfloor and the smell can spread through the home. A cleanup company deals with both.
Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
First, the medical examiner
In Minnesota a death that happens at home without a doctor in attendance, or one that is sudden or unexpected, is reported to the medical examiner (Minn. Stat. 390.11). Call 911 and let the police and investigator take it from there.
In Hennepin County the Hennepin County Medical Examiner answers 612-215-6300 at any hour. In Fridley and Columbia Heights it is the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office, 763-324-4400. You will be asked to choose a funeral home, and the funeral director collects your relative from the examiner.
Until the company arrives
- Keep the door to the room closed and stay out of it.
- Do not run fans that blow air from that room into the rest of the house.
- Do not throw out bedding or furniture yourself. It is contaminated and needs to be bagged properly.
- Move pets to another part of the home or to a friend.
- Make a short list of anything you want saved, such as papers, photos or jewelry.
Covering the smell with sprays does not remove it. The source has to go.
What to ask on the call
- How will you find out whether fluids went under the floor covering?
- Will you remove flooring or drywall, and who replaces it afterwards?
- How do you deal with the odor, and how will I know it is gone?
- Can you set aside personal items and papers for the family?
If the home is rented, the landlord will want to know the scope of the work. The landlord page covers what happens to the lease.
Other situations
- Crime scene cleanupAfter an assault, a shooting or a homicide, once the police have released the home.Read more
- After a suicideCleanup handled by people outside the family, at a pace you set.Read more
- Blood and bodily fluidsInjuries, falls and accidents that left blood on floors or furniture.Read more
- Hoarding with biohazardsHomes where waste, spoiled food or animal mess has built up.Read more
- Infection and disinfectionDisinfecting a room after illness, with the product and contact time explained.Read more
- Vehicle cleanupBlood or bodily fluids in a car, truck or van.Read more
Questions
Who pays when there was no crime?
Usually the owner, the estate or an insurer. Some homeowner policies cover this kind of cleanup and some do not. Ask your insurer before work starts. More in who pays.
Can the family stay in the house?
Often yes, if the affected room stays closed. Ask the company whether any part of the home should be empty while they work.
How long does it take?
It depends on how much has to be removed. Ask the company for a plan in writing, including when you can use the room again.
When you are ready, call
You will speak with an independent cleanup company that works in and around Minneapolis. Describe what happened in your own words and ask what they would do. You decide whether to go ahead.
Talk to a cleanup company
Call (612) 493-4397Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Calls may be recorded. More in the referral disclosure and privacy policy.