A lasting odor after a death, a hoarding situation, animal waste, smoke or a sewage backup goes away only when its source is found and removed; deodorizing comes last, never first. Biohazard Network can connect you with an independent local cleanup company that you hire directly.
We are sorry you are facing this. Biohazard Network is a connector only; we do not do the cleanup, and this page explains what to expect from the company you choose.
What odor remediation involves
Odor remediation means finding what is causing a smell and correcting it at the cause so the odor does not return. Sprays, candles and household cleaners can mask an odor for a short time, but the source stays in place. When that source is a biohazard, meaning material such as blood, body fluids, animal waste or sewage that can carry germs, masking it also leaves a health risk behind.
The hardest part is often porous materials, which are things that soak up liquid, such as carpet, carpet pad, drywall, upholstered furniture and wood subfloor. Once fluid has soaked in, surface cleaning cannot reach it. That is why a company may recommend cutting out and replacing some materials rather than cleaning them. The Washington State Department of Health1 (DOH) says not to paint or caulk over mold, and the same caution applies here: covering a source before it is removed can trap it.
What happens first
If a death was involved
A medical examiner is a public official who investigates the cause of certain deaths. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office2 investigates sudden, violent, unexpected and suspicious deaths in King County, and its investigation at the scene can include photographs, evidence collection and information from family. Families are not charged for the investigation or examination, and the family chooses a funeral home to receive the body afterward. Its medicolegal death investigation line, available 24/7, is 206-731-3232, ext. 5.
Scene release means the officials in charge tell you they are finished with the home. Until then, do not clean, move items or open up the room. Read more on our page about unattended death cleanup in Bellevue.
What you can do now, and what to leave alone
Keep people and pets out of the affected area and close the door. Do not handle soaked items, needles or droppings. DOH3 says the age of a rodent dropping cannot be told, so all droppings should be handled as if infectious, and it warns against vacuuming or sweeping them, which stirs up dust. If you rent, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) says not to throw damaged things away yet, because the insurer may want to inspect them.
If sewage is the source
Public Health – Seattle & King County4 has guidance titled “Sewage releases in Seattle and King County.” DOH1 says to hire a cleaning professional if a moldy area has been contaminated by sewage. Our page on sewage and biohazard waste cleanup in Bellevue covers that work in more detail.
What to expect from the company you hire
The crew should wear protective equipment such as gloves, eye protection and breathing protection. They may set up containment, which means sealing off the work area so dust and odor do not spread to the rest of the home. Next comes removal of affected materials, then disinfection, which means treating surfaces with products that kill germs. Deodorizing happens only after the source is gone, and the crew should check the result before any rebuilding starts.
Waste containing blood or body fluids is biomedical waste, a category set by state law. Ask, too, for a written scope of work, photos and itemized records you can give an insurer.
If the odor comes from a home where your parent or another person hoards, the person living in the home decides what to keep and what to let go. Ask the company how it will set belongings aside for review. See hoarding cleanup in Bellevue.
Before you hire anyone, ask whether the crew follows OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, and the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup, written by the IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification, a non-profit for the cleaning and restoration industries). Then look the business up yourself with the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) tool, Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business, and read how certifications work.
How long odor remediation takes, and what makes it longer
No one can honestly promise a finish date before seeing the home. These things tend to add time:
- How long the source was there. The longer it was present, the farther it can spread into floors and walls.
- Porous materials. If carpet pad, drywall or subfloor must come out, removal comes before deodorizing.
- Ventilation. Closed rooms and shared air systems can carry odor into other spaces that then need attention.
- Restoration afterward. Replacing flooring or walls is a separate stage; see how biohazard cleanup fits with restoration.
- Checking the result. Ask how the company will confirm the odor is gone before walls and floors are closed up.
Insurance can affect timing too. The OIC says the insurer has 30 days from the date a claim is filed to inspect the damage, and you can ask whether a loss is covered without filing a claim.
Usually covered: Homeowner insurance protects your home and belongings from damage caused by specific risks, says the Insurance Commissioner’s page on how home insurance works. For sudden, accidental smoke damage, standard policies typically pay for cleaning and deodorizing, says the Commissioner’s smoke damage page5.
Usually not covered: Damage from smoking tobacco inside your own home over time is not covered, says the Insurance Commissioner’s smoke damage page5.
Ask your insurer: “Does my policy cover removing this odor from my home and belongings, and which items would be cleaned and which replaced?” Source: Smoke damage and your homeowner or renter insurance (Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner)5
Odor remediation in Bellevue
Bellevue is an incorporated city, so its Development Services handles permits, inspects projects and investigates code violations. If rebuilding is needed after materials are removed, ask the company whether a permit applies. Whether the property is near Bellevue Downtown Park in the heart of downtown or near the Bellevue Botanical Garden, the same steps apply: release first, source removal next, deodorizing last.
Public Health – Seattle & King County4 offers a Mold education page under indoor air quality, and that page says Public Health does not conduct mold assessments. It also handles rodent complaints. Its main phone number is 206-296-4600.
If you also manage property elsewhere in King County, note that Vashon/Maury Island is reachable only by water. The Fauntleroy ferry terminal carries riders between West Seattle, Vashon Island and the Kitsap Peninsula, so ask any company whether it serves the island. For more local guidance, see our Bellevue page and our King County page.
Who to call first
In an emergency, call 911.These official offices may be part of the first steps. They are government pages, not ours.
- King County Medical Examiner (opens in a new tab)After a sudden or unexpected death, cleanup waits until this office is done.
- Public Health – Seattle & King County (opens in a new tab)For local health questions, such as a home that was used as a drug lab.
- Washington Crime Victims Compensation Program (L&I) (opens in a new tab)If a crime happened, it may help with some costs, such as funeral expenses. It doesn't pay for cleanup.
- Verify a contractor (L&I lookup) (opens in a new tab)Look up whether a company is a registered contractor before work starts.
- Washington State Department of Health (opens in a new tab)State health rules, such as for drug lab cleanup and hantavirus.