Blood and other bodily fluids in Federal Way are cleaned up safely by a specialized cleanup company whose crew wears protective equipment, removes materials the fluid has soaked into, disinfects what remains, and sends the waste out through a permitted channel. If police or the King County Medical Examiner’s Office1 are involved, they must release the scene first. Biohazard Network connects you with an independent local company that you hire directly; we do not do the cleanup ourselves.
Whether this followed a fall, a medical emergency, an injury or a death, and whether it happened at home, in a car, or at a shop or office, you do not have to handle it yourself. This page explains the work and what to ask.
Why a surface wipe is not enough
Blood and other bodily fluids are a biohazard, meaning a biological material that can carry disease. They can contain bloodborne pathogens, which are germs carried in blood that can cause illness, such as hepatitis B. Safety rules also use the term OPIM, short for other potentially infectious materials, for certain other body fluids.
The larger concern is what stays hidden. Porous materials, meaning materials with tiny openings that soak up liquid, include carpet and pad, upholstery, mattresses, drywall, unsealed wood, and the fabric and foam in car seats. A spot can look gone on top while fluid remains underneath, where it can still carry germs and later cause odor.
This work is not limited to homes. A car, a store, a break room or an office may need it too. For a business, bloodborne pathogens rules exist to protect employees who might be exposed to blood, so staff should not be asked to clean it up without that protection.
What happens first
If anyone is hurt, their care comes first. If someone has died suddenly, violently, unexpectedly, or under suspicious circumstances, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office1 (206-731-3232) investigates. A medical examiner is a public office that looks into certain deaths. Its work at the scene includes photographs, evidence collection, and information from family and other witnesses, and families are not charged for the investigation or examination.
Cleanup waits for scene release, the point when police or the medical examiner say they are finished and the space can be entered and cleaned. Evidence that contributed to a death is not released to the family; it goes to the investigating law enforcement agency.
Until the company you hire is on site:
- Do not try to clean, scrub or move stained items.
- Keep children and pets away, and close off the room or vehicle if you can.
- Do not put stained items in household trash or recycling.
- Leave any sharps alone. Sharps are needles, syringes, lancets and blades. Public Health – Seattle & King County2 has guidance titled How to handle used or found sharps.
The cleanup process, step by step
Assessment
The company looks at where fluid reached, which surfaces are porous, and whether it spread beyond the first spot. Ask for a written scope, a list of what will be removed and cleaned, before work starts.
Containment
Containment means sealing off the work area, for example with plastic sheeting and one controlled way in and out, so contamination does not spread to clean parts of the home, vehicle or building. The company’s crew wears protective equipment such as gloves, gowns, and eye and face protection.
Removing porous materials
Carpet, pad, upholstery or sections of drywall that fluid has soaked into are cut out, bagged and sealed. In a car, this can mean seat fabric, foam or floor coverings. Ask the company to check with you before any personal belongings are removed, so you decide what to keep and what to let go.
Cleaning and disinfection
Hard surfaces are cleaned first and then disinfected. Disinfection means applying a product that kills germs on a surface after it has been cleaned.
Disposal of biomedical waste
Biomedical waste is the legal term for certain kinds of waste that need special handling. Washington’s definition, in RCW 70A.228.010, includes discarded human blood, materials containing free-flowing blood, and sharps waste. Ask the company which permitted hauler or approved method it uses. If you run a shop or office, the health department2’s Biomedical waste program has guidance for businesses that generate biomedical waste.
Odor work and final check
Odor is treated only after the source material is gone; the odor remediation page explains that work. At the end, walk through the space with the company. For your records or an insurance claim, ask for photos, the written scope, and an itemized invoice.
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 works3. Personal property coverage includes your furnishings and personal items, such as your TV, clothing and dishes, the same page says.
Usually not covered: Standard homeowner and renter policies exclude wear and tear: insurance covers sudden accidents, not ongoing issues, says the Insurance Commissioner’s smoke damage page, which lists what standard policies exclude4.
Ask your insurer: “Without filing a claim yet, can you tell me if my policy covers cleaning up blood or body fluids in my home, and what limits apply?” Source: Steps to take after home damage or a loss (Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner)5
Checking a company before you hire
Before you hire, ask whether the company follows OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, and the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup, which comes from the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), a non-profit organization for the inspection, cleaning and restoration industries. You can also look up the business yourself in the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) tool Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business, and the certifications guide explains what each of these covers.
Blood cleanup in Federal Way
Federal Way is an incorporated city, so permits and code matters go to the city’s Community Development Department. If removing drywall, subfloor or other building materials leads to repairs, its Building Division administers and enforces building codes, including plan review and inspection, so ask whoever does the repairs whether a permit is needed. The department’s Code Compliance division handles enforcement cases on private property on a complaint basis. The restoration overview explains how repairs fit with cleanup.
For health questions, Public Health – Seattle & King County2 can be reached at 206-296-4600. Along with its sharps and biomedical waste guidance, it has a Solid waste disposal program.
When you contact a company, give the full address and, if it helps, a nearby landmark such as the West Hylebos Wetlands, a 120-acre natural area, or Dash Point State Park. Ask where the crew is based and how it will reach the property. Across the Puget Sound region, I-405 and SR 167 form the only north-south highway alternative to I-5, running from Lynnwood to Sumner.
Other services in the city are listed on the Federal Way page, and the King County page covers the wider county. If a death went unnoticed for a time, see unattended death cleanup; if police treated the scene as a crime, see crime and trauma scene cleanup.
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.