Blood and other bodily fluids in Kent are cleaned up by a private cleanup company whose crew wears protective equipment, removes what has soaked up fluid, disinfects the area and sends the waste through a permitted channel. If police or the King County Medical Examiner’s Office1 are involved, the first step is to wait until they release the property. Biohazard Network can connect you with an independent local company; we do not do the cleanup ourselves, and you hire the company directly.
If you are reading this after an injury, a fall, a medical emergency or a death in a home, car or workplace, it is normal to feel shaken. This page explains what the work involves, what to leave alone, and what to ask a company, so you can make each decision calmly.
What this service involves
Blood cleanup means safely removing blood and other bodily fluids and the materials they have reached. The concern is not only what you can see. Blood can carry bloodborne pathogens, which are germs carried in blood that can cause disease, such as hepatitis B. Other bodily fluids that can carry the same germs are called OPIM, short for other potentially infectious materials.
Fluids also travel. They soak into porous materials, meaning things that absorb liquid, such as carpet and its padding, upholstery, mattresses, drywall and some wood. Wiping a surface can make it look clean while fluid remains underneath. That is why ordinary household cleaning is not enough here.
Homes, cars, shops and offices
This service covers smaller or contained incidents as well as larger ones. In a home, that may be one room or a stairway. In a car, fluid can reach seat foam, carpet and seat belts. In a shop or office, it may touch flooring, chairs or shared surfaces.
If you run a business, do not ask staff to clean it up. Blood can carry disease, and the work calls for training and protective equipment. Close off the area and let a cleanup company handle it.
What happens first
If someone died, or if police responded, the property may be part of an investigation. Scene release means the investigating office has finished and allows others back in. Until then, do not clean or move anything.
King County uses a medical examiner, a county office that investigates certain deaths. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office1 investigates sudden, violent, unexpected, and suspicious deaths that occur in King County. Families are not charged for the investigation or examination. Its medicolegal death investigation line, available 24/7, is 206-731-3232, ext. 5.
If no death occurred and no investigation is under way, such as after an injury where the person went to the hospital, you can contact a company right away. Sooner is better, because fluids keep soaking into materials over time.
While you wait:
- Keep children, pets and visitors out of the area, and close the door if you can.
- Do not throw away soaked items; the company needs to see them to plan the work.
- Do not pick up sharps, meaning needles, syringes, lancets or blades. Public Health – Seattle & King County2 publishes guidance titled “How to handle used or found sharps.”
If the incident involved a death in a home, our page on unattended death cleanup in Kent covers that situation, and crime and trauma scene cleanup in Kent covers scenes after police involvement.
The cleanup process, step by step
Each company has its own methods, but the work follows a clear order. Ask the company you hire to walk you through its plan.
Assessment
The crew inspects the area to find where fluid has gone, including under flooring or inside furniture and seats. Ask for a written scope of work before cleaning starts.
Containment
Containment means sealing off the work area, for example with plastic sheeting, so contamination does not spread to other rooms or surfaces. Crew members wear protective equipment such as gloves, suits and face protection.
Removal of porous materials
Materials that absorbed fluid and cannot be reliably cleaned are cut out and bagged. Ask the company to explain what it plans to remove and why, and to check with you before removing belongings.
Cleaning and disinfection
Hard surfaces are cleaned first, then disinfected. Disinfection means using products that kill germs on a surface, not just removing visible residue. If an odor remains after the source is removed, ask about odor remediation in Kent.
Disposal of biomedical waste
Biomedical waste here means materials such as discarded blood and items containing free-flowing blood, plus used sharps. Ask the company how it will meet that requirement.
Final check
Before the crew leaves, ask for a walk-through of the finished area. Request photos and an itemized record of what was removed and cleaned. Homeowners insurance sometimes covers this work, and your insurer may ask for those records.
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
Ask any company how its work follows OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, and the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup, then look up its registration yourself in the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) tool called Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business. Our guide, Biohazard Cleanup Certifications Explained, walks through what those names mean and what to look for.
Blood cleanup in Kent
Kent is an incorporated city, so city departments handle local permits. If removing damaged flooring or drywall leads to repairs, Economic and Community Development runs the city’s Permit Center and is the place to ask about permits.
When you contact a company, give the exact address and a clear description of the building or vehicle. Saying the property is near the accesso ShoWare Center arena or the Green River Natural Resources Area, a wildlife sanctuary with trails and bird-viewing towers, can help a company confirm the location. Companies based elsewhere in the region may travel by I-405 and SR 167, which together form the only north-south highway alternative to I-5 in the Puget Sound region, running from Lynnwood to Sumner.
For questions about waste rules, Public Health – Seattle & King County2 runs programs on Biomedical waste, for businesses that generate it, and on Solid waste disposal. Its main phone number is 206-296-4600. For a wider view of services across the county, see the King County page or the Kent overview.
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.