A lasting odor after a death, a hoarding situation or a sewage backup in Port Orchard goes away only when an independent cleanup company finds and removes what is causing it, then deodorizes and checks the result. Biohazard Network connects you with an independent local company that does this work; we do not clean anything ourselves, and you hire the company directly.
If you are dealing with this after a loss, or while helping a parent or a tenant, it is normal to feel overwhelmed. This page explains the steps in plain terms so you know what to ask.
What odor remediation means
Odor remediation is the process of finding the source of a smell and removing it, rather than hiding it. The source may be a biohazard, meaning material that can carry germs that cause disease, such as blood or other body fluids. It can also be animal waste, smoke residue, or sewage that has soaked into a floor.
Why fragrance and household cleaners fail
Sprays, candles and scented cleaners add a new smell on top of the old one. The source stays in place, so the odor returns when the fragrance fades. The Washington State Department of Health1 (DOH) gives the same kind of advice about mold: do not paint or caulk over it, because covering a problem does not remove it.
Why some materials may have to come out
Porous materials are materials full of tiny openings that soak up liquid, such as carpet, carpet pad, drywall and wood subfloor. Once fluid or sewage soaks through them, cleaning the surface cannot reach what is underneath. In those cases the company may need to cut out and replace the affected sections before any deodorizing can work.
What happens first
A medical examiner is a public official who investigates certain deaths; this office investigates all sudden, unexpected, or unnatural deaths in Kitsap County. Scene release means the investigating office, or police, have told you they are finished and the home can be entered and cleaned. You can reach the office at 360.731.6843. Personal property the office secures is released to the funeral home with the body, and its family Resource Guide states that it does not endorse or recommend any specific providers. Our unattended death cleanup page covers that situation in more detail.
Until a company arrives, try not to scrub, spray or move affected items. If a home has rodent droppings, DOH2 says not to stir up dust by vacuuming or sweeping. You do not need to sort belongings or start removing anything yourself.
What to expect from the company you hire
Cleanup workers wear protective equipment such as gloves, suits and respirators. Ask how the company will set up containment, which means sealing off the work area so dust and contaminants do not spread to the rest of the home. Next comes removal of affected materials, then disinfection, which means using products that kill germs on the remaining surfaces. Deodorizing should begin only after the source is gone, and the company should then check the result. Ask how they confirm the odor is gone before they call the job finished.
Washington law defines biomedical waste as a specific list of waste types, including discarded human blood and items containing free-flowing blood, and sharps waste such as used needles and syringes. In Kitsap County, hauling biohazardous or biomedical waste is regulated by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) and the Kitsap Public Health District3, and companies need UTC approval and a KPHD Solid Waste Hauling Permit. The district also issues a separate KPHD Site Restoration Hauler permit for companies that haul site waste away in their own equipment, so ask which permit covers what leaves your home. Ask, too, for written records and photos you can share with your insurer.
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 works4. 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
Before you hire anyone, ask whether the company follows OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, “Bloodborne pathogens,” and the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup, written by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), a non-profit organization for the inspection, cleaning and restoration industries. You can then look the business up yourself in the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) tool called Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business, and our certifications guide explains what to look for.
How long odor remediation takes
No honest company can give a set time before it sees the home. These things make the work longer:
- How long the source was there. The longer it sat, the deeper it can reach into the structure.
- Porous materials. Carpet pad, drywall or subfloor that has to be removed adds steps.
- Ventilation. Closed rooms with little air movement can hold odor in walls and fabrics.
- Belongings. In a home where a person hoards, sorting what to keep and what the person decides to let go comes before odor work. See our hoarding cleanup page.
- Restoration. If flooring or walls must be rebuilt, that is a second stage. Our restoration overview explains how the two fit together.
For sewage, sooner is better: DOH1 says to clean and dry water-damaged carpets, bedding and upholstered furniture within 24 to 48 hours, or consider replacing them. Our sewage and biohazard waste page covers backups. Ask the company for a written plan with each step listed, rather than a promised finish date.
Odor remediation in Port Orchard
Port Orchard is an incorporated city, so its Department of Community Development is responsible for land use planning, permitting administration, building and fire permits, and code enforcement. If walls or subfloor will be rebuilt, ask the company whether a building permit is needed. Landlords facing a code question about a unit can also start there.
For health questions, the Kitsap Public Health District3 lists a Mold program, a Water Pollution Identification & Correction program for sewage spills, and a Drinking Water & Onsite Sewage program for homes on septic systems.
When you describe your location to a company, a landmark can help, such as Port Orchard Marina Park, the waterfront park between the Lot 2 parking lot and the Bay Street Pedestrian Path, or the Port Orchard Ferry Dock, where the Kitsap Transit foot ferry crosses to Bremerton. If a company is based in Jefferson County, it may come over the SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge, a 7,867-foot floating bridge that can drop to single-lane, one-way alternating traffic for repairs, so ask how that affects arrival. More local details are on our Port Orchard page and Kitsap 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.
- Kitsap County Medical Examiner (opens in a new tab)After a sudden or unexpected death, cleanup waits until this office is done.
- Kitsap Public Health District (opens in a new tab)For local health questions, such as a home that was used as a drug lab.
- Kitsap Public Health: permitted waste haulers (opens in a new tab)Cleanup companies that haul away waste here need this permit.
- 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.