Blood and other bodily fluids in Lynnwood are cleaned up safely by a trained biohazard cleanup company that removes affected materials, disinfects what remains, and disposes of the waste through regulated channels. First, make sure everyone is safe, and if police or the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office1 are involved, wait until they release the area. Biohazard Network can connect 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 reading this after a fall, an injury at home or a medical emergency, you have already been through a lot. This page explains what the work involves, what to leave alone, and what to ask the company you hire.
What blood and bodily fluid cleanup involves
A biohazard is biological material, such as blood, that can make people sick. Blood can carry bloodborne pathogens, which are germs in blood that can cause serious disease when they get into another person’s body. That is why this work is treated differently from ordinary household cleaning.
Wiping up what you can see does not finish the job. Porous materials are surfaces that soak up liquid, such as carpet, carpet pad, upholstery, mattresses, drywall and unsealed wood. Fluid can travel into them and stay there long after the surface looks clean. A cleanup company is trained to find where fluid went and decide what can be cleaned and what has to come out.
This service fits smaller or contained incidents: an injury in a kitchen or bathroom, a medical emergency, a fall, or a death that was attended by medical staff. It also covers places other than homes, including cars, trucks, shops and offices. For larger or more complex scenes, see crime and trauma scene cleanup in Lynnwood.
If it happened at a business
Please do not ask employees to clean it up. Blood can carry disease, and the work calls for training and protective equipment that most staff do not have. Close off the area, keep customers and workers away, and contact a cleanup company.
What to do first, and what to leave alone
Get medical help for anyone who needs it. If a death was sudden or unexpected, the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office1 may become involved. That office determines the cause and manner of death of persons who die suddenly, violently, or unexpectedly while in apparent good health. You can reach an investigator at 425-438-6200; investigators are on duty around the clock.
When police or the medical examiner are involved, they control the area until they release it. Scene release means the officials have finished their work and say others may enter and begin cleanup.
Until a company arrives:
- Keep children, pets and visitors away, and close the door if you can.
- Do not throw away stained items or belongings. The company and your insurer may need to see them.
- Do not pick up sharps. Sharps are needles, syringes, lancets and blades that can cut or puncture skin.
- Call your insurance company. Homeowners insurance sometimes covers this work, so ask what records it wants.
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 works2. 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 exclude3.
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)4
The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office1 publishes a Biohazard Cleanup Services list. The office says the list is for convenience only and is not comprehensive, that being on it or left off it is not an endorsement or a disapproval, and that it does not take responsibility for the quality of any listed company’s work.
The cleanup process, step by step
Each company has its own methods, so ask it to walk you through its plan. The general steps look like this.
1. Assessment
The crew looks at the area to find every place fluid reached, including under flooring, behind baseboards and inside seat cushions. Ask for a written description of what they plan to do.
2. Containment
Containment means sealing off the work area, often with plastic sheeting, so nothing spreads to clean rooms. Workers wear protective equipment such as gloves, suits and eye protection.
3. Removal of porous materials
Materials that cannot be fully cleaned, such as soaked carpet pad or a section of drywall, are cut out and bagged. Ask the company to tell you before it removes anything you care about.
4. Cleaning and disinfection
Hard surfaces are cleaned and then disinfected. Disinfection means using products that kill germs, not just removing what you can see. If a smell remains after the source is gone, the company may do odor work; our page on odor remediation in Lynnwood explains more.
5. Disposal of biomedical waste
Biomedical waste, under Washington’s definition, includes discarded human blood, materials containing free-flowing blood, and sharps waste. It must be kept separate from regular garbage, and only authorized, properly trained people may collect and haul it. A company that hauls solid waste for pay needs a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission5. Ask who will haul the waste.
6. Final check
The crew inspects the area again before calling the job done. Ask for photos, a list of what was removed, and an invoice you can give your insurer.
Checking a company before you hire
Ask any company how its workers follow OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, and the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup from the IICRC, a non-profit organization for the inspection, cleaning and restoration industries. Then look the business up yourself with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) tool called Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business, and read Biohazard Cleanup Certifications Explained for more detail.
Blood cleanup in Lynnwood
Lynnwood is an incorporated city, so its Development and Business Services Department is responsible for permitting of land use and building projects and code enforcement. If removing drywall or flooring leads to repairs, ask the company or your contractor whether a city permit is needed.
For waste questions, the Snohomish County Health Department lists programs called Garbage & Waste, Hazardous Waste and Medicine Disposal. Its Everett main office phone is 425-339-5200.
Afternoon traffic often backs up on northbound I-405 near the I-5 interchange in Lynnwood. When you talk with a company, ask when it expects to reach the property.
For more on local resources, see the Lynnwood page and the Snohomish 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.
- Snohomish County Medical Examiner (opens in a new tab)After a sudden or unexpected death, cleanup waits until this office is done.
- Snohomish County Health Department (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.