A lasting odor after a death, a hoarding situation or a sewage backup in Olympia is removed by an odor remediation company that finds the source, takes out the materials holding it, and only then deodorizes. Biohazard Network can connect you with an independent local company that you hire directly; we do not do the cleanup ourselves.
If you are facing this now, you do not have to solve everything today.
What odor remediation involves
Odor remediation means finding and removing the cause of a smell, then treating the space so it does not return. Air fresheners, candles and household cleaners only cover an odor for a while, because the cause is still there.
A lasting odor settles into porous materials, which soak up liquids and air: carpet, carpet pad, drywall, upholstered furniture and wood subfloor. Surface cleaning cannot reach what has soaked into those layers, so some materials may have to come out. The Washington State Department of Health1 (DOH) says not to paint or caulk over mold, and the same idea applies to any odor source: covering it does not end it.
Common sources include:
- An unattended death, where fluids may reach flooring layers below the surface (unattended death cleanup in Olympia).
- A home where a person hoards, where belongings, animal waste or spoiled food may hold odor. The person living in the home, or the family, decides what to keep and what to let go (hoarding cleanup in Olympia).
- A sewage backup that has soaked into flooring or walls (sewage and biohazard waste cleanup in Olympia).
- Smoke, which may also call for restoration work.
What happens first
If someone died in the home
A coroner is the official who investigates deaths that the law assigns to the county. Washington law, RCW 68.50.010, places certain deaths under the county coroner or medical examiner, beginning with sudden deaths of people in apparent good health who had no medical attendance in the 36 hours before death. In Thurston County that office is the Thurston County Coroner’s Office2, led by an elected coroner, which investigates sudden, violent, unexpected and suspicious deaths. You can reach it at (360) 867-2140.
Leave the area as it is until the scene is released. Scene release means police or the coroner’s office has finished and tells you the property can be entered and cleaned. Deputy Coroners are in contact with families and help with answers about the death and next steps toward final arrangements.
If there was no death
Keep children and pets out of the affected rooms. Opening windows brings in fresh air but does not remove the source. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) tells renters not to throw damaged things away yet, because the insurer may want to inspect them. If you find rodent droppings, DOH3 says not to stir up dust by vacuuming or sweeping, and notes that a dust mask does not protect against viruses.
What to expect from the company you hire
Ask each company to walk you through its plan, step by step:
- Protective equipment and containment. Containment means sealing off the work area so contamination does not spread to other rooms. Where blood is involved, protective gear guards workers against bloodborne pathogens, which are germs carried in blood that can cause disease.
- Removing the source. Affected porous materials are taken out, down to the subfloor if needed.
- Disinfection, which means using products that kill germs on the surfaces that remain.
- Deodorizing last. Odor treatment comes only after the source is gone; ask whether anyone must stay out of the home during it.
- Checking the result. Ask how the company will confirm the odor is gone before floors or walls are closed up.
- Lawful disposal. Biomedical waste is a legal term that state law limits to listed types, such as discarded human blood and sharps waste like needles and syringes. A company collecting and transporting biomedical waste must keep it separate from other waste under an operating plan, and hauling solid waste for pay requires a certificate from the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission. Ask who will haul the materials away.
- Records. Ask for photos and a written list of what was removed. The OIC4 says you can ask your agent or insurance company 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
Before you hire, ask how the company’s work follows OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, and the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup from the IICRC (the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification, a non-profit for the cleaning and restoration industries). You can also look up the business yourself with the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) tool called Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business, and the certifications guide explains what each of these means.
How long odor remediation takes
No one can give a firm time before the source is found. These things can make the work take longer:
- How long the source was there. The longer fluids, moisture or smoke sat, the deeper they may have gone.
- Porous materials. Each layer that must come out adds steps, and hidden damage may only show once work starts.
- Ventilation. Closed rooms with little airflow can hold odor longer.
- Restoration. Removed flooring and walls need rebuilding, which may be a separate job.
- Waiting on others. A pending scene release or an insurance inspection can affect when work starts.
Odor remediation in Olympia and Thurston County
Olympia is an incorporated noncharter code city, home to the Washington State Capitol Campus and St. Peter Hospital. Its county health agency is the Thurston County Public Health & Social Services Department, at 360-867-2500. Three of the department’s programs fit odor problems:
- Mold & Ventilation, part of the Healthy Homes program, offers information only; it does not take mold complaints or do testing or inspections.
- Septic Systems is the program for on-site sewage.
- Wastewater - Water Quality Resources is a resource page that lists sewer providers, including Olympia.
Thurston County’s transportation system has more than 1,027 miles of roadway and 150 bridges, and downtown Yelm backs up when drivers divert around I-5. When you contact a company, ask where its crew is based and when it can reach your address. For more, see biohazard cleanup in Olympia and across Thurston County.
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.
- Thurston County Coroner (opens in a new tab)After a sudden or unexpected death, cleanup waits until this office is done.
- Thurston County Public Health and Social Services (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.