Unattended deaths
Unattended death cleanup in Arlington
When someone dies alone and is not found for a while, the room needs more than cleaning. Odor and fluids reach places you cannot see.
Answered 24 hours a day, every day of the year
Why it is more than a deep clean
Over days or weeks, fluids soak into mattresses, carpet, pad and sometimes subfloor or drywall. Odor follows the same path. Covering it with fragrance does not remove it.
A cleanup company removes the affected materials, treats what remains and checks the odor before it calls the job done. Ask how it will check, and what happens if the smell comes back.
In the Texas heat, air conditioning that was off or turned up can change how far things spread. Tell the company if you know the thermostat setting or when power was cut.
What happens first
Police and the medical examiner
A death with no doctor in attendance is reported. In Arlington the Tarrant County Medical Examiner investigates deaths without medical attention (office page).
The funeral home
The family chooses a funeral home and tells it the medical examiner is involved. Releases happen on weekdays only.
The home
Once the police say the home is released, you can arrange the cleanup. Keep doors and windows as the police left them until then.
Things to ask on the call
- Which belongings can be cleaned and which have to go.
- Whether they will set aside papers, photos and valuables for you.
- How the price is worked out, in writing, before they start.
- Whether the landlord or the insurer needs to see the room first.
Questions
Questions about this kind of cleanup
Can I go in to get documents first?
Ask the company before you do. They can bring out papers or keepsakes in a sealed bag so you do not have to enter the room.
Who pays when the person rented?
It depends on the lease and on the estate. The landlord page explains the Texas rule for a tenant who lived alone.
Other situations
Something else?
- Crime scene cleanupAfter an assault, a shooting or a homicide, once the police have finished with the home.Read more
- Suicide cleanupCareful work, so the family does not have to go into the room first.Read more
- Blood and bodily fluidsA fall, an injury or an illness that left blood on floors, walls or furniture.Read more
When you are ready, one call
There is no rush on your side. Call when the police have released the place and you want to know what the cleanup involves.
Talk it through with a cleanup company
You will speak with an independent company that works around Arlington. Ask how they would handle your situation and how they set the price. Nothing is booked until you agree.
Call (817) 803-8687Answered 24 hours a day, every day of the year
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