Lakeland, Florida
Unattended death cleanup in Lakeland
When someone dies alone and is not found for a while, the room needs more than cleaning. A company that does this work can remove what was affected and deal with the odor.
Someone picks up 24 hours a day, every day of the week
Before anything else
Call 911. Florida law gives the district medical examiner charge of deaths that happen unattended by a doctor, suddenly in apparent good health, or in unusual circumstances (s. 406.11). In Polk County that is the District 10 Medical Examiner (Rule 11G-5.002).
The medical examiner's office takes the person into its care. After that, the police tell you when the home is yours again. Until then, keep doors closed and do not go into the room.
Leave the windows shut and the air conditioning as it is. Airing the room out pushes odor through the house, and the company will want to control the air itself.
What the work usually involves
Removing affected materials
Bedding, mattress, carpet and pad, and often flooring or drywall underneath, depending on how long it was.
Checking the slab or subfloor
If the house sits on a concrete slab, fluids that reach it need treatment and sealing before new flooring goes down.
Odor treatment
Odor clings to fabric and drywall and can enter the ductwork. Ask how the company treats it and how it checks the result.
Belongings
Ask what can be cleaned and returned, and what will be thrown out. You can set aside items to keep before work starts.
Questions worth asking on the call
- Will someone look at the room before giving a price?
- What is included, and what would cost extra?
- How is the waste taken away and disposed of?
- Who needs to sign, and who needs to let you in?
If you live far away, say so. Many families handle this by phone, with a neighbor, landlord or property manager opening the door.
Other situations
- Crime scene and trauma cleanupAfter a homicide, an assault or a serious injury, once the police have released the home.Read more
- Suicide cleanupCareful, private work so the family does not have to face the room.Read more
- Blood and bodily fluid cleanupFalls, injuries and illness at home, on floors, walls or furniture.Read more
- Hoarding with biohazardsAnimal or human waste and spoiled food inside a crowded home.Read more
- Infectious disease disinfectionDisinfecting rooms after illness, with registered products used as labelled.Read more
- Vehicle biohazard cleanupBlood or bodily fluids in a car, truck or van.Read more
When you are ready
Let someone else carry this part
You do not have to settle everything today. A company can explain the work and give you its price, then wait while you talk it over with family.
Speak with a cleanup company
The person who answers is with an independent company that does this work around Lakeland. Say what happened, ask how they would handle it and what it would cost. Nothing is booked unless you agree.
Call (863) 474-0772Someone picks up 24 hours a day, every day of the week
Calls may be recorded. How referrals are paid: disclosure. What is logged: privacy.