For families in Aurora and Denver
Cleanup after a suicide
No one in the family should have to clean the place where they lost someone. An independent company can do it quietly. Ask whether they can come in unmarked vehicles.
Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
What the cleanup company does
They work the same way as after any other traumatic death: removing what cannot be cleaned, disinfecting the rest and making sure nothing is left that the family might later find.
Ask them to set aside personal items, papers and photographs for you rather than throwing anything away. Ask about unmarked vehicles if privacy matters to you.
You do not have to be present. Some families hand over a key and come back when it is done.
A gentle order of things
Release
Police and the coroner finish their work first.
A quiet call
Say as much or as little as you want. The company needs the address and the rough area.
Personal items
Agree on what should be kept and set aside.
The cleanup
Done without you there, if you prefer.
Return
You come back to a room that has been cleaned and checked.
Cost
What moves the price
There is no flat rate for this kind of work. These are the things that change it.
How far it spread
Fluids soak through carpet into pad and subfloor and run under baseboards. The deeper it went, the more material is cut out and replaced.
How long it sat
Time changes the job. Odor sets into drywall and framing, and dried material is harder to lift than fresh.
The surfaces
Tile and sealed concrete clean up. Carpet, upholstery, mattresses and bare wood often have to go.
Waste handling
Contaminated material is bagged, boxed and hauled as medical-type waste, and the volume adds up.
Odor work
Some rooms need sealing, air scrubbing or ozone or hydroxyl treatment over several days.
Access and rebuild
Stairs, crawlspaces and vehicles take longer. Rebuilding after demolition is usually priced separately.
Questions people ask
Will neighbors know?
Ask the company whether it can arrive in unmarked vehicles and plain clothing. Privacy is a reasonable thing to request.
Is cleanup after a suicide covered by insurance?
It depends on the policy. Some homeowner and renter policies do respond. Call the insurer and ask directly. See who pays for cleanup.
Who will actually do the cleaning?
An independent cleanup company that serves your ZIP code. This line connects you; it does not send workers. Ask the company about its training, its waste hauling and its insurance before you agree to anything.
How is the price worked out?
Usually after someone has looked at the space, in person or from photos. Ask for a written scope that lists what will be removed, how it will be disinfected and how the waste leaves the property.
Other situations
- Crime scene and trauma cleanupAfter a homicide, an assault or a bad injury, once police hand the place back.
- Unattended death cleanupWhen someone passed away alone and was not found for some time.
- Blood and body fluid cleanupBlood or other body fluids on carpet, walls or furniture after an injury or illness.
- Hoarding cleanup with biohazardsA crowded home where waste, needles or spoiled food have built up.
- Disinfection after illness or droppingsRooms to clean and disinfect after an illness or a rodent problem.
- Vehicle biohazard cleanupBlood or body fluids in the seats, carpet or trunk of a vehicle.
Whenever you are ready
You can call now, or after the hardest days are behind you
There is no deadline on a phone call. Until then, keep the door to the affected room shut, keep children and pets out, and leave the cleaning to people with protective gear.
Speak with a cleanup company
The call reaches an independent company that works in your ZIP code. Describe the room, ask how they would handle it and how they set the price. Nothing is decided until you agree to it.
Call (720) 712-9117Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Calls may be recorded by the call-routing service. See the referral disclosure and privacy policy.