Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee
Biohazard and crime scene cleanup in Nashville
After a death, a violent crime or a serious injury at home, someone has to deal with what is left behind. It should not be the family. One call connects you with an independent biohazard cleanup company that works in Nashville.
Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Situations
What happened?
Choose the nearest match. Each page explains what the cleanup involves and what to do first.
- Crime scene and trauma cleanupAfter a homicide, an assault or a serious injury, once police have released the scene.
- Unattended death cleanupWhen someone died alone and was not found for some time.
- Cleanup after a suicideCareful, discreet cleanup so no one in the family has to do it.
- Blood and body fluid cleanupBlood or other fluids on floors, furniture or walls after an injury or illness.
- Hoarding cleanup with biohazardsA crowded home where the clutter hides waste, needles or rotting food.
- Cleaning and disinfection after illnessRooms that need cleaning and disinfecting after illness or rodent droppings.
- Vehicle biohazard cleanupBlood or fluids in the seats, carpet or trunk of a car or truck.
How the call works
Four steps, one phone call
You call
A call-routing service answers and asks for your ZIP code and, briefly, what happened.
You are put through
The call goes to an independent cleanup company that covers your area. This site does not listen in.
They explain
The company describes the work, the timing and how they price it. Ask for the scope and price in writing.
You decide
Nothing is booked unless you agree. You can call another company, wait, or decline.
The work
What a biohazard cleanup company actually does
Crime scene and bio hazard cleanup is not housecleaning. Blood and other body fluids can carry disease, and they travel further into carpet, subfloor and drywall than they seem to. A cleanup company arrives with protective gear, takes out what cannot be saved and packs it as regulated waste.
- closes off the affected area so the rest of the home stays clean
- removes soaked carpet, pad, drywall or furniture
- cleans and disinfects the surfaces that remain
- treats odor at its source rather than covering it
- packs the waste and takes it away
Employers whose workers may be exposed to blood must follow OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard: an exposure control plan, protective equipment, training and hepatitis B vaccinations. That is one reason this belongs with a trained company and not a relative with a bucket.
Source: OSHA, Bloodborne Pathogens
Davidson County
Who else is involved after a death or a crime
Three offices and programs that tend to come up in the same week as the cleanup.
Davidson County Medical Examiner
Forensic Medical Management Services has run medical examiner services for Metro Nashville and Davidson County under an agreement since 1997. Office: 850 R.S. Gass Blvd., Nashville, (615) 743-1800, open to the public weekdays 8:00 to 4:30. An investigator and a medical examiner take death reports 24 hours a day.
Sources: Forensic Medical, Forensic Medical FAQ
Tennessee Criminal Injuries Compensation
Run by the Tennessee Department of Treasury as a fund of last resort for innocent victims of violent crime. When the crime happened in the victim's home or an eligible relative's home, it may consider costs of cleaning and removing materials, though not repairs or replacement.
Source: Tennessee Department of Treasury
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988. Available 24/7/365, and conversations are confidential.
Source: 988lifeline.org
Service area
Nashville and the towns around it
The line takes calls from 26 Nashville and Davidson County ZIP codes and from these nearby towns.
BrentwoodWilliamson CountyA Williamson County city on Nashville's southern edge, incorporated in 1969.ZIP 37027FranklinWilliamson CountyThe county seat of Williamson County.ZIP 37064, 37067, 37069
HendersonvilleSumner CountyA Sumner County city on the north side of Davidson County, incorporated in 1969.ZIP 37075GallatinSumner CountyThe county seat of Sumner County.ZIP 37066Mt. JulietWilson CountyOne of Wilson County's three cities, east of Nashville.ZIP 37122GoodlettsvilleDavidson and Sumner countiesA city that sits in both Davidson and Sumner counties, north of downtown.ZIP 37072Guides
Plain answers for a hard week
- Who pays for cleanupInsurance in general terms, Tennessee's Criminal Injuries Compensation program, landlords and estates.
- After a death at homePolice, the medical examiner, the funeral home, death certificates, then the cleanup.
- For landlords and managersA death, a crime or needles in a rental unit: staff safety and getting the unit back.
- How the referral worksWho answers, who does the work and how this site is paid.
- Questions and answersShort answers to the questions people ask most.
Questions
Before you call
Do I have to clean it myself?
No. Families in Nashville are not expected to clean up after a death or a violent injury. A cleanup company does it, and it is safer that way.
Can I call at night or on a weekend?
Yes. Calls are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Who does the cleanup?
An independent cleanup company that serves your ZIP code. This site is a referral service and does not send workers.
What will it cost?
That depends on the size of the area, what the fluid soaked into and how long before it was found. Ask for the scope and price in writing before work starts. Who pays covers insurance and Tennessee's victim compensation program.
Do the police or the medical examiner clean up?
No. They investigate. Cleaning afterwards falls to the owner or the family, who usually hire a company.
Whenever you are ready
There is no wrong time to call
Some families call the same evening. Others wait until after the service. Until then, close the door to the room and leave the cleaning to people with the right protection.
Speak with a cleanup company
The call is put through to an independent company that works in your ZIP code. Ask what the job involves, how they price it and when they could begin. Nothing is agreed until you say so.
Call (615) 916-5290Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Calls may be recorded by the call-routing service. Referral disclosure · Privacy