Faced with a situation where a person’s passing was discovered late? We are here to help, even in the most challenging cases. Our specialists provide a comprehensive sanitation service for spaces affected by decomposition, including the removal of contaminated materials, disposal of waste, old furniture, and clutter, thorough disinfection, and the elimination of decomposition odors. We use professional-grade cleaning solutions to restore a safe and hygienic environment.
Apartment Disinfection After Death
Each order is unique not only in terms of workload but also due to access conditions, preparatory efforts, final treatment goals, and client preferences. That’s why we create a customized plan for every property. With our additional service—a specialist visit for price estimation—the assessment fee is deducted from the total cost if you proceed with the service. Our expert evaluates the scope of work on-site and provides an accurate pricing estimate.
Biohazard Cleanup Service
What to Do If Someone Dies in an Apartment
- Coordinate access to the apartment if a person has passed away in a neighboring unit and their relatives have not been in contact for an extended period. In such cases, you can seek assistance from authorized police officers, the head of the housing authority, the chairman of the homeowners’ association, or the local government representative.
- Leave one of the apartment windows open to allow fresh air circulation. This will also enable any insects that may appear over time to exit freely without spreading throughout the building.
- Check if the apartment has running water and electricity, as well as the ability to turn them on or off. If electricity and water are unavailable, please inform us in advance.
- Take your time to decide what to keep and what to discard. We recommend clearing out the space as much as possible. It is essential to dispose of all items contaminated by decomposition, including clothing, curtains, upholstered furniture, and any textile materials.
What Not to Do Before Cleaning
- Do not delay the cleaning process after a death. Even a couple of days, especially in warm weather or with active heating, can significantly increase the scope of work and cause serious damage to neighboring apartments.
- Do not involve homeless individuals or people struggling with alcoholism in body removal or cleaning. Attempts to save money often result in a larger contaminated area due to improper handling, increasing health risks for both those involved and others nearby.
- If you decide to turn off the electricity, make sure there are no perishable items left in the refrigerator. Otherwise, either keep the refrigerator running or dispose of any perishable food to prevent spoilage and unpleasant odors.
- Do not cover decomposition residues or blood puddles with salt or throw rags on the floor. This is ineffective, complicates the assessment of the work required, attracts insects, and makes the cleaning process more difficult.
Completed Work
Post-Mortem Apartment Disinfection: Results
The extent of decomposition damage in an apartment is difficult to assess in advance, even with extensive experience in such cases. A small bloodstain on the floor may require removing the flooring, only to reveal that decomposition byproducts have contaminated several square meters of the subfloor. It is only after dismantling that it becomes clear whether fluids have seeped into the structural layers.
Complete odor removal can also be challenging if furniture, textiles, or other materials remain in the space, or if there are limitations on dismantling finishes.
We are often able to completely eliminate the effects of a body’s presence in a space. However, we always inform our clients in advance that cosmetic repairs may be necessary, and in some cases, a full renovation might be required.
In severe cases, our primary goal is to make the space safe for people and remove decomposition odors as much as possible, ensuring that builders can work comfortably and safely to complete the final restoration.
Apartment Cleaning After Death: Purpose of Treatment
Preparing an Apartment for Sale
The fact that someone has died in an apartment can significantly complicate its sale or drastically reduce its market value. In our experience, there have been cases where, due to the belief that decomposition odors cannot be fully eliminated, apartments were sold for 5–7 times less than their market value without proper post-mortem cleaning.
We are also frequently contacted by new property owners who have purchased such apartments at a significant discount and need professional cleaning to fully restore them.
The fact that someone has died in an apartment is difficult to conceal. Therefore, post-mortem cleaning for the purpose of selling the property focuses on eliminating critical issues in a way that presents the space in the best possible condition. The goal is to make the apartment suitable for renovation and future living, ensuring it does not cause discomfort for potential buyers while maximizing its market appeal.
Preparing an Apartment for Renovation
The optimal approach to post-mortem cleaning is when a comprehensive renovation is planned afterward. In this case, any additional procedures needed for thorough cleaning also serve as preparatory work for the upcoming renovation, ensuring a more efficient and seamless restoration and odor elimination process.
For the complete removal of decomposition effects, the space must be cleared of all furniture and interior items, and any flooring contaminated by decomposition byproducts must be partially removed. Even with these measures, hidden secondary sources of odor often remain, embedded deep within materials.
Decomposition odors can penetrate woodwork, finishes, and flooring materials, making them difficult to eliminate entirely without specialized treatment. A rational combination of material removal and professional treatment ensures that by the time renovation begins—or even immediately after dismantling—the apartment will be free of contamination, unpleasant odors, and health hazards.
Property Preservation While Awaiting Heirs
Situations where a lonely person passes away at home, and their death is only discovered due to decomposition odors, are unfortunately not uncommon. In such cases, neighbors are often the most affected and, in many instances, become the ones requesting cleaning services. However, even with authorized access to the apartment, there is no legal right to dispose of belongings or dismantle anything without the permission of the heirs. Any cleaning or restoration work must be done within legal boundaries until ownership is officially transferred.
For such situations, we follow a specialized post-mortem cleaning protocol designed to eliminate the impact on neighboring apartments and secure the property until the heirs arrive. This process includes: complete disinfection of the entire apartment, sanitization and sealing of ventilation, plumbing, and other systems that could spread odors or insects, pest extermination to eliminate any infestation, full property sealing to maintain a safe and contained environment. This ensures that the apartment remains in a safe condition for the surrounding residents while awaiting legal proceedings.
Why Is Disinfection Necessary After Death?
What Are Cadaveric Poisons?
Cadaveric poisons (ptomaines) are toxic organic compounds formed during the incomplete breakdown of proteins in a decomposing body. These substances emerge as a result of putrefactive processes.
Among the primary ptomaines, neurin is the most toxic—just 2 grams of this compound can cause respiratory failure, heart rhythm disturbances, and even death in a healthy adult. The presence of ptomaines in the air is what gives it the characteristic “cadaveric odor.”
Safety Guidelines When Entering an Apartment Where Someone Has Died
- Avoid direct contact – Do not touch anything with bare hands unless absolutely necessary. Wear gloves, protective goggles, and a respirator.
- Practice proper hygiene – After leaving the apartment, thoroughly wash your hands with soap and disinfect them.
- Use tools for handling contaminated items – Utilize plastic bags, shovels, dustpans, or other available tools to handle affected materials safely.
Risk Factors Associated with a Decomposing Body
The dangers posed by human decomposition can be divided into three main categories:
- Cadaveric Odor – In addition to ptomaines, decomposition releases hazardous chemicals and gases such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, methane, and phenols. Exposure to these fumes can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, weakness, and even loss of consciousness.
- Risk of Infectious Diseases – Even if the deceased was healthy, improper handling of remains poses a risk of infection from Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridial bacteria (botulism, tetanus), and fungal diseases. Additionally, the deceased may have had hepatitis, tuberculosis, or HIV, increasing the risk of transmission.
- Insect Infestation – Certain fly species can travel up to 20 km in search of protein for their larvae. A decomposing body attracts not only maggots and flies but also cockroaches, moths, and other insects. These pests spread decomposition residues onto clean surfaces and can transmit salmonellosis, shigellosis, dysentery, and other intestinal and viral infections.
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Each case is unique, so an individual work plan is created for each property based on the treatment goal—whether the apartment is being prepared for renovation, neighbors are affected by decomposition odors, or specific client requests such as removing furniture, dismantling wallpaper and tiles, cleaning cable channels, or washing windows. However, disinfection is always a mandatory part of the process.
The cost of the treatment is calculated strictly based on the agreed scope and volume of work. Typically, the service includes removing furniture, debris, and clutter, dismantling contaminated flooring, disinfecting, and deodorizing the space. The final price is significantly influenced by the amount of accumulated clutter and the floor area requiring removal.
For example, a 12 m² room filled halfway with debris contains approximately 16 m³ of waste. Collecting, carrying, and loading this volume into a truck would require three Ford F-750 dump trucks or two Mercedes-Benz Arocs dump trucks for disposal.
You can also request an on-site price assessment by a specialist, with the assessment cost deducted from the final treatment price.
The sleeping area where the body was found—whether a bed or a sofa—must be disposed of! It is impossible to properly sanitize the space without removing it, and treating the bed or sofa for safe future use is not feasible.
However, not all furniture needs to be discarded. The more the apartment is cleared, the higher the chances of fully eliminating decomposition odors.
Post-mortem apartment cleaning is a labor-intensive process, requiring 25–30 person-hours of work. When multiple specialists are involved, the treatment typically takes 6–10 hours. However, in complex cases, it can extend to 2–3 days, depending on the extent of contamination and necessary procedures.
If the concern is about decomposition odor affecting neighbors or the building, this issue can almost certainly be resolved with near 100% effectiveness.
Regarding the odor inside the apartment where the body was found, it will significantly decrease after treatment. However, whether it will completely disappear or remain imperceptible to individuals with varying sensitivities to smells cannot be guaranteed, even with years of experience and direct assessment on-site.
For such situations, we have developed a specialized treatment method targeting both the apartment where the body was found (if access is available) and neighboring units. This process is designed to eliminate secondary sources of decomposition odor, ensuring that it does not continue to spread or cause discomfort to others.
Other Services
Pest Control
This service is essential in cases where flies, cockroaches, bedbugs, ants, wasps, hornets, and other insects have infested the premises. The key feature of pest control treatment is the use of specialized professional equipment and proven insecticides, carefully selected based on their active ingredients, exposure time, and dosage to ensure maximum effectiveness.
Handyman Services
If you need assistance with renovation work, our team can help dismantle built-in wardrobes and niches, remove wallpaper, wash off ceiling whitewash, take apart flooring, disassemble window frames, interior and entrance doors, as well as remove shower cabins, bathtubs, or toilets. Our staff includes qualified plumbers, electricians, and professional handymen ready to assist with any task.
Legal Assistance
If you need legal assistance with real estate matters, our lawyers will provide expert consultations on current laws, your rights, and any related concerns. They will prepare the necessary documents for compensation claims, property ownership registration, or inheritance procedures. Additionally, they can conduct real estate assessments and represent your interests in court proceedings.