Unattended Death
Cleanup Services

An unattended death is one of the few situations where the passage of time itself creates the hazard. Within days, decomposition releases fluids and gases that move downward and outward through whatever is beneath them. Carpet and pad absorb first, then subfloor, then the joist cavity below. On upper storeys, fluid frequently reaches the ceiling of the room underneath before anyone realises the extent of it. What is visible on the surface is almost never the full boundary of the affected area.

Odour behaves the same way. The compounds produced during decomposition are small, persistent and bond readily to porous material — drywall, insulation, upholstery, timber, ductwork. This is why air fresheners, ozone machines used alone, or replacing the carpet on its own fail so consistently. The smell returns within days because the source was never removed, only covered. Effective treatment means finding every material that has absorbed contamination, taking it out, and then treating what remains.

Our work begins once the scene has been released by the coroner or medical examiner. We assess how far contamination has travelled, including below floor level and behind baseboards, and mark a containment boundary before anything is disturbed. Affected porous materials are cut out and removed as regulated waste with a documented chain of custody. Structural surfaces are cleaned, treated with hospital-grade EPA-registered disinfectants at correct dwell times, then addressed for odour using vapour and hydroxyl treatment rather than masking agents.

We verify before we hand back. That means confirming the affected boundary has been fully removed, the area reads clean, and the odour has not simply been suppressed. You receive written documentation of the scope, the materials removed and the products used — the paperwork a landlord, estate executor or insurance adjuster will ask for, and which is difficult to reconstruct after the fact.

Most people calling us have just been told something no one prepares for, often by a police officer standing in their doorway. You do not need to be at the property, and you do not need to look at it. Give us access and a point of contact, and we will handle the rest and keep you updated by phone.