Picking up the Pieces

When a biohazard is present, a biohazard cleanup team of professionals is brought in to clean up the situation. When it comes to cleaning up a biohazard situation, usually the cleaning crew will go through four different steps with the goal of getting the space back to its original, or habitable, condition.

#1: Containment

The first step in the process is the containment process. During this process, the item that is presenting a biohazard is contained so that it doesn't spread or cause further damage. Any biological matter will be placed into the appropriate hazardous contain for disposal. Any blood or bodily fluid will be cleaned up. Any porous item that came into contact with the hazardous material, such as carpeting or a mattress, will be removed in a safe manner.

The point of this step is to stop the spread of whatever is hazardous and do basic cleanup.

#2: Sanitization

After basic cleanup and containment have been completed, it is time to move on to sanitization. Just cleaning things up doesn't mean that all dangerous pathogens have been removed. All dangerous pathogens have be to eradicated to make the area safe.

This is where special disinfectants and chemicals are used to ensure that the area is completely sanitized. These are usually hospital-grade chemicals that require special training and precautions to use. All pathogens are killed in this step, helping to make the space safe again. 

#3: Deodorization

Once the area is sanitary, then the biohazard team is going to focus on getting rid of any pungent and pervasive odors that are common at these types of scenes. Additionally, hospital-grade chemicals that are used to sanitize things can leave an unpleasant smell.

The deodorization process is used to get rid of any unpleasant smells and to hopefully get the place back to smelling more neutral and pleasant. This step can take some time and may be repeated as restoration takes place to ensure the space smells pleasant again. 

#4: Restoration

Finally, the area has to be restored. What that means can vary based on the hazard that was cleaned up. It may mean putting furniture back in place, or it may mean putting down new carpet and new paint. This step is about making the area habitable again and having it look like nothing happened.

If you have a biohazard situation, don't try to clean it up yourself. Hire a professional team that will know how to properly clean, sanitize, deodorize, and restore the space back to what it was. Contact a company that offers biohazard cleanup services to learn more.