When someone died alone
Unattended death cleanup in Fresno
If a person died at home and was not found for days or weeks, the room needs more than cleaning. Body fluids soak in and the smell stays.
Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
The coroner comes first
In Fresno County, the Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner looks into deaths that are not natural, and deaths where no doctor who treated the person can give a cause. That includes many deaths found late. A deputy coroner is assigned to the case, and the family can reach them through the office.
Cleanup can begin once the coroner and any police agency have finished. Personal property the coroner took is released to the funeral home when it picks up your relative.
Why it is not a job for a mop
Fluids go deep
They pass through carpet into pad and subfloor, and into mattresses and upholstered chairs. Surface cleaning leaves the source behind.
Odor follows the source
Air fresheners and sprays only cover it. The smell fades when the soaked material is gone and the surfaces under it are treated.
Insects and waste
Workers wear suits and respirators, and the waste is handled as medical waste. That protects you and the next people who live there.
Until the company arrives
- Keep the door to the room closed and stay out.
- Don't run fans into the room or open it to air out.
- Don't throw things away yet. Some may matter to the estate or to family.
- If you rent the home, tell the landlord or property manager.
Questions
Who pays when the person lived alone?
Often the estate, the property owner's insurance or the landlord. It depends on who owns the home and the policy. See who pays.
Can the smell be removed completely?
Ask the company how they will find where fluids reached, what they will remove, and how they check the room afterward.
How do I reach the deputy coroner?
Call the Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner at (559) 600-3400 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and give your relative's name.
Other situations
- Crime scene cleanupAfter a homicide, assault or other violent event at home, once police release the scene.
- Suicide cleanupQuiet, careful cleanup so the family does not have to go back into the room.
- Blood cleanupBlood or body fluids from an injury, a fall or an accident at home.
- Hoarding cleanupPacked homes where animal waste, human waste or spoiled food has become a health problem.
- Disinfection after illnessAfter a long illness or death at home, where body fluids reached floors, bedding or furniture.
- Vehicle cleanupBlood or body fluids inside a car, truck or van.
When you are ready
One call, then a plan you can say yes or no to
You do not have to clean this yourself, and you do not have to decide anything tonight. If the home has been released, a company can talk you through the next steps.
Talk it through with a cleanup company
Say what happened and where. The company will tell you what it would do and what it needs from you. Nothing is agreed until you say so.
Call (559) 555-0101Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Calls may be recorded. Read the referral disclosure and the privacy policy.