How to Clean Up Blood Without Leaving a Trace

Cleaning up blood without leaving a trace is challenging due to its ability to stain fabrics, penetrate porous materials, and adhere to surfaces. Even if a surface looks clean, invisible traces of blood can remain, posing serious health risks. Blood cleanup isn’t just about appearance – it’s about safety. Improper handling can expose you and others to dangerous bloodborne pathogens. Whether you’re dealing with a minor accident at a daycare or handling an injury as a first responder, using the right techniques and products is crucial. Proper blood cleanup requires specialized knowledge, procedures and precautions to ensure a truly safe and clean environment.

Why: Removing All Traces of Blood

For people who have experienced a homicide, suicide, or other trauma with significant bloodspill in their home, removing all traces of the blood and other biological material is important for a few reasons:

• Emotional recovery. No one wants to be reminded of a family member, friend, or co-worker’s traumatic death or accident, especially in the one place that is meant to be a safe haven – home. Deciding how to clean up blood is an important step in emotional recovery.
• Sanitation. Being exposed to someone else’s blood can be dangerous because of potential bloodborne pathogens like HIV, MRSA, and hepatitis. If the blood is not completely sanitized, the bacteria that is left behind can create lingering odors and has the potential to infect current and future occupants.
• Property value. When significant blood is spilled in a home, business, or other property, the bacteria that is left behind can seep into carpet, padding, sub flooring, and walls, causing significant structural damage to the home or properties.
• Proper Biohazard Disposal is the Law. You can throw out a bloody tissue without a problem. However, a large blood cleanup project will require specialized disposal to prevent health-related risks. It’s not as easy as taking an old cell phone to a company that properly disposes of electronic devices. You have to have specific training and knowledge, plus the right equipment and permissions, to safely dispose of biohazards such as blood and bodily fluids. Biohazard companies like Aftermath carry the appropriate licenses to operate in all states, and our processes reflect the highest standards in rules and regulations concerning the handling of blood and other bio.

How: Blood Cleanup Process, Tools, and Considerations

Large blood spills (not your average nose bleed) should be remediated by a professional biohazard cleanup company, such as in situations of homicide, suicide or unattended death.

Proper blood cleanup often also involves specialized disposal procedures such as placing soiled items in doubled disposable red bags with “Biohazard” clearly marked, and giving them to a licensed infectious waste removal company. You can throw out a bloody tissue without a problem; however, a large blood cleanup project will require specialized disposal to prevent health-related risks. Here are more considerations when dealing with a blood cleanup scene:

1. Ask the right questions. How long has the blood been there? Blood that has sat for a while is harder to clean than fresh blood. How much blood is present? Large amounts of blood can be dangerous and nearly impossible to clean by yourself. What kind of surface was the blood spilled on? Porous materials like carpet and furniture may not be salvageable once contaminated with blood and may need to be disposed of.
2. Protect yourself. Because blood can carry diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis, it is important to wear personal protective equipment such as latex gloves and goggles during blood clean up or while cleaning up other bodily fluids.
3. Skip the bleach. Believe it or not, bleach is ineffective at completely removing traces of blood and can cause skin and eye irritation, destroy carpet and other furnishings, and disturb ecological balance.
4. Clean first, then sanitize. Cleaning up blood and sanitizing are not the same thing. Cleaning is the process of removing material from a surface, whereas sanitizing is completely ridding a surface of microorganisms. Therefore, even though a surface may be clean, it may not be sanitized, and harmful biological material may still be present.
5. Admit when you need help. As a general rule, if the bloodspill is larger than a standard dinner plate, you should avoid cleaning it on your own and call a bioremediation specialist for guidance on blood clean up.

What: Tools and Materials Needed For Cleaning Up Blood

Blood spills may require specialized equipment depending on the location and size of the spill, but most can be cleaned safely using the equipment recommended in Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s (OSHA) Bloodborne Pathogen Cleanup Kit. 

• Disposable gloves

• Disinfecting towelettes

• Hydrogen peroxide

• Biohazard bag with zip tie

• Protective cap

• Eye protection

• Protective gown

• Mask

• Registered disinfectant product with a broad spectrum kill claim

• Biohazard labels

• Leak-proof sharps containers

• Brush and dustpan or tongs/forceps

Who: Professional Blood Cleanup Companies

For families who have suffered a violent crime or serious accident in their home, it is not always clear who cleans up the blood left at the crime scene. Many families tackle this feat alone, or with the help of a few close friends. However, the burden of cleaning up after a homicide, suicide, or other trauma can be alleviated with the help and expertise of a crime scene cleanup company.

Professional Crime Scene Cleanup

If you have to ask, who cleans up the blood at a crime scene, chances are you are in a situation that can pose serious health and safety risks if not properly remediated. It is recommended that you not clean it on your own and instead reach out to a crime scene cleanup company for help.

The dangers of cleaning a crime scene on your own:

Crime scene cleanup involves removing other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) from a site and restoring it to a safe and sanitary state. Blood and body fluids fall into this category because of their ability to harbor pathogens such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B, hepatitis C, MRSA, and other diseases. OPIMs that are routinely found at a crime scene include semen and vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, and synovial fluid, among others. As a result, cleaning up the blood and body fluids at a crime scene requires:

• The use of personal protective equipment (PPE). PPE used at a crime scene usually includes gloves, respirators, masks, boot coverings, goggles, and biohazard suits.
• Proper training.A reputable crime scene cleanup company will offer onsite training for employees and can provide proof of job-specific OSHA training, bloodborne pathogen and PPE training, and medical waste handling/transporting training.
• Specialized sanitization.When cleaning up blood, a simple mop and bucket technique is not enough. Unlike a standard cleaning company, a crime scene cleanup company approaches blood cleanup with a full scientific process to fully remediate all potential bloodborne pathogens and blood stains.

With almost 20 years of experience, Aftermath is the nation’s leading crime scene cleanup company. On top of our expertise in biohazard cleanup, we are dedicated to easing the emotional trauma of those experiencing the aftereffects of a homicide, suicide, or unattended death in their home or place of business. Still have questions regarding who cleans up blood at a crime scene? We are available to answer your questions day or night.

How to Clean Up Blood from Hard Surfaces

1. Equip. Equip yourself with the protective materials: gloves are essential, and you may want to consider a gown and protective eyewear in case of any splashing.
2. Remove. Use the brush and dustpan or tongs/forceps to remove broken glass or other pointed shards that could break through your protective wear.
3. Clean Once. Cover the spill in durable cloth towels and use registered disinfectant product with a broad spectrum kill claim will not properly disinfect if the surface is still covered in blood.
4. Clean Twice. Pour most of the registered disinfectant product with a broad spectrum kill claim onto the area of the spill and let it soak for ten minutes. Once this time has elapsed, you should work from the outside toward the center while scrubbing the area with durable cloth towels.
5. Clean Thrice. Now, dampen some more cloth towels and treat the area of the blood spill once more.
6. Dispose. Dispose of PPE, towels and other contaminants into a biohazard bag. Double bag and securely tie up garbage bags and discard.
7. Decontaminate. Use the registered disinfectant product with a broad spectrum kill claim to decontaminate any reusable equipment. After you’ve allowed the registered disinfectant product to soak for 10 minutes, proceed to scrub the equipment and wash it off with fresh water.
8. Check. Do a last check of your body for any contamination.
9. Wash Hands. Thoroughly wash your hands and arms with warm water and disinfectant soap. After a vigorous washing, you may even want to consider using disinfectant wipes as a secondary measure.
   This process is for cleaning up small blood spills on hard surfaces. For larger spills or contaminated areas there are many reasons why hiring a professional blood cleanup company is a good idea.

This process is for cleaning up small blood spills on hard surfaces. For larger spills or contaminated areas there are many reasons why hiring a professional blood cleanup company is a good idea.