When someone dies alone and is not found right away, the home needs more than cleaning. Remedy Restoration removes every trace of decomposition, treats odor at its source and documents the work for insurance, 24/7 across Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties.
A few quick details. No obligation.
Need help immediately? Call 831-216-8283
Unattended death cleanup is the removal and decontamination of blood, body fluids and decomposition residue after a person has died and was not found for some time. It usually means removing affected flooring, subfloor or drywall, disinfecting the structure and eliminating odor at the source.
In California, this work must be done by a company registered with the California Department of Public Health as a Trauma Scene Waste Management Practitioner. Remedy Restoration is registered (TSW #711).
If you have just found someone, call 911 first. Law enforcement and the county Sheriff-Coroner will respond, and the funeral home takes care of the person. After the scene is released, the property becomes the family’s, the executor’s or the owner’s responsibility.
And stay out of the room as much as you can.
If it is safe to do so, so odor and particles are not pushed through the house.
Or throw anything away. Household cleaning spreads contamination and removed material is regulated waste.
We can usually be on site within two to three hours and you do not need to be there while we work.
For the full list of steps, from the coroner to death certificates, read our checklist for when someone dies at home in Monterey County.
Decomposition releases fluids that move through carpet, pad and wood into the subfloor and sometimes the joists below. The smell is not just in the air. It comes from material still inside the structure.
That is why air fresheners, ozone or a deep clean on the surface do not work. The only lasting fix is to find everything that was affected, remove it, disinfect what is left and then treat the odor.
Most residential jobs take one to three days once work starts. The biggest factor is the period of time before the person was found: after a few days, bodily fluids have usually reached the subfloor, and after a week or more the odor has moved into walls, ducts and soft furnishings. Larger affected areas mean more material to remove, and drywall, carpet or subflooring sometimes has to be cut out before the space can be properly cleaned.
All biohazard materials are bagged, sealed and removed from the property for licensed disposal. Nothing is left in the household trash or the garage.
Most calls come from family members who live out of the area, executors or landlords. You do not need to see the death scene again. We can work from a phone call and photos, give you a free quote in writing, and send before-and-after photos when the biohazard remediation is done. If you want personal items saved, tell us what matters: photos, documents, jewelry and keepsakes are set aside, cleaned where possible and returned to you.
For pricing, see our biohazard cleanup cost guide, and for coverage, what insurance and CalVCB pay for in California. If you are still working through the first steps, our guide on what to do when someone dies at home in Monterey County explains who to call and in what order.
We map how far material has traveled, which is almost always further than the visible area.
The room is sealed so nothing is carried through the rest of the home.
Flooring, subfloor, drywall and furniture that absorbed material are removed.
Remaining surfaces are cleaned and treated with hospital-grade disinfectant.
We treat the structure and the air once the source is gone, and we do not call it finished while odor remains.
Photos, documents and keepsakes are set aside on purpose. We tell you honestly what can be saved.
Waste is tracked to a permitted facility and you receive the records.
Many homeowner policies cover this work. For a rental, it is usually the property owner’s policy. When an estate is involved, the executor can often pay from the estate. We give you a written scope and cost before work starts.
Read more in our guides to biohazard cleanup cost and insurance for biohazard cleanup.
We work across Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties, with typical arrival in two to three hours.
Any time, day or night.
See also our death and suicide cleanup and odor removal services.
Sensitive cleanup requires more than equipment. You need a team that communicates clearly, protects your privacy, and follows proven safety protocols from the first call through completion.
Need help now? Call 831-216-8283
Established procedures guide every cleanup.
We explain the next step before work begins.
Your privacy and dignity stay protected.
Reach a real specialist day or night.
Quick answers about unattended death cleanup, timing and costs. Still have a question? Call us any time, day or night.
No. The Sheriff-Coroner is responsible for the person and the funeral home for what follows. Neither cleans the property. That falls to the family, the executor or the property owner.
It is not a good idea. There is a bloodborne pathogen risk, fluids reach the subfloor and wall cavities where household cleaning cannot, and anything removed becomes regulated waste.
Yes, once every contaminated material is removed and the structure is treated. Odor that remains means some source material is still there.
It depends on how long the death went undiscovered and how far fluids traveled. We confirm the timing in your written scope before work starts.
No. We can work from a key or lockbox and keep you updated by phone, with photos if you want them.
Often, yes. Most homeowner policies cover it as a sudden event, and for rentals it is usually the owner’s policy. We provide the photos, written scope and disposal records your adjuster needs.
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