Often when we hire a professional cleaning service, it’s a matter of convenience. Whether preparing to host a company or being exhausted by extra hours at work, it is so nice to come home and find everything in order and the air smelling fresh. But for certain types of cleanups, a professional team is a necessity, not a convenience.
Biohazard cleanup crews are not for everyday work – they are there to help people who are struggling with a bad situation. Cleaning up certain types of messes by yourself can put your health at risk, not to mention run afoul of municipal codes. So when do you need to call a biohazard team? We’ll run down the types of situations that necessitate it.
Blood
No matter how it happened, bloodstains in the home or workplace are alarming. People who come in contact with spilled blood run the risk of exposure to a range of bloodborne pathogens, such as the virus that causes hepatitis or the bacteria that causes MRSA. Even if you know for sure that the blood is safe, the average person just doesn’t have access to the right tools to clean it away entirely. Any residue left behind can become a breeding ground for bacteria.
For that reason, OSHA has developed a series of protocols for cleaning up the blood. Professional biohazard teams are trained on these procedures, which involve assessing the damage, securing the area, using special cleaning agents to remove the blood, and then testing to make sure it is all gone.
Rodent infestation
Wild rodents can carry a whole host of scary-sounding diseases, including leptospirosis, Hantavirus, and salmonellosis. Anyone who comes into contact with a rodent’s urine, feces, or worse, corpse, is at risk. These diseases aren’t hugely common, but it’s better safe than sorry when dealing with a rodent infestation.
A biohazard team will not only remove all visible signs of rodents but also clean and disinfect the area so that new rodents won’t be attracted by a lingering smell that’s unnoticeable to humans. They are also trained to find and seal off potential sources of entry for these pests.
Viral Pathogens
The spread of infectious pathogens such as the coronavirus that is spreading across the globe requires special medical protective equipment when conducting coronavirus cleaning at sites that have been holding or have transported someone who is infected with COVID-19.
A biohazard team will be prepared with the equipment, include masks and protective gear, along with the disinfecting tools to quickly and efficiently sanitize areas as described above.
Drug lab
Returning a former drug lab to a healthy space requires extensive work, including proper ventilation at all times. The risks involved depend somewhat on the drug – meth, for example, is made with individual ingredients that are toxic in their own right; inhaling them even in the context of cleaning can cause intoxication or illness, and that’s not to mention the fire hazard!
Because every drug requires a different procedure for proper cleaning, it’s best to rely on professionals with specialized knowledge to clean any former drug lab thoroughly. You need to be sure that the remediation has both made the space healthy again and met state and federal guidelines for cleaning former drug labs.
Hoarded home
Every case is a little different, but it is not uncommon for people cleaning up a hoarded home to be exposed to all manner of animal droppings, rotting food, black mold, and broken glass. The structural stability of a hoarded property is often compromised by the long-time presence of damp detritus and the air quality is bad.
Professional biohazard teams tackling a hoard come prepared with air purifying masks, full-body protective gear, and puncture-resistant gloves. If you or a loved one is a hoarder, you will also appreciate that biohazard teams with experience in hoarding understand the need to be sensitive to the suffering of the homeowner during the process.
The day that you need to call for biohazard cleanup will surely not be your best day, but the people who do this work understand that. Part scientist and part confidant, a great biohazard professional will treat your situation with compassion and discretion as they go to work restoring the property. It may not seem like it at the time, but hiring a top-quality biohazard team is the first step toward regaining peace of mind after a challenging and stressful experience.