Thermal

Crime Scene Cleanup Odors - Miasma

The death odor is not dangerous. Unethical cleaning companies will tell you that this odor is "dangerous." If it were dangerous, thousands of coroners' technicians, tens-of-thousands of morticians, pathologists, and Pharaoh's priests would have died shortly after taking up their trade.

The dangers from the death scene odor are in the human imagination; even our repulsion to this odor is learned. There is nothing instinctual about our sense of dread as it relates to the death scene odor. Top

Violent deaths usually involve a great loss of blood and tissue, OPIM (Other Potentially Infectious Materials). The loss of blood and tissue, the environmental conditions like Riverside's summer heat, and other circumstances will aid in the production of offensive death scene odors, miasma.

Sometimes miasma lingers because of poor ventilation, Sometimes miasma will linger because it has permeated porous materials; fabrics, paper, wood, and more.

We do our best to remove the odors associated with crime scenes and other death scenes. However, removing the source material will not always return the scene to its pre-incident condition for some time. Time and heavy ventilation, and removal of miasma permeated materials will help return the scene to a more "normal" condition.

We can apply chemicals to help increase miasma's departure from the scene, but even chemicals have their limits. Ask about our odor control policies and methods if this is a concern.

Narrative on Trauma and Emotinal Influences - Odors

In general, decomposition should be handled professionally because of its tendency to cause emotional trauma; not unlike a violent crime scene.

An unattended death followed by decomposition demands professional attention because of its horrific nature, its unforeseen hazards, and its emotional issues. Whether a crime scene cleanup, a suicide cleanup, or death by natural causes, a decomposed body will leave an extrodinary amount of fluid, tissue, and damage.

The material left behind has its own odors and appearances. It is difficult to explain the awkward cleaning tasks set by an unattended death.

An unattended death followed by decomposition is usually quite horrifying when first seen by the unsuspecting. The odors associated with a death scene strike one as nauseating. On a crime scene, odors add to the horrific appearance as the two become associated with one another.

Top

For a while, many people recall a death scene whenever a loose association is made to it. A male urinating while standing may associate the urine odor with the death scene. The acrid, acidic odors of urine resemble death scene odors because urine is contained in the death scene fluids. Entering a butcher shop will do the same, both visually and by olfaction.

Parosmia is the result, a distorted peception arising from real, airborne molecules triggering unpleasant memories.

As a psycho-somatic cue for the death scene's trauma inducing responses, the subject may easily recall the traumatic scene with a tightening of muscles and restricted vascular flow. This is in essence the fight-or-flight response of any animal when confronted by a threat, real or imagined.

It becomes obvious that children and others exposed to a death scene created by violence or decomposition may suffer emotionally later, which may be framed as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD ). Any decomposition death scene has the potential to do the same. Emotional cues are instilled by traumatic scenes, whatever their cause.

Besides homicides, suicides, and death by natural causes, any decomposition of the human body requires special consideration, special handling. Top

Don't wait -- call now.

Training and Education

Crime Scene Cleanup (IICRC)
Carpet Cleaning (IICRC)
Decontamination - Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (US Army)
Floor Inspection (IICRC)
Home Inspection - (AHIT) (IICRC)
Mold Inspection and Cleanup (NAMP)
Upholstery Cleaning (IICRC)
Water Damage and Restoration (IICRC)
AA, BA, MS

Why I clean crime scenes.

I am a professional cleaner, which means that I earn my living by cleaning crime and trauma scenes - - "niche cleaning." In this field of bio-hazard recovery, I clean after the traumatic loss of human blood, and I do it for money, lots of money when I can get it.

There are other reasons that I clean bloody scenes, less material reasons; for certain, i enjoy being my own boss and making almost all the meaningful decisions in my life, and then there's much more to this 24/7/365 life of middle-of-the-night marathon deep cleaning amidst blood, gore, filth, stink, expense, and biohazards.

Trauma cleaning challenges my imagination at times, and at times my Will to move forward.

I often ask myself, "Where do I begin and how should I move forward as I remove bloody debris?" "Can this be cleaned?"
Top
It is best to first make some sense out of the violent act that lead to the crime scene's distortion of the "normal." This way I can map out where I know that I need to clean. I anticipate the breadth and depth of blood and other human effluents to be cleaned. I know too that in the last hours of cleaning, I will find debris previously missed and out of the scope of my initial survey of the debris field.

It is not that I "miss" any blood or such, but that cleaning means to clean and re-clean, and to revisit the scene from different perspectives and with "new eyes" after taking some time out for a personal debriefing. This process helps me to recognize and clean blood contaminated furnishings, mattresses, walls, clothing, fans, books, electronics, dishes, and . . . toys. Knowing the whereabouts and movement of the perpetrator and victim(s) helps to at least limit the scope of cleaning, usually.

I initially wear organic filters on my respirator to protect myself from the unseen, the unknown, and the horrendous odors related to crime and trauma scenes. Once the majority of blood and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) are disinfected, flushed, or "red bagged," I can take my respirator off and clean a little faster, but cautiously. This is the stage of cleaning where I transition from "tier three" cleaning to "tier two."

At tier two, the physical hazards should be gone, ninety-percent of the blood should be gone, and the scene should be safe to invite others to view the scene. Still, one never knows about "sharps" like syringes, knives, razors, rebar, broken glass, skull fragments and pieces of broken bone ("shrapnel") embedded in walls, ceilings, floors, and furniture. They may still be present in the beginning stages of "tier two" cleaning, "high tier two."

By "tier one," my job is nearly done. The scene will soon be safe for Molly Maid-like cleaning, safe for family members to begin cleaning, and safe for restoration contractors to restore what the violence destroyed and I destroyed.
Top
Carpet, floors, ceramic tile, linoleum, drapes, furniture, bedding, and more may need to be replaced. What I destroy must be destroyed. No one else should ever witness the offending object's defiled state, ever. This is why I clean, besides the money. I really do clean to help save others from experiencing the horrendous, the unimaginable violence and distortion of a crime and trauma scene.

When done cleaning, I gain a genuine sense of accomplishment. I know that I have returned a scene to something more "normal." I have relived others from this task because of my skills, abilities, knowledge, and my Will to overcome the horrific.

I know from experience that there is more to crime scene cleaning than money. The naive and unsuspecting, the inexperienced and sensitive may suffer from exposure to a crime and trauma scene.

I can help ease their pain by helping to restore the scene to a more biologically balanced environment. Besides helping others, I too benefit it seems. It is odd how life has its rewards in the least desirable places.

I hope these ideas have shed some insight into what I do, why I do it, and why others may not want to try cleaning crime and trauma scenes.

Ed Evans
Crime Scene Cleanup

888-431-7233

Thermal Crime Scene Cleanup

Why I clean crime scenes.