Sanford and Seminole County, Florida
Biohazard and crime scene cleanup in Sanford
After a death, a violent crime or a bad injury at home or in a car, the cleanup should not be left to you. Call this number to speak with an independent biohazard cleanup company that works in Sanford and around Seminole County.
Phones answered 24 hours a day, every day
- Homes, apartments and vehicles
- An independent local company does the work
- Whether to hire them is your choice
Photo: an illustration, not a real job or address.
If it happened today
Three things, in this order
Call 911 first
If someone has died or been hurt, police and the medical examiner's investigators need to see the place as it is.
Leave the room as it is
Do not move the person or start wiping up. Florida law puts the medical examiner in charge of the body in these deaths (s. 406.12).
Call once the home is released
Ask the officer when you can have the home or car back. Close the door to the room until then, and call this number when they say it is yours again.
What happened?
Pick the closest match. Each page covers the work itself and the questions worth asking first.
- Crime scene cleanupAfter a homicide, an assault or a break-in with injuries, once police release the home.
- Unattended deathWhen someone died alone and was found days or weeks later.
- Suicide cleanupHelp for the family with the room, and with what comes first.
- Blood and bodily fluidsInjuries, falls and illness that left blood or fluids on floors, walls or furniture.
- Hoarding with biohazardsA packed home with animal or human waste, rotting food or pests.
- Disease disinfectionCleaning after an infectious illness, with disinfectants matched to the germ.
- Vehicle cleanupBlood or fluids in a car, truck or van, including seats and carpet.
What the cleanup company does
Biohazard cleanup is not the same as housecleaning. Blood and other body fluids soak into carpet pad, drywall, mattresses and the gaps in tile floors. What you can see is often the smaller part of it.
- Looks at the room with you, or with whoever you send, and explains what has to go
- Wears protective suits, gloves and respirators, and seals off the area
- Removes soaked materials such as carpet, pad and drywall, and bags them as medical waste
- Cleans and disinfects what can stay, then checks for odor
- Gives you a written description of the work and the price before starting
Ask how the waste will be hauled. Florida's Department of Health registers the companies that transport medical waste. The guide on how a call works has more questions to ask.
Numbers for Sanford and Seminole County
In an emergency, always 911. For questions afterward, these are the offices to call.
- Sanford PoliceInside Sanford city limits
- (407) 688-5199
- Seminole County Sheriff's OfficeOutside city limits; ask for the on-call victim advocate on weekdays
- (407) 665-6650
- Medical examiner for Seminole CountyOffice in Leesburg; death investigations around the clock
- (352) 326-5961
- 988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineCall or text, any hour
- 988
Not sure which police agency covers your address? The officer who comes will know. Deltona and other Volusia County towns use different offices; see the Deltona page.
Who usually pays
Many families do not know these options exist. Ask about them before work starts.
Florida victim compensation
After a violent crime at the victim's home or in their vehicle, the state's Bureau of Victim Compensation can pay for crime scene cleanup. The crime has to be reported to police, and insurance is used first.
Home or renter's insurance
Some policies cover this kind of cleanup and some do not. Your agent or insurer can tell you what yours says and what records they want.
Landlord or estate
In a rented home, the owner usually arranges the cleanup of the unit. After a death, the person handling the estate may pay from it.
The guide on who pays for cleanup has the compensation program's deadlines, and explains how the sheriff's victim advocates help with the claim form.
Towns near Sanford
Pages for nearby towns, each with the police and medical examiner details that apply there.
Lake MaryLake Mary has its own police; the number to ask about a release is here.
Winter SpringsHow to reach Winter Springs police at any hour, and get the report you may need.
OviedoOviedo police dispatch, records hours and what to do after hours.
DeltonaIn Volusia County: a different sheriff and a different medical examiner.Before you call
Is the number answered at night and on weekends?
Yes. Phones answered 24 hours a day, every day.
Do I have to be at the house?
Not always. Many families ask a relative or the landlord to let the company in. Say so on the call and ask how they handle keys and photos.
Can I clean it up myself?
It is your home, but blood and body fluids can carry germs such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV (OSHA). Without protective gear and training, it is safer to leave it to a company that does this work.
Is bio hazard cleanup different from ordinary cleaning?
Yes. It means removing and disposing of materials that may carry disease, then disinfecting, with protective equipment. A carpet cleaner or maid service is not set up for it.
Call when you are ready
You will speak with an independent cleanup company that works around Sanford. Say what happened and where, ask what they would do and what affects the price, and take your time deciding.
Phones answered 24 hours a day, every day
Calls may be recorded. Details are in the referral disclosure and privacy policy.