Knoxville and nearby East Tennessee towns
Biohazard and crime scene cleanup in Knoxville
After a death, a violent crime or a bad injury in a home or a car, the cleanup should not fall to the family. Call this number and you will speak with an independent bio hazard cleanup company that works in Knoxville and the towns around it.
Reachable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Houses, apartments and vehicles
- The work is done by an independent company
- You agree to nothing on the first call
Situations
What happened?
Pick the closest match. Each page covers the first steps and the questions to ask.
- Crime scene cleanupAfter a homicide, an assault or another violent crime, once police hand the home back.Read more
- Unattended death cleanupWhen a person died alone and days passed before anyone knew.Read more
- Suicide cleanupQuiet, careful cleanup so the family does not have to face the room.Read more
- Blood and bodily fluid cleanupAfter an injury, a fall or a sudden illness at home.Read more
- Hoarding cleanup with biohazardsHomes with animal or human waste, rodent droppings or spoiled food.Read more
- Disinfection after illnessDisinfecting rooms and surfaces after a serious illness in the home.Read more
- Vehicle cleanupBlood or other fluids left in a car, pickup or van.Read more
The work itself
What the cleanup crew actually does
The crew works in protective suits, gloves and respirators. They take out what cannot be made safe, such as soaked carpet, padding or a mattress, and seal it in marked containers for disposal as medical waste. Then they clean and disinfect what stays.
Blood can carry hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV (OSHA). Household cleaners and a mop are not enough when fluids have soaked into floors or furniture, and no one in the family should have to do it.
Knox County
Who else is involved, and how to reach them
The medical examiner
The Knox County Regional Forensic Center handles sudden and unexplained deaths in Knox, Blount and Anderson counties. Its business office answers at 865-215-8000, 8:00 to 4:30 on weekdays.
You choose a funeral home, and the funeral home collects your loved one from the center.
Knoxville Police
Ask the officer at the scene when the home will be released. Afterwards, Knoxville Police take non-emergency calls at 865-215-4010.
Keep the case or report number. You will need it for insurance and for victim compensation.
Victim compensation
Tennessee's Criminal Injuries Compensation fund can consider cleaning costs when a violent crime happened in the victim's home. The crime has to be reported to police within 15 days.
Who pays for cleanup explains the rest.
How it works
What happens when you call
You call
Any hour. A person answers, or you may hear a short recorded greeting before you are put through.
A local company answers
It is an independent biohazard cleanup company that works around Knoxville. Describe what happened, which rooms or which vehicle, and whether the scene has been released.
You ask your questions
How they protect the rest of the house, what they remove, how waste is disposed of, and how the price is worked out. Ask for the price in writing.
You decide
Hire them, take time to think, or call someone else. No one can start work without your say-so.
Nearby
Towns around Knoxville
Each page names the police department and the medical examiner for that town.
Questions
Before you call
Who will I be speaking to?
An independent biohazard cleanup company that works in the Knoxville area. This site does not employ cleaners. The company explains what it would do and how it prices the work, and you decide whether to hire it.
Can I call before the police or the medical examiner have finished?
You can call to ask questions, but no cleaning can start until the scene is released. If you are not sure whether it has been, Knoxville Police take non-emergency calls at 865-215-4010.
Does the phone get answered at night and on weekends?
Yes, someone picks up 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, holidays included.
Will the cleanup company tell anyone what happened?
Ask them directly. Most people want unmarked vehicles and a quiet arrival, and it is reasonable to ask for both.
Are bio hazard cleanup and crime scene cleanup different things?
Crime scene cleanup is one kind of biohazard work. The same companies also handle unattended deaths, blood from an injury, hoarding with waste, and vehicles.
Call whenever you feel ready
You do not need to know the right words or have a plan. Say what happened, where it is, and whether the police or the medical examiner have finished. The company takes it from there, and the decision to hire stays with you.
Speak with a cleanup company
An independent company that works around Knoxville answers. Tell them what happened and where, then ask how they would handle it and how they price the job. The choice to go ahead is yours alone.
Call (865) 276-0393Reachable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Calls may be recorded; see the referral disclosure and privacy policy for details.