Accidents and medical emergencies

Blood and body fluid cleanup in Las Vegas

Not every call follows a death. A fall in the bathroom, a kitchen injury, a nosebleed that would not stop, a medical emergency before the ambulance came: all can leave more than a household can safely deal with.

Call (725) 223-9153

Someone picks up 24 hours a day, every day

Can you clean it yourself?

Probably, if

it is a small amount, on tile, vinyl or another hard sealed surface, it came from someone in your own household, and you have gloves and a household disinfectant.

Think twice, if

it reached grout, unsealed concrete, wood flooring or the gap under a baseboard. It may look clean on top while more sits underneath.

Call someone, if

it soaked into carpet, a mattress or upholstery, there is a lot of it, it has been there more than a day, or you don't know whose it is.

Why blood is treated as a hazard

Federal workplace rules, OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard, exist because blood can carry hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. They require employers whose staff handle blood to have a written exposure plan, protective equipment, training and hepatitis B vaccination on offer.

A cleanup company works under those rules. A relative with paper towels does not have that protection, which is the plain reason to hand over anything beyond a small spill.

Disinfectant matters too. The EPA publishes lists of registered disinfectants, including one for products that work against bloodborne viruses, and says a surface must stay visibly wet for the full contact time on the label. A quick wipe doesn't do that.

Until help arrives

Keep feet out of it
Block the area with a chair or a closed door so nobody walks it through the house.
Leave soaked things where they are
Moving a rug or cushion spreads it. Don't put anything in the household trash or the washing machine.
Don't use a carpet machine or steam
Heat and water push blood deeper into pad and subfloor.
Note what was touched
Door handles, light switches, a phone, the route to the front door.

What the bill depends on

Surface: Hard floors cost less than carpet over pad or a second-floor subfloor.
Amount and age: Fresh and small is simple. Dried, large or several days old takes longer.
Rooms: A trail through a hallway and down stairs is priced differently from one spot.
Disposal: Anything that can't be cleaned leaves as regulated waste, and that is charged.

Blood cleanup questions

Paramedics left gloves, wrappers and pads behind. Is that normal?

Yes. Their job is the patient. Leave those items for the cleanup company, or pick them up with gloves and double-bag them if it is only a few.

Is a small job too small to call about?

No. Describe it. The company will say whether a visit makes sense or whether you can handle it.

Do they clean other body fluids too?

Yes. Vomit, urine and feces are handled in much the same way, especially where illness is involved.

Las Vegas valley, any hour

A phone call is enough to get started

You don't need to have every answer first. Questions are welcome before the home is released, before the insurer has replied and before you have decided anything.

Talk it through with a cleanup company

Tell them what happened, what kind of home it is and whether police or the coroner have finished. They will say how they would go about it and what they charge for. Whether to hire them is up to you.