24/7 Emergency Service
Biohazard Remediation: When to Make the Call
3/13/2019 (Permalink)
A sewage backup caused biohazardous situation in this bathroom.
There are some things you can't clean up alone.
While no one likes to think of their own home as a biohazard, in extreme circumstances it may be emotionally traumatizing or physically unwise to tackle a cleaning job by yourself. In these cases, you need to consider hiring a biohazard remediation company; specialists trained to remove sources of contamination and return a home to a safe state.
Not sure why you'd ever need to make this kind of call? Here are three situations that might require a biohazard cleaner.
Animal infestation
You might discover this while doing a home renovation, or after a disaster like a fire or flood. It could be anything, such as a family of raccoons in your attic or a colony of mice living under your floorboards or in your ceiling. If enough animals are present or if they've lived in the space long enough, you may have a biohazard, which is defined as the presence of any biological substance which poses a threat to human or animal health. In this case, the animals will have deposited feces and possibly blood throughout the structure of your home, in addition to the bodies of deceased pack members. Cleaning up this kind of mess yourself puts you at risk for contracting a serious illness, such as hookworm or cryptosporidiosis.
Hoarding
As recent reality television programs delight in showing viewers, hoarding items in a home is not uncommon. If you or someone you know is a hoarder, you may need to assist in removing excess items from the home, which can be a major health hazard. Often, this is because hoarders neglect basic cleanliness in their homes, allowing sinks and toilets to become clogged and filthy. Garbage cans are never emptied, carpets are never vacuumed and food spills are never cleaned up. The result is a hazardous environment, one which you may not be able to fully clean on your own. Attempts to do so may spot-clean affected areas, but without the right products and experience you may not able to completely remediate the home.
Sewer backup
If the sewer line from your home to the municipal system backs up or overflows, you may want to call in a biohazard company. Waste matter in sewer lines -- everything from feces to urine to soiled toilet paper -- has the potential to carry disease, and when sewer water comes in contact with carpet or drywall the result is a sponge-like effect, where liquid and microorganisms are sucked up and trapped. Wading into this sewer water puts you at serious risk, and removing just the carpet or drywall may not address subfloor, framing or even foundation issues.