Cleaning Helps Families Move On With Their Lives.

HAMILTON, Ohio -- Cleaning is often a dirty business, but sometimes it can be downright gruesome. Just ask Jeff Darr, owner of Crime Scene Services, Inc., Charlotte, NC, whose company cleans up after homicides, suicides, or accidents.

"It gets pretty gruesome sometimes," says Darr, "blood gets on walls, floors, and ceilings and must be removed. Bloodstained carpeting is usually disposed of, as is soiled furniture. Often, we have to remove body parts as well. It definitely takes a strong stomach--and the right equipment."

No Touching

Federal regulations require that crime scene cleaning workers receive bloodborne pathogen (BBP) training; wear personal protective gear such as gloves, boots, and goggles; have a hepatitis B vaccine; and avoid touching surfaces as much as possible.

For this, Darr relies on the No-Touch Cleaning(TM) system and developed by Kaivac, Inc., Hamilton, OH. A new type of cleaning system, originally developed to clean restrooms in schools and office buildings, the system applies cleaning chemicals and disinfectants to blood-covered surfaces without physical contact. A deck brush is used to loosen embedded soil, then all surfaces are rinsed, and liquids and contaminants are removed using the machine's built-in vacuum system.

"The no-touch system eliminates the need for cleaning surfaces by hand and it's much faster," says Darr. "The families want their homes restored as quickly as possible and this system helps us do that."

Cleaners as Counselors

Rarely do police and paramedics have the time to console victim's families after a tragic family death, according to Darr, so the cleaning workers often become their counselors, listening to them talk about the situation, the victim, and their grief.

"We often become very involved with them," he says, "and they turn to us to help get their lives back in order."

In one case, after a family member shot himself, the distraught family could not bring themselves to walk into the house, talk to police, or deal with the situation. "Once we cleaned the house and removed all traces of the incident, they returned to the home, dealt with the situation, and their loss," says Darr. "We helped this family move on with their lives."