What 'unattended death' means in practice
An unattended death is a death where the body was not discovered immediately — sometimes hours, sometimes days, occasionally weeks. The biological processes that follow death produce fluids, gases and tissue breakdown that contaminate everything porous within reach: carpet, underlay, sub-floor timbers, plasterboard, soft furnishings, sometimes walls. Ordinary cleaning addresses none of this. The smell is the obvious problem; the bacterial and viral hazard is the less obvious one. Our protocols are agreed with environmental health officers and meet the IICRC S540 standard for trauma and crime-scene cleanup.
Discretion at a moment when it matters
Families dealing with an unattended death are usually also dealing with neighbours' curiosity, occasional press attention, and the very recent shock of the notification itself. Our crews arrive at the agreed time, work without crowding the doorstep, and complete the work without drawing attention to the property. We use plain vehicles for trauma jobs by default. Our written documentation is held confidentially and is not shared beyond the family, executor and any agency required to receive it.
Working with police and the coroner's officer
Where the death is a coroner's case — which most unattended deaths are — we do not attend the property until the coroner's officer has released the scene and the body has been removed. Police family-liaison officers regularly recommend us, and we have established relationships with the major UK police forces' coroner-liaison teams. The family does not need to coordinate this directly — we will speak to the relevant officer for you.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly can you attend after police release the scene?
Same day in most cases, within 24 hours guaranteed. We hold full PPE and biohazard equipment at our depots and can deploy at any time of day or night.
Will my home insurance pay for this?
Most UK home insurance policies do cover trauma cleanup, though the exact wording varies. We can liaise directly with your insurer to establish coverage before work begins, and our written quote is suitable for submission to the loss adjuster.
Will the smell really go?
Yes — but the process is more involved than ordinary cleaning. Soft furnishings and contaminated sub-floor materials must be removed and replaced, surfaces decontaminated with appropriate biocides, and the air treated with ozone or hydroxyl generators. We test with ATP swabs at the end of the job to confirm decontamination.
Can I be in the property while you work?
We strongly recommend you are not. The work involves PPE, biocides and equipment, and we want you to be able to return to a clean property rather than have memories of the cleanup itself. We provide regular updates by phone or photograph if you wish.
What happens to personal effects in the contaminated area?
Anything that can be cleaned and salvaged, we set aside for the family. Anything porous within the contamination zone (clothing, soft furnishings, books, papers) usually cannot be safely cleaned and is documented and lawfully disposed of. We will discuss this with the family before any item of personal value is removed.