When someone was not found right away
Unattended death cleanup in Columbia
If a person died alone and some days passed, the home needs more than cleaning. Fluids and odor travel into floors, walls and the air.
Phone answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
The coroner comes first
South Carolina law requires a death to be reported to the county coroner when the person was not attended by a physician, among other cases. It is also unlawful to move the body until the coroner's office allows it (S.C. Code 17-5-530 and 17-5-580).
In Columbia that is the Richland County Coroner, or the Lexington County Coroner for the parts of the city that lie in Lexington County. The officers at the scene will know which one. You do not have to work it out.
The coroner's office takes the person into its care. It does not clean the home. That is arranged afterward by the family, the estate or the property owner.
Until the company arrives
Keep the door closed
Close the room and leave it closed. Running fans or opening the room to the rest of the house spreads odor.
Do not try to clean it
Household cleaners and air fresheners do not reach fluids that have soaked into flooring. They can make the odor harder to trace.
Keep children and pets out
Flies and fluids are a health risk. Nobody needs to go back in to collect things today.
Why it is a bigger job than it looks
Fluids soak through carpet into the pad and the subfloor, and sometimes into the framing below. In older houses with wood floors over a crawl space, that can mean lifting boards to see how far it went.
Odor clings to drywall, ceilings and soft furnishings. The company removes what has absorbed fluids, cleans and disinfects what remains, and then treats the air. Ask how they will check that the source is gone rather than covered up.
Questions families ask
How long does it take?
It depends on how long the person was not found, how far fluids spread and what has to be removed. The company can give you a better idea after its walk-through.
What happens to the furniture and belongings?
Items that absorbed fluids, like a mattress or an upholstered chair, usually cannot be saved. Hard items can often be cleaned. Say on the call which belongings matter most to the family.
Can a landlord handle this?
If the person rented, the landlord or manager may arrange the cleanup. Our page for landlords and property managers covers that side.
When you are ready, one call is enough
Tell the company what happened, which room or vehicle it is in, and whether the police and coroner have finished. They will explain the work, when they can come and how they arrive at a price.
Talk to a cleanup company
The call puts you in touch with an independent biohazard cleanup company that works in the Columbia area. Say what happened and ask what you need to know. Whether you hire them is up to you.
Call (803) 637-8296Phone answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Calls may be recorded. Read the referral disclosure and the privacy policy.