• Trauma cleanup isn’t DIY: Avoid emotional harm and biohazard exposure— call the pros.
• Trusted local cleanup: Safe, discreet crime scene and trauma cleanup near you.

In times of crisis, communities rally together. Neighbors check in, bring meals, and offer support in ways big and small. But sometimes, in an effort to help, well-meaning neighbors take on more than they realize—especially when it comes to trauma cleanup.

I’ve been on countless scenes where a neighbor stepped in to “help out” before we arrived. Some were just trying to ease the burden for the grieving family. Others were called by a friend or relative and didn’t know what they were walking into. No matter the situation, their intentions were good—but the outcome wasn’t always.

A Neighbor’s Good Intentions Gone Wrong

I remember one case where a neighbor took it upon himself to start cleaning up after an unattended death that had gone unnoticed. for over a month. The family was extremely emotional, and he thought he was doing them a favor.

By the time we arrived, he had already scrubbed the floor with household cleaners, moved furniture, and even removed part of the carpet. The problem? He had no idea that blood and bodily fluids had seeped underneath, spreading into the subfloor. His efforts made the situation worse—forcing us to take up more flooring and cut deeper into the structure than we would have otherwise.

Worse yet, he had unknowingly exposed himself to biohazards without proper protective equipment. Bloodborne pathogens, bacteria from decomposition, and airborne contaminants pose real risks. He had no gloves, no mask, no protective suit—just a mop and bucket.

The Emotional Fallout

A week or so later, that same neighbor called us—not about the cleanup, but about what he was feeling and if he could get advice from us as our technicians see this kind of stuff regularly.

He couldn’t sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the scene again—the blood, the stillness, the smell. He started having nightmares and would jolt awake at random noises in the night. He told me he felt like he was “on edge all the time,” jumping at small sounds and replaying the moment he opened the door over and over in his mind.

That’s when it clicked for him: trying to help in his own shock, grief, and guilt had taken a toll he never saw coming.

The Best Way to Help

There’s a reason trauma cleanup isn’t a DIY job. Aside from the biohazards, there’s the emotional toll. Some people believe they can handle it, only to find that the sights, smells, and memories stay with them long after the cleaning is done.

I’ve had people tell me weeks later that they keep seeing flashes of the scene in their mind. That certain smells trigger memories they wish they could forget. That they regret ever stepping into the room.

This is why we train our team to do more than just clean—we manage the situation. We block off views, redirect family members away from the scene, and step in before well-meaning people retraumatize themselves.

If you’re ever in a position where a neighbor or friend has experienced a tragedy, know this: the best way to help isn’t by cleaning—it’s by supporting.

•  Offer to make phone calls so the family doesn’t have to.
• Help coordinate meals or other needs.
• If they don’t know where to start, help them find professional cleanup services.

Most importantly, respect their space and don’t put yourself in harm’s way.

Tragedies shake entire communities, but no one should have to carry the burden alone. The best thing you can do is be there—not by trying to erase what happened, but by making sure they don’t have to face it alone. That’s why we’re here to help.

If you or someone you know needs help after a traumatic event, our team is here to provide professional, compassionate support.

 

• Healing takes many forms – Repainting, rearranging, or repurposing a room can be a powerful way to reclaim control after tragedy

• Support beyond the cleanup – For those facing the aftermath alone, compassionate guidance can make the next step feel possible

When a Room Holds Too Much Pain: Coping After a Traumatic Event

Most people think of their home as a place of comfort, a personal sanctuary where they can feel safe. But for some, home becomes the site of unimaginable tragedy. When that happens, the hardest part isn’t just the cleanup—it’s figuring out how to move forward in a space that no longer feels like home.

Over the years, I’ve seen people handle trauma in different ways. Some sell their homes immediately, unable to stay in a place that holds such painful memories. Others try to reclaim the space, repainting, redecorating, even using the room for something new. But one story has always stuck with me—a woman who chose another path entirely.

The Room That No Longer Existed

Her husband had taken his own life in their master bedroom. After the initial shock, she did what so many families do—she called a professional team to remediate the scene. We had cleaned the room, removed anything contaminated, and ensured the space was safe again. But no amount of cleaning could erase what had happened there.

She couldn’t bring herself to use the room again. His absence was louder than words, heavier than the air itself. The walls had been scrubbed, the floors cleaned, every trace of what had happened meticulously removed. But it didn’t matter.

Because when she looked at that space, all she could see was red.

Even though the stains were gone, they lingered in her mind, seared into memory. The bed, the floor, the walls—it was all clean now, yet it would never be clean. It would never be just a bedroom again. It would always be that room. A space frozen in the worst moment of her life.

And when she was alone in there, the silence became unbearable. It was as if she could feel the weight of his final moments—the loneliness that settled in before he made his decision. It clung to the air, pressing against her chest, making it hard to breathe. She tried to shake it, to remind herself that time had moved forward. But in that room, time had stopped.

So she did the only thing she could. She sealed the door, erased its existence. Because if she couldn’t change what happened inside, she could at least make sure she never had to see it again.

She didn’t just lock the door. She hired a contractor to physically remove the doorway, take down the trim, and seal off the entrance. When she walked down the hallway, it was as if the master bedroom had never existed. The door was gone, replaced by a smooth, painted wall.

When Moving Isn’t an Option

I asked her if she ever planned to open the room again. She told me, “If I ever get to a point where I can financially move, I might have the door put back in before I leave. But until then, I can’t face it.”

Some people can’t afford to leave their homes after a tragedy. Others don’t want to leave, but they also don’t want to relive the event every time they walk past a certain room. So they find their own way to cope—by changing the space, reshaping it into something they can live with.

I’ve seen families turn trauma sites into storage rooms, home offices, or even guest rooms, intentionally making them look and feel different. A fresh coat of paint, new flooring, different furniture arrangement—sometimes small changes help. Other times, they aren’t enough.

The Psychological Impact of Space

When I talk to families, I always tell them: If you have to keep the space, don’t leave it exactly as it was. Move the furniture, change the colors, do anything that keeps you from seeing it the same way. Because trauma is sneaky. If a space looks the same, your mind will keep going back to the moment you want to forget.

For many, the idea of sleeping in a room where a loved one died is unbearable. Some never step foot inside again. Others try, only to find that the weight of memory is too much to carry. And that’s okay. There’s no right or wrong way to process grief. What matters is that you find a way to live with it.

We Do More Than Clean—We Help Families Move Forward

Our work isn’t just about removing what’s left behind. It’s about giving people a path forward. Whether that means offering guidance on repainting and remodeling or simply being there to listen, we understand that healing doesn’t end when the scene is clean.

Some wounds are visible. Others are hidden behind sealed doors and painted-over walls.

Whatever path you choose, know that you don’t have to go through it alone.

If you or someone you know is struggling with the aftermath of a traumatic event, we’re here to help.

• Gentle Guidance – Helping families navigate trauma so they don’t have to face it alone

• Emotional Awareness – Recognizing unspoken grief and quietly preventing unnecessary re-exposure

• Support Beyond Cleanup – Offering reassurance when families are ready to take the next step forward

The Last Step in Community Service: Managing Trauma with Compassion

When tragedy strikes, the first people on the scene are almost always law enforcement, paramedics, and firefighters. They assess the situation, provide medical attention if possible, and secure the area. The funeral home steps in next, handling the arrangements for the deceased. But once all of them are finished with their work, something is left behind—the reality of what happened.

The aftermath of a traumatic event is rarely discussed, yet it’s one of the hardest parts for families to face. No, it’s not cleaned up by law enforcement. That’s where we come in.

Crime scene cleanup isn’t just about making a space safe again. It’s about managing the human side of tragedy—helping people navigate shock, grief, and the overwhelming reality of what just happened.

Recognizing the Unspoken Signs of Trauma

When we arrive at a scene, we’re not just dealing with the physical remnants of a tragedy—we’re dealing with the people left behind. Family members, neighbors, close friends—everyone processes loss differently.

I remember one case where a woman lost her husband unexpectedly. When I arrived, her sister met me at the door. The widow was inside, standing in the hallway, staring at the floor. She hadn’t moved for what seemed like hours. She wasn’t crying. She wasn’t speaking. She was just stuck.

The family wanted to handle logistics—insurance, paperwork, what came next. But she was still in shock, frozen in the moment. Before we even touched the scene, we helped her move to another room. We gave her a moment to breathe. Because in that state, the last thing she needed was to see what we were there to clean.

Why We Do More Than Just Clean

People don’t always realize how much mental and emotional weight comes with trauma cleanup. Families call us expecting a service, but what they often get is guidance, support, and someone who understands that this isn’t just about cleaning—it’s about closure.

Some of the most critical moments happen before we even begin our work. We’ve had to gently stop family members from re-entering rooms, remind them that some things can’t be unseen. We’ve suggested ways to change the space once it’s clean—moving furniture, repainting, making it feel different.

Because once the physical cleanup is done, the emotional impact lingers. And if we can make that just a little easier, we will.

The Role of Compassion in Trauma Cleanup

In this work, you can’t be numb. You can’t just treat it like another job.

We train our technicians to approach every scene with the same mindset: This could be your family. How would you want someone to treat them?

That means we don’t rush families through decisions. We don’t ignore their emotions. We don’t pretend like this is just another job site.

We listen. We step in when needed. We step back when it’s time. And we remind people that they don’t have to face this alone.

The Last Step in Community Service

People often ask me, “Isn’t crime scene cleanup just a business? How is that a community service?” My answer is simple: The police are a community service. Paramedics and firefighters are a community service. The funeral home provides a community service. And when all of them have done their job, we are the last step in making sure families aren’t left to handle the worst moments of their lives alone.

At the end of the day, crime scene cleanup isn’t just about removing what’s left behind. It’s about giving people a way to move forward—however that looks for them.

And if we can make even one part of that process easier, then we’ve done our job.

If you or someone you know is facing the aftermath of a traumatic event, we’re here to help.

[Learn More About Our Services →]

• Mindful Cleanup – Supporting families with sensitivity during times of loss
• Last Line of Help – Providing care and closure after first responders have gone
• Trauma Protection – Helping prevent re-exposure to support the healing process

When people hear about crime scene cleanup(CTS)—self-inflicted incidents or unattended death incidents—they often think about the physical work involved: removing hazardous materials and sanitizing spaces to ensure a safe and clean environment. But what most don’t realize is that our work is just as much about emotional support as it is about bioremediation.

Our motto, “No one should be victimized twice,” comes from years of witnessing how trauma extends beyond the immediate event. When someone experiences a sudden loss—especially in their own home—the aftermath can feel impossible to face. That’s where we step in as remediation professionals and compassionate presences during some of life’s darkest moments.

A Teenager’s Silent Repetition

I’ll never forget a teenage boy at a scene years ago. His mother had chosen to murder her husband, his father, and then take her own life in their bedroom. I watched him pace the house as I spoke with the family—his aunts, uncles, and other relatives. He kept drifting toward the bedroom where it had happened, stopping at the doorway, staring in at the gruesome scene, then retreating, only to repeat the cycle. He wasn’t saying a word, but his body language said everything. Hands in his pockets, he couldn’t pull himself away.

The family, also consumed with grief, was focused on making arrangements, signing paperwork, and dealing with their shock. They hadn’t noticed how often the son had returned to that doorway.
As the family was consumed reading our contract, I walked over to our crew chief and softly said, “The moment you see our contract is signed, take some equipment over to the doorway and block the view for that young man. He doesn’t need to keep seeing it.” She quickly moved a box to obstruct the doorway, gently but firmly setting a boundary. When the boy approached again, she simply said, “I’m sorry, but we don’t allow anyone in our workspace once we begin.”

His response was immediate: “Oh, okay.” Then, for the first time, he sat down on the couch. That moment sticks with me because it shows how trauma can hold someone in place, replaying the worst moments of their lives over and over. Sometimes, people need permission to step away.

More Than Just Cleanup
Our work goes beyond scrubbing walls or removing the last of the unthinkable. We manage trauma, protect families from being re-exposed to the most painful parts of their loss, listen when they need to talk, and step in when they don’t know what to do next.

Grief is unpredictable. Some people want to avoid the scene entirely, while others feel compelled to look—to understand, say goodbye, and make sense of something that will never truly make sense. We guide them with care, always mindful that they’re not just dealing with the aftermath of a loved one’s passing—they’re dealing with a moment that will stay with them forever.

The Last Stop in Community Service

Some argue that CTS companies are not community services because we charge for our services. But we see it differently. The police respond, the paramedics arrive, and the funeral home makes arrangements. But when all of them leave, the trauma remains—physically and in our memories.
That’s where we come in. We are often the last to serve a family in their crisis, ensuring they don’t have to carry the burden alone. And that’s why it’s more than a job for us. It’s a misnistry.

We deliver care, compassion, and peace of mind to the families and, ultimately, the community. 

Moving Forward
If you or someone you know ever experiences this kind of tragedy, know that no one has to go through it alone. Our team is here to clean and remediate, provide a path forward that respects your grief, and help you take the next step.

Crime Scene Cleaners—because no one should be victimized twice.

Written for Crime Scene Cleaners © COPYRIGHT 2024 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

More Than Cleaning- We handle structural deconstruction and biohazard remediation for complete safety.
Proven Methods- Our advanced techniques achieve up to 100% success in stain and odor removal.
Trusted Experts- 25+ years of discreet, compliant, and compassionate service.

Many crime and trauma scene (CTS) cleaning companies like Crime Scene Cleaners have the word “cleaning” in their names. But did you know we do much more than clean? Do you know why this is important?

When the CTS company is called to an incident involving blood and bodily fluids, you must remember that those substances act like water initially. They seek the lowest level to collect. You can often see a carpet with a heavy blood spot about the size of a dinner plate. But, once the carpet is lifted, you will immediately notice that the spot underneath stretches out to as much as two to three feet in diameter.

Despite a hardwood floor under the carpet, it has also progressed to the subfloor. The CTS company should set up a containment for that area and insert an air scrubber, venting it outside the room to create a negative air chamber. Once the soft goods are safely removed and the walls and ceiling have been dealt with, the hardwood and perhaps the subfloor will be removed. To do this, the technicians will use a circular saw and sawzall to remove. This creates a cloud of dust that is most likely contaminated. This is why the negative air containment prevents cross-contamination of air-borne particles captured by the air scrubber.  

This is important to know because our crews usually work with structures. Although carpet and pad are commonly known in the construction industry as flooring and count as structures, what I’m talking about goes beyond flooring, as in the scenario above. We often deal with the physical structure of the building. If your buildings are stick construction (meaning two-by-four walls and plywood flooring), there are building codes in every county in the country. These are the codes that every CTS technician must have basic knowledge of. 

We also have experience working with commercial buildings, residential homes, and vehicles. Because each type of structure may require different cleaning, remediation, and restoration methods, we ensure our technicians are knowledgeable in all aspects.

When we remove these elements from the structure, we are not conducting demolition, at least not in the sense that most people think of demolition. We perform “deconstruction,” carefully removing a contaminated area with as little dust and debris as possible. We have set up an air scrubber to create a negative air chamber in the scene area. This allows us to work without causing cross-contamination throughout the structure. 

For example, suppose a trauma scene has damaged a building’s walls or floors. In that case, our team at Crime Scene Cleaners is trained and equipped to clean up the scene and remove any structural elements from the affected areas. This goes beyond cleaning up blood or bodily fluids on the surfaces—it involves removing structures that cannot be cleaned. There are occasions when removing textured wallboard is less expensive than cleaning it. When we need to open a wall cavity, the way plumbing and electrical are run through these structures differs between commercial and residential. The site technician needs to be trained in those differences because not knowing can cause unintended damage or injure the technician. Neither is wanted.

Furthermore, our crews are also trained to handle hazardous materials that are present under protocols that keep the technician safe and the structure free of cross-contamination. 

If you are a Property Management Company, Maintenance Supervisor, or Landlord, please remember that Crime Scene Cleaners is a CTS company only. We are not a Restoration Company or carpet cleaning company trying to fill in time with added work. Crime and Trauma Scene Cleaning and Remediation is all we do. Because of this, we have the experience of thousands of jobs Crime Scene Cleaners have performed in the last twenty-five-plus years.  

Another area of our work presented a lot of difficulty in remediating. I speak mainly about concrete and asphalt stained with blood and bodily fluids. Our personnel was on the cutting edge to discover how CTS companies can successfully use a chemical to pull blood stains out of a surface. We have used this process to pull blood staining out of plywood and OSB and drywall painted with flat latex paint, allowing the blood to be absorbed into the wall. Concerning wall board staining, our company has been almost 100% successful in removing the stains. Concrete and asphalt are almost as successful, but I’d place our success in the mid-nineties percentile. Concrete is poured in different densities, and our success can be determined by the age of the concrete and how long the blood was set on the concrete before we were called to the job.

We have made breakthroughs in deodorization. The rule for successful remediation of an odor is to remove the source. What most companies do now is for a deodorizer, which doesn’t work that well. Clients report they smell the deodorant along with the odors. We used science to reverse what caused the odor, and this process is 100% successful, but it takes three days, is equipment-heavy, and requires monitoring. Any distance from our base doesn’t make it practicable. 

The next iteration uses chlorine dioxide gas. It is inexpensive and has an approximate eighth-percentile chance of total elimination. What odor may be left is small and dissipates within a few days. If the job is out of town, the contact person can safely remove everything the following day and dispose of it in the trash.

Today, we use a proprietary product that is highly successful. Although I haven’t received enough data to gauge our success level at this writing, given the reports I’ve received from the field, it will certainly be 98% to 100% successful. 

Ozone is something most restoration companies use because they use it for fire loss and mold remediation. Typically, they will rub the ozone generator for three days, shut it off, pull the equipment, and tell you it is good they are done. The problem is that they never return in two days to find the odor hasn’t dissipated much. This is why we don’t use ozone for deodorization. 

Our technicians are trained and certified and have the necessary experience to handle any situation that may arise. Whether it is a residential or commercial, live-shooter incident, industrial or construction, we have been highly successful in each type of incident we have confronted. 

We understand that dealing with a crime or trauma scene can be overwhelming and emotional. That is why we strive to provide compassionate and discreet services for our clients. We work quickly and efficiently to remediate the affected area so the build-back crews can bring the structure to its pre-incident state, allowing you to focus on moving forward and turning the unit back for profit.

In addition, Crime Scene Cleaners adheres to all local, state, and federal regulations regarding the proper disposal of biohazardous waste. We take responsibility for the environment seriously and ensure that all waste is disposed of safely and legally.

Thank you for considering Crime Scene Cleaners for your cleanup needs. We are dedicated to providing exceptional service and covering the entire state of Missouri and Kansas.

Proactive Preparedness for Property Managers in Missouri & Kansas 

Property Managers, are you prepared for the unexpected? A Pre-event Contract with Crime Scene Cleaners ensures you’re ready when it matters most. 

Why consider a Pre-event Contract? 

• Priority Response: You’ll be at the top of our list when emergencies strike. 
• Discounted Pricing: Save money while securing premium biohazard cleanup services. 
• Coverage for Multiple Properties: Manage incidents across all your Missouri and Kansas locations with ease. 

At Crime Scene Cleaners, we deliver more than just cleanup—we bring care, compassion, and peace of mind. Our professional team is available 24/7 to respond swiftly to biohazard situations, minimizing disruption and restoring your property to its original state. We handle every job discreetly and efficiently using advanced equipment and proven techniques. 

We also recognize the emotional toll these situations can take. We offer compassionate support to help you and your personnel through these challenging times. 

Act now to protect your properties and gain peace of mind before emergencies happen. Contact us today to learn more about the benefits of a Pre-event Contract. We’re here for you—anytime, day or night. 

Crime Scene Cleaners—because no one should be victimized twice.

Written for Crime Scene Cleaners © COPYRIGHT 2024 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED