What actually happens after a body is discovered days or weeks after death — and what you should and should not do.
Call 911 on discovery. Police (and often the medical examiner or coroner) must investigate and release the scene before any cleaning is lawful or wise; the body is removed by the coroner or a contracted mortuary service, not by the cleanup company. Only after the scene is released does remediation begin.
After death, decomposition begins within hours. Fluids released during the process seep into carpet, pad, subfloor, mattresses, and upholstery, and can migrate along joists and through ceiling cavities below. Airborne odor compounds permeate porous materials throughout the dwelling. Surface cleaning cannot fix this — affected porous materials must be removed and disposed of as biohazardous waste, and the space must be disinfected and deodorized down to clean, sealed structure.
A typical single-room job takes one to three days. Family members should stay out of the affected area entirely — for health reasons and because you do not need those images. Photographs for insurance can be taken by the crew.
Usually one to three days for a single room, longer if fluids migrated into subfloor or the ceiling below. Odor treatment can add a day.
No. Contamination almost always extends past what is visible — into pad, subfloor, and baseplates. Partial DIY cleanup typically means recurring odor and a biohazard that was never actually remediated.
The coroner, medical examiner, or a mortuary service they contract — never the cleanup company. Remediation starts only after the scene is released.