Four Unconventional and Hazardous Professional Cleaning Services That Go Beyond Domestic Cleaning

A collage of pictures showing people in hazardous protective gear for cleaning.

Domestic cleaners are among the unsung heroes of our society. They help ease the burden of house chores from many homeowners. And because many homeowners do not need to do house chores, men and women now have more time to spend with their family. They could allocate more time to do the things they love thanks to the service of domestic cleaners.

But there are many things that can go wrong in a property even when there are domestic cleaners, and these are the things that are beyond the skills and training of ordinary cleaners. Perhaps you have a loved one who has hoarded useless objects inside their house and now has made it unfit to live in. Maybe you are a property manager, and someone committed suicide by slitting their wrists inside one of your apartments. Or your sewer had backed up and your basement is currently flooded with raw and smelly sewage.

In cases like these, it is best to call a professional cleaning services provider that focuses on unconventional and hazardous cleanups. So what are the other services such companies offer?

A group of men engaged in hazardous cleaning in a wooded area.Hoarding Cleanups

It all began with a tiny ceramic knick-knack. There was nothing special about it, and it even seemed tacky for you, but your elderly mother or spouse or sibling really liked it. One knick-knack led to another and another and another until the house is full of it. It has gotten to the point that you cannot move inside the house without seeing or brushing against those darned ceramic decorations wherever you turn. Any attempts to get rid of those pesky decorations ended in a shouting match with your family member, and you have come to realize that this hoarding needs to stop. An intervention is something your loved one desperately needs.

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A hazardous kitchen with a messy table and chairs.

Since hoarding is a psychological problem, booking an appointment with a psychiatrist will definitely help your loved one. But when it comes to getting rid of hoarded objects (and sometimes, animals), it is something only a professional cleaning service provider can remove and dispose of. Companies that offer such services have technicians who will come in to sort out and de-clutter the hoarder’s house. An inventory will then be conducted to ensure that nothing of value will be thrown away. Some appliances and electronic devices will also be recycled.

In cases when food or animals were hoarded, the team will deploy industrial-grade disinfectants and deodorizers to restore the property. Everything will be documented by photo or video.

Blood Cleanup

Blood cleanup is another cleaning service offered by professional cleaning service providers. This service is an essential part of the cleaning process as proper cleanup prevents the spread of bloodborne pathogens, such as strains of hepatitis, HIV, tuberculosis, MRSA, and other contagious diseases.

This cleaning service is offered mainly to medical facilities, such as hospitals, urgent care clinics, nursing homes, and laboratories to prevent contamination. Professional cleaning technicians will also respond in case of accidents where a worker was injured or had died and there is extensive blood spill, as well as when any violent crime had been committed. Homes, buildings, and other places where a person had committed suicide are also serviced.

Before the cleanup, the cleaners will don personal protective equipment. If you or one of your hospital personnel had broken a vial or test tube that contained blood or other bodily fluids, do not remove the shards of broken glass using your bare or even gloved hands. Shards of broken glass or any other sharp objects should be removed using only tongs.

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A hazardous white couch in a living room.

The spilled blood will then be properly removed using absorbent materials (cloths or paper towels) and sanitized using hospital-grade disinfectant. The process will be repeated until blood or any bodily fluid are completely removed. All biohazard wastes are stowed in a leak-proof plastic bag and disposed of properly. The area is then decontaminated to ensure that all pathogens are removed.

Toxic Waste Removal

Any material that carries pathogens, chemicals, and heavy metals are considered toxic wastes. Radioactive materials, pesticides, used oil, computer parts, automotive parts, and batteries are also considered toxic wastes that need to be cleaned up and disposed of properly and safely. If you own or manage a property where toxic waste needs to removed, know that you are not allowed to clean and dispose of the hazardous materials on your own except if you have trained and properly equipped staff.

As usual, the cleaning technicians will need to don personal protective equipment during the cleanup process. They will then sort the hazardous materials, then bag or pack them in durable containers. These toxic waste will then be transported and disposed of in compliance with OSHA and RCRA regulations.

A group of people in hazardous protective gear standing in a field.

Removal of Raw Sewage from the Basement

Basements can sometimes be flooded or grow toxic mold. You’d be lucky if your basement was flooded with relatively clean floodwater, but what happens if your sewer lateral sewer line fails or becomes clogged? The result is a sewage backup and raw sewage floods your basement. You might be tempted to remove the dirty water on your own, but it’s best if you leave this task to the professionals as direct contact with raw sewage can harm your health.

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The process of removing raw sewage from your basement begins just like any other professional cleanup process. The cleaners will need to wear personal protective equipment, then turn off the water, electrical, or gas lines in the basement. The room will need to be properly ventilated, and all damaged items will then be taken out of the basement. If you don’t want to throw away some high-value items that had been drenched by dirty water, they will need to be professionally cleaned and disinfected before they are returned to you.

Raw sewage will then be extracted and hauled to a sewage dumping facility or flushed back into the system. The area will be disinfected with an industrial-grade disinfectant to remove any bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms left behind. The whole area will then be left to dry to prevent further damage.

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