The responsibility of blood cleanup involves keeping an environment safe and healthy while removing blood and body fluid spills. Incidents can occur in a public space, a workspace, or in the home with a priority being knowing how to cautiously deal with spills.

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Most people wouldn’t give a second thought to handling a blood scene of any volume not realizing the danger associate with a spill. While you can safely remove smaller amounts, you should never clean up a large spill. These incidents should be handled by professional blood cleanup specialists in Lewiston Maine.

The expert technicians have extensive knowledge of the risks posed by blood the harmful pathogens it can carry. Their expertise allows them the ability to remove and properly dispose of these materials for a full restoration of the space.

Cleaning Blood Spilled on Different Surfaces

Blood is an infectious substance that should be cleaned immediately when there’s a spill. Bloodborne viruses can survive in blood for several days such as Hepatitis B with a one-week lifecycle. This virus can thrive on a surface after visible blood has been wiped away.

This is the reasons disinfecting and testing by qualified Blood cleanup services in Lewiston Maine is critical and can only be done with the proper tools and supplies and adequate safety precautions. Professional technicians will use:

• Disinfectant wipes
• Disinfectant
• Cloths
• PPE – personal protective equipment
• Brush/tongs dustpan
• Red biohazard bags/containers and biohazard label

Let’s explore cleaning blood spills on different surfaces to ensure the most effective techniques are used to reduce risks of exposure to virus or bacteria.

Spilled blood on non-carpeted flooring

Whether a traumatic accident or tragic incident, a large blood spill can occur suddenly and unexpectedly in the home or workspace. Flooring such as vinyl, tiles, or ceramic may be relatively simple to clean under normal circumstances but when blood spills there are precautions to take to eliminate all hazards.

These spills will spread quickly since the floors are slick. Professional blood cleanup technicians will act fast to contain the spill and proceed with the following cleaning techniques.

• PPE will be worn including disposable gloves to start wiping the blood using paper towels to absorb the substance.
• A combination of one part bleach to nine parts water will saturate the affected area and left to soak for roughly 20 minutes
• The site will be mopped to rid the area of the cleaning solution. You can also use clean paper towels to absorb the solution.
• A bleach solution should be made to soak the mop and any rags used for cleaning since these won’t be disposed. Paper towels or any one-use items will need to go in biohazard bags for safe disposal.
• Hands will be washed first with soap and warm water followed by using hand sanitizer for thorough cleaning.

Spilled blood over carpeted surfaces

In the case of a natural death or a crime such as a violent assault or homicide, many people will be in a comfortable space like their bedroom which is often carpeted. That can also be true when someone takes their own life.

Blood cleanup is very different on a carpeted surface since the substance absorbs into the material. Some rules are the same such as wearing PPE but many of the other techniques are unique to the surface.

• PPE such as disposable gloves will be worn when disinfecting the contaminated surface. For carpeting, a shampoo with antimicrobial properties will be applied and left to sit for roughly 10 minutes.
• With carpeting, blood cleanup is time-sensitive, once you find it, cleanup should be immediate. That means blotting the spill with paper towels to get up the heavy.
• A wet vacuum will be needed to pull the fluid out of the carpeting. This should be done a couple time to ensure as much is removed as possible.
• A disinfectant will remove contaminants from the surface and will be followed by steam cleaning to further sanitize the area.
• The carpet needs to fully dry and do so quickly. You can use industrial fans to help speed it up.

Poolside blood spill

When a blood spill occurs along a pool’s surface, the cleanup is comparable to that of non-carpeted flooring.

Blood cleanup specialists make every effort to contain the spill to prevent it from contaminating other areas and keep it from entering the water.  Read here for details on safety standards for blood spill cleanup.

Fortunately, the chlorine in pool water kills a range of bloodborne pathogens such as those that lead to typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery, and on. It’s noted that no evidence is documented showing a person having contracted a disease following exposure to blood-contaminated pool water.

Still, for optimal safety and health of guests, the pool should be inaccessible until professional remediation from a reputable trauma cleanup company in Lewiston Maine to ensure the surfaces have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.