Once the police have completed the investigation and cleared the places where the deaths had occurred, someone needs to clean up these areas, which are littered with bloodstains, bodily fluids, and even patches of skin. This is where the work of companies specializing in post-mortem cleaning begins. The service, common in the United States and Europe, also exists in Brazil. Here, prices vary between R$ 1,290 and R$ 10 thousand and depend on the size of the residence, the characteristics of the property and the number of days needed to complete the cleaning.

In some cases, even the toilet needs to be removed. Inspired by North American companies, businessman Paulo Silva, 42, founded Attuale Brasil in 2010, in São Paulo. The company cleans scenes of homicides and suicides and provides three other services: post-fire cleaning, cleaning of compulsive hoarders – a behavior characterized by the accumulation of items – and industrial kitchens.

“First we remove and pack all contaminated items, such as mattresses and sheets, and then we start cleaning with hospital bactericidal products. If the person died in the bathroom, for example, we have to remove even the toilet”, he said. After the entire environment is sanitized, the businessman said that he uses black light to check for any blood stains, in addition to equipment that sprays bacteria from the air. All infected material is sent for disposal.

“Therefore, to clean death scenes it is necessary to use appropriate personal protective equipment, such as gloves, glasses and lab coat, and specific chemical products. It is not enough to just use water. It is important, therefore, that it is done by a professional”.