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How Much Does Biohazard Cleanup Cost in New Orleans & Baton Rouge? | Exit Cleanup

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 23:50:09 GMT

Discover how much biohazard cleanup costs in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Exit Cleanup, a local veteran-owned company, shares real case studies, pricing insights, and expert tips for safe, professional cleanup.

Facing a biohazard situation—such as an unattended death , suicide , homicide , medical emergency, or hoarding issue—is overwhelming. Exit Cleanup has 8 years of experience handling these situations safely in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and surrounding areas .

We combine professional training ( OSHA , IICRC, FEMA, CDC , Louisiana State Police) with compassionate service to ensure every scene is cleaned and disinfected properly. In this guide, we’ll explain biohazard cleanup costs, factors affecting pricing, real case studies, insurance coverage, and tips for hiring the right company .

Typical Biohazard Cleanup Costs

Pricing varies widely based on scope, contamination spread, severity, and required manpower . Here’s a breakdown from real Exit Cleanup jobs: No situation is the same. and there are many factors that can change the costs.

Situation , Price Range

Minor contamination

~$800 -$2,000 Single-room incident, manageable cleanup

Moderate incident

~$2,000 – $5,000 Multi-room contamination, odor or insect issues

Severe trauma

~$3,000 – $8,000+ Multiple rooms, deconstruction, heavy contamination

Hoarding / extreme cases

$2,000 – $12,000+ Extensive biohazard, animals, or long-term neglect

Case Studies:

Medical Emergency Resulting in Death – Blood and bodily fluids spread across multiple rooms. Required 5 technicians and extensive decontamination. Cost: ~$7,000. This was a severe incident and not typical.
Couch or Bed Death – Living room death with heavy contamination localized to the couch or bed area. Removed items, disinfected, and treated odor. Cost: ~$3,000.
Gunshot Suicide at Police Station – Limited area, but required multiple technicians for proper cleanup. This was not typical Cost: ~$3,000.

There isn't an easy way to explain these situations and their costs without understanding that there are many factors that change the costs. It can be things like the type of flooring, how long the victim was there, temperature, clutter, animals, victim's weight, how close to the walls they were and many other factors. The job is to follow all of the bio materials and remove them and disinfect the areas to make them safe.

What Drives the Cost of Biohazard Cleanup

The primary factors influencing price include:

Man Hours: Scenes that span multiple rooms or require deconstruction take longer and need more technicians.Man hours is possibly the highest cost of biohazard cleanup
Contaminated Waste: Items that cannot be disinfected must be safely removed and sent to a medical waste processing facility. Anything contaminated goes into bio boxes.
Scene Complexity: Violent events, hoarding, or prolonged unattended deaths spread biohazards in ways only professionals can detect.
Time Since Incident: Older incidents often mean decomposition, hidden contamination, and more extensive cleanup.
Odor Remediation: Even after removing contaminated materials, specialized treatments like ozone machines may run for 12–24 hours to eliminate odors.

Insurance Coverage

In our experience, most insurance policies cover biohazard cleanup from crimes, accidents, or deaths, including suicides. Exceptions typically include:

Ongoing hoarding issues
Repeated animal problems or long-term neglect

Deductibles often impact the out-of-pocket cost more than coverage approval.

Why Professional Cleanup Matters

Attempting DIY cleanup or hiring a cheap service can create serious problems:

Hidden biohazards may be missed, leading to lingering odors and contamination.
Improper handling of bloodborne pathogens (HIV, Hepatitis) is a health risk.
DIY mistakes can make the situation worse, requiring a professional team to redo the work.

Exit Cleanup ensures safety, thoroughness, and discretion , preventing additional emotional and financial stress.

Regulations & Compliance

Professional biohazard cleanup is highly regulated:

OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standards
Full PPE usage for technicians
Medical waste handling, transport, and disposal
Coordination with law enforcement and coroners
Documentation and photographs for insurance or client records

Compliance protects both our team and clients.

How to Choose a Biohazard Cleanup Company

Hire local and reputable: Look for family-owned or veteran-owned companies with strong local reviews and BBB ratings. Nationwide corporate companies generally cost much more and may not be local.
Check training and certifications: Verify OSHA, IICRC, and other relevant credentials.
Avoid national corporations that overcharge: Large out-of-state companies may bid 10x more for the same job.
Ask about insurance experience: Make sure they can work with your insurance for a smooth process.

Final Thoughts

Biohazard cleanup is specialized, technical, and emotional work . Costs vary based on contamination, time, scene complexity, and manpower, but hiring trained professionals ensures safety, thorough cleaning, and peace of mind.

Exit Cleanup is proud to serve New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and surrounding areas , offering compassionate, professional, and affordable biohazard cleanup. Let us handle the cleanup so you can focus on what matters most.

Who gets a Hoarding Disorder

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 18:56:33 GMT

What is a Hoarder

First, in general , Hoarders are people that look and act like everyone from any gender, race or nationality although they are usually older , late 40s or above. Often they may be professionals (lawyers, doctors, business owners etc) and highly intelligent people that function completely like everyone else outside. But, once they are within their property, the idea of living with lots of clutter is completely fine to them. In almost every case we ( EXIT Cleanup ) have dealt with there has been a significant issue or traumatic situation that triggered them to want to hold on to items in ways that most would not. Its often a death, divorce, home tragedy such as a fire or flood from a hurricane such as Katrina, where they lost significant property or worse , a loved one. Usually there is a traumatic incident that causes them to just want to hold on to things. Of course it's their right to do and live how they seem fit. But often, they want help once it becomes overwhelming, embarrassing or too much to handle or due to health risks or issues they have to get help. Of course that is why we here at Exit Cleanup exist. We are here to help. We can clear out that clutter and get the property back to a safe and manageable situation. We listen, and help you with the compassion and professionalism you deserve.

What is hoarder disorder? The People with hoarding disorder have persistent difficulty in parting with possessions or even trash items due to a perceived need to save the items. Attempting to part with these possessions can create a considerable distress for them which generally leads to them saving these items. This be be irrational to most of us, but to them it is comforting. This often leads to a growing pile of clutter and items which can consist of everything from trash to unopened items still in boxes. This is not collecting like a themed and organized collection of items such a figures or baseball cards, although some hoarders may have thousands of the same items such as beer cans or a type of food or item the use often. In general the items acquired by people with a hoarding disorder lack a consistent theme, whereas those of collectors are focused on a particular topic. In contrast to the care, organization and proud display of items seen in collecting, a hoarding property is unkept, damaged or dirty and disorganized clutter and trash. That is the hallmark of hoarding disorder.

This over abundance of possessions disrupts the ability to use living spaces which often leads to little use of specific rooms, areas, appliances or larger parts of the home. As these possessions grow into piles and dominate areas it become increasingly harder for anyone to walk through. Serious clutter and odors are present and many times old food and garbage often bring in rodents which can cause serious air quality issues especially if they also have pets who may defecate and urinate on or in the clutter where no one can get to it to clean it. Often paths are made that may have materials piled many feet high all around which leads to a dangerous possibility of collapse and the hoarder being trapped within the clutter, or other serious safety issues such as electrical fires, mold issues, animal and insect infestations and a serious air quality issue. Often windows can't be reached to be opened for fresh air, rodents and insects are through out leaving rodent droppings and feces everywhere, air filters can't be reached, and many times sinks, tubs and appliances and cabinets can no longer be reached so there may be old food issues, leaks and even bathrooms and other rooms are closed off. It becomes a very tight and unhealthy living condition. This is a dangerous situation and at this level if reported this must be dealt with because the home is uninhabitable. We see many of these homes and we make them so much better, its not impossible, its our job.

Many people may be hoarders and no one knows until they are found from either and emergency health issue from a 911 call or worse such as their death in the clutter. It happens often. We always look at cleaning out a hoarding property as a positive job for us when the hoarder calls us or they are in a safe place and alive. Because we also have to deal with the alternative jobs when we have to clean up a death scene in a hoarding property because they fell, had an accident, collapse and were trapped until they passed and sometimes we have to help with the body recovery because they are burred within the clutter and no one can easily find them. Those are very hard and sad days. We prefer to help make the property better for the hoarder while they are alive of course. All of our clients who have had us come clear their properties have always been so much happier once we finish. Its a weight lifted and they have their property back to a livable and safe home.

How many people are hoarders? Its hard to say but some studies have it at 6% of the population worldwide. Due to the level of secrecy and embarrassment, hoarders generally don't ask for help easily. Some will be forced to deal with the situation due to family members, health issues or government intervention. The best way to help is to listen to the hoarder and their needs and also help them see the safety issues and concern people have for them. Compassion is a key element when trying to help. As stated above, the situation is often caused by a tragedy or issue so these people are hurting and this is their coping mechanism but many want help but find it overwhelming. But that being said the many health risks that come with this disorder also need to be addressed and sometimes a bit of compromise and serious help make all the difference. Of course it can be overwhelming for one person to try to take this on, but that's where a good team comes in handy. We can be your muscle and rapidly and affordably clear out the hoarding situation for you. Exit Cleanup understands and is your team if you need us.

Louisiana Crime Victims Reparations and Compensation

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 21:50:35 GMT

Crime Victim Help

After a crime it can be extremely difficult to know what to do next. That's why Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup exists. EXIT stands for EX treme I ncident and T rauma and that's exactly what we deal with each day. Death , suicide , accidents, and Crimes are the incidents that we clean up after. Often the police leave and the victims family or friends are confused on what to do next. Often the detectives or coroner will give out our name to let the family know that there is help out there when it comes to the cleaning aspect of such an incident but sometimes they don't and families are left to figure out what to do next once the police leave. It can be overwhelming with all that has occurred but we can at least help with the cleanup process.

Most of our calls are to answer questions in these situations and we do. Our advice is free, trusted and based on years of training and dealing with crime scene cleaning. We are the experts in crime scene cleanup so we can offer you help and information to get you through this regardless if you have us do the cleanup or not. This is not something that most people have to deal with in their lifetime so we are here to help through compassion and expertise. One of the issues that comes up often is: Who cleans up after these incidents? It's left to the family or property owner to clean up after the situation and its obviously an overwhelming task, which is why we do what we do for people, so that they don't have to. Some incidents are covered by home owners insurance but not everyone has that, so it can be an unexpected bill to hire a crime scene cleanup company. We always offer free estimates and Payment plans via financing through a third party company but either way, it's a cost that no one has prepared for.

If this is a death due to a crime, one things we like to tell our clients about is the Crime Victims Reparations Board . In Louisiana, we have some help with paying for our services for a crime scene cleanup. The Crime Victims Reparations Board is part of the criminal justice system and they may be able to help pay for our services as well as some other services. Here are some of the requirements:

Residency

The crime must occur in Louisiana or the crime must involve a Louisiana resident who becomes a victim in another state that does not have a crime victim compensation program for which the victim would be eligible.

Filing for Compensation

The application must be filed within a year of the crime unless there is a good reason why the application was not submitted within this time period.

Cooperation

The victim and/or claimant must cooperate fully with law enforcement officials in the investigation and prosecution of the case.

Who May Qualify

An innocent victim of a violent crime who suffers physical and/or emotional harm or death or catastrophic property loss.

A person who legally assumes the obligations or voluntarily pays certain expenses related to the crime on behalf of the victim.

Immediate family members needing counseling as a result of the consequence of the death of the victim.

Who is Not Eligible

A victim whose own behavior contributed to the crime (in those cases, benefits may be reduced or denied).

A victim or claimant who was engaged in illegal activity at the time of the crime.

An offender or an accomplice of the offender.

Anyone who was incarcerated in a penal institution when the crime occurred.

Victims of motor vehicle accidents except those listed below (“What Crimes are Covered”).

What Crimes Are Covered

Crimes that involve the use of force or the threat of the use of force and result in personal injury, death or catastrophic property loss, and those victims of human trafficking.

Only these motor vehicle-related crimes: DWI, Hit and Run, the victim of a driver who is fleeing apprehension by law enforcement, or a victim whose injuries were intentionally inflicted with a vehicle, are eligible.

What Expenses are Eligible

Reimbursement for property damage or loss is not an eligible expense. Approved claims may be awarded compensation for the following only if they are related to the crime (Some expenses are limited):

Reasonable medical and prescription expenses

Dental expenses

Mental health counseling

Funeral expenses

Loss of earnings or support

Child care or dependent

Crime Scene cleanup

Reasonable replacement costs for items or items were taken as evidence or made unusable as a result of the criminal investigation.

Forensic Medical Exams

Relocation Expenses

What Expenses are Not Eligible

Expenses which may not be reimbursed for any reason include:

Property losses except for a catastrophic property loss which is limited to the loss of your current residence provided it is owned and occupied by the victim/claimant.

Pain and Suffering

Property Repair

Attorney fees except when they are part of an order from a hearing or award by a court of law.

Limits on Awards

Total recovery may not exceed $15,000 unless the victim suffered total and permanent disability. Victims who suffer total permanent disability as a result of their victimization may qualify for up to $25,000.

Recoveries from Other Sources

The Crime Victims Reparations Fund is regarded as the “payer of last resort.” It is a secondary source that pays for certain out-of-pocket expenses related to the crime that the victim has no other way to pay. Other sources that have to pay first include:

HMO/health insurance
Disability insurance/life insurance
Vacation time, sick leave or other types of leave paid by an employer
Worker’s compensation benefits
Social security
Medicare or Medicaid

The staff of the Crime Victims Reparations Program will work with victims and claimants to make sure all available resources, including the fund, work in the best interest of victims.

Call the Crime Victims Reparations Board
(225) 342-1749
Toll-free 1-888-6-VICTIM (Nationwide)

Training for Biohazard & Crime Scene Cleanup Safety

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 20:51:07 GMT

Why we do training for Biohazard & Crime Scene Cleanup Safety

Bio Training and the Wall,

Training for biohazard remediation and crime scene cleanup is important and essential in our business. It ensures that our people are ready to work safely and do the job right. At Exit Cleanup we are highly trained professionals that are trained by the IICRC, FEMA, CDC, and always OSHA compliant and we train our people on many things such as dealing with people with compassion, tools, proper cleaning and disinfection methods for contaminated bloodborne pathogens, emergency cleaning , biohazard remediation, how to work together with the client, and so much more so when we realized not everyone understands the way a home is built or what dangers are lurking in a home, we decided to build a new training tool to teach them safety for themselves and for the client as well.

So, we built a wall . Sounds crazy I know, but many people that can clean well may not understand construction so its a good idea to show them a few simple things that this model has. We can train them to clean properly for biohazards and hoarding issues but this gives our newly employed an inside look at what they may encounter, such as electrical wiring and water pipes. no one want to accidently cut either.

This model also gives them a chance to see and feel the different materials we come into contact with in case they haven't before. Cutting baseboards and dry wall is something we do often but its good to know it.

And of course the real reason I built this, the main reason, the one thing that this model was really built for was safety when it comes to the most dangerous thing we come across on almost every job, CARPET TACK STRIPS ! These little lovelies can be the most dangerous hidden things that we deal with.

Carpet tack strips line the perimeter of every room that has carpet. they are wooden strips with hundreds of tiny steel very sharp nails that face up to hold the carpet in position. But in a biohazard, they can be extremely dangerous.
Why? Because these can easily go through gloves and even some shoes, so if these are covered in blood or biological fluids they can cause a puncture incident. That is always our biggest concern in biohazard cleanup of course. I want all my people safe and sound and we train so they stay that way. We don't want contaminated blood or bloodborne pathogens entering anyone's bloodstream. It is always important to keep everyone safe, that's why we are there in the first place, to make the situation safe and visually better for our clients. And I want our people trained well so they can do their job properly and professionally and go home safely at night knowing they did a good job and that they themselves are safe and working in a very safe manner. It all comes down to training.

Our well trained technicians are here to help you in your situation so please feel free to reach out to us for questions or to schedule us to come help you. (504) 722-1504

cleaning up after a death, suicide or crime

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 17:05:05 GMT

death and biohazard cleanup help

Death is a difficult and emotional experience, and it's made even more challenging when it involves a hazardous situation like a crime scene or a suicide. In these cases, it's important to have a professional biohazard cleanup company like Exit Cleanup to handle the situation with compassion and expertise.

At Exit Cleanup, our team of certified technicians understand the delicate nature of death and biohazard cleanup and are trained to handle these situations with care and sensitivity. We understand that this can be a traumatic time for families and loved ones, and we strive to make the process as stress-free as possible.

When it comes to death and biohazard cleanup , it's crucial to have a company with the necessary equipment and training to handle hazardous materials like blood, bodily fluids, and other infectious materials. Our technicians are equipped with personal protective equipment, including respirators and suits, to ensure their safety while they clean and disinfect the affected areas.

One of the most important aspects of biohazard cleanup is the proper disposal of hazardous materials. At Exit Cleanup, we follow all state and federal regulations to ensure that the waste is handled and disposed of in a safe and responsible manner. We use specialized equipment, such as high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters or our custom made ozone generators for odor removal and that the air is free of any harmful contaminants after the cleanup is complete.

When it comes to crime scenes , it's also important to have a company that is experienced in working with law enforcement and the criminal investigation process. Exit Cleanup has years of experience in working with local authorities and understands the importance of preserving the scene for investigation. Our team is trained to handle crime scene cleanup with the utmost respect and sensitivity, and we work closely with law enforcement to ensure that the scene is properly processed and that any evidence is preserved.

In addition to crime scenes, Exit Cleanup is also experienced in handling other types of death and biohazard cleanup, including unattended death cleanup, suicide cleanup, and hoarding cleanup . Our team has the knowledge and experience to handle these situations with the compassion and professionalism that families deserve.

At Exit Cleanup, we understand that death and biohazard cleanup can be a traumatic experience, and we strive to make the process as stress-free as possible. We offer 24/7 emergency services, so families can get the help they need, when they need it. Our team is always available to answer any questions and offer support during this difficult time.

In conclusion, if you or someone you know is in need of death and biohazard cleanup services, choose Exit Cleanup for a compassionate and professional experience. Our team of certified technicians is equipped with the knowledge, experience, and equipment necessary to handle any situation with care and sensitivity. Visit our services pages to learn more about our services and how we can help you during this difficult time.

CDIFF Disinfection Cleaning and What is CDiff and how do I fight it?

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 20:10:00 GMT

CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE INFECTION AND HOW TO CLEAN FOR IT

If you have a case of CDIFF and need help call EXIT BIOHAZARD CLEANUP and have us come and disinfect your home.

What is CDIFF? C.diff stands for Clostridium difficile (klos-TRID-e-oi-deez dif-uh-SEEL), which is a germ or bacterium that causes a symptomatic infection due to the spore-forming bacterium, Clostridium difficile. It causes many Symptoms which include watery diarrhea, fever, nausea, and abdominal pain. It makes up about 20% of cases of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. It most commonly affects older adults in hospitals or in long-term care facilities. Complications may include pseudomembranous colitis, toxic megacolon, perforation of the colon, and sepsis which can be life threatening. One in 11 people over age 65 diagnosed with a healthcare-associated C. diff infection die within one month. In general it causes severe diarrhea and colitis (an inflammation of the colon). It’s estimated to cause almost half a million infections in the United States each year.

C. diff can affect anyone. Most cases of C. diff occur when you’ve been taking antibiotics or not long after you’ve finished taking antibiotics. There are other risk factors such as being 65 or older, a recent stay at a hospital or nursing home, a weakened immune system, such as people with HIV/AIDS, cancer, or organ transplant patients taking immunosuppressive drugs, or previous infection with C. diff or known exposure to the germs. Because 1 in 6 patients who get C. diff will get it again in the subsequent 2-8 weeks .

If you have been taking antibiotics recently and have symptoms of C. diff, you should see a healthcare professional as soon as possible. Getting diarrhea is fairly common while on, or after taking, antibiotics, but in only a few cases will that diarrhea be caused by C. diff . So if your diarrhea is severe you need to talk to your doctor and do not delay getting medical care. Your doctor will review your symptoms and order a lab test of a stool (poop) sample. If the test is positive, you’ll take a specific antibiotic (e.g. vancomycin or fidaxomicin) for at least 10 days. If you were already taking an antibiotic for another infection, your healthcare professional might ask you to stop taking it if they think it’s safe to do so. Your doctor may decide to admit you to the hospital, in which case they will use certain precautions, such as wearing gowns and gloves, to prevent the spread of C. diff to themselves and to other patients because it can be very contagious . its important to use a separate bathroom if you have diarrhea, thoroughly wash hands with soap and water every time you use the bathroom and always before you eat, and take showers washing well with soap. Cleanliness is key to beating this and stopping it from spreading to others or back to you. Because C.DIFF bacteria can last for months.

When the bacteria are outside the human body they can be virtually anywhere in the environment. They are in a dormant state and essentially shutdown waiting for a new host. This enables them to survive for a long time from weeks to months in any number of places and that's why its very difficult to destroy and it is also why people often have the infection reoccur. The ability of it to be dormant and survive outside the body enables the generally easy transmission of the bacterium. It can last a long time sitting on surfaces, in soil or feces, in water areas, or even in food. Once the bacteria finds their way into a person's digestive system, they "wake up" and can begin to produce infection again.

That being said, its not the easiest bacteria to kill. its not like covid which is pretty weak in the environment and generally dies quickly. this has some staying power and requires special cleaning and disinfection procedures. We often kill corona virus and other germs during our disinfection fogging services to help stop the spread of covid 19 and we kill 99.99% of germs and viruses in general for most of our services including our biohazard cleaning services, but CDIFF is something special and its much harder to kill so we have to bring out the big guns to do it. We mean specialty chemicals and procedures to kill what is there and what is hiding dormant. At Exit Cleanup we just think of this as another service we provide but as you can see its not your typical disinfection. If you have Cdiff or someone in your family does and you want us there to kill it, please just call and we will prepare for germ warfare for you. We will fight this for you.

6 Examples of Biohazards

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 17:08:00 GMT

Biohazards we deal with

If you have a Biohazard issue or have questions please call Exit Biohazard Cleanup for 24-7 service.

So what is a biohazard?

The term biohazard or ( Bio Hazard ) refers to any biological materials such as plants, microorganisms, animals, or their byproducts, that pose a threat to the health of living organisms. We actually come into contact with them often. The Covid Pandemic has made us all more aware of what a Biohazard is and how to protect yourself but that is just the tip of the iceberg.

A potential biohazard can be found anywhere as you make your way through the day – it could be something in your home, at your job, in a classroom, or even in a hospital or doctors office. If you encounter something you suspect is a biohazard then take care and extreme caution. Some of these things can cause minor issues from headaches and stomach issues to a much more serious situation including diseases and death. And these could be spread to others in some cases so always treat these situations with caution and call in experts to help you like Exit Cleanup, its what we do daily.

What are some biohazard examples?

1. Human bodily fluids. Semen, cerebrospinal fluid, pleural fluid, vaginal secretions, pericardial fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva, and peritoneal fluid. (Example: Bodily fluids such as saliva can transmit the Corona virus, Mononucleosis or countless other diseases. And other bodily fluids can also spread many diseases) Proper cleaning and Professional Disinfection Services are a good way to prevent the spread of these diseases.

2. Human blood and blood products. In our business this is the most common biohazard we deal with. From suicides and unattended deaths we generally cleanup blood from the scenes. This includes items that have been contaminated with blood and other bodily fluids or tissues that contain visible blood. (Example: Blood may contain bloodborne pathogens such as HIV or AIDS) This is why proper PPE and Professional training is so important.

3. Animal Waste. This includes everything from carcasses, body parts, meat or products made from meat as well as any bedding material used by animals that are known to be infected with pathogenic organisms and also animal feces.

(Example: a common call we get is for rat poop cleanup or rat feces , or sometimes bat poop or other animal droppings, Rat Feces can carry the deadly Hantavirus . Or something as simple and common as Meat and animal fluids can contain E.coli, Salmonella or even Mad Cow Disease known as BSE. )Again, its important to handle these items properly with PPE and Properly dispose of contaminated items and properly sanitize the area . That's when you call Exit Cleanup

4. Regulated Medical Waste. Or sometimes it can be referred to as Pathological waste such as human tissue, organs or surgical specimens such as biopsy materials or bodily fluids from medical procedures or autopsies. This term also includes Materials form Veterinarian clinics and Hospitals. Some of these materials may have unknown biohazard issues and must always be destroyed by professional medical waste services.

5. Microbiological wastes. These are the things you see in movies that contain all of the deadliest of diseases. Common in a laboratory these would include specimen cultures, disposable culture dishes or Peetree dishes , discarded viruses, and devices used to transfer or mix cultures. Basically anything that touched or contained spores, germs, molds, viruses or cultures. Depending on what these contained, these could lead to a serious outbreak of a contagious disease like we had with the corona virus escaping the laboratory in China. That was a real like example of a biohazard getting out into the public.

6. Sharps waste. Typically Needles, glass slides and cover slips, scalpels, and IV tubing that has the needle attached, and more. In the crime scene cleanup industry it also refers to broken glass that may contain blood or bodily fluids or anything sharp that may be contaminated but cant be thrown in our general medical waste boxes.

Biohazard Safety Levels with Examples

There are 4 levels of biohazards, according to the Center for Disease Control:

Biohazard Level 1: " Level one" is the lowest level of biosafety and applies to agents that pose minimal threat and do not consistently cause illness in healthy adults. Research in these labs does not usually require specialty containment equipment and the labs themselves do not have to be isolated from the general building. Standard microbiology practices are usually sufficient to achieve successful containment. These include the use of mechanical pipetting, safe sharps handling, careful handling of substances, and thorough housekeeping.

Decontamination of work surfaces, spills, and materials are all important. Standard personal protective equipment such as lab coats, gloves, and eye protection are sufficient. In general, Agents that pose minimal threat to humans and the environment., Examples include E. coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Naegleria gruberi.

Biohazard Level 2: The "second biosafety level" covers labs that are working with agents associated with human disease. This includes pathogens or infectious organisms that pose a hazard to human health, such as equine encephalitis and HIV. Often, level two labs have a bigger focus on careful handling to avoid any injury that pierces the skin, as well as avoiding ingestion or mucus membrane exposure to contaminants.

An eyebath station should also be available. Cautious handling of sharps and puncture-resistant sharps containers are also mandatory. Labs with level two ratings should have a biosafety manual detailing required immunization and whether serum banking is required to protect staff. A biosafety cabinet or equivalent device should be used for effective containment and an autoclave should be used for proper decontamination.

In General, Agents that can cause severe illness in humans and are transmitted through direct contact with infected material. Examples include HIV, hepatitis B, and salmonella.

Biohazard Level 3: "Biosafety level three" applies to labs working with agents that are strictly controlled and must be registered with the appropriate government agencies. Agents requiring level three biosafety are serious or lethal diseases that can be passed on through simple inhalation of particles or droplets. In addition to the safety procedures applicable at level two, more stringent access control and decontamination of waste processes apply. For example, lab clothing must be decontaminated prior to laundering within the lab facility.

Baseline serum samples should also be collected from all at-risk personnel. Solid-front wraparound gowns, scrub suits or overalls, and respirators are necessary. Access should be separate from general building corridors and incorporate self-closing double doors. Ventilation should provide ducted, directional airflow from a clean area, with no recirculation.

In general, Pathogens that can become airborne and cause serious diseases. Examples include tuberculosis and Coxiella burnetii.

Biohazard Level 4: This is the most serious and deadly of situations. These are Agents that pose a high risk of deadly disease require "level four" biosafety, to provide maximum protection and containment. This is what you see in the movies when they say there's an "outbreak", People running around in level a suits with oxygen tanks and the military's blocking the streets. But this does happen in real life so its important to know. In addition to the safety precautions required at biosafety level three, level four requires complete clothing change before entry to the lab, a shower on exit, and decontamination of all materials before leaving the facility. A Class III biological safety cabinet is required and the laboratory should be completely isolated from the main building. The lab should have dedicated supply and exhaust ventilation, with exhaust streams being filtered through high-efficiency particulate air filters. In general Pathogens that pose such a high risk of life-threatening disease for which there are no treatments. Examples include the Ebola virus and Lassa virus.

For the most part we only find ourselves facing the lower levels of biohazardous threats and if we all do our part we can stop the spread of these threats, but know when to call Exit Cleanup. We are dedicated and highly trained to deal with many of these circumstances. If you find yourself face to face with a potential biohazardous situation that is too big or too dangerous for you to handle on your own, call an expert. Exit Cleanup is a professional bioremediation company with years of experience in crime and trauma scene cleanup. Our technicians have handled blood cleanup, lab cleanup, animal waste and rancid meat issues, death scene cleaning and commercial sanitization and disinfection services for many crime scenes, accidents, deaths and contaminated buildings and properties of all kinds. Contact us today for more information and a free estimate.

Who cleans up after a Death or Crime

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 15:54:42 GMT

The Aftermath of a crime or Death can be Overwhelming and Traumatic

After a death, suicide or a crime, the immediate aftermath can be overwhelming and traumatic for those involved. While the police and other emergency responders play a crucial role in managing the situation, they are not responsible for cleaning up the scene once their investigation is complete. This is where biohazard cleanup companies like Exit Biohazard Cleanup come in.

When a death, Suicide or crime occurs, the scene is often contaminated with bodily fluids and other biohazardous materials. These can pose a serious health risk to anyone who comes into contact with them (especially if the materials were from a total stranger like a crime scene may have) , making it crucial to have a professional cleanup company handle the situation. Exit Biohazard Cleanup specializes in biohazardous material cleanup and can ensure that the area is thoroughly disinfected and safe for others to enter.

But who is responsible for paying for the cleanup?

In most cases, the responsibility for cleaning up after a death , suicide or crime falls on the property owner. This can include homeowners, landlords, business owners, and government entities. If the property is rented or leased, the responsibility may fall on the tenant, depending on the terms of the lease agreement. Renters or home owners insurance often covers the costs of a death or crime cleanup so its best to talk to the biohazard cleaning company and insurance company.

While the cost of cleanup can be significant, it's important to remember that leaving the scene contaminated can pose a serious health risk to others. This makes it essential to prioritize cleanup and ensure that the area is thoroughly disinfected as soon as possible but you must check to see if the scene is cleared by the police before doing so. You must make sure that the police have finished their investigation before anyone id allowed into the scene. In addition to the health risks, leaving the scene contaminated can also have legal implications. Failure to properly clean up after a death or crime can result in fines and legal action from local authorities.

It's also important to note that not all cleanup companies are created equal. When choosing a biohazard cleanup company, it's essential to choose a trusted, reputable and experienced company like Exit Biohazard Cleanup. Their t rained professionals are experienced in dealing with traumatic situations and will work to make the process as comfortable for you as possible. They can deal with the police if needed and take care of getting items out of the scene so that no one else has to enter it.

In addition to their expertise in Biohazardous Material Cleanup or even Hoarding cleanup , Exit Biohazard Cleanup also understands the sensitive nature of these situations. They will work with you and your family to ensure that the process is handled with care and compassion. The cornerstone of any crime scene cleaning type company is to help the people involved so that they don't have to see the visual evidence of the crime or death or deal with the trauma of cleaning up after a loved one has died. Cleanup companies are here so that no one else has to do the crime scene remediation.

Finally, it's important to remember that the cleanup is just one aspect of dealing with the aftermath of a death, suicide or crime. It's essential to have access to mental health resources to help you and your loved ones cope with the emotional impact of the situation. Support and help are often necessary in these situations.

If you're involved with a death, suicide, accident or crime, Exit Biohazard Cleanup recommends that you contact mental health professionals who specialize in grief counseling and trauma therapy to help you and your loved ones navigate the aftermath of a traumatic event. Grief counselors, also known as bereavement counselors are qualified healthcare professionals who provide therapy to clients grieving the death of loved ones and other personal losses. Their role is to support clients through the stages of grief and help them resume their lives.

In conclusion, after a death or crime, the responsibility for cleanup falls on the property owner. It's essential to prioritize cleanup to ensure the safety of others and avoid legal implications. Choosing a reputable and experienced biohazard cleanup company like Exit Biohazard Cleanup is crucial to ensuring that the process is handled with care and compassion.

Suicide Death No Job, But We Help Anyway

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 06:12:00 GMT

Suicide Call
We got a call from a very lovely lady who was distraught about the death of her brother who was found in his apartment after several days. It wasn’t clear how he died to us, but he took his own life. Suicide is always a hard situation to walk into, but we do it with the utmost professionalism and respect. We deal with suicides often and they are never easy on the family and friends that are left behind. But Exit Biohazard Cleanup was started to help people in these situations.

It was unclearly suggested that his death was some form of a self-induced drug overdose , possibly a needle used. The sister was our contact and she was not very clear on how he died exactly which is understandable because she was just managing the best she could under the circumstances. The blood and bodily fluids that were left make it hard to say exactly how he killed himself but we didn't want to press the subject unless it was needed information for the cleanup. We like to know what we can when the situation is questionable. Drug over doses are too common now and some are not intentional so we need to do a risk assessment of the situation to also determine if there are drugs at the scene that can hurt our technicians of the public. At this point we determined there were not any dangerous dugs present. We were informed that he had HIV and Hepatitis which is always an eye opener but nothing we worry about because we honestly treat every cleanup as if there is every major deadly disease present. Safety is most important.

We showed up within the hour of the call and saw the situation which was contained to the living room where he died slumped between the coffee table and couch and bled out a bit on the floor possibly by an open needle situation. Either way it wasn’t too bad or a mess from what you could initially see as you can tell from the picture above, but it needed to be professionally cleaned and decontaminated.

WHO PAYS FOR THE SUICIDE CLEANUP?
often in most cases the home owners insurance pays for biohazard cleanup . But in a rental situation it depends. The real issue was that the floor was the part that needed to be cleaned and my guess was that the tiles may even need to be taken up in that area since blood and bodily fluids seem to always seep into the grout and get under the tiles. The problem with that is that the landlord was the one who would have to "ok" this, and it was actually their responsibility to pay for that. The sister wanted to clean things for her brother and take care of the apartment and his property so that the landlord could move forward but she didn't want to have us do anything other than clean up the floor as if we could just clean the visuals without going further if needed. She didn’t want to call the landlord and have us talk to them until she did a few things so it was an odd situation. We couldn’t clean things properly without the landlord and the client didn’t want to contact them yet and there wasn’t any contact info available for them. So we were pretty much stalled. She also was very afraid of telling the landlord that her brother had HIV and Hepatitis which we suggested was needed to be known for safety reasons in case someone from the building came into the situation if it wasn’t cleaned professionally.

After some debate and understanding, we knew we couldn't move on this cleanup until the property owner / landlord was on board and she wasn't in the frame of mind to continue this day. She did want to organize his things and remove some of the property so to help her stay safe and do what she needed we decided to do a few things for her before we left. We ended up quickly disinfecting the couch and table which had no biohazardous material on them so we could move them for her and make a safe path for her to collect some property. We did this at no cost to her and we left it for her to decide if she would call the landlord and have us come back to do the cleanup. We helped for what we could without having a contract to be there, and she called back a couple days later to thank us again and let us know that the landlord had someone to clean the situation.

So we lost that job but helped the client a bit so she could move forward safely. We never heard from the landlord and I don’t think he really had a professional to do this cleanup or knew enough to remove tiles if the blood made its way there. We hope he did. We can only give our professional opinions to people. Odors will continue and the bodily fluids left could be dangerous if not cleaned properly but sometimes our hands get tied by the property owner and we can only say and do so much. We were happy to help the sister in this situation so that she could move on, because we are always here to help, and we know that sometimes we just don’t get the job and that’s ok.

Ryobi 18 volt Fogger Review

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 06:06:00 GMT

RYOBI 18 Volt portable Fogger
this was originally posted sept 2019. its been updated. One of the things I love is tools, I have a vast collection of tools from a full size metal lathe to my 3D printers. I use them all often to either design and build something cool or to fix up the house so get used to seeing some tool reviews on this blog, its not all about death cleanup. The latest tool I’d like to review is the RYOBI 18 Volt portable Fogger. I use a ton of Ryobi tools in my FX shop as well as in Exit Cleanup . They were one of the first to branch out from battery powered drills to a whole crazy line of tools all run on the same batteries.
When I used to work for others back in the day, I used to buy the best tools and had a set that would make most men leave their wives if it was a choice between them and the tools. I still have a lot of them but as I started hiring people in the FX studio I noticed that just about anything could and was often used as a hammer. I understand it because we always had crazy deadlines and lots of custom work to do so you grabbed what was close when you needed to give something a smack.

As these more expensive tools died, I replaced them with cheaper ones since we would buy and need several at a time, and of course they would be used like a draft horse in a quarry. I bought several Ryobi drills and screw guns, the old school blue ones and they lasted through the abuse of hundreds of projects. I still have them and they work fine. They outlasted all of my other more expensive drills. I then bought a couple other tools that were Ryobi because we already had the batteries and why change what worked. I found myself to exclusively buy Ryobi because they really seemed to keep adding to the tool line and well, we like battery operated tools on set and on locations. We don’t always have power where we go for films and sometimes you just need a tool you can use anywhere, and we certainly have. I’ve brought some of these things around the world and I still haven’t tossed one away. I have only added to them and I tell everyone about it and even give them as gifts. I have turned more people on to their tools than I can remember. I am the guy in home depot waiting to talk about them. Yeah and I don’t even work for them lol.

The newer lines of Ryobi tools are greenish yellow and have much better batteries than the first round so they just keep getting better. These 18 volt tools are strong enough to tear your arm off, in a good way. I have a huge assortment of these tools from the standard hammer drills and circular saws to the more exotic, 18 volt One Gallon Compressor and Automatic caulk gun. A tool with no cord just comes in handy.
So that brings me to the 18 volt Ryobi fogger . Since we started Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup we have invested in more tools of course. Some as duplicates for the trucks and some as something unique to the needs of the business. The fogger was something I bought for death cleanup originally. Fog gets into everything and with the fogger I could spray disinfectants and odorcides to help mitigate the odors cause by an unattended death that’s been there a bit. We have other ULV (Ultra Low Volume) foggers and sprayers but as a Ryobi fan, I couldn’t ignore it so of course I was going to get it and try it out. It’s another tool in the arsenal and like most of their tools it was very inexpensive for how valuable is really is.

So, of course the first thing is that it’s 18 volt and cordless, that’s a no brainer when you need to go from room to room. It’s so much easier than a corded fogger but can it really do the job is always my first concern. No matter how cool it is, it has to perform. Once we got it unpacked and looked at the directions, it’s a pretty simple assembly and very easy to use. Fill it and pull the trigger and you get fog. Although I’d say it’s a cross between a fogger and a mister because the droplets are larger than the typical professional foggers we use. I won’t get too much into the micron size because Ryobi doesn’t state that, but if I had to guess probably about 30 – 60 microns, so it’s a wet fog for sure. For those of you that don’t dwell over these specifics, I understand. As a comparison, human hair is about 0.004in diameter that equals 100 microns. When we look into foggers we look at volume and what size mist of fog we get in microns. The idea being that a fogger with smaller droplets uses less material and is a dryer fog overall which means that you won’t be leaving very wet surfaces. That is sometimes important for certain situations. You don’t want to soak a room and invite mold, nor do you want to not have enough material out there to do the job. Each situation calls for something different. In a room where someone has used a shotgun to kill themselves you will be cleaning many large areas that are contaminated by blood, bone and brain matter and you want to go a bit heavy on disinfectant. A wet disinfectant or enzyme cleaner also helps in the softening of brain tissue which aids in cleanup, whereas disinfecting or decontaminating an area due to a virus or bacteria you would want something dryer and more direct like an electrostatic fogger which the fog is attracted to surfaces and aids in covering areas with disinfectant without being too wet.

The Ryobi fogger falls into a wet fog so it’s a great tool for many situations that we face but it’s not our only fogger of course. It’s a great tool in general and is perfect for indoor and outdoor uses. You do have to keep it level or else it will shoot out a stream of liquid but other than that it, the fogger is very easy to use. It’s got a great design made for one handed carrying, no cord needed and it pups out a lot of material fast so you can use it for everything from odorcides to pesticides, or disinfectants to biocides. It’s a very useful and impressive fogger. Like many of their products I find it’s another winner, hands down. And before you ask, no I don’t get paid by Ryobi lol, but I love their tools.

Update: we still use this in limited situations. We use bigger foggers in general and often electrostatic ones but its still a great tool in our arsenal.

Quick tips for Removing Blood from Fabric

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 06:01:00 GMT

(If you are dealing with an accident, blood spill or death or suicide please call Exit Biohazard Cleanup 24-7)

Don’t you hate when you get a spot of blood on your clothes or sheets from a little home accident? We deal with larger and more complex biohazards and crime scenes at Exit Biohazard Cleanup but we understand . Maybe you had a cut and just have a bit of blood on something important. That can ruin the clothes and trying to remove dried blood from fabric can feel like an impossible task. Here are a few tips on what to do.

Why is Blood So Difficult to Remove?
Blood clots when exposed to air due to the hemoglobin in the blood. Clotting helps heal wounds more quickly and helps prevent excessive blood loss. It’s really a great process but unfortunately, this clotting process that works so well with the human body also tends to bind it to porous materials once it has left the body. This is why it is difficult to remove from fabric and clothing. Always remember, cleaning a fresh blood stain is always preferable to a dried one. A cold-water rinse will often do the trick before the stain sets but you don’t have long. Typically the blood will set before you get a chance to rinse it. If that happens follow these tips which should help remove small amounts of dried blood from fabrics but know that there isn’t a perfect solution for all fabrics.

Not all blood is equal and in our industry its very important to be safe and wear PPE, so, before you begin you will need to consider a few things such as:

Where did this blood come from?
What kind of fabric am I dealing with? How big is the stain you are dealing with? These questions can determine if this is worth trying to salvage or if you should consider tossing it in the trash.

Where did this blood come from? This is the most serious question on whether you should consider moving further. Blood is considered a biohazard and if the blood came from a known source such as your children or spouse, that’s one thing but if this blood came from an unknown source you should not take this lightly. Blood can contain pathogens such as bacteria or viruses such as hepatitis that can be transferred to someone who touches it so take precautions. If you have more than a few drops of anyone's blood but especially unknown blood you should call Exit Biohazard Cleanup. We deal with this daily, we are professionals.

As far as the fabric material, fabrics containing different kinds of fibers require different stain removal techniques. Some fabrics just can’t be saved easily and others may be easy to clean.

With a small stain, you can try to get it out. A few drops of blood can be manageable but something larger may really pose a challenge and you may have to consider it for the trash.

Tips for Removing Dried Blood from Fabric
Please note: these tips are intended for very small amounts of blood only. 1. Soak material for an hour in cool water. Soaking blood-stained fabric in cool water can help break up the stain and make it easier to remove.
Wash on a cold setting. Sometimes, soaking blood-stained fabric and then washing it in the washing machine is enough to remove a dried blood stain.
2. Only air dry the fabric rather than dry it in a dryer so if a stain still remains after washing, the heat from the dryer doesn’t set the stain.
Scrub the stain with soap and water on both sides. This works especially well on sturdy fabrics like cotton and linen.

3. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. You may not be able to remove a blood stain on the first try so don’t be afraid to keep trying.
4. Try an Enzymatic cleaner . If soap and water do not remove the stain, move on to an enzymatic cleaner, which will biodegrade the stain. There are several brands of Enzyme cleaner out there that usually work well on small stains if used correctly.
Large Blood Stains, Don’t Clean them on Your Own
Remember that blood is a biohazard and to clean blood spills properly, you should call a professional blood cleaning service such as Exit Biohazard and Crime S cene Cleanup . We are professionals who can properly clean these scenes to remove all of the biohazardous materials. Blood, like water seems to get into every part of the are its spilled into. Under tiles, under walls and into many places that you simply can’t see. Blood and other bodily fluids can cause odors if not cleaned and disinfected properly as well as stay a dangerous biohazard for long periods of time. Call Exit and let us safely clean and decontaminate the are for you.

Biohazards we may all encounter

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 17:48:51 GMT

Types of Biohazards we may have to deal with

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VOODOO, CRIME & DEATH CLEANUP IN NEWO ORLEANS

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 22:07:20 GMT

CRIME AND VOODOO

The city of New Orleans , Louisiana is a cultural melting pot, known for its vibrant music scene, mouth-watering cuisine, and unique blend of African, French, and Spanish cultures. However, the city also has a darker side, with a history of crime and voodoo that sets it apart from any other place in the world. As a company specializing in Death , Suicide & crime scene cleanup , Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup has seen the aftermath of some of the most gruesome crimes in the city's history. But what many people don't know is that some of these crimes are often connected to the city's rich voodoo culture.

Voodoo has a long and complicated history in New Orleans, dating back to the early 1700s when African slaves were brought to the city. These slaves brought with them their spiritual practices, which eventually blended with Catholicism to create what is now known as Louisiana Voodoo. This unique brand of voodoo incorporates elements of African, European, and Native American spirituality, and has become an integral part of the city's culture.

One of the most well-known aspects of voodoo is the voodoo doll . While many people associate voodoo dolls with evil spells and curses , they are actually used for a variety of purposes, including healing and protection. Voodoo dolls are typically made from fabric and stuffed with herbs and other materials, and are used to represent a specific person or intention. In New Orleans, you can find voodoo dolls for sale in many shops and markets, and they are often used as souvenirs by tourists. The ones in the photo above were made by artist Zoe Sykes , daughter of Valek Sykes , the owner of Exit Biohazard Cleanup. These are specially designed to promote and protect crime scene cleaners. As you can see they wear respirators, they have a heart and compassion and are actually made from our protective (PPE) suits. And just like the city, they give us a whimsical example of something that has the weight of crime, death and history.

Unfortunately, the city's reputation for voodoo has also contributed to a culture of crime and violence. Some people use voodoo as a tool for revenge or to manipulate others, and there have been instances of people using voodoo dolls to harm their enemies. Sadly, this has led to a number of crimes that require professional crime scene cleanup services. The Voodoo culture is still in the city and it sometimes mirrors or envelops the back alleys and hidden areas where crime also seems to lurk. So do your best to stay safe, in the light and out of the eye of a voodoo priestess while you are visiting the Big Easy.

Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup is a company that specializes in cleaning up crime scenes and other hazardous situations such as hoarding cleaning and disinfection services for everything from NOLA's famous restaurants to disease control. They have seen firsthand the aftermath of some of the most gruesome crimes in New Orleans, and understand the unique challenges that come with cleaning up a crime scene in this city. Not only do they have to deal with the physical aftermath of the crime, but they also have to navigate the city's complex voodoo culture and its potential impact on the crime scene. The do clean up blood and bodily fluids, but they also may end up cleaning up some ritualistic sacrifices left such as headless chickens or animal body parts. NOLA is not like any other city on Earth and the unique crime scenes prove it.

Despite the challenges, Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup takes pride in serving the New Orleans community. They understand the importance of respecting the city's culture and traditions, and work closely with local authorities to ensure that crime scenes are cleaned up in a timely and professional manner. They also offer a range of other services, including hoarding cleanup, vehicle biohazard cleanup , and COVID-19 disinfection which on occasion also might include a bit of the voodoo culture.

In conclusion, New Orleans is a city like no other, with a rich and complex history that includes voodoo, crime, and a unique blend of cultures. While the city's reputation for voodoo has sometimes contributed to crime and violence, it has also created a vibrant and fascinating culture that draws people from all over the world. As a company specializing in death and crime scene cleanup, Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup understands the challenges that come with cleaning up after a crime in this city, and takes pride in serving the New Orleans community with professionalism and respect.

Support after a Suicide or Death

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 16:25:53 GMT

Support after a Tragedy is Essential

Suicide is a tragic event that affects not only the victim but also their loved ones. Coping with the aftermath of a suicide can be overwhelming, and it's essential to have a support system in place to help you through the grieving process. One crucial aspect of this support system is a professional biohazard cleanup company like Exit Biohazard Cleanup which can start to deal with the visual damages left behind.

After a suicide , the site of the incident is often contaminated with bodily fluids and other biohazardous materials. Besides the horrific visuals and damages caused by the act itself, The materials left behind can pose a serious health risk to anyone who comes into contact with them, making it crucial to have a professional cleanup company like Exit Biohazard Cleanup handle the situation. We specialize in biohazardous material cleanup and removing the visual damages left behind and we can ensure that the area is thoroughly disinfected and safe for others to enter. But that's just one aspect of such a tragedy. We can do the property cleanup, but that's just property cleaning. There is a whole lot more needed then just cleaning after a tragic event. The situation is always much more than simply cleaning. We can only do our small part to start the healing process but more is always needed.

It's essential to have access to mental health resources after a suicide or unexpected death. Dealing with the aftermath of a suicide can be emotionally and mentally challenging, and it's crucial to have access to professionals who can help you navigate these difficulties. The most important aspects of dealing with a death or suicide is having help to deal with the overwhelming emotions of the situation. Having a support system after a suicide is crucial and the emotional support that you and your loved ones may need. The aftermath of a suicide can be a traumatic experience, and everyone deals with it differently so it's essential to have people who can offer you the emotional support and guidance that you need during this difficult time. Grief counselors or bereavement counselors are qualified healthcare professionals who provide therapy to clients grieving the death of loved ones and other personal losses. Their role is to support clients through the stages of grief and help them resume their lives.

We understand the sensitive nature of a death or suicide and we will work with you and your family to ensure that our part of the process is handled with care and compassion. Our people are trained professionals that are experienced in dealing with traumatic situations and will work to make the process as comfortable for you as possible. We are here to help .

The impact of a suicide can extend beyond the immediate aftermath. Family members and loved ones may experience lingering emotional effects for years to come. Having a support system in place can help you and your loved ones navigate these long-term effects and work towards healing and recovery.

In conclusion, having a support system in place after a suicide is essential. This includes having access to a professional biohazard cleanup company like Exit Biohazard Cleanup, emotional support, and mental health resources. The aftermath of a suicide can be a challenging and traumatic experience, but with the right support, you can work towards healing and recovery. Exit Biohazard Cleanup understands the sensitive nature of Death and suicide cleanup and is here to help you and your loved ones through this difficult time.

Animal Poop, Feces, Urine, Droppings Cleanup

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 18:03:41 GMT

BIOHAZADS OF ANIMAL FECES

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Decomp, Crime Scene Cleanup and the Body Farm

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 17:32:40 GMT

BODY FARM DECOMPOSITION AND BIOHAZARD CLEANING

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Explaining the most common pathogen types

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 16:56:05 GMT

Understanding the Risks of Blood-borne Pathogens

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Death and Maggots, Natures Biohazard Cleanup Crew

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 16:42:57 GMT

Maggots, Nature's Little Biohazard Cleaners

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What to do if a tenant is a hoarder

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 18:59:50 GMT

The Importance of Hoarding Cleanup Services for Landlords

WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE A HOARDER FOR IN A RENTAL PROPERTY?

As a landlord , you may come across properties that have been subject to hoarding. Hoarding is a serious issue that can cause health hazards, safety risks, and can significantly impact the property value. In such cases, it is essential to hire a professional hoarding cleanup service to restore the property to a livable condition.

Here are some reasons why hoarding cleanup services are crucial for landlords:

1. Health and Safety Concerns: Hoarding can create unsanitary conditions, which can lead to the growth of mold, bacteria, and other harmful pathogens. These conditions can cause health problems for anyone who comes into contact with them, including tenants, maintenance workers, and visitors. Professional hoarding cleanup services have the necessary equipment and expertise to safely and effectively remove hazardous materials.

2. Legal Obligations: Landlords have a legal obligation to provide a safe and habitable environment for their tenants. Failure to address hoarding issues can result in legal liability and fines. Hiring a hoarding cleanup service ensures that you are fulfilling your legal obligations and protecting yourself from potential lawsuits.

3. Property Value: Hoarding can cause significant damage to a property, including structural damage, pest infestations, and foul odors. These issues can lower the property's value and make it difficult to rent or sell. A hoarding cleanup service can help restore the property to its original condition, making it more attractive to potential tenants or buyers.

. Emotional Support: Hoarding is often a symptom of underlying mental health issues. It can be overwhelming and emotional for the hoarder and their loved ones to clean up the property. A professional hoarding cleanup service can provide emotional support and guidance throughout the cleanup process.

At Exit Biohazard Cleanup, we understand the sensitive nature of hoarding cleanup and offer discreet and compassionate services. Our team of experts is trained to handle even the most challenging hoarding cleanup situations, and we use industry-leading techniques to restore properties to a safe and habitable condition.

We provide a comprehensive range of services, including biohazard cleanup, trauma cleanup, and unattended death cleanup. With over 20 years of experience, we are committed to providing the highest level of service and support to our clients.

If you're a landlord dealing with hoarding issues, don't hesitate to contact us for a free consultation. We are here to help you navigate this difficult situation and restore your property to its former glory.

The Fascination with Death and Crime Scene Cleanup

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 20:19:18 GMT

Death and our interest in it

Death is a natural part of life, yet it continues to fascinate us. From the popularization of true crime podcasts to the rise of gothic subculture, we can't seem to get enough of the macabre. But how do we deal with death when it's more than just an interest or hobby? Death is seen in films and stories and its always very interesting but for most, its not real until it is in front of you. Then that fascination can become a sad tragedy. So crime scene cleanup services really do help. When it comes to the aftermath of a suicide or other traumatic event, companies like Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup can help us cope. Because once its real and its someone you care about, it becomes a whole other issue that can be very painful.

One reason we may be fascinated by death is its finality. It's the ultimate unknown and we all wonder what happens after we die. Additionally, the concept of death allows us to confront our own mortality, which can be both comforting and terrifying. For some, the fascination with death may be an extension of a curiosity about the darker aspects of humanity. But what happens when death becomes a reality? When we are faced with the aftermath of a death in the family or social circle, it can be overwhelming and difficult to process. It can simply be horrific and emotionally draining. This is where companies like Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup come in. They specialize in cleaning up biohazardous materials after deaths, suicides, and other traumatic events so biohazard cleanup companies exist to help people in their most vulnerable state. Death is natural but not always something that occurs naturally. Between natural deaths, we have suicides, unattended deaths, murders and accidents and that's the most difficult for all of us. An unexpected death is such a shock to many it removes all of the mystic and replaces it in most cases with pain and sadness.

Cleaning up after a death, suicide, or other traumatic event is not something that should be done by friends or family members. Not only is it emotionally taxing and simply overwhelming in many ways, but it can also be dangerous. Bloodborne pathogens, bacteria, and other hazardous materials can be present at the scene of a traumatic event, making it imperative that a professional cleaning service is called in.

Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup is a company that specializes in biohazard cleaning services. They understand the importance of Compassion and professionalism when dealing with the aftermath of a traumatic event. They use state-of-the-art equipment and follow strict safety protocols to ensure that the area is fully cleaned and disinfected.

Cleaning up after a traumatic event is not just about removing physical debris, it's also about providing closure and support for the affected Individuals. The professionals at Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup understand this and provide services that are both thorough and Empathetic. They work with the affected individuals to develop a customized cleaning plan that addresses their specific needs and concerns.

In addition to biohazard cleaning, Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup also offers other related services, such as odor removal and property clearing and hoarding cleanup. These services can be especially helpful in situations where there are additional hazards or concerns that need to be addressed. And often homes and properties need someone to help remove all of the furniture, clutter or property within the home of the deceased and Exit can help with that.

It's important to remember that death is not just something that we can be fascinated by from afar. It's a reality that we all must face at some point in

our lives. When it comes to the aftermath of a traumatic event, it's important to seek the help of professionals like Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup. They have the expertise and compassion to help us cope with the aftermath of a death situation and move forward.

In conclusion, our fascination with death may be a natural human curiosity, but it's important to remember that death is not just a topic of discussion or a hobby. When it comes to death in real life, it's important to seek the help of professionals like Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup. They can provide the cleaning services and support needed to cope with the aftermath of a death, suicide, or other traumatic event.

Vehicle and Home Biohazard Cleaning

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 19:43:49 GMT

DEATH , MURDER , SUICIDE

When a death, murder, or suicide occurs, it can be a traumatic experience for everyone involved. Not only are emotions running high, but there is also the matter of cleaning up the scene. Biohazard cleaning is necessary to ensure that the area is safe and free from any harmful pathogens that may have been left behind. This is where companies like Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup come in, providing local, trusted, and 24/7 service in areas like New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Biohazard cleaning involves the removal and disinfection of any bodily fluids or other hazardous materials that may be present at the scene of a crime or traumatic event. This includes blood, feces, urine, and other bodily fluids, as well as any items that may have been contaminated by these materials, such as furniture or carpeting.

Cleaning up after a death, murder, or suicide can be a difficult task, and it's important to choose a company that is compassionate and understanding during this difficult time. Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup is a company that understands the importance of compassion and sensitivity when it comes to cleaning up after traumatic events.

One of the key benefits of choosing Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup is their 24/7 service. Traumatic events can occur at any time, and it's important to have a company that can respond quickly and efficiently to clean up the scene. With their 24/7 service, Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup is always available to provide the necessary cleaning services when you need them.

Another benefit of choosing Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup is their expertise in biohazard cleaning. Cleaning up after a traumatic event requires specialized training and equipment, and it's important to choose a company that has the knowledge and experience to handle the job properly. Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup has a team of professionals who are trained in biohazard cleaning and are equipped with the necessary tools and equipment to get the job done safely and efficiently.

Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup also understands the importance of discretion when it comes to cleaning up after a traumatic event. They work quickly and quietly to minimize any disruption to the surrounding community, and they take great care to protect the privacy and dignity of the individuals involved.

In addition to their biohazard cleaning services, Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup also provides other related services, such as odor removal, hoarding cleanup, and infectious disease cleanup. These additional services can be especially helpful in situations where there are additional hazards or concerns that need to be addressed. When it comes to cleaning up after a traumatic event, it's important to choose a company that you can trust. Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup is a local company that has been providing biohazard cleaning services in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana for years. They have built a reputation for providing compassionate and reliable service, and they are committed to helping their

clients through the difficult process of cleaning up after a traumatic event.

If you are in need of biohazard cleaning services after a death, murder, or suicide, consider contacting Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup. With their 24/7 service, expertise in biohazard cleaning, and commitment to compassion and discretion, they can provide the support and assistance you need during this difficult time.

Odor Removal

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 19:33:03 GMT

Odor Removal from death, smoking, Animal urine and feces, biohazards and more

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Hoarding Property Cleaning Helpers

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 19:08:52 GMT

Hoarders need a hand to help them do the heavy lifting

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Between Biohazards, a little Art

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 16:48:00 GMT

WE NEED TO HAVE FUN WHEN WE CAN, BECAUSE DEATH IS JUST A CALL AWAY

The truth is , we love what we do but helping people with biohazards or when there is a death involved can be difficult. We always have to do our job with professionalism and compassion, and we do. But if we only spent our time in these serious situations we would be surrounded by nothing but stress and heartache. So we do everything to have some fun when we can and that includes everything form going out with the family to making things for us.

We, meaning me and my crew, generally do a lot of creative work. if you look up our bio , I ( Valek Sykes owner ) come from the special effects industry originally before getting into biohazard and crime scene cleanup. And of course I have brought some of my effects people (the ones who can handle it and are filled with compassion) along to my Exit Cleanup company. I trust these people and have worked with them for years before starting Exit Cleanup so I know that they are what we needed. So as we trained and moved into this business we found it was necessary for us to take our off time seriously and have some fun and decompress. Some of us sculpt things, some of us design things but we are all usually busy making some fun things when we are not cleaning up death .

Our office is not just a regular office, in fact it is a full on studio in the back where we can 3d print, weld, sculpt, mold and cast things, rebuild a car or design and make costumes. We even have a full machine shop. Since several of us come from a special effects background originally, we feel the need to keep busy and make some crazy stuff as a way to deal with the weight and seriousness of the biohazard and crime scene cleanup jobs we do.

We see and deal with many things that most people can't or shouldn't imagine let alone go through. We are great at our job and we love to help people in their time of need. its how we function. But since we give 110% to our biohazard cleaning company when we are needed, we have to work just as much to decompress and enjoy life so that we don't start to feel the weight of it all.

Depression is an ugly emotion and it's something we need to watch out for in this line of work. Its easy to find yourself letting in some of the insanity that we witness day to day, so it's always important to discuss these situations and find time to wring out the emotional weight of it all. So we all do it with family and fun.

Some examples of what I mean are:

Kelly, one of our Techs does amazing work with her cosplay creations, that's costumes for you and me. She designs and creates some amazing and beautiful costumes. These are professional quality elaborate costumes based off of video games and anime shows. She will spend months creating something insane and then go to Comicon and shows dressed in it and leaving the crime scene cleanup industry behind for a bit. it makes her happy and she's one of our best so we want her happy and healthy for when she comes on site so she's ready to help others. She is amazing.

Paul is another one of our crew that also comes from the special effects industry. He's more of a builder and he has a huge set of skills he uses when he's not on site at a biohazard cleanup. He also owns the crossbow booth at the local renaissance fair. When he's not helping us tear up floors or walls on a crime scene he's either working on local films or casting up molten metal or forging a knife blade. He likes to work in many disciplines and always has a bunch of projects waiting for those days off of death cleaning.

I myself spend a lot of time with my wife and kids and we also build things, sculpt creatures like Slimmer from Ghostbusters, build a UFO or even build a robot, and me and my son have even decided to rebuild a 1969 AMC javelin muscle car, and we know nothing about cars. But its the journey and bonding time we enjoy. I always found that if I keep busy and creative, it keep me smiling.

We love what we do and we are always ready to take on the burden of any biohazard, death, accident, or crime scene cleanup so that our clients don't have to , but like I said we do like to have fun in the down time and we do. its how we recharge for the next one. Hopefully people see the value in breaking up the norm, building something for fun and getting their hands dirty. It makes any kind of work that much more gratifying

After Storm Refrigerators and Freezers

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 22:10:00 GMT

Rancid food makes cleaning up after a storm harder

Exit Cleanup has done many jobs that require us to simply defy the overpowering smells of death and biohazardous waste, but right up there is the smell of rotting meat and rancid foods left in a freezer or refrigerator after the power has gone out for days, weeks or even months. it happens more than you can imagine and we deal with it often.

Hurricane IDA knocked out everyone's power and even flooded areas where refrigerator trucks full to the brim with meats have been abandoned for safety were left for days in the hot sun. I can say its no picnic when we come into the vicinity. You can usually smell these trucks before you realize how close you really are. And in homes where the electric has been out for weeks its the same thing. you know there is something rotten near by. So what to do. Call Exit Cleanup of course. We deal with these all year long since this often happens when there's an unattended death and no one has been around to check the home. But of course now with so many without electric because of IDA , there has been a lot of calls about what to do and how fast can we come out. We are working night and day to help. we just removed over a ton of rancid meat and its been rough but the faster we help, the faster people can get back to normal. it may not sound like a big deal but the odors can reach hundreds of feet around a property and no one wants that.

if you have some serious issues from a freezer or refrigerator call us and we will get things back to normal. Exit Cleanup is ready to help you.

Hurricane Ida Cleanup

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 21:52:00 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

Hurricane IDA was an incredible force that trashed our state and caused massive damages. But nothing can stop us here in Louisiana, we will rebuild. The day after like many I grabbed my chainsaw and helped to clear the streets so we could start moving again. We had minor damages to the house but were surrounded by fallen trees and flood waters but as the water receded we picked up, got the generator going and ran that chainsaw. Weeks later I still have the poison ivy to show for it but we are back to work and helping others.

Our hearts go out to all who still have needs such as food and shelter and so many in the community are coming together to help. Others simply need their power back on or lesser needs so they can get back to normal. its always a long road, especially in the hardest hit areas so please be patient and remember that many are still having a hell of a time with the basics and many have lost a lot. Help where you can and don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.

It will take some time and may will be back to normal in the next couple weeks but it may take much longer for others but we will get through and eventually start hearing some good old music back on Bourbon street if they wake up and let us get back to normal without the crazy covid rules that only hurt our community.

peace be with you all Louisiana. This great state will soon remind the world again what a great place it is to live and raise a family here.

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR CRIME SCENE CLEANUP?

Mon, 22 Mar 2021 22:10:00 GMT

so you want to be a crime scene cleanup technician?

ARE THERE REQUIREMENTS FOR CRIME SCENE CLEANUP?

So you want to know about becoming a crime scene cleaner? I hope you have a strong stomach. It is often filled with smells and visuals that most people don’t want to experience. The term “gag a maggot” comes to mind . The odors from a decomposed body can reach far from the home and into the parking area. And maggots, yes, there are maggots in many cases as well as flies and rats, and even raccoons. But generally, maggots and flies go along with the territory and you get used to them.

Not only is Crime scene cleaning not for anyone with a weak stomach, but it is demanding work . As a Biohazard Technician or as some call it, crime scene cleaner, you will be called to manage a wide range of situations, and you must be able to compose yourself professionally amongst even the most horrific scenes as you do your job. You need to be able to handle yourself with people in various stages stress and anguish while doing a very thorough cleaning of the scene with compassion and professionalism . It’s not an easy job but we at Exit Cleanup value our promise to our clients of doing all we can to get the job done with as little stress and disruption possible. Our Motto is “Compassion, Safety, Peace of Mind” . Our clients trust us to do the job professionally, as fast as possible and with an understanding of the gravity of the situation. We are there to help and that’s what we do. If you are interested in pursuing a career in Biohazard remediation, it will help to gain a better understanding of what the job entails before beginning any “crime scene cleanup” training.

What exactly do crime scene cleaners do? Biohazard and Crime scene cleaners specialize in cleaning and sanitizing homes, businesses, and vehicles after a death, homicides, suicides, industrial accidents, and other traumas involving blood, tissues or bodily fluids such as feces while demonstrating compassion toward those receiving services. We are “ second responders ,” that come after the first responders have left, and our goal is to help families recover by relieving them of the burden of the cleanup of the situation and return to them the home that is completely clean and decontaminated.

How is this different from a typical cleaning service? Biohazard and Crime scene cleanup companies do more than just clean. If you were cleaning a floor like a typical cleaning service or simply the way you do in your home, imagine that everything that the area you are cleaning was now filled with the Ebola virus and you can see it. And if not, careful it will spread with each pass of the mop and if you weren’t protected it might get on you and you will get sick. Scary right? Well, that’s the job of a Biohazard cleaner . We treat every job as if there is Ebola present, meaning we abide by the “universal caution” of treating every blood spill and any bodily fluids as if they are extremely dangerous.

We need to remove the blood and bodily fluids as if they contain deadly viruses because they sometimes do. Blood may contain deadly pathogens such as HIV or HepC that can make you sick or kill you so we are highly trained and protected. We also have to be very careful to not cross contaminate the area, meaning we don’t want someone walking through it and then spreading the contaminants to new areas. It’s a very methodical process. This job requires patients, forethought and care in every step. This isn’t a mop and bucket type thing . This is a “on your hands and knees” hand cleaning with specialized chemicals and techniques so you can remove all aspects of the situation safely for yourself and the public. Blood, brains, tissue, poop, urine , all of it must be completely removed and disinfected. It’s often requires us to be professional deconstruction experts. We cannot always get to the entire Bio area without removing carpets, flooring, baseboards, walls, drywall, subfloors etc. It’s a lot to deal with while wearing PPE and keeping very careful and safe not to injure ourselves or the area. We need to be ready to use various saws and tools to do what needs to be done so it’s really nothing like a maid service or house cleaning service.

Are there Health and safety requirements that Biohazard and crime scene cleanup companies must meet? Generally, in many states, biohazard and crime scene cleaning is not an officially regulated industry, there are restrictions, regulations, and guidelines that all biohazard cleanup personnel must follow to ensure health and safety to the public and themselves. These protocols are overseen by agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) , the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) , and the Department of Transportation (DOT) . It’s important to learn OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard as well as many other standards, proper PPE understanding and use, a knowledge of chemicals and cleaning products, a general understanding of construction and of course people skills and compassion. If you understand all of this, that’s a good start because safety to all is job number one .

What are Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup training and background requirements? In most states, becoming a Biohazard and crime scene cleaner does not require a college degree or certification. More states are pushing for more requirements and we here at Exit Cleanup welcome that. We train often and push for the most requirements for our industry. We take great pride in what we do and we want to be the best out there but we also want any competition to be as highly trained as possible. Because people that require our services deserve the best treatment and understanding from our industry so more regulations will weed out the unprofessional hacks and we welcome that. Still interested?

More than anything, it is important for Biohazard and crime scene cleaners to possess the following:

1. Training , lots of training. Most Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup companies require crime scene cleanup training for their employees, educating them on best practices, the chemicals we use, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and safety risks such as bloodborne pathogen exposure as well as doing the job itself and understanding construction. At Exit Cleanup we have even built a training wall section and floors to show how a typical wall is built and how to deal with pipes, electric and flooring such as carpets and hardwood floors. We value training, knowledge and always Compassion.

Biohazard and Crime scene cleaners encounter a wide range of tragic circumstances so being able to calmly get the details needed to do the job while being understanding is important. This goes for the entire job. Generally, no joking and laughing while on the job and you will need to be professional no matter what the circumstances. You may not be dealing with a “completely stable” person at this time. Some people have been pushed to their limits and you have to always be the helpful one and never the cause of more stress.

2. Stamina. The job of a crime scene cleaner can be physically challenging and requires technicians to wear biohazard suits, full facemasks, respirators, and multiple sets of gloves while working hard to clean and disinfect the area. We sometimes work long hours in the heat and severe humidity that comes with living in Louisiana as we remove walls and flooring etc. to do what needs to be done. We train to be safe from heat exhaustion and learn to take breaks and eat and drink when needed. But, sometimes it’s a very long day because we do our best to work thoroughly and get the job done quickly for the client. Its hard work.

3.Integrity. Integrity is a must in any business but because customers trust Biohazard cleanup crews with their personal property, their homes and safety in general, integrity is a quality that is of the utmost importance . We at Exit Cleanup only choose highly trusted personnel and we value them. In many cases we find things of value such as jewelry and cash and we contact the client and photograph it and place where they choose so they can retrieve it.

4. Commitment. Our clients often require Biohazard and crime scene cleaning services during odd hours. Exit Cleanup is ready to help 24-7 . We can’t pick the time of an emergency so we are always on duty and ready to help. Therefore, crime scene cleaners should be dedicated to the work and have flexible availability because that’s the job. It doesn’t mean you have to be available every day 24-7 but the company will always have reliable people ready to go at any hour.

5. Attention to detail. Biohazard and Crime scene cleanup can result in several health risks, so following protocol and paying close attention to detail is a must. Details are the focus of what we do . Its also our job to remove the visuals of the situation. A simple blood drop or worse left behind can trigger a serious level of stress to the client so we must be thorough and aggressive in our cleaning and inspections.

Situations include:

Crime scene cleanup: A crime can be a difficult situation. It may have police coming and going, detectives and victims and their families, neighbors and who knows who else. We once came out of a cleanup of a double homicide to a gathering of hundreds of people who were surrounding the Exit Cleanup truck as they were paying their respects as a community at the location. You may have visits form screaming family members, and angry relatives. You never know what to expect so you do the job like a professional but we work as a team to also keep an eye out for anything unusual.

A crime scene can be anything from a few drops of blood to full on chunks of brains and tissue with trails of blood in multiple locations. It can be something that you will never forget. Its often horrific and you have to be careful on how much you know about the situation so its not popping in your heard later. As stated earlier, this is not for everyone. Films and Tv are nothing by comparison for the real thing up close. Some of these can make you question humanity so understand that we do a lot to decompress after these situations. We are serious on site out of respect and compassion, but when we leave, we try to talk and lighten the mood so we can all go home without the weight of what we just dealt with. Mental health is important and we like to keep our people healthy in mind and body so as a company we find things to do together to take our minds off of the scenes we deal with.

Unattended death cleanup. One of the most challenging situations that crime scene cleaners face is an unattended death. Many people underestimate the detrimental effects that an unattended death can have on the home and do not realize that it can impact both the safety and well-being of future occupants if not completely restored. If someone dies and isn’t found for weeks, the amount of decomposition is affected by many things but if left long enough the body starts to liquify and these fluids get into walls, floors, furniture, subfloors, and often the ceiling of the area below. So sometimes there can be great damage to multiple floors as well as the odors have permeated into everything so the entire house may need to have most things emptied and destroyed. Anything soft will absorb the decomp odors so that covers everything from rugs to furniture, walls, clothing, curtains, books, and generally anything. It’s often a huge undertaking to clean out an unattended death.

Suicide cleanup. Cleaning up blood and other biological matter should be handled with extreme caution. A Biohazard cleaning company – unlike a general cleaning crew – possesses the tools and knowledge to remediate a scene thoroughly and safely. Suicide scene much like a crime scene can be horrific and cause great damage as well as have a great number of reactions to the people left behind. Suicide is often a situation that has many victims and these friends and family members are left with a whole range of emotions and its never an easy situation to walk in to so our professionalism is paramount. We must do our job and be compassionate, thorough and focused while possibly dealing with family members who are lost in their grief.

Accident and blood spill cleanup. We do these cleanups with as much professionalism and compassion as any other cleanup. Whether it’s a death or a serious accident we treat it the same way, with professionalism. It may be at an office or factory and there may be workers coming and going so it’s something to do quickly but very thoroughly.

Feces or bodily fluids. These are part of the job. Sometimes people make a mess in the bathroom in a public restaurant, or someone has a medical issue and has been taken out in an ambulance but has left a serious mess of blood, feces or bodily fluids. That’s why we are here. We are always here to help in these situations. Its not glamourous but its important and we treat these jobs like any other, with professionalism and compassion.

Tear gas cleanup. Tear gas is sometimes used by law enforcement at the scene of a crime and can be terribly difficult to clean afterwards. Until all of the chemicals are remediated, a building will remain unsafe and should not be inhabited. It takes some time and proper chemicals to deal with this but that is also part of our job.

Hording cleanup. A hoarding property cleanup can be something of a challenge. It can be from animal hoarding, trash hoarding or any items or all of the above. There can be mild areas or full on up to the ceiling trash and items and rooms you can’t even get into. Hoarding is a sometimes a difficult situation where the hoarders themselves don’t want to let go of things so again patients and compassion are key. This is often a time where we can really improve someone’s life so as many of these situations it can be very rewarding.

So, if you have made it this far and you are still interested in Biohazard and Crime scene cleanup good for you. Not many can handle this kind of work but its very rewarding and never dull . There are some schools that teach the basics such as Amdecon, but its best to start with a ride along type situation to see if you can handle it. But like all things, not all companies are the same and some may not have the high standards that we here at Exit Cleanup have so be aware. You don’t want to learn unsafe or bad habits and if respect and compassion are not being practiced then you should move on to a better company. If you have questions, you can contact me the owner of Exit Cleanup, Valek Sykes via email on our site. Please do not call, leave that for our clients.

Baton Rouge Crime Scene Cleanup and Biohazard Remediation

Thu, 18 Mar 2021 17:42:00 GMT

CRIME SCENE CLEANUP BATON ROUGE

It's almost impossible to think about Louisiana without talking about the big cities like New Orleans and of course Baton Rouge, (red stick) . Baton Rouge is the capitol of Louisiana and is the second largest city behind New Orleans. It has a huge history and a great historical value in our country. Its filled with culture and all of the bells and whistles of any major city except it has the great Louisiana flavors and Southern charm that most do not. Its also filled with some of the greatest sports fans in the country because of LSU and football. Its only rivaled by the enthusiasm of the Saints fans, but that's a bit of a trick statement, because in most cases they are one in the same.

That being said just as all major cities in the world it has its dark side. Its filled with its share of crime and murder . Homicides and violent crimes are up and even with the covid pandemic , its something to worry about. Nothing can kill a city more than crime and poverty and sadly Baton Rouge seems to often have more than its share. At Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup , we have been called there often to clean up a homicide scene . Murder is something we see much too often in some areas and Baton Rouge has more than many. We get calls to cleanup a murder scene after the police have cleared the area and the property needs to be free of the biohazard left behind. Baton Rouge calls us out often but its our job so we hear and see more than the average person when it comes to murder and violence as well as suicides and general crime.

Baton Rouge has many older homes so we also go out there to deal with some of the lighter sides of our work such as hoarding cleanup and rodent and bat feces cleanup . Bats and rats seem to be very abundant in some areas and their poop can be a mess to deal with as well as a dangerous biohazard. Rat poop can contain deadly bloodborne pathogens such as the Hantavirus so we come in to safely remove and cleanup these issues. Cleaning up bat pop isn't glamourous but it needs to get done and we do it. its also a lot less stressful than a crime of suicide cleaning so its considered a more relaxed job but our highly trained technicians .

We here, at Exit Biohazard , clean up crime scenes , suicides , accidents, blood spills, trauma scenes, hoarding properties, and yes, even Bat poop from all around New Orleans , the entire Northshore, and all around Baton Rouge. Its what we do. But we don't judge Baton Rouge or anywhere we go by the crime scenes we clean up, as no one should. We focus on the city as a great place to live and love. Its an amazing place with great people, and places to see. We go there for our work on occasion but we go there more often for the fun of an LSU game , or to eat at some place special or to go check out the U.S.S. Kidd Museum . There is always something going on and if you love history , you will have a lot to look into in Baton Rouge because it has more to offer and gives us more to do than many cities of its size.

Crime Scene Cleanup New Orleans

Thu, 18 Mar 2021 15:55:00 GMT

Biohazard and crime scene cleanup in New Orleans

Exit Cleanup loves being a part of and serving New Orleans. New Orleans , the Big Easy, is a wonderful and amazing area. What most outsiders don't realize is that, N’awlins is so much more than Mardi Gras and Bourbon street. But honestly we cant refuse to point out how much those mean to us all here. They are like the backbone of the city when it comes to tourism. From the Musicians Village in the 9th Ward to ghost tours to spending the day with alligators, and one of the many music festivals we have when Covid gets out of the way, there is always something to do in New Orleans.

did we mention:

food

history

music

food

architecture

unique culture

parades

food

alligators

and food food food.

Its no wonder millions of people come here to visit and many call it their home. There is never a shortage of fun things to do, music to listen to, and world class amazing food to eat. I'm not going to lie, since I moved to the area about 8 years ago, I've gain over 30 pounds. I've fell in love with the people , the city and the amazing sights, sounds and smells. Ok, I mean the food smells and not the customary early morning Bourbon Street smells of urine and vomit.

The one thing here that is no different from many big cities is a healthy crime rate. We have quite a lot of crime here so we as Biohazard and crime scene cleaners , keep busy her in New Orleans. Sadly, we also clean up more suicides lately and blood and accidents as well. Its what we do and even though we deal with death cleanup often, we are professionals and it's what we do, so that victims families do not have to. And along with the pandemic we also keep busy doing professional disinfections or restaurants and businesses and churches which gets us out and about to many areas all around the Big Easy. The city even with its crime is a fascinating place to see and live. As mentioned, all cities have crime and suicides and all flavors of insanity, but there is no other place like New Orleans when it comes to culture, history, art, music and food. We are proud to service New Orleans and live in such an amazing area where the history is as rich as the great food they serve and the people are friendly, polite and full of life.

If you see our Exit Biohazard Cleanup service vehicles, please feel free to wave hello, we will wave right back with a smile.

How and Why to use NARCAN in an Emergency Overdose

Thu, 18 Mar 2021 14:30:00 GMT

USING NARCAN IN AN OVERDOSE

What is Narcan? NARCAN® (naloxone HCl) Nasal Spray was developed to be used at home, on site or in any emergency without the need for any medical training if you suspect an opioid overdose . Its a lifesaving medication that we as Biohazard remediation experts carry on our vehicles for an emergency. When dealing with certain situations such as cleaning up a death scene from a drug overdose, its important to realize that there may be residual drugs left on the scene. If these drugs are opiates such as fentanyl its a very dangerous situation and we have to be prepared. We want our people safe and sound, so we carry NARCAN® just in case. Our people are highly trained and wear the proper PPE during any situation, but If one of our people or the people who called us in to show us the situation did accidently touch a drug like fentanyl, which is so deadly that it takes only enough powder to cover a few numbers on the date of a penny to be fatal, we want to be prepared to help them on the spot and this drug gives us that chance.

When should you use NARCAN? If you suspect that someone has overdosed in this way, you administer NARCAN® Nasal Spray and get emergency medical assistance right away. It will temporarily reverse the effects of the overdose , enough to get medical help and get them to the hospital. Just remember its only temporary, once NARCAN® wears off the opiate can still kick back in and cause another overdose situation or death.

How can I get NARCAN? NARCAN® Nasal Spray is sort of a "prescription" medicine used for the treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose emergency with signs of breathing problems and severe sleepiness or not being able to respond. It says its a prescription but the truth is that Louisiana has a standing order saying that anyone can purchase it. We here at Exit Cleanup simply went to Walgreens and bought it with no problem. It roughly costs $130.00 for two lifesaving doses so its worth having just in case. Remember in an overdose situation it is to be given right away and does not take the place of emergency medical care. Get emergency medical help right away after giving the first dose of NARCAN® Nasal Spray, even if the person wakes up. Remember the original opiate can still kill you after NARCAN® wears off.

The medicine in NARCAN® Nasal Spray has no effect in people who are not taking opioid medicines. You can always carry NARCAN® Nasal Spray with you in case of an opioid overdose if you are a first responder or in our case a second responder. It is also safe and effective in children for known or suspected opioid overdose. So its clearly a miracle drug.

It's a life saving drug that anyone can buy to have in your tool kit or on your vehicles, and it works like this

Administering NARCAN® NASAL SPRAY :

PEEL -Peel back the package to remove the device. Hold the device with your thumb on the bottom of the red plunger and 2 fingers on the nozzle.

PLACE - Place and hold the tip of the nozzle in either nostril until your fingers touch the bottom of the patient's nose.

PRESS - Press the red plunger firmly to release the dose into the patient's nose.

This blog is meant to be for educational purposes only, If you plan to get NARCAN, get training and visit their site (https://www.narcan.com) and do not take our blog post as proper instructions, we are not responsible for teaching the use of this drug. (*Administer in accordance with their Instructions for Use. Please refer to their Instructions for Use.)

We cant say this part enough because what most people may not realize is that NARCAN®, is Not a substitute for emergency medical care. The lifesaving effects wear off so its only a way to by time to get them to the Emergency room ASAP! When administering NARCAN® Nasal Spray, always be sure to call 911 right away, even if the person wakes up. Keep the patient under surveillance or close watch. If breathing does not return to normal or if breathing difficulty resumes, after 2-3 minutes, give an additional dose of NARCAN® Nasal Spray using a new device in the alternate nostril. Repeat doses may be necessary and get them to the ER.

Their site does have some warnings so read on but visit their site. We are simply explaining the drug as we see it so do not take our word for it and please check into this further if you plan to buy or use this. Check with the experts.

Who should not use NARCAN® Nasal Spray?

Do not use NARCAN® Nasal Spray if you are allergic to naloxone hydrochloride or any of the ingredients in NARCAN® Nasal Spray.

What is the most important information I should know about NARCAN® Nasal Spray?

NARCAN® Nasal Spray is used to temporarily reverse the effects of opioid medicines.

Use NARCAN® Nasal Spray right away if you think signs or symptoms of an opioid overdose are present, even if you are not sure, because an opioid overdose can cause severe injury or death.

Signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose: These may include:

1. Unusual sleepiness and you are not able to awaken the person with a loud voice or by rubbing firmly on the middle of their chest (sternum)

2. Breathing problems including slow or shallow breathing in someone difficult to awaken or who looks like they are not breathing

3. The black circle in the center of the colored part of the eye (pupil) is very small, sometimes called "pinpoint pupils," in someone difficult to awaken

Get emergency medical help right away after giving the first dose of NARCAN® Nasal Spray. Rescue breathing or CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) may be given while waiting for emergency medical help. At Exit we train in first aid and CPR so we generally always have at least one person trained for this on site. Its important to train in the use of this drug and other life saving training for emergency situations.

Remember, The signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose can return after NARCAN® Nasal Spray is given. If this happens, give another dose after 2 to 3 minutes using a new NARCAN® Nasal Spray device and watch the person closely until emergency help is received.

This is a life saving drug but like anything is may have some side effects so here is what the maker of NARCAN® says:

What are the possible side effects of NARCAN® Nasal Spray?

NARCAN® Nasal Spray may cause serious side effects, including:

Sudden opioid withdrawal symptoms which can be severe. In someone who has been using opioids regularly, opioid withdrawal symptoms can happen suddenly after receiving NARCAN® Nasal Spray and may include:

body aches

diarrhea

increased heart rate

fever

runny nose

sneezing

goose bumps

sweating

yawning

nausea or vomiting

nervousness

restlessness or irritability

shivering or trembling

stomach cramping

weakness

increased blood pressure

Some patients may show aggressive behavior upon abrupt reversal of an opioid overdose. This is generally for the people who take opiates often (addicts) and not someone who accidentally overdosed by touching the drug but always be aware. You may have interrupted an addicts "high" in their mind which can cause them to be very angry with you because they just spent their last few bucks to get high. They don't care or realize you may have just saved their life.

I have heard this from the cops when it comes to addicts. They say they come to an overdose victim, sometimes the same one several times a week or even in the same day and they save them using NARCAN® and then the fighting starts . An addict may get very aggressive and often they refuse to go to the hospital to get help so the officer is forced to let them be, which generally leads to another call within an hour because the same person has overdosed again once the NARCAN® has worn off. That was something I didn't realize until the police mentioned it, so that is why you will read about the drug wearing off several times in this post. The cops have even mentioned to me that they like the injection version of NARCAN® so they can give the addict just enough to keep them alive until help comes but nor enough to pull them completely awake and fighting angry. Its so they can get them to the hospital and save them before they can refuse the help. Its a sad state when you have to think this way so we at Exit feel for the first responders and always support them in their often thankless jobs. We thank them all!

The maker of NARCAN also includes this about babies and if needed we would try to help of course but in our line of work cleaning up Deaths , suicides and biohazards , I hope we never come across this situation but since we are discussing this amazing life saving drug its more information to know.

They mention: in infants under 4 weeks old who have been receiving opioids regularly, sudden opioid withdrawal may be life-threatening if not treated the right way. Signs and symptoms include: seizures, crying more than usual, and increased reflexes.

These are not all of the possible side effects of NARCAN® Nasal Spray. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch .

Exit cleanup is a biohazard and crime scene cleaning company here in the great state of Louisiana serving Covington, the entire Northshore area, all of New Orleans, and all around Baton Rouge. We are not experts in this drug but we have read all the information from the manufacturer on their site. We have trained in the use of NARCAN® for our purposes and we are confident in its use. However this post is for general information and not instructions or guidance. go to the site https://www.narcan.com for all of your information on this subject.

Call Exit Cleanup is you have a situation involving death, suicide or an overdose death and you need biohazard remediation.

THE STAGES OF HUMAN DECOMPOSITION

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 21:19:00 GMT

the four stages of human decomposition

Often you hear the term “ Decomp ” which stands for decomposition ,
used on TV and films to describe a body found after a some time has passed. The scene on Tv is always the same, several seasoned officers staring down at the body discussing the crime and noticeably making faces about the smell of the body in the air as the new guy hangs in as long as he can take it before running out to visibly get sick. In real life, the smell of decomposition isn't an easy odor to handle that is for sure. It can often surround the property for 50 feet or more. As a Biohazard specialist we at Exit Cleanup have come across many levels of decomposition on a cleanup site.

In an unattended death , the deceased has been there for anywhere from a few days to several weeks and decomposition has started. Human decomposition is a natural process involving the breakdown of tissues by bacteria after death. Every living being will start the process of decomposition once death has occurred. According to Forensic Anthropology, human decomposition begins around four minutes after a person dies and follows four stages:

1. Autolysis

2. Bloat

3. Active decay

4. Skeletonization

The rate of human decomposition varies due to several factors, these include the weather, temperatures, moisture, pH and oxygen levels, general surroundings, cause of death, and body position. No matter the details, all human bodies follow the same four stages of human decomposition.

Stage One: Autolysis

The first stage of human decomposition is Autolysis , or self-digestion , and begins this immediately after death. As soon as blood circulation and respiration stop, the body has no way of getting oxygen or removing wastes. This causes an excess carbon dioxide which causes an acidic environment to form within the body, causing membranes in cells to rupture. The membranes release enzymes that begin eating the cells from the inside out.

At this point, Rigor mortis has set in causing the muscle to start stiffening. Small blisters form filled with nutrient-rich fluid begin appearing on internal organs and much of this can't be seen externally but the body is changing internally and soon after the skin’s surface will also start to change. The body will appear to have a sheen due to ruptured blisters within the skin, and the skin’s top layer will begin to loosen.

Stage Two: Bloat

As the body goes through stage one, the enzymes will spread and leak within the body and as they work they begin to produce many gases. the body will start to be noticeable changing. The sulfur-containing compounds that the bacteria release cause skin discoloration and due to the gases, the body will start to change shape as it fills with pockets of gases and starts to bloat. The human body can even double in size and depending on many factors it will become unrecognizable. This bloating can cause skin to break and some internal fluids may start leaking. Also it is at this point where insect activity starts to be noticeably present. In many cases when a body is found in a building or home in a state of decomposition, the area is filled with hundreds of flies and maggots . Police have told us that large amounts of flies on the windows inside a home can often a clue that there may be a "decomp" situation.

As the body bloats the microorganisms and bacteria produce extremely unpleasant odors called putrefaction. These odors often alert others that a person has died, and can linger long after a body has been removed. In addition to various gases, a dead human body releases around 30 different chemical compounds. The gases and compounds produced in a decomposing body emit distinct odors which anyone in the biohazard and crime scene cleanup business can tell you, its very distinctive and unpleasant. We use odor blocking respirators for this reason. When dealing with an unattended death scene that is in this stage of decomposition, we may be there for hours and days and most people cant handle the odors for minutes let alone hours so the proper PPE is necessary to get through the job.

Stage Three: Active Decay

In the Active Decay stage the bodily fluids are released through the orifices and the body is changing drastically because the internal organs and tissues are breaking down the gasses have escaped and the body is collapsing . This is the beginning of active decay. Organs, muscles, and skin become liquefied and leak from every orifice or split in the skin. When all of the body’s soft tissue decomposes, hair, bones, cartilage, and other byproducts of decay remain. It is this stage that he cadaver loses the most mass. The skin may wrinkle or split as the internal liquids escape.

From a biohazard cleanup situation standpoint, because a body begins decomposing immediately after death, biological hazards can damage personal belongings but at this stage the damages from the escaping bodily fluids can spread throughout a building’s structure, and the fluids and odors will permeate all porous materials.

Stage Four: Skeletonization

the last stage of decomposition is skeletonization. The stage where the body tissues have been broken down and have dried and all that is left is the bones. Because the skeleton has a decomposition rate based on the loss of organic (collagen) and inorganic components, there is no set timeframe when skeletonization occurs.

BODY DECOMPOSITION TIMELINE

Many circumstances such as temperature and humidity are factors on this timeline but here is a general outline:

24-72 hours after death — the internal organs decompose.

3-5 days after death — the body starts to bloat and blood-containing foam leaks from the mouth and nose.

8-10 days after death — the body turns from green to red as the blood decomposes and the organs in the abdomen accumulate gas.

Several weeks after death — nails and teeth fall out.

1 month after death — the body starts to liquify.

In the decomposition of a human body, nearly every microorganism is involved in some aspect of the human decomposition cycle. Decomposition itself is a perfectly natural process but its important to understand that attempting to clean the scene is extremely dangerous because of the bacteria and possible exposure to bloodborne pathogens. It should be left to a professional crime scene and trauma cleanup company like Exit Cleanup . Because of the safety issues and visuals, after a death such as this, the smell of death can linger for some time, so a professional’s help is needed to help remove these odors and get the property back to a working order.

Remember in an unattended death, the accompanying bacteria, the odors, mold, and insect infestation, can cause damage to a building’s structure and personal belongings. After a body is properly removed, a professional biohazard and disinfection company like Exit Cleanup should always be called to clean and disinfect the site.

Serious Training for Extreme Situations, HAZMAT & BIOHAZARDS

Wed, 10 Feb 2021 16:20:00 GMT

SERIOUS HAZMAT TRAINING, we train for extreme situations

At Exit Cleanup , we are continuously training to improve our services to the public as well as be an asset to the first responders in a serious crisis. A death or accident that has a biohazardous component is what we deal with on a daily basis. We clean up deaths from crime scenes to suicide scenes as well as blood spills and bodily fluids from accidents and anything that can cause them. We are highly trained so that we can properly deal with and dispose of biohazardous waste from these situations. Blood and bodily fluids can contain serious diseases and pathogens that can spread from person to person so its important to be a professional when dealing with these emergencies. But as we can see during the current pandemic with the covid virus, its very important to be ready for anything. No one expected out country and most of the world to be fighting this for so long.

We here at Exit Cleanup also train for more serious outbreaks such as Ebola as well as other serious emergencies that may occur in our community that can quickly overwhelm the local police and fire departments and first responders. We train with the Louisiana State Police for hazmat emergencies which can escalate quickly and endanger entire towns or cities. Out training gives us the title of Hazmat Technician which means we are a team of people who go into a hazardous spill or crisis and we are responsible for rescue and containment of that spill. This requires a high level of training which has been graciously provided to us by the Louisiana State Police at their training facility in Zachary La. Now we can help them as the first responders take on the challenge of dealing with an incident that can easily kill everyone for miles or destroy the environment around it. Its an honor for us and a service that we are willing to take on if the need sadly arises.

The training and thought process is similar to our Biohazard training. We have the training and will to do what is needed, we dawn our PPE, and get to work dealing with the task at hand in a safe and methodical fashion. The PPE is similar to our Biohazard PPE, a suit, gloves ,boots and respirator, except its on another level to say the least, Level "A" in fact.

Level A PPE is more involved, consisting of a suit that is similar to a zip lock bag, meaning its chemical and gas sealed so that we can work in the harshest environments, such as dealing with an ammonia or chlorine leak without being exposed. you are literally sealed inside this suit so it requires its own air supply, so we wear our own air tanks (SCBA - self contained breathing apparatus) just as the fire department wears, except they are inside the sealed suit with us, unless we are in level B PPE, which is not sealed around you and your air tank is outside the suit. Its for less dangerous situations.

We train in this PPE to deal with rescues near a spill or area that can be anything from oxygen depleted or an area with a poisonous gas or liquid leak. Its our job to suit up and go into the danger zone. Our other responsibility is to investigate and identify the issue, report it back so that the public can be told to evacuate if needed and either contain it on the spot, stop it completely so we can make it safe for a cleanup crew or determine the best way to fix the situation to keep ourselves, first responders and the Public safe from it. It can be anything from train cars derailing and spilling chemicals, 18 wheelers crashing and leaking unknown liquids, or serious leaks from chemical or gas tanks from a facility or factory.

There are many circumstances that can lead to a HAZMAT team getting called in to fix the situation so we are glad to be highly trained and ready if needed. Exit Cleanup is made of people, friends and families who are dedicated to living and serving in our community. We are always in call to deal with our Biohazard situations and we are here to help, but if needed we are trained and ready to suit up and help our first responders for a HAZMAT situation. Service runs deep here at Exit , we love our community and value the people in it so we are ready to help, always.

CLEARING OUT AND CLEANING OUT A PROPERTY : CLEANOUTS

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 21:32:00 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

Cleaning out a property: Cleanouts ,

Sometimes we get a call to come to a property and simply evacuate all of the items inside to a dumpster. Generally, we call it a “ cleanout ”. It’s a bit different than a hoarding situation because a hoarding property is still inhabited by the hoarder and they do not want to indiscriminately throw everything away. A hoarding property requires compassion and a methodical removal of property to various piles. Some things will be kept, some things will be donated and some things will be trashed.

A cleanout is when we have a massive number of items and trash in a property that needs to be removed and trashed so that the owners can sell or remodel the property and make it livable again. This can be from neglect, vandalism, or an out of state owner who has no idea that their property looks like this on the inside.

It happens more than you expect. A property owner cannot easily inspect the inside of a property that is rented out to someone. It’s the law. So often this is a huge surprise to the owner. That’s when they call Exit Cleanup . We get to work and remove it all, clean the area and disinfect it so that the owner can take the next step.

The importance of calling a company to clean out the trash and debris is that we can also look for the hazards of these situations. Often there can be anything from fleas and rates to animal carcasses and biohazards as well as mold and water damage. Not to mention drug paraphernalia and even needles. So its important to mitigate the hazards and have some trusted help like Exit Cleanup to do the heavy lifting for you.

One of the worst things is when there is a refrigerator that has been left that is full of meats and food that has spoiled into a rancid mess. That’s where our respirators and PPE come in handy. We have removed expired foods that would cause a maggot to vomit . It can be pretty awful within a 50 radius once that fridge is opened. We remove the contents and remove the appliance to be discarded properly. We often remove many of the appliances since they are either old or in bad shape. We have the muscle to get it done, fast and safe so that the property can start to get back to a normal state.

There are many reasons to have us come cleanout a property, hoarding may have been one, but as we said earlier, that’s a different approach. Its often the case that the property has been owned by someone who has passed away and has been left to someone who is out of state. They inspect the property and realize they need professional help to clear it out. Or sometimes a company owns many properties and didn’t realize someone has been neglecting the place and filling wit with trash and debris. We also see many cases of vandalism that can ruin a property. Vandalism is a crime so generally its cleanup is covered by your insurance. If that’s the case its worth giving us a call before you make a claim so we can help you.

No matter the reason, we are here to help . We can cleanout a property fast and safely so that you can make it beautiful again.

Suicide Scene Cleaning Services in Louisiana

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 16:15:00 GMT

SUICIDE CLEANING SERVICES

Suicide aftermath cleanup can be one of the hardest situations that anyone involved has to deal with. A suicide death is something that can affect family members, friends, coworkers and anyone that knew the deceased with a rush of many feelings. It’s often such a shock to people that they don’t know where to turn and they need help to interpret what has happened. Sometimes people just need help in coping with the situation because a suicide can cause everything from anger to guilt. Many times, there is no logical answers and it is something that the rest of us have to mentally manage the best way we can.

The aftermath of a suicide scene is something else that the people involved often have to deal with besides the mental weight of the situation. After the departed has been removed, the scene itself can often be something horrific. This is a biohazard situation that needs to be taken seriously and properly disinfected and cleaned. Sometimes the death may not be discovered and the body started decomposing before it was found which makes any situation more difficult for everyone involved.

Suicide scenes can range from an outside location to a single room or many rooms and the situation is often so visually horrific that it will only cause more harm to the deceased's family if they see it. Often these suicide scenes require a lot of professional cleaning because of the nature of the act. We see many self-inflicted gunshots or serious injuries that leave massive amounts of blood and biological tissue that needs to be professionally cleaned up and properly disinfected . None of this should be done by the family, that’s why we are here.

One of the reasons we decided to open Exit Cleanup is to help people in these terrible situations so that they don’t have to deal with the aftermath. There are many variables and they all are very painful and difficult. We can remove the visual reminders of the suicide and often many of the items surrounding it so that we can give the family an empty area so they can move on to the other issues they need to focus on during these situations. Home owner’s insurance usually pays for this service because even insurance companies know that no one connected with the family should be involved in the suicide cleanup .

Suicide cleaning is something we take very seriously because it is a very difficult time for the friends and family so we make sure we are available 24-7 if needed to come out and start the cleanup process. We train our technicians to be very careful, compassionate and understanding . We want to give you all the help you require without disrupting you or your family. We will come in and do our job and we keep as quiet as possible because we are there to help. Biohazard cleaning services are something that no one thinks about until they need us. So, one of our mottos at Exit Cleanup is that we hope that you never need us. And we mean that. But if for some reason you do, we are just a call away .

We deal with many situations but when someone takes their own life it is something that the rest of us are left to deal with. You are never alone, there are many people and places to call to help yourself or others. Because of what we do for a living, we are advocates for helping any way we can so we tell everyone to seek help and reach out to anyone and everyone for help as well as to the suicide hotline 800-273-8255 . The world is a crazy place and often overwhelming but its better with all of us in it.

Consulting for Biohazard & Forensic Remediation and Disinfection

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 21:17:00 GMT

Exit Biohazard Consulting

In this day and age its important to know the facts , especially when dealing with Biohazards, High Level Disinfection, Bioterrorism, and Infectious Disease Control. Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup is a leading expert in these fields and we can help you with your consulting needs for everything from evaluation of everyday protocol, Emergency Biohazard planning and Response , to legal issues and litigation surrounding a case involving Disinfection services, Forensic and Biohazard remediation.

It’s important to note that Exit has a very large team of experts in the Biohazard and Forensic Remediation industry from many companies throughout the United States to draw a consensus for specific issues when we ourselves aid in consulting on any project or litigation issue. Along with the experts at Exit Biohazard , we draw on many years of experience from these industry leaders to validate our findings or opinions and make sure that we stand on the side of the consensus of the industry. It’s as if you have many experts behind everything we say and do, because we really do. Our standing in the Biohazard remediation industry gives us access to many other credible industry leaders that can reach an overwhelming consensus on anything related to Disinfection services, Forensic and Biohazard remediation, Bioterrorism or Infectious Disease Control protocols.

We, as a leading Biohazard and Forensic Remediation company continue to serve the public for any Emergency Biohazard and Professional Disinfection needs due to a crime, death, suicide, accident or outbreak of a disease or virus. As we practice our trade, we continue to advance our learning and protocols to meet or out pace any OSHA Standards, CDC Guidelines or EPA regulations . We strive for the best service and most advanced protocols in the industry. As we do this and compare with many other industry leaders from around the country we can serve as the leading experts in our field and help with any possible litigation or planning needs. Having Exit Biohazard Consulting on your team is like having over 20 industry leaders along with you.

What do we do?

Besides our High Level Disinfection Services and emergency Biohazard cleaning services,

We can help bring your business up to the newest CDC standards for the protection of your staff from the Corona Virus.

We can evaluate your facilities and layout a protocol that will create a safe environment for your business against any foreseeable outbreaks.

We can set up an Emergency preparedness response plan for the possibility of a crisis due to an outbreak or Bioterrorism attack.

We can help your clients in court and litigation by aiding in realistic information such as costs and procedures in our industry.

We have seen several fraudulent accounts of price gouging and extremely bad practices and we can help in making sure that your client isn’t being taken advantage of.

There are many circumstances in court that we can give our opinion that will help your clients.

For Example , A client is given a bill for services by company “A” for a biohazard cleanup. The bill’s total is outrageous and seems to be incredibly high for the services rendered and the insurance company doesn’t want to pay so the client takes them to court. We can determine the real reasonable costs of these services, provide written documentation and save the client thousands or simply prove that these costs are justified.

Or in the case of possibly outlandish Disinfection Service costs, we can find the issue such as the costs are based on something that was not accurate such as square footage and that the disinfection team didn’t actually deal with the entire property so therefore these costs are also not accurate. If that’s the case or we can see what the company did and used to verify their findings and testify if these costs was warranted or not. We can also help to justify these costs if they are accurate and industry standards were followed. We are there as another set of educated eyes on the matter .

We want our industry to be strong and unified on these procedures and we always value the trust we have from our clients and the public so we do our best to make sure we are available for these issues to help police our industry . We do not want fraudulent companies in our industry. We are here to help set the industry standards so we work hard to evaluate the procedures and protocols of our field and do what we can to purge the industry of unscrupulous vendors or justify the procedures and costs when needed.

Call Exit Biohazard if you need help to evaluate your company’s Biohazard or disinfection protocols, plan out new strategies for Virus protection or Communicable Disease Outbreak Procedures or deal with litigation involving Disinfection Services, or Biohazard and Forensic remediation.

Ryobi Electrostatic 18v Sprayer Review

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 17:03:00 GMT

review Ryobi Electrostatic 18 volt backpack sprayer

We here at Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup focus on several key elements of our services such as emergency cleanup of a death, blood or crime scene situations. Besides the cleaning up horrific visuals and helping people in these situations, our main duty is to cleanup and disinfect the area to make it safe. Disinfection service is really one of our main priorities. Blood and Bodily fluids may contain serious diseases, viruses or bacteria so we need to decontaminate the area completely. We disinfect properties as if our lives depend on it because in many cases they do.

Now with the outbreak of the Covid 19 virus we have been disinfecting properties in the same way to kill the virus so that people can be safe. Many new companies have popped up to do the same. So lets talk about the equipment needed to do this.

Generally to disinfect a property you use a combination of things such as foggers, sprayers, and of course wiping things down with disinfectants. Let’s discuss foggers / sprayers. Sprayers generally shoot more liquid and have larger particles like a Hudson sprayer or a paint sprayer. These make everything wet and typically aren’t great for disinfecting interiors such as homes or businesses. A fogger has much smaller particles generally as small as the thickness of a human hair. For this review we will be discussing the new Ryobi 18volt Electrostatic One gallon Backpack Sprayer , although we would call it a fogger because of its small particle output.

Since the Coronavirus outbreak there has been a crazy run on everything from toilet paper to disinfectants. One of the things that was very hard to get was disinfection equipment such as foggers and sprayers. For disinfection (interiors) there are basically 2 types and we spoke about these in greater detail in previous blog pages. We will focus on electrostatic and standard, meaning a standard fogger just sprays disinfectant fog out and you basically have to put a cloud everywhere to make sure that you covered everything or the electrostatic mode which gives the particles an electric charge so that they are attracted to surfaces so that a smaller amount of disinfectant is used and the furniture and objects get coated all around.

The RYOBI 18V ELECTROSTATIC SPRAYER has both settings so you can turn the electrostatic option on or off. The unit is built well as all Ryobi products seem to be. We have many of them so we do like their tools. The unit comes with the backpack tank to hold a gallon of disinfectant and the main unit that you carry and point with the on / off trigger, electrostatic mode switch and 3 nozzle selector tip . The unit isn’t too heavy since the liquid disinfectant is separate in the backpack but if you had to do this all day you may consider heavier by the end of the day. (They do have another version where the tank is attached to the unit so that may be too heavy in comparison). It’s not just a wand like the Victory Electrostatic backpack sprayer which would be the biggest competitor for this tool. Their sprayer has all of the tool’s guts in the backpack and the handle / wand only has a switch and some of the electrostatic guts in it so its much lighter to handle, but its roughly 4 to 5 times the cost and the batteries are proprietary so for the cost the Ryobi is about to start a revolution in the disinfection fogger world.

As we mentioned, they have several versions coming out, this backpack version, another version which is basically the same except the tank is attached to the main unit, and the other sprayer they have coming out is a smaller version for handheld use for lessor applications. If we get them in our hands, we will review them as well so check out our Blog often. We will still just focus on this backpack version.

The backpack is comfortable and easy to put on and you can always just carry it since it has a nice handle as well. The hose between the main unit and the tank is too long in my opinion. When starting you need to prime the unit meaning you need to have the liquid flow from the tank to the unit. This seemed to take 5 minutes or so which was a bit long but this was the first we used it so we were impatient. We also put the main unit on the floor and the tank up on the table to help. We used a loop of Velcro to hold the trigger down to prime it so we didn’t need to hold it by hand.

Once the unit was primed, we played with it to test the nozzle sections. It has 3 settings, low, medium and high, they are listed as low 65 microns, medium, 80 microns and high at 160 microns. A human hair is roughly 80 microns. The particles are fine but ours was spitting larger droplets which I did not like. But we switched disinfectants to make sure it was as thin as water which was listed in the troubleshooting page and that seemed to do the trick. I will say that the selection between micron sizes, low, medium, large seems to be more of a distance gauge than a noticeable particle size selection. At the low range, the unit sprays about 2 plus feet, where as on the high range its more like 6 to 8 feet and the medium is more like 4 feet so its best to find what you like.

Electrostatic capability and what is it? The electrostatic mode when the switch is turned on charges the outgoing particles so that they are attracted to any surface. We tested this in several ways but it’s kind of hard to notice until we tested it this way. We had the electrostatic off and sprayed a sheet of cardboard in the from about 5 ft away with the large particles selected, then turned it on and did the same thing on another sheet. We found that the standard mode put a lot more liquid on the floor where as the electrostatic mode coated more of the cardboard further out with much less on the floor.

Next, we sprayed between a 2 ft diameter column and a garage bay door which were about 1.5 feet apart. In the standard mode, the spray simply went directly in between the column and door and neither had any spray on it. We did the same in the electrostatic mode and both the column and the bay door had been coated. It was a fine coating but a much better outcome. Granted when you are spraying things you wouldn’t go out of your way to avoid both objects the way we did but it did show that the electrostatic was working well.

Like any new tool, we need to use this in several different situations that we would come across to really find out how we like this long term. So, it’s now in our truck ready for the next job. So far, I’d say, I like it and would give it a 9 out of 10. I will revise this if needed once we take it on several jobs. But in comparison to the next closest tool , the Victory electrostatic sprayer, the Ryobi is much cheaper , it comes with 2 batteries , you can easily get them at Home Depot once they come out to the public and they take Ryobi batteries so if you have many other their tools as we do, its just another tool in the mix and you don’t need another battery type and charger.

Now as far as the best disinfectants to use with this, it will take some testing. As I mentioned, the first one we used had the unit spitting and sputtering, but once we changed to a finer more water thin disinfectant it works fine.

I hope this helps. I give it two thumbs up for now and will test it further to make sure its up to our high standards. Again, we deal with death and blood cleanup which can contain serious diseases so we take these tools and disinfection seriously. Test it for yourself, and once we get the other smaller version in house we will review that too.

Training for Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 16:54:00 GMT

TRAINING for BIOHAZARD AND CRIME SCENE CLEANUP

( VALEK SYKES owner of Exit Biohazard ) I love my job. I cleanup dead people and blood for a living. We sometimes call it crime scene cleanup, emergency Biohazard cleaning, trauma cleanup and even things like Forensic Restoration. Whatever you call it, it involves cleaning up the aftermath of a death scene or blood spill situation. And I love my job. Does that sound weird? It might, but here is why.

After 20 years in the movie industry, working on films like Spielberg’s Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) which I got to also be in, and other films like Men In Black 2, Garfield, Minority Report, Underwater, Jurassic Park 3, I am Legend, Capone, Bill and Ted Face the Music, to name a few, out of the 100 or so I have worked on. I have felt that I needed something more. There was a lack of feeling like I could be doing more for the world. I wanted to do a service that helped people so after being introduced to a Biohazard company here in Louisiana for a potential project, I realized that this might just be the service to others I was missing. So after months of thought on it and realizing that I could do this and do it better and more professionally, I jumped in with both feet.

I studied what I’d need to do to start a new Biohazard Remediation business but first and foremost was training. I wanted the best training possible. I thought about dealing with the local company I was introduced to but I found them very unprofessional in such a serious occupation and I found them unsafe in their procedures. I realized that there needs to be a better company out there so as I often do, I’d do it myself. But first I needed to find somewhere that could train me properly and professionally. I only do things the right way so this was paramount.

After looking into it and investigating my options, I found a company called AMDECON that trains people that want to get into the Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup Industry . It was an online course and the more I looked into it the better it was for me.

Amdecon is run by owner Michael J. Tillman and he is simply great. He’s very no nonsense, easy to understand and very knowledgeable. Ok that’s a boring description but it’s just right for this kind of Biohazard cleanup training . Michael has tons of experience and as a teacher myself (I’ve taught my school LEARN FX for about a decade as well as several years of teaching at Tulane University’s film dept ) I could see that he knew what he was talking about and that he had a passion for teaching this to make sure his students understood the importance of being a professional in this industry. He could show and explain things to you as if you were on site at a crime scene cleanup , and the way he described things was in such a professional manner that you would come out of this acting as a professional as if you had years of experience in the Biohazard remediation industry . Doesn’t mean that you do, it takes many jobs and situations to get a real understanding of the many aspects of this industry.

Experience is the only way you will get better and a full understanding of what we do, but this training with Amdecon is the best way to start. I should say the right experience is important, without a proper foundation your experience may not be worth much and Amdecon gives you that proper foundation. As I mentioned, the first company I met here had many years of experience, they talk about that all of the time, but it doesn’t mean that they did things properly and professionally, they did not.

Understand, training never really ends and there have been many situations where I needed some advice. I’ve called or emailed Michael multiple times since I started my Biohazard cleaning company and he has always pointed me in the right direction. He focuses on doing things safely, professionally, and in a way that holds the best standards of the industry.

I’ve seen how his training has given my company the pillars to become the best at what we do. As I’ve said in the beginning, I have seen people in this industry that are unprofessional and just not safe so I can say that if you need Biohazard training, you need to go talk to Amdecon. Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup stands behind the training that Amdecon offers. It’s outstanding.

Who Cleans Blood from Crime Scenes, Exit Cleanup

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 03:09:00 GMT

One of the most commonly asked questions that we get regularly is, “Who cleans up blood from crime scenes?” The short answer to that question is simple, we do. EXIT Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup is a biohazard remediation company who specializes in cleaning up blood from crime scenes through the South Louisiana area. We believe in making sure that you get the best service possible when you need us the most.
Blood Clean Up Service Experts
As one of the leading blood clean up service experts here in Louisiana, we clean up blood and biohazards from crime scenes, accidents, death and trauma of any kind. Your average cleaning company isn’t licensed or qualified to handle service calls like this. Our team of highly skilled technicians bring a sense of professionalism required to honor and respect the passing of your loved one. We are relentless in ensuring that each job is completed in a manner that will make you happy that you picked up the phone and gave us a call.
What we do is not easy but it is needed and if you ask anyone who has had the misfortune of dealing with a crime scene, they will tell you how important it is to have a biohazard remediation company help them so that they don’t have to deal with the situation. We often stand between a tragedy and a family who needs our help and we are always here to help.
Professional Blood Spill Cleanup Service
After a crime or murder has taken place, it’s extremely important to use a professional blood spill cleanup service . The Police will investigate the crime, the coroner removes the victim and the only left is to clean up the situation which can often be horrific. Blood and Biohazard materials left behind should not be cleaned up by the family or the property owner. That is where our industry comes in.
The community knows us by many different names. Some refer to us as emergency biohazard cleaners , crime scene cleanup services, biohazard cleaners , blood and trauma cleaners, and the list goes on. Regardless of the name of the company, or the name of the job title in which they are given, the most important thing is to find someone qualified and licensed to help your family to turn your property back into a peaceful space that can be enjoyed once again.
We are a strong group of professionals who see this extreme cleaning service as a way to help our community. We may not be first responders , but we bring a compassionate service to those who have lost loved ones after a crime, suicide, death or accident to help restore the situation so a family doesn’t have to so they can deal with other things. We will honor your loved one by being respectful during the cleaning process and by being thorough in erasing all signs that anything unfortunate had ever happened.
There are many crime scene cleanup or biohazard cleaning companies across the country and they are here to help when no one else can or should. Cleaning up blood and biohazardous materials can be dangerous and doing it carries many risks such as infectious diseases or injuries and it requires specialized training and protections so this really is for professionals only.
There For You When You Need Us Most

As a leader in the local emergency cleanup industry, our team at EXIT Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup are ready to serve you and your family from New Orleans to Baton Rouge , and all along the Northshore here in Louisiana. We serve each of our clients with absolute professionalism from start to finish.

Our company, as well as several more that we would recommend throughout the country, although locally owned and in there own areas, stand together for excellence in service in our industry. These crime scene cleaning companies are all over the country ready to help you in your time of need. We are professionals and we serve the public where we can for any biohazard cleaning issue. We strive to help when people need us the most.
People know that we are trusted and experts at what we do and they love to ask about our crime scene cleanup jobs because they want to know more about it and how we handle cleaning up everything from a decomposition from an unattended death to a biohazard outbreak in a building that needs fast disinfection services . The more people that know what we do and that we are always available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to help, the better. A biohazard and crime scene cleanup company is always ready to serve.
When there is blood and bodily fluids or biohazardous material that needs cleaning from a death, decomposition, suicide, or crime you need to call the professionals so that we can deal with the situation in a fast and professional way. Or even if you just have a bad situation where death is not part of the equation but it requires blood cleanup or some level of biohazard cleaning such as a minor work place accident, hoarding situation, drug infested abandoned or vandalism property, or just a seriously disgusting public bathroom situation that needs some extreme cleaning, we are who you call.
Now with the outbreak of the covid-19 virus or corona virus, we here at Exit and our friends at other Biohazard and crime scene cleanup companies can help with decontamination and disinfection of homes, businesses, churches or any properties that need a disinfection service . Our attitude is an "All hands on deck to fight this virus" approach.
Cleaning and decontaminating is the core of our services in any biohazard and crime scene clean up situation, so any Biohazardous pandemic or outbreak decontamination is something that we already do as our everyday services and we take it seriously. We didn’t just pop up to start dealing with the virus as a side business or go from spraying for bugs to spraying for the coronavirus. It isn’t something that we take lightly so once again call in the professionals who deal with biohazardous situations everyday because we treat it as if our lives depend on it. Because in many situations for us, it really does.

Cleaning up blood itself can be very dangerous because it may contain diseases such as HIV or Hepatitis. We decontaminate and disinfect for our crime scene cleaning services because it is part of the what we need to do to make these crime scene situations safe for our clients and our workers, so killing the covid virus with our disinfection fogging and wipe down services is just something that we can do naturally, so we do. We offer disinfection services that kill 99.99% of viruses, bacteria and molds by using EPA registered disinfectants which you can see on our disinfection page along with our Nano technology coating.
Always call an expert in the industry like EXIT Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup or one of our friend’s companies if you are located near them when you need professional blood and biohazardous cleaning services or any of our other services so that you don’t have to deal with it. That’s why we are here.

Why do we call our Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup company "EXIT"

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 03:22:00 GMT

Why are we called "EXIT" We get this question a lot. What’s in a name? It sounds so simple until you make it complicated. It took me 3 months and hundreds of potential names to come up with "EXIT" because after owning another business with a long name I wanted to really think this through. I set up some rules for myself. It had to be short so no more than 5 letters. It had to begin with one of the first 5 letters in the alphabet. Since I always named my companies or ideas without rules, its always hurt them. Meaning my special effects company "Tech Works Studios" is always on the last page of any list we were on because most lists are alphabetical. Starting with a letter deep into the alphabet just costs you visibility. Also having a name that’s too long gets annoying for everyone when it comes to emails and websites as well as having to spell it out often. So I wanted something short for the name so then I could add what we do, “cleanup” to it. Now if you see our website or email you know who we are and what we do without having to deal with a complex list of letters like www.techworksstudios.com which is always followed by the statement, “two S’s in the middle and one on the end , dot come. That’s how I have to say it or they get it wrong. So learning that, our new company name had to be something short and with no repeating letters.
Now that I set up my rules, I started searching for words and ideas that fit. There wasn’t many that would work as a website. Short websites are the highest in demand so knowing I wanted my entire website name to be under 12 letters was difficult especially since I wanted to use a keyword like “ cleanu p ” in it. I went through tons of acronyms and names but most just made things more complex to say out loud or if you saw it you probably wouldn’t remember it. A bunch of letters in a row that have no meaning to you are hard to remember. I needed a word. “Blank”cleanup dot com was my focus for weeks. I know I sound crazy but I spent years explaining Tech Works Studios to people because it was complex. Back then, I wanted something that didn’t smell of the old effects (FX) shops that I remembered that were sometimes run by frazzeled, drug snorting , whack jobs that most productions couldn't stand but still had to use because they were what was around. At the time I wanted to be a fresh break from those and sell us as a professional serious makeup and animatronics company So our name had to stand out. And yes, that worked well for the most part until you had to say it over the phone or deal with the many wrong variations people came up with. You have to remember, it wasn't that long ago that I remember conversations with other shop owners talking about this weird thing called the world wide web and if they were going to put out an inter-web website thing for their business. At the time we all thought it was something that wasn't really for our industry so why bother. And who would ever buy anything online? That will never catch on, lol. So, as we did embrace the internet and website eventually I learned my lesson on the complexity of names and I didn’t want that to happen again with my awesome, new, best it can be, Biohazard and crime scene cleanup company.
The search for that name went on for weeks. I had hundreds of names on papers all over the place and pulled a few to the top of the list only to dump them and start over. I finally came up with "EXIT" and thought it might be perfect. It was short, easy to remember and had a bit of a double meaning with it since we do deal with death cleanup , the final exit. But the other reason that I really loved it was that I thought that every time you look up as you leave a building, you get to see our name "Exit" on signs everywhere. Its a reminder that we are here to serve, so if you know us and you see our name glowing at the door, it means more than just a way to leave.
We are serious about extreme cleaning from Suicide scene cleaning , crime scenes and death cleanup to hoarding property cleanup and Disinfection . When you look for a Biohazard cleanup or disinfection company, Look for Exit. We spent months just on our name, imagine what we do to focus on your needs. We make it our business. Call us if you need our help for your emergency, anytime, 24-7, we are professional , fast, thorough, affordable and compassionate. We are here to help you in your time of need. 1-800-504-9892 info@Exitcleanup.com

Crime scene Cleanup? Does it Require Certification?

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 03:32:00 GMT

What is Emergency Biohazard Cleanup, and does it require training or a certificate? We get this question a lot. The job of a biohazard cleaner requires training and it’s not for everyone. Can you handle the visuals of real brain splattered across the wall? Or worse? I know that we here at Exit come from the film effects world originally, and you can read about that in our blog, but let me tell you , it’s not at all the same and if you think you can handle it because you love gore in movies or TV, you really may be surprised when you are in the room with the real thing. How are you with the smell of a 2 week old decaying corpse in the summer here in Louisiana? It’s no picnic. So, if you are still interested keep reading.
Our job as biohazard and crime scene cleaning experts is to completely remove all aspects of biological fluids and tissue, clean, disinfect, and deodorize the site where a violent crime, suicide, or traumatic accident has occurred. Biohazard cleanup can be challenging work that requires technicians to handle potentially hazardous materials such as blood and body fluids. You also must properly handle the crime or trauma scene because it is crucial to the safety of everyone involved including yourself.
Sometimes its easier than others. Some cleanups require serious tools to removes floors, walls and anything that can not simply be cleaned and disinfected. Its important to have a good understanding of building techniques, use of tools, tenacity and an understanding demeanor because you may be there with crying family members, friends, police or more. It’s not just a job to be cleaned, in most cases this was a person, and you are the last one to be there to clean up the mess left behind, so the family can move on.
Now, our job also has other aspects which are generally lighter on the mind, such as Disinfection services , which has become popular because of the COVID-19 outbreak . Or, hoarding property cleanup, drug lab cleanup , which is generally a bit sad but satisfying to know that you made a big improvement on someone’s property.
Biohazard Cleanup Certification FAQ
So are you still interested in pursuing a career in biohazard cleaning? If so, you likely have some questions about what you need to do.
What kind of certifications are required for biohazard cleanup? Generally, there is no "certification" or license required to become a biohazard cleaner but OSHA requires any employee that has the potential of being exposed to bloodborne pathogens, which is an everyday event, to complete the OSHA Standard training in bloodborne pathogens and personal protective equipment (PPE). We have all of our people go through the OSHA training here at Exit through our Biohazardous waste disposal company Stericycle .
Most biohazard cleanup companies will offer on-the-job training in bioremediation (the technical term for what we do) They should offer their best practices and safety compliance for all employees following OSHA Standards in Bloodborne pathogens and PPE as well as safety methods when handling biohazardous waste and working in hazardous areas. Following these standards, good training and practices will reduce the risk of accidents, potential lawsuits, and can lower insurance costs. Plus you need properly trained, safe and knowledgeable technicians to represent your company so proper training is a mus t.
So, that’s the long way of saying there are not formal Biohazard certifications for most states but you must be trained to follow OSHA standards. Right now, only Florida and California require biohazard cleanup companies to obtain permits before handling blood, body fluids, body parts, and other potentially hazardous materials. Most state’s Departments of Health, focus on the safety of the vehicle used to transport the medical waste than on the actual biohazard remediation. But just because there are no specific requirements or certifications to work in biohazard cleanup, many people think that anyone can work in biohazard cleanup. But as I mentioned above, It’s not for everyone and I would say for every 15 people that think they can, only one could actually handle the job itself and be worth hiring.

Remember, it’s not just if you can handle the smells and visuals , there are many factors that make up a good biohazard cleaning technician, and don’t forget, the employer has a say. As a company owner I look for many things include, skillsets, work ethic, professionalism, appearance, attitude, all of it. I have owned my own businesses for 2 decades and have hired and fired many people. So realize, we look at the whole package and we have high standards. You are asking to go into peoples homes when they are at their lowest to deal with an overwhelming situation in many cases so you are a representative of the company you work for. So as a business owner, we have to feel that you can handle these situations in the best way possible so remember when we ask, “Is Biohazard Cleanup for you?" , its not just, can you handle it, it’s also can you be what we need. I always like to remind people that jobs, no matter what they are, require many things that aren’t always about the physical work of doing the job as described.
So still interested in getting into Biohazard and crime scene cleanup? Remember, it can be a stressful, demanding profession that requires you to work long hours dressed in PPE gear, deal with all types of people with varying stress levels, encounter a wide range of tragic circumstances, and be able to not take it home with you. This is not the same as a standard cleaning company or janitorial service , or anything like you see on TV or films, (we know, we used to do that). Now that we told you all of this, know that if you really want to learn biohazard cleanup and work in the industry, it’s a rewarding career that gives you a sense of pride, knowing that you do your job well and that you can help people in their time of need. Our motto is, “Compassion, Safety, Peace of mind” this is what Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup stand by. We have compassion for the situation, we offer safe and effective cleaning of the situation, and we offer the Peace of mind, that comes with having a professional help when we are most needed. If you want to jump into biohazard remediation and you understand what it takes and what is required come talk to us. It’s a very satisfying career.

Why are we a VIRUS Disinfection service?

Fri, 15 May 2020 03:43:00 GMT

Disinfection and Sanitizing Services
Disinfection and sanitizing is important these days since the Corona Virus Outbreak. As we open the country back up and try to get back to normal, its important to make sure that businesses and public places are ready for the public. The social distancing and new practices to keep the virus at bay will be a new way that we live our lives. Now that Louisiana is somewhat open for business we can all start to open our businesses but with caution.

One way to help is to disinfect and sanitize your properties, homes and businesses alike. Now obviously we have a bias since we are a professional Biohazard cleanup company and we do have a service which uses EPA approved fogging disinfectants to kill the virus and a nano antimicrobial coating system that protects against germs for up to 90 days. But as we focus on this pandemic we are finding it very important to clean surfaces and sanitize common areas and do all we can to lower the spread of the virus. So a disinfection service like ours is a great tool to achieve this. Places where many people have to come together is still something that we need to control. Churches, gyms, schools, malls and businesses in general need to be on guard to keep their people and the public safe from any spread of the virus so disinfection like a fogging throughout the property should be done before people gather if possible. Call Exit Biohazard Cleanup for our Professional disinfection service and we will come to destroy 99.99% of all viruses, bacteria and molds and keep them away. We use an EPA Approved, hospital grade disinfectant that is people and pet safe, food preparation area safe. We use more disinfectant than most companies because we disinfect and sanitize the way we do in the biohazard and crime scene cleanup side of our business, as if our lives depend on it. It's the proper and safe way we do things so we do the same for you. We spray heavy and know that we have disinfected everything. And after disinfection we can coat surfaces with a nano antimicrobial protective coating that kills viruses, molds and bacteria on contact, and it lasts up to 90 days and even longer. Its a game changer! Call us anytime to come give you an estimate so we can disinfect your property and get us all back to normal.

Map-1 Disinfectant

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 03:51:00 GMT

MAP-1 Disinfectant

There may be a new disinfectant on the way that will kill the corona virus and other viruses and bacteria and its called MAP-1. The new disinfectant, known as MAP-1, was created by researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and it can last on surfaces for up to 90 days, according to the university news release. We use several disinfectants here at EXIT so something like this may be a game changer. It’s different than a normal disinfectant in that it’s actually a long term coating that lays on surfaces and can kill bacteria and viruses where it lands but also for a long time after. The anti-microbial coating has been designed for use across a range of surfaces including glass, metals, plastic, leather and fabrics, according to the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) where it’s been developed.

The surface coating lasts much longer than standard disinfectants that use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or bleach, which need to remain on surfaces for up to 10 minutes to kill viruses but then lose their function as the liquid evaporates. They do a great job killing bacteria and viruses which is why we use them in everything from hospitals to day cares but once they are dried up and gone you will need to disinfect that area again if possibly contaminated. A surface coating that kills and can last for months sounds exciting and possibly just what the doctor ordered during this corona virus pandemic. But is it? Something that is sprayed in our homes and in our most sensitive areas such as hospitals, schools or homes for the elderly must be rigorously tested by our government. If our EPA (Environmental Protective agency) hasn’t approved it then it’s nothing more than an empty promise, like cars that run on water but let’s hope that’s not the case. It’s not that I trust our government for everything after all they gave us such greats as Agent Orange. But I won’t just take the word of anyone in this race to kill this outbreak without knowing more.

Map-1, What is it?

Many questions come up when I hear of something supposedly this promising like: what is it? A disinfectant or a coating or both? HKUST says it’s a heat-sensitive polymer that they say responds to contamination from touch or droplets made by coughing etc. The way this anti-viral polymer coating works is by releasing a larger amount of disinfectant when it senses an increase in temperature that can take place whenever people touch a surface or when moisture from droplets fall on the surface. So, once you have the coating on surfaces it continues to work when it comes into contact with us humans for some time. It sounds great to me but of course we need to know more about it.

Is it dangerous with long term use?

I think I just want to know if there are side effects from having these long-term disinfectant polymers on everything and what happens when we continuously come into contact with them. Part of being a healthy human is our way of getting some germs and bacteria into our system so that we become stronger in the long run so as good as this sounds, I want to know more. HKUST says that this anti-viral polymer coating took ten years to develop, is expected to hit stores in Hong Kong this month (May 2020) because it has been doing clinical tests in schools, malls and other facilities in Hong Kong back in February. And according to according to HKUST, its ingredients are non toxic. A Hong Kong government-backed study published in the Hong Kong Medical Journal in 2018 says: the anti-microbial disinfectant coating achieved "consistently low bacterial load" when it was tested in several wards at one of the largest hospitals in the city from 2013 to 2015.

What about the use of it here in the U.S.

This is fairly new to us all here so we will have to see what our government says and if the EPA approves it’s use here in the United States. We don’t want any surprises when it comes to new chemical disinfectants or sanitizers used in our houses, schools or hospitals. A rush to use something that stops one disease but causes another would be devastating, so testing is needed and welcomed. We only use EPA registered products here at EXIT and this new-fangled polymer disinfectant may take some time to get approved here. Hopefully this all works out for the greater good and is as promising as reported, causes no side effects and is thoroughly tested and approved by our EPA soon so we can use it to help defeat this latest outbreak of COVID-19.

Maybe we will be spraying this one day as we do our rounds of virus killing disinfectant services in our homes and businesses here at EXIT Biohazard Cleanup in Louisiana but I won’t get my hopes up just yet. It may take some time to see a new product used in this way. It does sound very promising, but until then we have many other time-tested disinfectants that we spray and fog in all sorts of properties that do the job and kill 99.99% of viruses and bacteria. We want to disinfect as much as we can to help kill this pandemic and get everyone back to work, school, restaurants, sporting events and all of it. Let’s hope the end is in sight and if you need your property professionally disinfected call EXIT .

Vandalism Cleanup

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 04:14:00 GMT

What is Vandalism?
What is vandalism? It’s the action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property. It’s not just graffiti and broken windows. We get calls to cleanup properties after someone has broken in and done some damage. So why call a biohazard cleanup service like EXIT for this? Many times, the property isn’t just destroyed, it becomes a drug hang out or its used for who knows what. Often it becomes a bigger crime scene due to the crimes committed within the property. Not always the kind that involve murders and decomposing bodies but serious damage and biohazardous contaminations.

The photo above was from a vandalized 3 bedroom home where the owner died and the family lived out of state. The adorable little home filled with antiques and adorable knickknacks and was broken into and used as a make shift drug den for several weeks. The blood on the wall is from an arterial spray most likely from using drugs in a needle and hitting an artery. The home was trashed and filled with garbage, needles, and broken property.

When a property is left for a bit of time it can be noticed by the wrong elements and then illegally entered. It can be used as a place to do drugs, commit crimes or simply serious damage to the property such as the vandals break sewage lines or simply use the property as their own personal bathroom. I won’t go into details about that but you get the picture. They can also break pipes or cause serious water damage. You can have a real mess on your hands the longer it sits left alone. You may have a great little property left by a relative that has passed and it’s out of state so it may be left alone for a few weeks and when you get back to it, the property has been used and abused. It happens more often than you can imagine and its not only kids and teenagers being mischievous, its often the dregs of society.

The good news is that you can call Exit Cleanup to clean it all up and get the property back to normal and most of the time the home owners insurance covers this crime cleanup. These properties can often hide hidden dangers from biohazardous human waste to used syringes and dangerous drug remnants. Call the experts at Exit Biohazard to come make the property clean and safe.

What Situations Require Professional Clean Up Services?

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 04:42:00 GMT

What Situations Require Professional Clean Up Services?
We strongly recommend that if you come into a situation that involves blood, waste, bodily fluids or other bio-hazardous materials such as needles or medical related items that you call us. Do not attempt to do this yourself or call a typical house cleaning service. This requires professional Biohazard cleaning. Find out different types of situations that might require specialty clean up services, what services are available, and why you should choose EXIT cleanup services when you need them the most.

Why Choose EXIT for Clean Up Services?
EXIT is Louisiana’s premier bioremediation company that cleans up crime and trauma scenes for families and property owners. EXIT has compassionately and discreetly helped people deal with the effects of traumatic experiences and we can help your situation.

These situations require training and education. Our customers receive the highest quality service while being treated with dignity and respect. We only employ the best trained and caring field technicians so that we can do all that is necessary to return your home or business to a safe condition and help you through the situation.
To find out more about our clean up services, contact us day or night 24-7, and one of our friendly representatives will be able to answer your questions and make sure that you have what you need to move forward.
Some Situations Require Specialty Clean Up Services
When everyday people are faced with the possibility of having to clean up a traumatic situation, they turn to specialty cleaning services instead of attempting to clean up the site themselves. That’s why EXIT is here to serve. Here are some different types of situations requiring professional and specialty clean up services:
Blood removal
Bodily waste cleaning
Homicide and suicide clean up
Unattended death
Industrial accidents
Home and vehicle biohazard removal
Communicable disease disinfection

EXIT reserves their services for the situations listed above as they pose very real health risks to the public. We do not do typical home cleaning, clean carpets or remove mold, instead we focus our services for the Cleaning up of a property after trauma or biohazard and that requires safety protocols, which our EXIT technicians adhere to at all times. Our technicians are highly trained and wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to treat every site as if it contains potentially dangerous bloodborne pathogens from spilled blood and other body fluids. That’s how we keep our clients and employees safe at all times when dealing with potentially dangerous cleaning situations. Remember you are not alone when you find your self or family in the aftermath of a dire situation. Call Exit , we are here to help.

Disinfectant Foggers and Sprayers, Virus killer

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 04:48:00 GMT

What is disinfectant fogging?
It is Chemical fogging: Applying chemical disinfectants to areas as fogs or mists to kill bacteria, mold and viruses. With the COVID-19 (Corona Virus) pandemic outbreak there is a strong need and focus on property disinfection. Since one of our services at Exit Biohaz ard and C rime Scene Cleanup is to Disinfecting properties like homes and businesses, we use several tools to do the job. Our favorites for disinfecting is a ULV (Ultra Low Volume) fogger which sprays fog throughout the room, on the surfaces and in the nooks and crannies. Fog gets everywhere and if you use the right disinfectant it kills 99.99% of mold, bacteria, and viruses such as the corona virus.

Foggers come in all shapes and sizes and what you choose may depend on many factors such as range, portability, power needs, general use, what type of chemicals they can use, as well the droplet particle sizes they produce. The main factor and what really sets these apart is the size of the droplets made by each machine and the process on which it makes these droplets which form the fog.
What is a Micron?
Droplet sizes are measured in microns. For Size comparison, a human red blood cell is about 5 microns across. A micron is 1/1000 millimeter, or about 1/25,000 of an inch. For perspective, a human hair is about 100 microns in diameter.

The droplet size produced by thermal and cold foggers will vary based on the model of the fogger. But as a rule, Thermal foggers generally will produce smaller in size droplet particles, averaging from about 0.5-10 micron range which is a very noticeable fog, while ULV foggers will output a bit larger in size droplet particles, averaging from 5-40 micron range which is a less dense looking fog.
The droplet sizes is something along with other factors that we use as a guild to determine when buying or using a fogging system. If you are looking for primarily out door use for Mosquito control, or general pesticides you would need a very small droplet size in the range of 5-10 microns because you need a dense fog with small particles to kill mosquitoes and get into the smallest areas in the plants and trees where they live. You want a very dense fog that completely surrounds and penetrates everything. Generally, for this you would choose a thermal fogger for this. Since we here at Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup are focused on disinfecting indoor property we are looking a foggers that can give us a fog with droplet sizes that are small enough to get into all of the tight spaces but large enough to do the job without being too large and soaking the surfaces we spray. Something in the range of 20 to 50 microns and possibly larger. There are times in our trauma cleaning that we require a fogger or sprayer that had droplet sizes that are larger that range from a fog to a mist. For example, if there are brains splattered on the wall that have dried out, we often have to spray them to soften them up, so a fogger with a large droplet fog or mister comes in handy.

We also don’t want our disinfectants to dry too fast so that they can do their virus killing job. If the droplet size is too small the fog solution may dry before it has a chance to work properly. Disinfectants require a Dwell time (or contact time). This the amount of time the surface must remain visibly wet in order to kill pathogenic microorganisms before the disinfectant dries or is wiped off. The surface needs to be left undisturbed.
Most EPA-registered hospital disinfectants have a label contact time of 10 minutes. However, many scientific studies have demonstrated the efficacy of hospital disinfectants against pathogens with a contact time of at least 1 minute so the dwell time on some disinfectants may vary. Droplet size is a particularly important factor in choosing a fogging system.
The types of Foggers
Types of foggers are: Thermal foggers, ULV Cold Foggers and Electrostatic Foggers. These 3 types have different fogs they produce based on droplet size and some have more specific uses such as indoor or outdoor uses, how they are powered and what types of chemicals they require.

What is a thermal fogger?
As the name suggests it is a fogging system that uses heat to turn the chemical solutions into a fog. Thermal foggers use heat to produce extremely tiny particles, as small as 0.5 microns, which can penetrate very small areas indoors and outdoors. The chemical solution is vaporized to produce a dense and thick cloud of fog which is very visible and resembles smoke.

Thermal foggers are diverse when it comes to how they are powered and the scale in which they can be used. They have models that run on propane, gas, and electric so these can be made to cover everything from small areas to very large areas such as farms and fields. They can be large industrial units mounted to trucks that can spray acres or small handheld portable units that are good for basements. The electric and propane ones can be used in doors if needed but the gas-powered ones are strictly for outdoors. Thermal foggers generally use oil based chemicals but some are fine with water based chemicals as well. Typically these are used for pesticides and herbicides.
What is a ULV Fogger?
The ULV fogger is considered a cold fogger since it doesn’t use heat to make the fog. It uses a pump to pressurize and push the chemicals out of the nozzle to atomize the liquid into very small droplet particles that create a fog. Droplet sizes rang from 10 microns to 120 microns which is more of a wet mist. They should only be used with products that are safe for use in the presence of people when adjusted to levels below 80 microns. Since these produce a very consistent droplet particle size and can be adjusted by adjusting the flow rate, they are especially versatile if you need to fog different areas or use the fogger for various purposes. ULV foggers use water based chemicals which rage from pesticides and mold killing solutions to Disinfectants which is what we at Exit Biohazard Cleanup focus on. These foggers generally are powered by electricity and now there are some which are not corded but battery operated which is very helpful for ease of use. These foggers are used for full room disinfecting and even can be set to be left alone for a time to do the job without needing a person to hold it. These range in size from handheld and backpack style to larger wheeled cart versions to fog larger areas.

What is an Electrostatic Sprayer / Fogger?
Lastly there are Electrostatic sprayers. What is an electrostatic sprayer / fogger? It is another type of fogger which is basically a ULV type fogger / sprayer that has a special feature. It charges the chemical solution to make it statically attracted to surfaces so that it aids in the disinfecting process. Electrostatic Spraying equipment has emerged as the “new next best thing” since the recent addition of being powered by batteries which is highly convenient. The Victory Innovations company has produced the world's first cordless Electrostatic Sprayers. Victory's handheld and backpack sprayers ensure you will find the perfect tool for any application. These units can spray an area but are directional and surface specific. They offer a handheld unit and a backpack unit which are battery powered and cord free. Of course, there are other brands and these systems are another great addition to any disinfecting arsenal.

We at Exit Biohazard see the need to have all these types of foggers so that we can make sure we have the latest tools at hand to disinfect any situation. Don’t try to do this yourself and don’t take the chance of letting the corona virus survive in your home or office. We come prepared with the full PPE, Personal protective equipment and our people are highly trained to give you the best service. Call Exit for a quote .

Make your own Hand Sanitizer

Sun, 05 Jan 2020 04:53:00 GMT

Making Hand Sanitizer
With the shortages due to the corona virus here is a quick and easy way to disinfect your hands in between cleaning. Ingredients:
3/4 cup of isopropyl or rubbing alcohol (70 to 99 %)
1/4 cup of aloe vera gel (this will help to your hands from drying out due to the harshness of alcohol)
10 drops of essential oil, such as lavender oil, or you can see if you can find the kind they sell at some beauty supply shops that already smells like cherries. Directions:
Pour all ingredients into a bowl,
Mix with a spoon and then beat with a whisk to turn the sanitizer into a gel.
Pour the ingredients into an empty soap pump bottle for easy use, and label it “hand sanitizer.”

Industrial and Commercial Accident Cleanup

Sat, 28 Dec 2019 05:11:00 GMT

Workplace Accidents
When a crime, suicide , or accidents such as a person getting injured or killed on the job or an outbreak such as the corona virus or occur in the workplace, Bio-hazardous accident clean up is necessary to get your business or property back to normal . No one plans for an accident or incident, so it can be quite a struggle for all involved.

An accident in the workplace can be financially and of course emotionally stressful and that’s why you should call in professionals like EXIT Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup . We are understanding and compassionate and we know how to handle the situation. We can immediately come to quickly set up our cleanup services and mitigate the situation. We provide a rapid response team for commercial cleaning services for complex situations from accidents involving anything from vehicles of any kind to heavy machinery. We well-versed in regulatory protocols such as industrial lock-out/tag-out procedures. We do our job while minimizing business interruption by providing a fast response and professional services. Businesses and corporations trust Exit Cleanup because we get the job done and get them back to business as usual.

What is Professional Cleanup?
We at Exit cleanup are Biohazard specialists. Because of the high exposure risk to bloodborne pathogens such as Hepatitis and HIV and much more, biohazard remediation is a specialty service not to be confused with a typical janitorial type service. It requires proper training , equipment, certification, and licensing to ensure you get the best and safest accident remediation.

Bio-hazardous situations such as industrial accidents and crime scenes present safety issues and an understanding of bio-hazardous dynamics that in-house janitorial or hired cleaning services are likely not qualified to handle. We are highly trained and adhere to OSHA’s bloodborne pathogen regulations and we practice industry universal precautions to protect our employees and customers. We work safely to remove unsafe environments for your situation. We adhere to the highest standards in biohazard remediation to ensure that our customers and employees are always fully protected.

Biohazard cleanup refers to the processes we use to bring your property back to a normal state so you can return to business and move on. Training and experience are why we are the professionals to call. The removal, cleaning, and disinfection of blood, bodily fluids, and other potentially harmful pathogens in affected areas after a death, accident, or communicable disease outbreak is dangerous and must be handled by a professional Biohazards remediation company like Exit Biohaz ard Cleanup .

Our Methods are as follows:
We contain the area of the biohazard to ensure a safe working environment for our workers and so that we do not have any cross-contamination. We then remove all traces biological materials including blood, bodily fluids, and tissue or in the case of a virus outbreak we prepare all areas for a systematic cleaning. Then finally, we disinfect the areas, deodorize if needed and make sure that the affected areas are free of pathogens. We are diligent and thorough. We understand that the health and safety of your employees and clients is paramount and you must get back to the normal operations of your business.

Exit’s Biohazard Remediation Process
What to expect when Exit is called to your location:
Assessment: We first complete an initial walk-through and OSHA-mandated employee-safety hazard assessment of the scene. We inspect the area for hazards and the accident area itself.
Control and Setup: We secure the accident area and set up a perimeter and staging area mush as we would do in the military. We use OSHA’s recommended cross-contamination protocol to control the affected area by securing and separating it from other parts of the structure.

Remove: We go into action and remove all visible traces of blood and biological materials from the affected area. All biological waste is secured and places in our Bio-hazardous waste boxes for safe removal. This primary cleaning and collection is the most dangerous part of the cleanup process because this is where our highly trained people have to remove all parts containing possible pathogens.

Secondary Area Inspection: We do a secondary inspection of the outer lying areas because we must make sure that no bio-hazardous liquids or fluids have been transported either by the accident itself or by the commotion of the accident and carried or cross contaminated via First Responders or employees. Accidents have a habit of never being straight forward so we check all areas. It is very possible for human tissue to travel farther than expected form the victim of an accident. It’s our duty to inspect all areas to make sure we have it all.

Clean, Disinfect, and Deodorize: After removal of all visible biological materials or in the case of a communicable disease outbreak, we clean, disinfect, and deodorize affected surfaces using EPA-registered disinfectants.

Final Inspection, 100% Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed: Exit Biohazard Cleanup will inspect all areas once more to ensure we have done the correctly and thoroughly.: No matter the extent of the situation, we approach all biohazard cleanup with the same care, attention, to ensure the health and safety of you, your family, or business. We stand by our work with a 100% Customer Satisfaction Guarantee.

Discretion and Privacy: Your privacy and trust are our top priorities and we will do everything to pay close attention to your specific preferences and special instructions. Hopefully you will never need us but If you ever do, we are ready to serve and get you back in business.

Biohazards Definition, What is a Biohazard

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 05:20:00 GMT

What are Biohazards?
They are defined as any biological or chemical substance that is dangerous to humans, animals, or the environment. This can include everything from humans such as body fluids, human tissue and blood, and recombinant DNA to animal tissue and fluids to microorganisms such as bacteria, mold and viruses such as the coronavirus . Because biohazards have the potential to infect anyone who is exposed to them, all human waste should be properly handled and disposed of and that’s why you call a biohaz ard cleanup company like Exit . We cleanup these bio hazards and dispose of them properly.

When we think of biohazards, our minds automatically wander to government agents in hazmat suits from the CDC (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) or the zombie movies with scenes of panic, disease outbreaks, and contamination. In our old movie Special Makeup Effects days (Our Bio) of course loved doing zombie makeups and plague-ridden characters. We never realized the grand scale that biohazards could play in our real lives until we started training for the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard and biohazard cleanup services, we provide at E xit Cl eanup . As we have found with the covid-19 pandemic (a disease prevalent over a whole country or the world), Biohazards are not restricted to the movies and can exist almost anywhere, in Hospitals, the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and even in the blood in our veins.

The 4 Levels of Biohazards as described by the CDC
Biohazard level 1: Agents that do not generally cause disease in healthy humans. An example of a level 1 biohazard would be bacillus subtilis, a soil bacterium that can sometimes cause illness in individuals with weakened immune systems.
Biohazard level 2: These agents can cause severe illness in healthy humans, but can only cause infection through direct contact with infected material or through ingestion. Examples of a level 2 biohazard are HIV, salmonella, and hepatitis B.
Biohazard level 3: Pathogens that cause serious diseases and can become airborne. An example of a level 3 biohazard would be tuberculosis, a lung disease that can be passed from person to person through the air.
Biohazard level 4: Pathogens that cause diseases for which there are no treatments. An example of a level 4 biohazard would be Ebola virus, a fatal form of hemorrhagic fever that is transmitted through direct contact with infected body fluids or contaminated objects.

What are some biohazard examples?
Here are several kinds of Biohazardous materials. Animal waste. Animal carcasses and body parts, or any bedding material used by animals that are known to be infected with pathogenic organisms.
Human body fluids. Semen, cerebrospinal fluid, pleural fluid, vaginal secretions, pericardial fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva, and peritoneal fluid.
Human blood and blood products. This includes items that have been contaminated with blood and other body fluids or tissues that contain visible blood.
Microbiological wastes. Common in laboratory settings, examples of microbiological wastes include specimen cultures, disposable culture dishes, discarded viruses, and devices used to transfer or mix cultures.
Pathological waste. Unfixed human tissue (excluding skin), waste biopsy materials, and anatomical parts from medical procedures or autopsies.
Medical Sharps waste. Needles, glass slides and cover slips, scalpels, and IV tubing that has the needle attached.

How to Protect Yourself and Stay Safe: Good hygiene and social distancing remain the top two tactics as we have realized from the coronavirus outbreak. The best way to prevent illness is to eliminate your exposure to biological agents . It can be as simple as washing your hands often for at least 25 seconds, using hand sanitizer, staying up to date on your vaccinations, and regularly disinfect surfaces in your home and at work as well as things like your phone and steering wheel.

However, there can sometimes be an extreme circumstance that presents itself in which you find yourself facing possible exposure to biohazards on a grand scale as we all find ourselves now with the whole world stopped and country in quarantine for the coronavirus . Its important to not only protect yourself but your home, property and businesses. Call Exit for our biohazard disinfection and decontamination services . We kill the coronavirus with our specialty hospital grade communicable disease disinfection services. Our disinfectants will reach every part of your property to destroy the virus as well as bacteria and mold.

And as always Life and death happens so if you find that someone around you is involved in a traumatic accident , a loved one falls victim to a violent crime , a death in the family or a friend commits suicide and you find yourself faced with the situation that needs a biohazard cleanup , you should turn to a professional for help. Call Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup so that we can help you in your time of need.

Hoarding Help from Exit Cleanup

Mon, 02 Dec 2019 05:27:00 GMT

What is Hoarding?
Hoarding Help, For immediate as sistance wi th hoard ing clea nup, contact EXIT CLEANUP today.

What is Hoarding? Well according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America , “Hoarding is the compulsive purchasing, acquiring, searching, and saving of items that have little or no value.
The hoarding behavior usually has deleterious effects—emotional, physical, social, financial, and even legal—for a hoarder and family members.” A house or building impacted by hoarding can be dangerous and unhealthy for occupants and neighbors. Swift action is required to address the hoarding problem to ensure the health of everyone nearby.
The 5 Hoarding Levels
The National Study Group on Compulsive Disorganization created a Clutter Hoarding Scale as a guideline for professional organizers making their first few contacts with clients. Its called the ICD Clutter–Hoarding Scale® The Clutter–Hoarding Scale® is an assessment measurement tool, developed by the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD) to give professional organizers and related professionals definitive parameters related to health and safety.

Hoarding Level One: Clutter is not excessive, all doors and stairways are accessible, there are no odors, and the home is considered safe and sanitary.
Hoarding Level Two: Clutter inhabits two or more rooms, light odors, overflowing garbage cans, light mildew in kitchens and bathrooms, one exit is blocked, some pet dander or pet waste puddles, and limited evidence of housekeeping.
Hoarding Level Three: One bedroom or bathroom is unusable, excessive dust, heavily soiled food preparation areas, strong odors throughout the home, excessive amount of pets, and visible clutter outdoors.
Hoarding Level Four: Sewer backup, hazardous electrical wiring, flea infestation, rotting food on counters, lice on bedding, and pet damage to home.
Hoarding Level Five: Rodent infestation, kitchen and bathroom unusable due to clutter, human and animal feces , and disconnected electrical and/or water service.

How do people get a Hoarding Disorder?
Hoarding disorder affects all kinds of people from all ages and demographics. It is however more prevalent in older age groups, and the symptoms seem to intensify with age. Hoarding in general can severely disrupt the daily life. It can easily cause the person affected by the disorder to become reclusive and protective of their privacy.

Often, we find that hoarding disorder is present due to a trauma . That can be many things including a home where an unattended death has occurred. Its important to be supportive but typically the hoarding property contains many dangers and its best to help by removing the clutter to make it safer. The risk to the person or persons involved living this way is greatly increased. Living this way can lead to injuries caused by falling, collapsing debris, unsanitary circumstances due to trash or sewage issues, rats that carry disease etc. A person who suffers from hoarding disorder is often isolated from friends and family which creates many circumstances that can lead to injury or an unattended death because there is no one to find the person immediately after he or she has been injured or passed away. There are also many other dangers associated with hoarding such as diseases caused by rat feces and general cleanliness issues.

Hoarding Cleanup Dangers
What are the dangers of hoarding cleanup ? Not all hoarding properties are dangerous, but each property must be looked at individually in order to access the hazard level. As mentioned above there are the simple noticeable dangers such as stepping on sharp things, falling or twisting an ankle, or collapse of property and risk of being buried alive. Its potentially a slow suicide . But there are many more dangers many people do not realize. The health and safety hazards associated with hoarding cleanup in connection to biohazards are vast. These possible biohazards include finding blood and bodily fluids , human waste, dead creatures and of course the potential diseases and infections that can come of these such as the Hantavirus, which comes from rat feces, Histoplasmosis, E. coli, Staph bacteria including MRSA and HIV depending on what is lurking in the clutter. It’s not unusual to find buried dead animals or raw sewage from a broken pipe which could cause serious illnesses. Hoarding Cleanup Services at E xit C leanup
Our EXIT Clea nup experts can take on these dangers and bring it to a satisfactory manageable situation. It is a serious and challenging situation and due to the potential health hazards associated with a hoarding property its important to be understanding and professional . Exit can be reached 24-7 to discuss the situation and get your property cleaned and safe.

Respirators, N95 Masks and Surgical masks, what’s the difference?

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 05:35:00 GMT

What is a respirator?
It’s a key piece of PPE ( Personal Protective Equipment ) for crime scene cleanup so we don’t breathe in any bloodborne pathogens . Some may find this fascinating and some may find this a boring read, but if you wanted to know all about n95 masks and respirators then read on. A respirator is a device designed to protect the wearer from inhaling hazardous or unpleasant atmospheres, including gases, fumes, vapors, and particulate matter such as dusts and airborne microorganisms like the coronavirus . You can imagine how a respirator designed for organic vapor which can keep out the odors from a decomposing body during a cleanup can come in handy. Its also keeping potentially dangerous viruses and bacteria from getting into the mouth nose and lungs. It’s truly a lifesaver.

There are two main categories of respirators: the air-purifying respirator types (APRs) , in which breathable air is obtained by filtering a contaminated atmosphere, and the air-supplied respirator (SARs) , in which an alternate supply of breathable air is delivered. Each type uses different techniques to reduce or eliminate noxious airborne contaminants.
Air-Purifying filtering Respirators range from relatively inexpensive single-use such as surgical masks and n95 disposable masks, or reusable respirator models with replaceable cartridges often called a gas mask or simply a respirator. These are easy to use and very portable and range from inexpensive to several hundreds of dollars. These are the most common of the two types because of cost, portability, and ease of use. We at Exit Cleanup use these daily when cleaning up blood and trauma scenes.
The Air Supplied Respirator is basically a clean supply of breathable air either from wearable tanks or air supplied from an outside source and brought in via hose to the wearer. Generally, these are much more complicated than the typical filtering type. These range from the air tanks you see firemen wear, This is a self-contained breathing apparatus, or SCBA, to the odd looking hose from the ceiling supplying clean air in a cleanroom or laboratory. These are usually more expensive systems and have more limitations such as range or weight than a typical n95 respirator. These supply air to the wearer so they can be used in more harsh environments such as oxygen poor atmospheres due to fire smoke or chemical hazards.

N95 Mask
With the Corona virus crisis , we have heard a lot about PPE and protective masks so when we talk about the N95 mask or respirator its because it’s the most common mask with a wide range of protection. Why do we call it an N95? The NIOSH N95 designation means that when subjected to careful testing, the respirator blocks at least 95 % of very small (0.3 micron) particles. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH , is the United States federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. NIOSH is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The N95 respirator is the most common type of particulate filtering facepiece respirators. An N95 respirator is designed to achieve a very close facial fit and very efficient filtration of airborne particles. Note that the edges of the respirator are designed to form a seal around the nose and mouth. Surgical N95 Respirators are commonly used in healthcare settings and are a subset of N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators (FFRs), often referred to as N95s. There are other respirators such as:

N95 – Filters at least 95% of airborne particles. Not resistant to oil.
Surgical N95 – A NIOSH-approved N95 respirator that has also been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a surgical mask.
N99 – Filters at least 99% of airborne particles. Not resistant to oil.
N100 – Filters at least 99.97% of airborne particles. Not resistant to oil.
R95 – Filters at least 95% of airborne particles. Somewhat resistant to oil.
P95 – Filters at least 95% of airborne particles. Strongly resistant to oil.
P99 – Filters at least 99% of airborne particles. Strongly resistant to oil.
P100 – Filters at least 99.97% of airborne particles. Strongly resistant to oil.

Surgical Mask
Lastly the Surgical Mask , A surgical mask is a loose-fitting, disposable device that creates a physical barrier between the mouth and nose of the wearer and potential contaminants in the immediate environment. These are typically used in places that are highly disinfected already such as medical facilities. These are often referred to as face masks, although not all face masks are regulated as surgical masks. Note that the edges of the mask are not designed to form a seal around the nose and mouth.

The similarities among surgical masks and surgical N95s are: They are tested for fluid resistance, filtration efficiency (particulate filtration efficiency and bacterial filtration efficiency), flammability and biocompatibility.
They should not be shared or reused.

Protect yourself by wearing the proper respirators for the job at hand. Exit Biohazard an d Crime Scene Cleanup trains and uses several different styles of respirators and we follow the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard to ensure safety for our employees and clients.

What is PPE? Personal Protection Equipment

Sat, 16 Nov 2019 05:39:00 GMT

What is PPE? It is Personal protective equipment such as protective clothing, helmets, goggles, N95 masks or other clothing or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. Basically protective equipment is to protect against physical injuries, electrical hazards, heat, chemicals, biohazards, and airborne particulate matter such as the Corona virus or Hepatitis. Protective equipment may be needed or required for job-related occupational safety and health purposes like in our trauma and blood cleaning services as well as, sports and other recreational activities. We see it used daily in everything from football games with helmets and shoulder pads to doctor’s offices using disposable gloves and surgical masks. And some of us use PPE every day because we are in an industry that requires it. As part of our everyday job here at Exit Biohaz ard and Crim e Scene Cleanup we wear a wide range of PPE to keep us safe from the dangers of dealing with biohazardous materials such as blood and bodily fluids that may or may not contain infectious diseases. We could not do our job without it.

Let’s talk about work safety purposes and ignore the needs of things like sports and recreational PPE which of course is important but for our purposes we will focus on PPE for industry needs . The use of personal protective equipment is to reduce employee exposure to hazards when personal safety can’t be achieved within the general controls of the project or job. Meaning that PPE is needed when there are hazards present that can’t be mitigated by any other means. An example is that a factory can be made to be very safe by the controls and rules they put in place. But the factory cannot make every operation personally safe for anyone to walk in with no protective needs. Things like safety glasses or hearing protection may still be needed to ensure a safe working environment. So that is wear PPE comes in. There are some instances that you need more protection than can be managed by the confines of the job and the protection systems in place. An example would be having to be close to very loud machinery in order to do the job required. That person needs some PPE in the form of hearing protection. PPE is used when there is no other way to protect the workers in these circumstances. Safe practices and protections let us all go to work and come home safe.

PPE is used to lower the risk of a procedure but could result in employees being exposed to the hazard if the equipment fails so proper training is also particularly important. Any item of PPE imposes a barrier between the wearer/user and the working environment. Of course, this can create additional strains on the wearer such as making the wearer of a hazmat suit much hotter and need to take more frequent breaks and drink more liquids to do the job safely. It’s important to wear PPE but make sure that in doing so you understand the possible issues that can arise from doing so. PPE can impair anyone’s ability to carry out their work in the same fashion as if they didn’t have it on and it can create significant levels of discomfort so understand the limitations and benefits of each piece of PPE you require. Comfortable and well designed PPE can help the users work safely and minimize discomfort during their work.

Some examples of PPE that you generally see are items such as surgical masks, respirators, n95 masks, dust masks, safety googles, face shields, disposable gloves, helmets, hazmat suits, fall protection safety harnesses and hearing protection to name a few. And there is so much more depending on the task and what you are trying to protect. Protective equipment is a must for crime scene cleanup and many other jobs out there where specialized equipment and procedures are required because the job I inherently dangerous. We at EXIT Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup services use all of these examples depending on the situation we find ourselves in. We are protecting ourselves from everything from contagious diseases to bodily injuries so we stay safe everyday by using the proper PPE.

But don’t forget, it’s also good to have some general PPE on hand for everyday projects and general purposes that may come up in your life. Using dust masks and safety glasses while cutting wood or mowing the lawn is just a good idea. Remember that its important to stay safe when you can. Personal protective equipment is made for just that. Protect yourself.

Crime Scene Cleanup Special FX

Sun, 30 Jun 2019 06:53:00 GMT

Crime Scene Cleanup Reality

I'm Valek X. Sykes the owner of Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup and Tech Works FX Studios , and this is my story:

How do you go from making animatronic creatures, monsters, props and fake crime scenes for films and TV shows to cleaning up after real crime scenes? It’s simple, you feel the need to do something more important. As much as I love working on films and television shows, there wasn’t anything that made me feel like I was actually helping anyone.

The entertainment industry is an amazing part of my life, I have spent over 20 years in it.

A Quick History on how I went from Movie Special FX to Cleaning up Real Crime Scenes

I started out being very creative when I was young but growing up in Philadelphia wasn’t the easiest place to show it off. I did well in school, had my long black trench coat, chains on my boots and 7 inch mohawk as I went through high school but I had no idea how I could do something artistic and make a living. It was very frustrating so as I went to the first year of college, I hated it all except a drawing class I took. It let me know that I could find a focus in art, but what to do?

As things in the united states turned towards an inevitable war coming with Iraq, I decided to join the marines to see what a more worldly view would do for me. As much as I enjoyed some of the craziness in the Marines I realized it wasn’t something I was in love with. Not to mention my worldly view consisted of staying in the states for the 35 minutes that war lasted. I spent more time in Oklahoma on an Army base than anywhere else, I think.

So as I ended my active duty part of the Marines (was in the reserves after) I met my Wife to be and fell madly in love. She pushed me to go back to get a degree in art so I did, BFA from Temple university Tyler School of Art . I raped that school for information and skills. I changed curriculums to be more manly and pushed my will on anyone and everyone to learn what I could and utilize every minute there. I was paying for it so I wanted my monies worth.

I worked in Philadelphia for a couple years sculpting and designing toy prototypes to hone my skills for the film industry in Los Angeles which is where i saw myself. I married my love and bought a house and worked hard to impress the people around me. I knew I was ready to go when I purposely went to my boss and asked for the largest raise he ever agreed to. As he said yes after a few minutes of pointing out my level of skills, I smiled and told him that I had to quit. His mouth dropped but he smiled and was happy to see me move to what he knew I wanted to do. I just wanted to know if I was worth it and I was. So that was the sign to move on.

It took a lot for us to move across country and get push to get my first job in the special effects industry but we did it. I started as a sculptor, model maker and quickly found that I could easily jump into animatronics which was something I had great interest and aptitude so as I moved form a no name to someone the major companies called in just a short time. We bought a house there, not an easy task with the prices 3 to 4 times the cost of my first house but we managed. As I worked for people like Stan Winston, Greg Cannom and Rick Baker the masters of the special effects industry and working on films everyone knows I wanted to start my own company so I did and didn’t look back.

I’ve been lucky and have worked for people like Spielberg, partied with stars like Will Smith, got into it on set with Tom Cruise, had my kids carried around by people like Peter Faulk ( Columbo), sang and danced on set with Jamie Foxx, been in movies and tv shows myself as well as had my own show on the Discovery channel called Doing Da Vinci . I've worked for the F.B.I. / Department of Justice making disguises to help agents infiltrate terrorist suspects combating terrorism and even became a adjunct professor at the film dept for Tulane University in New Orleans .

That all being said, it has been a roller coaster but I felt something lacking. After Almost 20 years in the business and working on many films and tv shows which you can see on our Tech Works Studios site I wanted a change so we moved to what I call a normal place, the Northshore of the New Orleans area in Louisiana. A nice family place for the kids, and a much-needed laid back atmosphere. We have happy here in Mandeville / Covington for the last 7 years.

As we had quite the location change, I also started thinking that the entertainment industry wasn’t filling something for me. I started thinking the way I did when I joined the Marines. Even though I loved the film industry, I needed to find a way to do something more important with my life. Something that I could do that would help people in a way that the film industry couldn’t. That came to me on a possible project where the production wanted some insight to crime scene cleanup companies.

I jumped at the idea to see what I could find for them since that already seemed interesting and I was sure we would be doing some crazy effects for it. Making dead bodies and blood gags is always a favorite so I looked into it all. I found a Biohazard company not too far away and asked them some questions and got a great response. Everyone loves to be part of a film project it seems. I was even invited to come see a couple cleanups which was very interesting. The project fell through as they often do but it got me thinking a lot about the services that help people in their time of need. Victims’ families and the people surrounding a crime or trauma need help when they are at their weakest point. And since I am one of the rare people who can handle the visuals and other things needed to walk into a scene filled with real blood and bodily fluids from something that happened that can only be described as very sad. I realized I could do this. I already have an eye for detail and perfection so trauma or biohazard cleanup is a natural way to help people. I was hooked with this idea although my wife was very weirded out at the idea of this great change.

I needed to know more and see if this was something I could learn properly and build into a business I could be proud of. I take everything I do seriously and want nothing but the best and to be the best at whatever I do. Must be the combination of being a Marine and the boss of a highly competitive artistic business for 20 years. I looked int this new idea for weeks until I came across a training facility that seemed to be as focused on proper training and procedures as I am. The company is called Amdecon and I cant say enough good things about them.

They pulled from their vast experience but it was also their professionalism that was what I really liked. After seeing what they teach at Amdecon ,

I could see the lacking in the other companies I looked into originally. So no matter how long they have been around, experience isn’t everything. We often hear things in the FX biz like “this isn’t our first rodeo”, my reply is usually "ok, that might be true but could you have done better on those rodeos?" I usually just get a “not so happy” look back. My point is that experience can be a great example of some things but long experience with bad habits and sloppy work especially in this industry can be hazardous to the clients and technicians alike and I just won’t have that. So, some of these longstanding companies were disappointing examples of the industry, whereas Amdecon was a perfect fit for the best example in the industry and that’s who I want training me and my people. So I trained with them for some time and learned properly. We trained and are completely compliant with OSHA Standards for the industry and yearly tested.

Once I received all the proper training, we started Exit Biohazard and Crime Scene Cleanup which was not an easy of cheap task. We spent tens of thousands to start the business but have found that it does what was intended. It lets us help others in a time of great need. We focus on making sure the client’s are met with compassion and professionalism. We are safe and thorough and we may be a newer company in the crime scene cleanup industry compared to others out there but we have years of running another service based company dealing with the most critical clients on the planet form the movie industry. Professionalism and care are our key ideology and we are here to help and that’s what is important.

Do we still have the special effects business? Yes, I still own it. I have some great people running it and I offer advice and guidance here and there and of course I still dabble in it when its something I really love but I run and focus on my passion which is Exit Cleanup. Sounds crazy I know, going from something that most think is a dream job working with movie stars making awesome things that you get to see on TV but I’m over that. I’ve had my name in credits for decades, made some of the coolest things, been in films and tv shows, worked with the biggest directors and movie stars but once the shine of the industry wears off and you’ve done all of that, you really do want something real for people. For me that’s helping people in their time of great need by cleaning up blood, death, suicide and murder scenes so that the people that are afflicted by these terrible situations don’t have to.