Canton and Stark County, Ohio
Canton biohazard cleanup after a crime, death or injury
When a death, an injury or a crime leaves blood or other biohazards in a home, car or business, the cleanup should not fall to the family. A single call puts you in touch with an independent cleanup company that works in Canton.
Lines answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Situations
What happened?
Pick the closest match. Each page explains what the cleanup involves and what to do first.
- Crime scene and trauma cleanupAfter a homicide, an assault or a serious injury, once police release the scene.Read more
- Unattended death and decomposition cleanupWhen someone died alone and was found days or weeks later.Read more
- Cleanup after a suicideQuiet, respectful cleanup so the family does not have to do it.Read more
- Blood and bodily fluid cleanupBlood, vomit, urine or feces on floors, furniture or walls after an injury or illness.Read more
- Hoarding cleanup with biohazardsA packed house with pet waste, syringes or rotted food in it.Read more
- Infectious disease disinfectionRooms that need cleaning and disinfection after illness or rodent droppings.Read more
- Vehicle biohazard cleanupA car or pickup with blood or body fluids in the cab.Read more
- Needle and sharps cleanupUsed needles found in a house, a rental unit or a yard.Read more
How it works
Four steps, one phone call
You call the number
A call-routing service answers and asks for your ZIP code and what happened, in plain terms.
You are connected
The call goes to an independent cleanup company that serves your area. This site never sees your conversation.
The company explains
They describe the work, the timing and how they price it. Ask for the scope and the price in writing.
You decide
Nothing is booked unless you agree. You can call another company, wait, or say no.
The work
What a biohazard cleanup company does
Biohazard cleanup is not ordinary cleaning. Blood and other body fluids can carry disease, and they soak into flooring, drywall and furniture further than they appear to. A cleanup company brings protective equipment, removes what cannot be saved and packages it as regulated waste.
- seals off the area so the rest of the house stays clean
- removes soaked carpet, pad, drywall or furniture
- cleans and disinfects the surfaces that stay
- deals with odor at its source
- packages the waste and hauls it away
Workers who handle blood fall under OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, which requires their employer to have an exposure control plan, protective equipment, training and hepatitis B vaccination. That is one reason the job belongs to a trained company, not a relative with a bucket.
Source: OSHA, Bloodborne Pathogens
Stark County
Who does what after a death or a crime
Three public offices and programs that often come up in the same week as the cleanup.
Stark County Coroner's Office
Investigates cause and manner of death in reported cases under its jurisdiction. 3053 Cleveland Ave. SW, Canton. (330) 451-1366, weekdays 8:30 to 4:30. After hours the line forwards to the Sheriff's Office, and an investigator is on call 24 hours a day.
Source: Stark County Coroner's Office
Ohio Victims of Crime Compensation
Run by the Ohio Attorney General. Ohio law counts the cost of crime scene cleanup as an economic loss the program can consider, up to a limit set in the statute. Apply within three years of the crime.
Sources: Ohio Attorney General, ORC 2743.51, ORC 2743.56
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988, or chat online. Available 24/7/365, and conversations are confidential.
Source: 988lifeline.org
Service area
Canton and the rest of Stark County
Calls are taken from 12 Canton ZIP codes and from these nearby towns.
North CantonPlain Township's first platted village, renamed North Canton in 1918.ZIP 44720
MassillonA city formed when four villages merged; incorporated as a village in 1853.ZIP 44646, 44647
LouisvilleSettled in 1834 and first called Lewisville.ZIP 44641
AllianceFormed in 1850 when three villages joined.ZIP 44601
Canal FultonFounded as Fulton in 1826; "Canal" was added to the name in 1832.ZIP 44614Guides
Plain answers for a hard week
- Who pays for biohazard cleanupInsurance in general terms, Ohio's crime victim program, landlords and estates.
- After a death at home, step by stepPolice, the Stark County coroner, the funeral home, the death certificate, then cleanup.
- For landlords and property managersYour duties under Ohio law, staff safety and how to get a unit back in use.
- How the referral worksWho answers, who does the work and how this site is paid.
- Questions and answersShort answers to common questions.
Questions
Before you call
Do I have to clean it up myself?
No. Families in Canton are not expected to clean up after a death or a violent injury. A cleanup company does it, and it is safer that way.
Can I call at night or on a weekend?
Yes. Calls are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Who actually does the cleanup?
An independent cleanup company that serves your ZIP code. This site is a referral service and does not send workers.
How much will it cost?
It depends on the size of the area, what soaked into the floor or walls, and how long it was before anyone found it. Ask the company for the scope and price in writing before work starts. Who pays explains insurance and Ohio's crime victim program.
Will the police or coroner clean the scene?
No. Police and the coroner's office investigate. Cleaning up afterwards is left to the owner or the family, who usually hire a company.
When you are ready
One call, no pressure to decide on the spot
Some people call within the hour. Others wait until the funeral is over. Either is fine. Keep the affected room closed until then and leave the cleanup to people with the right equipment.
Talk it through with someone now
You reach an independent cleanup company that covers your ZIP code. Ask what they would do, how they price it and when they could start. You decide whether to go ahead.
Call (330) 555-0163Lines answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
The call-routing service may record calls. How that works: referral disclosure, privacy policy.