Crime scene cleanup Q&A · Portage, WI
Real Questions from Portage
Straight answers to the questions Portage families, landlords and business owners ask us about crime scene, death and biohazard cleanup. For everything about our Portage service, see our main Portage cleanup page.
Joe covers PortageAnswered 24/7No money up front
Your Portage tech is Joe
Joe covers our outer service radius. Call and Joe or the nearest tech on our crew heads out while you're still on the phone.
608-974-1788- A written price you approve first
- No money up front. We bill insurance
- Licensed biohazard waste disposal
9 topics, 30 questions. Jump to one, or read them all. Already know what you need? Go to the Portage page or call 608-974-1788.
The first hours
Right after it happens in Portage
What to do, who comes and what you can leave for later.
Go deeper: Death at home: the first 24 hours · Cleanup in Portage
The officers and the Columbia County Medical Examiner hand the home back to you. You’re free to close the door, leave and let us take it from there. You don’t have to go back into the room.
It varies. Often it’s the same day, but it can take longer when there’s an investigation. The Columbia County Medical Examiner or the officers will tell you, and we can check for you so you don’t have to keep calling.
Usually, as long as the room is closed off. Keep kids and pets out, shut off the air to that room if you can, and don’t try to clean anything yet.
The same number: 608-974-1788. Our Madison crew answers every hour, every day, and Joe or the nearest tech starts on Portage calls right away.
After a death
When someone died at home in Portage
Unattended deaths, deaths found days later and what the cleanup really involves.
Go deeper: Unattended death cleanup · Death odor removal · Cleanup in Portage
More than most people expect. Fluids move down and sideways, so we test past the visible stain, cut out what’s contaminated, disinfect, seal and deodorize. Then we put the room back together.
Often, yes. We set aside anything that may be important, like photos, papers, jewelry and keepsakes, and clean what can be cleaned. Porous items that fluid soaked into usually can’t be saved, and we’ll show you why before anything goes.
We check the units around it as part of the job. Odor and fluid don’t stop at the property line, and it’s cheaper to catch it now than after a neighbor complains.
Because the source is still there, usually in the pad, subfloor or drywall. Heat and humidity release it again. Removing and sealing the source is the only fix.
After a suicide
After a suicide in Portage
Quiet answers for families. You don’t have to do any of this alone.
Go deeper: Suicide cleanup · Grief support in Dane County · Cleanup in Portage
No more than you want to. A few questions about where it happened and how big the area is are enough for us to plan.
Yes. Anyone you trust can meet us, or you can leave a key or a door code. You never have to go back into the room.
988 answers any hour, by call or text. Locally, call the Columbia County crisis line (24/7) at (888) 552-6642, and AFSP Wisconsin has groups for people who lost someone to suicide.
After a crime
After a crime or a shooting in Portage
When you can start, what happens to evidence and who helps victims pay.
Go deeper: Crime scene cleanup · Homicide cleanup · Cleanup in Portage
Once the Portage Police Department say the scene is released. Until then, leave everything as it is. The case number you get from the officers also helps with victim compensation later.
Not if it’s done after the release, which is the only time we work. If investigators ask us to hold anything, we hold it.
Wisconsin’s crime victim compensation program can help when insurance doesn’t cover it all. You’ll need the police case number, and we provide the invoice and documentation. Read the guide.
Yes. Print powder smears if you wipe it wrong, and tear gas residue gets into ducts, fabric and drywall. We remove both after police work in Portage homes and businesses.
Blood & biohazards
Blood, needles and biohazards in Portage
What’s safe to handle yourself and what isn’t.
Go deeper: Blood cleanup · Biohazard cleanup · Drug & needle cleanup · Cleanup in Portage
Yes, it should be treated as infectious. Hepatitis B in particular can survive on surfaces for days. Gloves aren’t enough for anything soaked into carpet or wood.
A biohazard crew. Blood soaks through to the foam, where you can’t clean it. Most of the time the item has to go, and we document it for insurance.
Leave them where they are. If there’s one, there are usually more. We search the property, remove the sharps and clean any residue.
Hoarding
Hoarding help in Portage
How a cleanout works when it’s someone you love.
Go deeper: Hoarding cleanout · Hoarding help in Dane County · Cleanup in Portage
Talk about safety first and keep your parent in charge of decisions. Columbia County Health & Human Services ((608) 742-9227) can help the family, and we can start with one room.
Anywhere from a day for a single room to a couple of weeks for a whole house. We agree on what stays before anything goes, which takes time but keeps trust.
Insurance & money
Paying for cleanup in Portage
Deductibles, claims and what’s due when.
Go deeper: Insurance & billing · Cleanup cost guide · Cleanup in Portage
In most cases, yes. We’ll go over what the policy is likely to cover and what’s left before you approve the plan.
Ask your agent. A cleanup claim is handled like other property claims, and we can’t speak for how your insurer rates it. What we can do is document it well so it’s handled once.
No. It’s your home and your choice. Whoever insures you, we bill them directly and send the documentation they ask for.
Landlords, businesses & vehicles
For Portage landlords, businesses and vehicles
Turnover, after-hours work and cars.
It depends on how far it spread. We give you a written timeline at the walkthrough, including any rebuild, so you can plan the turnover.
Yes. We work nights and weekends so staff and customers aren’t around, and we give you documentation for your records and insurer.
It depends on how long it sat and where the fluid went. We’ll inspect it wherever it is in or near Portage and give you a straight answer.
Local to Portage
Who you're dealing with in Portage
The people and offices involved, by name.
Go deeper: Rebuild after cleanup · Meet our techs · Cleanup in Portage
Joe covers Portage for MadTown Biohazard, as part of our outer service radius. You’ll know who’s coming before you hang up.
No. MadTown Biohazard is a Madison crew with five local techs. Your call isn’t routed through a national hotline.
Listings near Portage include Pflanz Mantey Mendrala Funeral Home and Kratz Funeral Home. Use whichever you trust. We’re happy to coordinate timing with your funeral director.
We do. Flooring, subfloor, drywall and paint go back under the same plan and the same insurance claim, so there’s no second contractor to manage.
Back to Portage
Everything else about cleanup in Portage
Services, the tech who covers Portage, local police and medical examiner links, funeral homes and the full map are on our main Portage page.
We’re here right now
Still have a question about Portage?
Call and ask. Joe or the nearest tech on our crew answers Portage questions any hour, and there’s no charge to talk it through.
¿Prefiere hablar en español? Ofrecemos asistencia bilingüe cuando la necesite. Llame al 608-974-1788.
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