Unattended death cleanup · MadTown Biohazard
Unattended death cleanup in Madison and Dane County
When someone passes at home and isn’t found for a while, the room needs far more than a cleaning. Our local techs remove what was affected, decontaminate the structure underneath and end the odor at its source. We also handle suicide, crime scene and homicide, blood and biohazard, death odor removal, hoarding cleanouts and tear gas and fingerprint powder cleanup, and the rebuild afterward.
No money up frontPrice approved firstInsurance billed for youLocal techs, 24/7
Techs on standby now
Talk to a local tech now
Tell us what happened and where. The local tech closest to you is on the way while we talk. No pressure, and nothing to pay up front.
- The tech closest to you heads out right away
- Written scope and price you approve first
- No money up front. We bill your insurance
Quick answerUnattended death cleanup removes bodily fluids, tissue, contaminated materials and odor after someone dies at home and isn’t found right away. MadTown Biohazard does it across Madison and south central Wisconsin once the medical examiner or coroner releases the home, with local techs trained to IICRC standards, a price you approve first, direct insurance billing and nothing due up front.
What we do
How unattended death cleanup works around Madison
After a death, fluids move through carpet and pad into the subfloor, and through a mattress into the box spring and frame. Odor settles into drywall, trim, fabrics and the furnace ductwork. Air fresheners and a rented ozone machine don’t fix any of that.
We find how far it went with moisture meters and a careful look under flooring and behind trim, show you exactly what has to come out and save everything that can be saved. Photos, papers, jewelry and keepsakes are set aside and cleaned when possible, and we ask before anything is thrown away.
Included
- Affected flooring, subfloor, mattress and furniture removed
- Every surface in the area cleaned and disinfected
- Odor removed at the source, not covered up
- Belongings set aside, protected and cleaned when possible
- Biohazard waste to a licensed facility
- Flooring and drywall rebuilt if removed
From our techs
Our crew on unattended death cleanup
In their own words, about the towns they cover.
An unattended death can leave families facing circumstances they never expected. Our Madison office is here to provide professional death cleanup services while treating every family and property with dignity.
Whether we're assisting after an unattended death, accident, or another traumatic event in Monona, our priority is to handle the cleanup professionally so families can focus on what matters most.
Families in Waunakee sometimes face the difficult responsibility of arranging cleanup after an unexpected death. We believe they deserve a compassionate local team that can explain the process and help restore the property safely.
Every death cleanup situation is different, but our commitment to discretion and respect never changes. We want families in Cottage Grove to know they can contact our Madison-area office for professional assistance.
Small communities like Mount Horeb deserve the same quality of professional death cleanup services available in Madison. Our goal is to provide clear communication, respectful service, and careful attention to each property.
When a death occurs inside a property in Marshall, families may be unsure where to begin. We help explain what professional cleanup involves and why certain situations require specialized equipment and remediation procedures.
Families in Lodi facing an unattended death deserve professional guidance and compassionate assistance. Our Madison-area office is committed to helping surrounding communities navigate these difficult situations.
An unattended death can create emotional and practical challenges for families in Baraboo. Our goal is to make the cleanup process easier to understand and help ensure affected areas are addressed professionally.
When someone in Fort Atkinson needs assistance after a traumatic death, they deserve a cleanup company that treats their circumstances with sensitivity. Professional remediation should always combine technical knowledge with genuine respect for the people affected.
What to expect
What happens after a death at home
After a death at home, 911 and the medical examiner or coroner come first. They care for the person who died and decide when the home is released. Once it is, call us. The funeral home handles arrangements; cleaning the home is a separate job, and it’s ours.
Most unattended death cleanups take one to three days, depending on how long the person wasn’t found and how far fluids and odor traveled. A death found quickly may be a single day. You’ll know the timeline when you approve the scope.
Step by step
Unattended death cleanup from the first call to the last walkthrough
You approve the scope and price before any work starts.
Release
The medical examiner or coroner releases the home. In Dane County that’s the Medical Examiner’s office.
Walkthrough
We trace how far fluids and odor traveled.
Approve
Written scope and price; you decide what’s kept.
Decontaminate
Removal, cleaning and odor treatment at the source.
Rebuild
We put the room back together if materials came out.
Under the floor
Why an unattended death goes deeper than the floor you see
Blood and fluids from a death or a serious injury move down through carpet and pad into the subfloor, and in older Madison homes with plank floors, into the ceiling of the room below. Scrubbing reaches only the top layer, which is why the smell comes back on the first warm day.
Can it be saved?
Keepsakes, furniture and the room itself
Families worry most about belongings. Photos, papers, jewelry, hard furniture and many keepsakes can be cleaned and returned. We set them aside before any removal starts and ask before anything leaves the house.
Soft things that absorbed fluids, like a mattress, an upholstered chair or carpet pad, usually can’t be saved safely. The subfloor and framing underneath often can: we clean, disinfect and seal them so the room can be rebuilt.
Odor
Why the smell comes back after a DIY cleanup
Odor after a death comes from fluids and tissue that soaked into materials. If any of that stays, the smell returns on the first warm day, no matter how much cleaner or fragrance is used. That’s why we remove the source first and treat the air and structure after.
We also clean the furnace returns and ducts near the room and replace the filter, because forced-air systems carry odor to every room in the house.
Good to know
Not a crime? You can still call us
If someone passed away at home, got hurt or got sick and left blood or fluids behind, that’s our work, crime or no crime. The industry name is crime scene cleanup, but it covers far more than crimes.
So if there’s blood, fluid or an odor anywhere at your home or business, call us. We remove it, disinfect what’s left and treat the odor at its source, so the space is safe to live or work in again.
- Natural and unattended deaths
- Falls, injuries and medical emergencies
- Blood and fluids, removed and disinfected
- Death odor treated at the source
- Crime scenes, once police release them
How a job like this goes
A death found after several days in a ranch home
What we walk into
An older man was found about a week after he passed in his bedroom. Fluids had gone through the carpet into the subfloor, and the odor had spread through the house by way of the furnace.
What we did
- Day 1. The tech for that zone sealed the bedroom, turned off the furnace fan and walked the son through what we found.
- Scope. Carpet, pad, a section of subfloor, the mattress and bed frame. The family picked keepsakes to save.
- Day 2. Removal, decontamination and odor treatment; ductwork and returns cleaned.
- Day 4. Subfloor patched and sealed, new flooring installed.
The result. The family could walk through the house again without the smell, and the insurer had the scope and photos.
A typical example of how these jobs go, written to show our process. It isn’t a specific client; names and addresses are never shared.
Techs on standby now
Facing something similar?
Call and we’ll explain exactly what we’d do in your situation, before anything starts.
- The tech closest to you heads out right away
- Written scope and price you approve first
- No money up front. We bill your insurance
From our techs
Unattended death cleanup tips from our techs
What we tell people on the phone before we get there.
Know what the release means
When the medical examiner releases the home, you’re allowed back in. It doesn’t mean the room is safe. Let us check it first.
Turn off the furnace fan
Forced air spreads odor through the whole house. Switch the fan off and close the room’s door if you can.
Tell us what matters
Mention jewelry, papers, photos or a favorite chair in the room. We set them aside and clean them when we can.
Call the funeral home and us separately
They care for your loved one; we care for the home. We can plan around the visitation and service.
Find your tech
Unattended death cleanup near you
We provide unattended death cleanup in Madison, Monona, Waunakee, Cottage Grove, Mount Horeb, Marshall, Lodi, Baraboo and Fort Atkinson, plus every town on our service areas page. Your call goes to the tech who covers your zone, and the rest of the crew comes in when the job is big. Pick a tech, or tap your town.
Stylized map, roughly to scale. Rings show the five zones. Every town we serve is marked. Tap one to open its page.
Every town we cover
From the Capitol Square out to Janesville, Baraboo, Portage and Monroe. If your town isn’t listed, call. We likely cover it.
Kevin’s zone
When families in Madison contact our local office after a traumatic event, we understand how important compassion and professionalism are. Our job is to handle the difficult cleanup process with respect, discretion, and attention to safety.Kevin, MadTown tech
Robyn’s zone
When a traumatic incident happens in Verona, residents should know that specialized cleanup assistance is available close to home. Our Madison-area office is committed to helping families through these difficult circumstances.Robyn, MadTown tech
Gabby’s zone
After a suicide, families deserve privacy, compassion, and professional assistance. Our Madison-area office is here to help Oregon residents address the cleanup without placing that difficult responsibility on loved ones.Gabby, MadTown tech
Rick’s zone
Cambridge families and property owners deserve access to specialized crime scene cleanup without having to search across Wisconsin for assistance. Our Madison-area office helps connect surrounding communities with professional remediation services.Rick, MadTown tech
Joe’s zone
Families and businesses in Janesville deserve reliable crime scene cleanup services when unexpected tragedies happen. Our Madison-area office is a resource for professional remediation, respectful communication, and careful property cleanup.Joe, MadTown tech
Who pays
Paying for unattended death cleanup: will insurance cover it?
Answer three quick questions to see who usually pays for death, crime scene or biohazard cleanup in Wisconsin. We confirm it with your insurer before we start, and nothing is due up front.
Insurance often pays for this.
- Usually paid by your homeowners policy. Sudden events like a death, crime or injury are often covered.
- Nothing is due up front. We bill the insurer directly where the policy allows.
A general guide, not a coverage decision. Your policy decides, and we check it with you before we start.
Who does what
Who does what after a death
Police, the medical examiner and the funeral home each handle one part. None of them clean the home.
| Who | What they do | What they don’t do |
|---|---|---|
| 911 and police | Secure the scene and investigate. | Don't clean, and won't recommend one company over another. |
| The Dane County Medical Examiner | Takes care of the person who died, investigates and tells the family when the home is released. | Doesn't clean, remove stains or remove odor. |
| The funeral home | Cares for your loved one and arranges the visitation and service. | Doesn't clean or decontaminate the home. |
| Your insurance company | Pays for covered cleanup and repairs. | Doesn't send a crew. You can choose your own cleanup company. |
| The landlord or property manager | Owns the unit and usually arranges cleanup in a rental. | Can't let anyone in to clean until police and the Dane County Medical Examiner release it. |
| A house cleaner or carpet cleaner | Everyday cleaning. | Usually isn't trained or equipped for bloodborne pathogens or medical waste disposal. |
| MadTown Biohazard | Cleans, disinfects and removes odor, sends waste to a licensed facility, rebuilds and bills your insurer. | Call 608-974-1788, 24/7. |
FAQ
Unattended death cleanup questions, answered
Still have a question? Call 608-974-1788 any time and talk to someone on our local team.
A biohazard cleanup company like MadTown Biohazard, at 608-974-1788. Once the Dane County Medical Examiner releases the home, we remove what’s contaminated, clean and disinfect, remove the odor and rebuild.
No. The medical examiner investigates and takes care of the person who died, then releases the home to the family. They don’t clean, and neither does the funeral home.
As soon as the medical examiner or coroner releases the home. Call before then and we’ll be ready.
Not when the source is removed. We take out what’s contaminated and treat what’s left, rather than masking it.
Often, yes. Homeowners and renters policies commonly cover it as a sudden event. We document the job and bill the insurer directly.
Many of them. We set aside photos, papers, jewelry and keepsakes, clean them where we can and ask before anything goes.
Usually, yes. Tell us when the visitation is, and we’ll schedule around it.
Keep reading
Related services
We’re here right now
You don't have to handle this alone
Call now. The tech closest to you starts driving while we talk, and nothing happens until you approve the plan. Day or night, no money up front.
¿Prefiere hablar en español? Ofrecemos asistencia bilingüe cuando la necesite. Llame al 608-974-1788.
Keep our number handy
Scan to save our 24/7 number
Point your phone’s camera at the code and it saves MadTown Biohazard to your contacts, with a link back to this page. It’s handy to keep, or to share with family, a funeral director or a property manager when someone needs help fast.
On your phone already? Tap to call 608-974-1788
Jobs available
We hire local. Join our cleanup team
Steady, meaningful work in Madison and across south central Wisconsin. We hire people from the towns we serve and train you to IICRC standards.