Crime Scene Cleaner

Crime scenes cause a flurry of attention. Police Officers and the Coroner rush around, as do any Journalists who make it to the scene for pictures. Afterward, though, the next of kin are left trying to move on, and the first step is to clean up. Crime Scene Cleaners clean up the blood, guts, and any other biohazardous materials left over from an unnatural death.

Think of a Crime Scene Cleaner as a highly specialized House Cleaner. As a Crime Scene Cleaner, just like a regular House Cleaner, you wipe down walls, steam carpets, and mop floors. The difference is you get called in when a murder, suicide, or drug lab is discovered, so you do your cleaning in a hazardous material outfit and you use lots of bleach.

Since human remains and chemicals from drugs can cause illness even months after they’re gone, your cleaning needs to be incredibly thorough. For example, rather than simply steaming a carpet, you might rip out floorboards to ensure that no blood dripped through to the ventilation system.

Get ready to see some pretty gruesome stuff. Although Crime Scene Cleaners can make good money, most don’t last long in this role. Not only is it pretty jarring to see a dead body (or parts of a dead body), but you also have to deal with the victim’s family.

Often, they either live in the house you’re cleaning or are around trying to wrap their minds around the crime. So as a Crime Scene Cleaner, you need a strong stomach and compassion in equal parts.