Guide for families
What to do after a death at home in Racine County
Who to call first, what the medical examiner does, and when cleanup can start.
- Racine-based techs
- 15-20 min arrival
- IICRC certified
- No money up front
Quick answerIf someone has died at home, call 911 first. Police and the Racine County Medical Examiner will come. Don’t clean or move anything. Once the medical examiner releases the home, call a professional cleanup company. Insurance often covers it. Reviewed by Devonte, who leads our Racine team · Updated November 2026.
First steps
The first hour
Call 911, even if the death seems expected. Step outside if you can and wait. Don’t touch, clean or move anything; investigators need to see the scene as it was.
In Racine County, the Medical Examiner’s office in Sturtevant investigates sudden and unattended deaths. They’ll tell you when the home is released, which is when cleanup can begin.
Techs on standby now
Need help now?
A real person answers. A tech can be with you in 15 to 20 minutes around Racine, and nothing starts until you approve it.
- A local tech at your door in 15-20 minutes
- Scope of work approved by you before we start
- No money up front. We help with insurance and victim programs
Next
Before cleanup
Call your insurance company, or let us do it. Many homeowners and renters policies cover cleanup after a death in the home.
Keep pets and children out of the affected area. If there’s an odor, close the door and don’t run fans or the furnace in that room.
Cleanup
What a professional does
We evaluate with precision equipment, show you a written scope and start only when you approve. Contaminated materials come out, the rest is decontaminated, and odor is treated at the source.
If flooring or drywall is removed, we can rebuild it. You won’t pay anything up front.
Expected deaths
If the death was expected, like hospice
If your loved one was on hospice, call the hospice nurse first. They’ll guide you through the next steps, and in many cases police don’t need to come. The medical examiner may still be notified, but the process is usually calmer and faster.
Even after an expected death, a bed, chair or bathroom may need cleaning. Families often don’t want to handle that themselves, and they don’t have to. We can come the same day, clean and disinfect the area and set belongings aside.
Unattended deaths
If your loved one wasn't found right away
When someone passes alone and isn’t found for days, the home needs more than a surface cleaning. Fluids and odor move into flooring, subfloor and walls, and sometimes into the room below. That’s not something to tackle with household cleaners.
Don’t open windows wide and run fans in the room, and don’t use air fresheners to cover the smell. Close the door, turn off the furnace or AC fan if you can and call us. We’ll evaluate the whole area before writing a scope.
Practical things
The other calls you'll need to make
Beyond cleanup, families usually need to contact a funeral home, the person’s employer, banks, and Social Security. The medical examiner or funeral home can help with death certificates, which you’ll need for most of these.
If the person rented, let the landlord know. If they owned the home, check whether the homeowners policy is still active, and tell the insurer what happened. We can talk to the insurer for you about the cleanup part of the claim.
Helpful links
Racine and Kenosha contacts
Official agencies and organizations we point families to. We have no paid relationship with any of them.
9531 Rayne Rd., Sturtevant · (262) 636-3303
730 Center St., Racine · (262) 635-7700
Call or text 988, any time
FAQ
Common questions
911. Police and the medical examiner will handle the first steps.
Once the medical examiner releases the home.
Often. We’ll help you check and handle the claim.
No. Bodily fluids carry health risks and soak deeper than you can see.
Sources we checked (reviewed November 2026)
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