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Crime Scene & Biohazard Cleanup in Des Moines, IA
If you have just found a death or a traumatic scene in Des Moines, the most important things are simple: you and your family are safe, and the cleanup is not something you have to handle yourselves. This page explains what happens next, who does what under Iowa law, and how the cost is usually covered, so you can make clear decisions in a hard moment. When you are ready, ACT Cleaners answers 24 hours a day at (888) 477-0015, and a real person will walk you through it.
What to Do in the First Hour
In the first hour after discovering a scene, a few steps protect your safety and your options. None of them involve cleaning.
- Call 911 if you have not already. Law enforcement and the Polk County Medical Examiner need to respond before anything is touched.
- Stay out of the affected area. Blood and bodily fluids can carry pathogens, and entering can also disturb an active investigation.
- Let the medical examiner and police do their work. Under Iowa Code 331.802, the county medical examiner takes charge of the scene until it is released. This is routine and does not take long.
- Then call a certified cleanup team. Once the scene is released, the cleanup of the property falls to the family or owner, not the examiner or the police. That is the part we handle
800+ Scenes Restored
25+ Years
Veteran-Owned
IICRC Certified
BBB A+
Your Local Cedar Rapids Cleanup Team
Yes, we work locally here. ACT Cleaners is known across Cedar Rapids and Linn County as a reliable local provider for crime scene cleanup, death cleanup, and biohazard remediation, and we cover the whole metro: downtown, NewBo and Czech Village, Wellington Heights, the northeast and southwest sides, and out to Marion, Hiawatha, Robins, and Fairfax. When you call, you are not waiting on a crew from another state. We schedule your exact arrival time on the spot and we treat your home and your loved one with respect.
Our Des Moines Risk-Free Assurance
- Scheduling you can count on: we schedule an exact arrival time within 60 minutes of your call, or it is free. Most Des Moines families get their scheduled time within 15 minutes of calling.
- Insurance handled for you: most homeowner’s policies cover biohazard cleanup. Contact us with your insurance information and we will submit a pre-approval request, then bill your carrier directly.
- Verified clean: every scene closes with ATP verification testing confirming results below the safe threshold, not just a surface that looks clean.
Who You Are Calling
ACT Cleaners is a veteran-owned biohazard remediation company that has restored more than 800 scenes over 25 years. Our Des Moines-area technicians are trained and certified through the IICRC for trauma and crime scene decontamination, and every job follows the federal OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030). We are not a national call center; when you call, you reach people who do this work and who coordinate directly with the Polk County Medical Examiner, local law enforcement, insurers, and families. We hold a BBB A+ rating, and we are glad to explain our process and credentials before you commit to anything.
Serving the Des Moines Metro and Polk County
Des Moines is the capital of Iowa and the heart of Polk County, a metro of more than half a million people and the largest population center in the state. From downtown and the East Village to Beaverdale, the South Side, Sherman Hill, and the fast-growing western suburbs, it blends historic neighborhoods with new development and a major insurance and finance economy. ACT Cleaners provides death cleanup, crime scene cleanup, and trauma cleanup across all of it, around the clock, with discretion and care for every family.
Our technicians respond to unattended death, suicide, homicide, blood and bodily fluid incidents, hoarding, and infectious disease decontamination. We use EPA-registered, hospital-grade products and close every job with ATP verification testing, which confirms a surface is genuinely decontaminated rather than simply looking clean.
Cleanup Services We Provide in Des Moines
- Unattended death and decomposition cleanup: full death cleanup after a person has passed alone and gone undiscovered.
- Suicide and trauma scene cleanup: private, compassionate trauma cleanup so loved ones never face the scene.
- Homicide and violent crime scene cleanup: complete crime scene cleanup once investigators release the scene.
- Blood and bodily fluid cleanup: prompt blood cleanup after accidents and medical events that create a health risk.
- Vehicle biohazard cleanup: decontamination of cars and trucks after a death, accident, or trauma.
- Tenant death and rental property cleanup: working with landlords and property managers across the metro, with documentation for owners and insurers.
- Drug-related and needle cleanup: safe removal of needles, paraphernalia, and contamination from spaces affected by drug use.
- Hoarding and gross filth cleanup: patient, judgment-free restoration of a home to a safe and livable condition.
Why Death and Trauma Cleanup Requires Professionals
Blood and bodily fluids can carry bloodborne pathogens including hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV, and ordinary cleaners do not neutralize them. Des Moines homes range from century-old houses in Sherman Hill and Beaverdale to newer suburban construction, and in any of them contamination can soak into flooring, subfloor, and wall cavities long after a surface looks clean. Our technicians clean to OSHA standards, wear full PPE, and verify results with ATP testing. And no family member should be the one who cleans up after losing someone. Letting our team handle it protects your health and spares you a memory you cannot take back.
How Iowa's Medical Examiner System Works With Local Police
Iowa does not use county coroners. Instead, an appointed county medical examiner, a licensed physician, investigates sudden, violent, and unexpected deaths under Iowa Code 331.802(3) and Iowa Administrative Code 641-127, with support from the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner. In the capital, the Polk County Medical Examiner’s Office (1801 Hickman Road) takes charge of the scene and works alongside the Des Moines Police Department, the largest law enforcement agency in Iowa, and the Polk County Sheriff. ACT Cleaners is available to assist when called, and we never enter a scene until the medical examiner and investigators have released it. Once they do, we coordinate access directly with law enforcement, a property manager, or a family member, so you are not asked to be present.
Des Moines Pro Tip: older homes and a large rental market
The Des Moines metro has both a deep stock of older homes in neighborhoods like Sherman Hill, Beaverdale, and the South Side, and a large and growing rental market across the city and suburbs. In older homes, fluids can wick into original hardwood, plaster, and unsealed basements; in rentals, a death is often discovered late by a property manager or neighbor. Whatever the property, do not let untrained maintenance staff or incoming tenants attempt the cleanup; that exposes people to bloodborne pathogens and can spread contamination. Secure the area, limit access, and call a certified team. We document the remediation for the owner and the insurer, which protects everyone at turnover and claim time.
Help With the Cost in Des Moines
Most Des Moines families pay little or nothing out of pocket. Homeowner’s insurance commonly covers biohazard and trauma cleanup, and we bill your carrier directly. When a violent crime is involved, the Iowa Crime Victim Compensation Program may help on top of insurance. Run by the Iowa Attorney General’s Office and funded entirely by fines and penalties paid by offenders rather than tax dollars, the program lists crime scene cleanup among its covered expenses for eligible victims, paid as the source of last resort after insurance. Benefit limits are set by expense category rather than a single overall cap. You can reach the program through the Iowa Attorney General’s Victim Assistance Section at 515-281-5044, and we are glad to help you understand whether your situation may qualify. We will not overstate what a program covers.
Des Moines Crime Scene Cleanup: Common Questions
What should I do first after finding a death or trauma scene?
Call 911 if you have not already, so law enforcement and the Polk County Medical Examiner can respond, and stay out of the affected area. Once the scene is released, call ACT Cleaners at (888) 477-0015 and we will handle the cleanup and the insurance paperwork.
Who is responsible for cleaning up after a death in Iowa?
In Iowa, the county medical examiner and law enforcement investigate and handle the deceased, but the biohazard cleanup of the property is the responsibility of the family or property owner, not the examiner or police. That is the work ACT Cleaners performs, to OSHA standards.
Does insurance or Iowa crime victim compensation cover it?
Often, yes. Most homeowner’s policies cover biohazard and trauma cleanup, and we bill the carrier directly. The Iowa Crime Victim Compensation Program, run by the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, lists crime scene cleanup as a covered expense for eligible victims of violent crime, paid after insurance.
How fast can ACT Cleaners respond in Des Moines?
We answer live 24/7 and schedule an exact arrival time within 60 minutes of your call, or it is free. Most families get their scheduled time within 15 minutes of calling (888) 477-0015.
Do you serve the suburbs and all of Polk County?
Yes. We serve all of Des Moines and Polk County, including West Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale, Johnston, and the surrounding metro communities.
Call ACT Cleaners in Des Moines Anytime
You did not plan for this, and you do not have to face it alone. ACT Cleaners is here around the clock for Des Moines and Polk County with compassionate, certified technicians who handle the hardest part so your family can begin to heal. Call (888) 477-0015 now.
Serving all of Iowa: see our Iowa crime scene cleanup coverage, or visit the ACT Cleaners home page.
ACT Cleaners · Veteran-Owned · 24/7 in Des Moines & Polk County · (888) 477-0015