What To Do With a Mattress Someone Has Died on

When a person dies on a mattress as a result of suicide or other causes, the traumatic event often soils the mattress material, and it simply needs to be disposed of or thoroughly cleaned for it to be reused.

The family often throws the mattress away with fluid or contamination on the material. It is illegal to dispose of such an item without contacting proper help. This act can bring harsh penalties for exposing the community to health risk.

Such a mattress is handled as biohazardous waste and disposed of in accordance with federal and local laws. You may choose to clean the surface, but the bodily fluid has penetrated to the inner layers, contaminating the unseen layers. This contamination may not be visible to the eyes, but it is still dangerous to your health and others.

However, this incident often leaves the loved ones wondering what to do with the mattress. What should they do since they can dispose of the mattress or reuse it?

How do you get rid of a bloody mattress?

As aforementioned, you cannot throw away a mattress like this in the trash. It is illegal and has contaminated it in harmful ways to human health. And aside from that, such an act is a crime under the law, which will attract some fines and prosecutions. Such a mattress is considered biohazard waste, and every part of the mattress is torn and disposed of as biohazard waste.

That is why it’s best to call a professional biohazardous company to handle the process. These professionals have the necessary equipment and chemicals to avoid the further spread of such bacteria. The professional puts on protective gear and uses a cutter to tear the contaminated layers and recycle the remaining usable parts. The contaminated part is disposed of using effective chemicals that enable the material to incinerate.

Can blood be cleaned from a mattress?

When a mattress gets soaked in bodily fluid, as the dead body discomposes, the liquid soaks into many layers, even the unseen layers, and no amount of cleaning will remove the stain properly. The fluid will remain in those unseen layers, causing bacteria and other hazardous substances. Don’t place yourself at risk by trying to eliminate this stain. You have to dispose of this mattress legally.

Can the mattress ever be saved and reused?

Yes, such a mattress can be reused if only the odor, bodily fluids, and blood have been permanently eliminated. This stain can easily be removed if the dead body is found on time or happens in the presence of others. This means the body has not started to discompose. In such a case, remove the bed material and wash it with proper chemicals and hot water. Make sure the material is not affected in any way. You can then reuse, recycle, or donate the mattress.

In a case where the bed has a thick or fluid-resistant mattress cover, this will prevent the fluid from soiling the mattress fabric and deeper layers of the mattress. In this case, you can call a biohazard company to treat the cover as a biohazard material and properly dispose of it.