What is Leptospirosis?

Think of leptospirosis as a sneaky germ that lives in the urine of some animals, especially rats, mice, and even dogs, cows, and pigs. When these animals urinate, the germs can get into soil, water, and even puddles on the sidewalk.

How Can You Get It?

You might be thinking, “Ew, I’m not going to drink rat pee!” And that’s good! But you don’t have to drink it to get sick. The leptospirosis germs can sneak into your body in a few ways:

• Through cuts or scrapes: If you have an open wound and it touches water or soil that has the germs, they can get right in.
• Through your eyes, nose, or mouth: If you touch something contaminated and then touch your face, you could be in trouble.
• By swimming or wading in infected water: Lakes, rivers, and even puddles can hold these germs.
• From your pets: Your dog can pick up the germs by sniffing or drinking contaminated water, and then they can pass it to you.

Why Should You Worry?

Leptospirosis can make you feel really sick. Some people might only get a mild fever and headache, but for others, it can be much worse. It can lead to:

• High fever
• Bad headache
• Muscle aches
• Vomiting
• Yellow skin and eyes (jaundice)
• Kidney damage
• Liver damage
• Even death in rare cases

Protect Yourself and Your Family

The good news is that there are simple things you can do to stay safe:

• Wash your hands often: Especially after being outside or touching anything that might be contaminated.
• Cover cuts and scrapes: Use waterproof bandages if you’re going to be around water or soil.
• Avoid swimming or wading in water that might be contaminated: This includes stagnant water and areas where animals are known to be.
• Control rodents around your home: Keep food stored properly and seal up any holes where rats and mice can get in.
• Protect your pets: Talk to your vet about the leptospirosis vaccine for your dogs. Avoid letting them drink from puddles or roam in areas where rodents might be.
• Be careful when cleaning: If you’re cleaning up areas where rodents have been, wear gloves and wash your hands thoroughly afterward.

Tiny puddles might seem harmless, but they could be hiding a big danger. By taking a few simple precautions, you can protect yourself and your loved ones from the germs of leptospirosis.

If you think you might have been exposed to leptospirosis and you’re feeling sick, see a doctor right away. Early treatment with antibiotics can help you get better faster.

Discovering a colony of unwelcome critters living in your walls is unsettling enough. But the real headache comes after they’ve scurried on: rodent droppings. These aren’t just unsightly – they can harbor harmful pathogens that pose a health risk to you and your family.

Sure, you could tackle the cleanup yourself. But before you grab the broom, consider the benefits of calling in a professional:

Safety First: Rodent droppings can transmit diseases like hantavirus and leptospirosis. Professionals know how to safely handle and dispose of contaminated materials, minimizing your exposure. They’ll have the proper protective gear to shield themselves (and you!) from harmful germs.

Expertise You Can’t Buy: Rodent waste removal isn’t just about sweeping up droppings. Professionals understand the best cleaning solutions for different surfaces, ensuring a thorough decontamination. They’ll also be able to identify potential nesting areas and entry points, helping to prevent future infestations.

Peace of Mind: Cleaning up rodent droppings can be a daunting and time-consuming task. Professionals get the job done quickly and efficiently, allowing you to reclaim your peace of mind and focus on more important things.

It’s Not Just About Droppings: Rodent infestations often leave behind unpleasant odors from urine and nests. Professionals have the tools and techniques to eliminate these smells, leaving your home fresh and clean.

Finding the Right Pro: When searching for a rodent cleanup company, look for one that is experienced in biohazard removal.

Don’t let rodent droppings turn your home into a health hazard. By calling in a professional, you’re ensuring a safe and thorough cleanup that protects your family and restores your peace of mind.

We get this question a lot. Yes, payment can be postponed for a hoarding cleanup until the house is sold and the bill can be paid out of that. We would need to work with your listing agent to make sure the appropriate verbiage is added to the listing paperwork. Also, the cleanup would take place close to the listing go live date. The escrow company would have to confirm they have notated the additional verbiage related to paying for our fees. There is a 10% charge if escrow closes within 6 months of listing. There is an additional 5% charge is escrow closes after the 6 month mark.

Most residences are sold to an investor that may flip it or demolish it. If the seller wants to remodel after the cleanup, that would not be feasible.

• Wipe down baseboards
• Clean windows and window coverings
• Replace furnace filter
• Clean fridge and freezer
• Clean fireplace
• Get rugs cleaned
• Replace dog bed
• Polish hard flooring
• Throw out old pantry items
• Polish tarnished items
• Dust above cabinets
• Clean oven
• Go through drawers and cabinets that have gotten cluttered
• Clean under and behind appliances
• Clean ceiling fan
• Clean under bed
• Clean stains on walls
• Wash pillows
• Change shower curtain
• Donate clothes and shoes that you no longer use
• Clean light fixtures
• Prepare outdoor furniture for use
• Clean window and sliding door tracks
• Powerwash exterior
• Get windows cleaned
• Remove debris from gutters
• Clean garage
• Plant flowers

Biohazards are potentially infectious materials that come from a human or animal.  Although asbestos is harmful, it is categorized as a chemical health hazard not a biohazard.  We do not offer asbestos cleaning services.  The same applies for meth labs and fentanyl contamination.

In general, this is not something we can do. Due to the prevalence of insurance fraud, most insurance companies need someone who is a friend or relative of the policyholder to initiate the claim. In cases where the policyholder has passed, we can sometimes initiate but it still needs a friend or relative to confirm that the claim is legitimate.

Once the claim is filed and a claim number is obtained, Bio1 can manage the claim with the insurance company on your behalf. We do insurance claims all the time and speak their language so it progresses more smoothly when we manage it. During this time, it is best to direct all calls and questions from the insurance company to us.

We receive many calls about urine or blood in the seats of a car. Since vinyl and leather are not porous, we are usually able to salvage the seats. Sometimes, the stitching is such that there are areas we cannot properly clean.

In the case of fabric seats, the fluids have not only penetrated the fabric but also the cushion below. Any treatment we do on the top of the fabric is not going to suck the fluids out of the cushion. In these cases, the contaminated sections of the seats need to be cut out to avoid odors in the future.

Your auto insurance may cover this so always good to file a claim and then call us once you have a claim number.

The smell from this type of event permeates into porous items. We follow this general practice:

1. Clean up the biohazard where the trauma happened
2. Have the next of kin remove items they want to keep from the home
3. We haul away the remaining belongings
4. Odor removal

Our odor removal equipment neutralizes the smell in the air not in the belongings so leaving the belongings there does not allow the smell to be eradicated.

There is a lot of media attention on spray guns and many companies touting their use of electrostatic spray guns as being the state of the art in applying disinfectant.  What they do not tell you about is that electrostatic spray guns are only superior when applied to conductive surfaces.  Look around your work area.  Most of the surfaces are non-conductive. 

Bio1 offers two types of COVID cleaning.  One is with a fogging machine.  This sprays disinfectant.  The other is manual wiping.  Manual wiping is superior because it has both the chemical action as well as friction which helps break down the protein shell of the virus. 

Please do not be tricked into thinking that electrostatic is a superior method or other methods are inferior. 

See this impartial article from the US Environmental Protection Agency.

https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-takes-action-help-americans-disinfect-indoor-spaces-efficiently-and-effectively

A surface needs to have a negative charge for the electrostatic sprayer to properly coat it.  It is not like the sprayer stops once a surface is thoroughly coated.  It just keeps spraying and at that point, is not different than a fogging machine.

We are not. We are a small business independent of the franchise with a similar name. We don’t have a call center or answering service to take calls. We have been in San Diego since 2015. The other company that claims to be the “most trusted” opened in the summer of 2020.