It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it, and a Milton Keynes company has made it onto the small screen, laying bare how they deal with the difficulties of extreme cleaning.
Viewers of Channel 4 programme Crime Scene Cleaners recently saw Shontel Cameron, director of MK Critical Cleans allow the television cameras in while her team made safe a property in Milton Keynes, which involved an unattended death.
Hers is a difficult job, physically and emotionally, but Shontel and her team do it with compassion.
“Many of these situations are deeply personal and emotionally difficult,” she admits, “We approach every job with professionalism and genuine compassion.”
Being a biohazard cleaner means Shontel and her team work in mould remediation and chemical waste removal and hoarding cases, and they are often called upon to clean up crime scenes.
“We’re also called out to attend attempted suicide cleans more often than people might realise and those jobs really stay with me. They’re not just about cleaning a space, they’re about helping someone take a step forward after what may have been the darkest moment of their life. It’s a privilege to be trusted in those situations.”
MK Critical Cleans is based in Bletchley, but their expertise means their skills are also utilised for jobs further afield.
“Seeing someone’s home transform back into a clean, livable space is powerful. Often when we first arrive, clients are tearful, not just because of the mess, but because they’re overwhelmed, frustrated, lonely or feel stuck. But by the time we finish, those tears often turn into relief, joy, and sometimes even laughter.
“We see people getting their lives back, and feeling hope and encouragement they didn’t have before.
“As tough as it can be, it also gives you perspective. It makes me appreciate my own life, what I’ve built, and the positive impact we’re able to have on others.”
