Project Zomboid: The Complete Cleanup & Hygiene Guide
In a world where one scratch can end your journey, maintaining a clean perimeter is more than just aesthetic—it's survival. Blood splatter can cause stress for characters with the Hemophobic trait, while rotting corpses can lead to the lethal Corpse Sickness (Lethal Flu).
1. Manual Scrubbing
You need Bleach and a cleaning tool (Mop, Bath Towel, or Dish Cloth) in your inventory. Right-click the ground to see the "Clean Blood" option.
2. Corpse Disposal
Lingering corpses within 20 tiles of your character cause a sickness moodle. Pick them up and pile them away from your base, or use a Shovel to bury them in graves.
3. Personal Hygiene
Dirty clothes increase the chance of wound infections. Use a washing machine or a water source with Soap to keep your gear (and skin) pristine.
How to Clean Your Base
- Gather your supplies: One bottle of Bleach is enough for roughly 10–15 tiles of blood.
- With the bleach and a Mop equipped or in your main inventory, right-click the splatter.
- Select "Clean Blood." You can drag a selection box or click individual tiles.
- Your character will walk to each tile and perform the cleaning animation.
The Dangers of Neglect
| Hazard | Effect | The Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Blood Splatter | Heavy stress for Hemophobic characters; minor unhappiness for others. | Bleach and Mop. |
| Rotting Corpses | Causes "Corpse Sickness" moodle. If it reaches "Nauseous," you will lose health. | Move corpses at least 20 tiles away or burn them. |
| Dirty Clothes | +X% chance of bacterial infection on any scratch or laceration. | Wash with Soap/Detergent. |
Server-Side: Automating Cleanup
On a high-population server, blood and corpses can cause massive FPS lag. Admins can configure automated cleanup in the server_settings.ini:
BloodSplatterLifespan=X: Sets the number of days blood lasts before disappearing (0 = never).HoursForCorpseRemoval=X: Sets how many in-game hours must pass before a corpse is automatically deleted.
Note: Bleach is a finite resource. If you run out of bleach, you cannot clean blood from floors without mods. Save your bleach for the interior of your base and let the rain wash away the blood on the streets.
Keep your safehouse safe and sanitary. Host your Project Zomboid server with Supercraft and enjoy optimized settings that keep the blood at bay and the performance at its peak.