How to Prepare a Body for a Funeral

It's unthinkable to many people, but bodies do need some preparation before a funeral, unless it's a closed casket or family decides to have the body cremated. If the funeral is going to be an open casket, the funeral house usually tries to make the body look as life-like as possible, like the deceased is just sleeping. Usually a funeral director or their assistant prepares a body for a funeral.

Instructions

1. Rinse and wash down the body with a germicidal soap to remove any bacteria and parasites.

2. Replace the blood with embalming fluid. An embalming machine does this. This helps preserve the body and the tissues.

3. Use clay, cotton and even wax to reshape any bodies. Depending on how the person died, they may need a great deal of assistance to cover or repair any damage to the body.

4. Apply cosmetics to the body's face and hands, or anything not covered by clothes. The cosmetics are usually very heavy as the skin pales and changes color over time. Often funeral directors use a foundation, blush, eye make-up and even lipstick on both sexes.

5. Dress the body in the clothes provided by the family. The choice of clothes is often a difficult task by family members. The family may also provide jewelry such as wedding rings that they want included with the body.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure funeral directors are sensitive to religious needs. For example in the Jewish tradition, men prepare men and women prepare women, and specific clothes for the dead are required.