What Happens After Cremation?

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What Happens After Cremation?

We usually have a pretty firm grasp on what happens to a body that is being buried. Following the funeral, the coffin is transported to the burial plot, and the deceased is laid to rest in the ground. We also usually have a pretty good idea of what happens to a body when it’s cremated. But what happens after cremation?

To get a feel for how a cremation timeline works, we’ll give you a brief idea of the before process and then walk you through all the steps that follow cremation at All California Cremation.

Before Cremation

Before cremation takes place, the body of the deceased can be washed and dressed in clothes chosen by the family. It is not advised that they wear anything of value before cremation. Items such as watches and pacemakers will need to be removed because they are likely to explode in the extreme heat of the crematory. Body preparation is not included when arranging for a direct cremation.

The cremation chamber will be heated prior to the burning, which itself will take one to three hours.

After Cremation

Following the completion of a cremation, the remains are left to cool for a certain period of time. Once things have cooled down sufficiently, the ashes and non-consumed items will be sorted out. Human ashes after cremation can contain more than organic material, such as metal fragments from clothing, certain types of dental work, joint replacements, etc. A strong magnet will be used to remove these items.

Following the separation, any larger bone fragments will be processed down to a finer consistency and then placed with the rest of the ashes. The family of the deceased can then have the remains placed in an urn of their choosing.