The MELLS Journal
Property care guides for Dubai homes and businesses
Straight answers from the people who do the work: what each job involves, how long it takes, how to prepare and what to ask before you book.
How much does deep cleaning cost in Dubai?
The cost of deep cleaning in Dubai depends on four things: the size of the home, its condition, whether it is furnished, and the extras you add. The.
Deep cleaning and regular cleaning: what is the difference?
Regular cleaning keeps visible surfaces tidy from week to week. Deep cleaning removes what builds up out of sight: grease behind appliances.
How often should a villa in Dubai be deep cleaned?
Twice a year suits most villas in Dubai. Homes near the sea, beside a construction site or a golf course, and homes with pets, young children or.
How to prepare your home for a deep clean
Clear loose items from worktops and floors, put away valuables and documents, empty the fridge and oven if they are being cleaned inside, arrange.
Move out cleaning checklist for Dubai tenants
Before handover, an empty rented home should be clean inside every cupboard and appliance, free of limescale in the bathrooms, with clean windows.
Post construction cleaning: what it involves and why it differs
Post construction cleaning removes what building work leaves behind: fine dust on every surface and inside every unit, cement film and grout haze on.
How to prepare for carpet and sofa cleaning at home
Clear small items from the carpet and the sofa, vacuum up loose debris if you can, point out stains and tell the technician what caused them, keep.
Villa painting in Dubai: cost, timeline and what to expect
A villa interior usually takes four to six days with a team of four, and an apartment one to two days. The cost depends on wall and ceiling area, the.
Matt, eggshell, satin or gloss: how to choose a paint finish
Use matt on ceilings and in low traffic rooms because it hides imperfections. Use eggshell or a washable matt in living rooms, bedrooms and.
Exterior villa painting in the Dubai climate
Wash the walls to remove dust, salt and chalking, repair cracks with a flexible filler, seal with an alkali resistant primer and apply two coats of a.
Cracks in walls: what to fix before painting
Yes. Paint does not fill or hold a crack. Hairline cracks should be opened, filled with a flexible filler and sanded. Cracks at gypsum ceiling joints.
Painting before moving out of a rented home in Dubai
It depends on your tenancy contract. Many contracts ask for the property to be returned in its original condition apart from normal wear and tear.
Office cleaning checklist for Dubai workplaces
An office cleaning checklist should set out daily tasks for desks, floors, washrooms, pantry and bins, weekly tasks for glass, upholstery and high.
How often should AC ducts be cleaned in the UAE?
Every 12 to 18 months for an occupied villa or apartment, and once a year if there are pets, smokers, allergy sufferers or construction nearby.
Marble floors: what must never be used to clean them
Never use acidic or abrasive products on marble. Vinegar, lemon, limescale removers, toilet cleaners, bleach and scouring powders etch the surface.
Cleaning standards for luxury boutiques in Dubai malls
Luxury boutiques are cleaned before opening or after closing under a mall work permit, by a small vetted crew that follows the brand's own care.
Pest control in Dubai homes: what to treat and when
Most apartments need a general treatment two to four times a year, and most villas every three months because of the garden and drains. Treat before.
How often should a sofa be cleaned in Dubai?
Vacuum a sofa every week and have it deep cleaned every 6 to 12 months. Homes with children, pets or dust allergy, or a sofa beside a balcony door.
Dust mites and mattress cleaning in Dubai homes
Dust mites cannot be cleared from a mattress for good, but their numbers and the allergen they leave can be cut sharply. Wash bedding weekly in hot.
Curtain cleaning: on the rail or taken down?
Clean curtains on the rail when they are dusty but not stained, or when they are lined, interlined, blackout, very tall or motorised, since washing.
Carpet shampoo, steam or dry cleaning: which one?
Hot water extraction, usually called steam cleaning, gives the deepest clean for most fitted carpets because it rinses soil out of the pile. Low.
Caring for silk and wool rugs in Dubai
Vacuum a wool rug weekly with suction only, turn it end to end every six months, keep it out of direct sun and blot spills at once with cool water.
Kitchen deep cleaning checklist for Dubai homes
A kitchen deep clean covers what daily wiping misses: hood filters and fan housing, the oven interior, behind and under appliances, the inside of.
Limescale in Dubai bathrooms: causes and removal
Limescale is the mineral left behind when hard water dries on a surface. Warm supply water, storage tanks and heaters make it form quickly in Dubai.
How often should windows be cleaned in Dubai?
Most homes in Dubai need the outside of the glass cleaned every 4 to 8 weeks and the inside every 2 to 3 months. Homes beside the sea, open desert, a.
Holiday home turnover checklist for Dubai hosts
A turnover covers fresh linen and towels, cleaning and disinfection of bathrooms and kitchen, dusting, floors and the balcony, a check that the AC.
After party cleaning: what to do the morning after
Start with safety and smells: collect broken glass and bottles, air the house while it is cool, and bag food waste before the heat reaches it. Then.
Removing oil stains from a garage floor
Soak up fresh oil with cat litter or sawdust, sweep it away, then scrub the mark with an alkaline degreaser and a stiff brush and rinse with hot.
What steam cleaning can and cannot do
Steam softens grease, lifts soil from grout and sealed hard surfaces, and kills most bacteria and dust mites it reaches when held close for long.
Cleaning, sanitising and disinfecting: the difference
Cleaning lifts dirt, grease and most germs off a surface with detergent and water. Sanitising reduces the bacteria that remain to a low level, mainly.
Leather sofa care in the Dubai climate
Dust a leather sofa weekly with a dry microfibre cloth, wipe it monthly with a cloth dampened in filtered water, and condition it every three to six.
Keeping a walk in closet clean in Dubai
Keep a walk in closet dry and aired: leave the AC on, keep bathroom steam out and store only clean, fully dry clothes. Vacuum the floor weekly, wipe.
Cleaning glass balustrades and balconies
Brush or rinse the dust off first, wash the glass with a few drops of washing up liquid in water, pull it dry with a squeegee and wipe the edges with.
Outdoor furniture care in Dubai sun and dust
Brush or rinse dust off outdoor furniture every week, wash it monthly with mild soap and a soft brush, and dry it before covering. Keep cushions dry.
Apartment deep cleaning checklist, room by room
An apartment deep clean works from the top of each room to the floor and covers what a weekly clean skips: inside cupboards, ovens and fridges.
Closing a Dubai villa for the summer
Before closing a Dubai villa for the summer, service the AC and leave it running in the mid twenties, close the water supply to the house, switch off.
Cleaning a home cinema and acoustic panels
Clean fabric acoustic panels dry: vacuum them on low suction through a soft brush head and never wet or scrub them. Dust the projector vents and.
Oven self clean cycle or professional cleaning?
A pyrolytic self clean cycle burns light soil inside the oven cavity to ash and is fine for regular upkeep. It does not clean the glass between the.
Floor care by material: tile, marble, wood, vinyl
Remove sand daily with a dust mop or vacuum on every floor. Mop porcelain tile with a neutral or mildly alkaline cleaner. Use only pH neutral stone.
Water damage at home: the first 24 hours
In the first 24 hours after water damage, make the area electrically safe, stop the water at the main valve, photograph everything, then get the.
Allergy proofing a Dubai home
To cut allergens at home, wash bedding weekly at 60 degrees Celsius, fit mite proof covers to mattresses and pillows, vacuum with a HEPA machine.
A gym cleaning schedule that members notice
A busy gym needs equipment contact points wiped through the day, a full clean of floors, mirrors and changing rooms every night, a weekly machine.
Yoga studio cleaning: mats, floors and air
Wipe shared mats after every class with a mild cleaner the mat maker allows, and hang them to dry before rolling. Dust mop the floor between sessions.
Sauna and steam room hygiene
A sauna is cleaned almost dry: benches are wiped daily with a wrung cloth and a mild sauna cleaner, then left to dry with the door open. A steam room.
Clinic cleaning checklist for Dubai practices
A clinic checklist divides the premises into zones, gives each zone its own colour coded cloths and mops, and lists what is cleaned and what is.
School deep cleaning in the term breaks
Use the long summer break for work that needs empty rooms and drying time: stripping and resealing floors, carpet extraction, high level dusting.
Restaurant deep cleaning schedule
Kitchen staff clean surfaces and floors every shift and wash canopy filters daily to weekly. A full deep clean, with the cooking line pulled out and.
Common area cleaning in residential buildings
Common area cleaning covers the entrance, lobby, lifts, corridors, stairwells, car park, refuse rooms and shared facilities. Lobby floors, lifts and.
Warehouse floor cleaning: scrubbing and dust control
Sweep or vacuum the loose dust first, then machine scrub with a scrubber dryer, which lays down solution, agitates it and recovers the dirty water in.
How often should a building facade be cleaned in Dubai?
A reasonable starting point is a full glass clean every three to four months for an inland Dubai building and every two months near the sea, a.
Executive office and boardroom care
Dust daily with dry or barely damp microfibre and treat each finish on its own terms: veneer with a soft cloth and no spray polish, leather with a.
Server room cleaning explained
A server room is cleaned dry and under supervision: a HEPA filtered vacuum for the floor, the void under the raised floor and cabinet exteriors, and.
Cleaning showrooms and galleries safely
Clean the room, not the exhibits. Floors are vacuumed with a HEPA filter and damp mopped, glass and plinths are wiped with the product on the cloth.
AC not cooling: what to check before you call
Before you call, check that the thermostat is set to cool, wash the filter, open the grilles and look at the breaker and the outdoor unit. A choked.
AC service before the Dubai summer
Service the AC in spring, before the first hot weeks, so there is time to order parts and repair what the inspection finds. A full service cleans the.
Water heater problems and how long a heater lasts
Most water heater faults in Dubai trace back to limescale: the element scales over, the thermostat fails, the relief valve drips or the tank rusts.
Blocked drains: causes and fixes
Kitchen drains block with grease and food, bathroom drains with hair and soap, and floor traps with sand and scale. A single slow fixture can be.
Mounting a TV on Dubai walls: block, gypsum, marble
First find out what the wall is made of. Solid block or concrete takes expansion anchors directly. A gypsum partition needs the bracket fixed into.
What an annual maintenance contract covers
An annual maintenance contract is a yearly agreement for planned servicing of the AC, plumbing and electrical systems, plus attendance when something.
Bed bugs: signs, treatment and what to wash
Look for rust coloured spots on the sheets, black dots along mattress seams, pale shed skins and flat brown insects the size of an apple seed in.
Termites in Dubai villas: signs and treatment
The signs are pencil thick mud tubes on walls, skirting or foundations, hollow sounding door frames, blistered paint, discarded wings by windows and.
Gypsum partition or block wall?
Choose a gypsum partition to divide rooms inside a finished home or office: it is light, goes up without wet trades and can be taken out later.
Kitchen renovation in Dubai, step by step
A kitchen renovation follows a set order: survey and design, approvals and ordering, strip out, first fix of plumbing, electrics and gas, wall and.
Marble polishing or crystallisation?
Polishing grinds the surface with diamond abrasives to take out scratches, etch marks and uneven tile edges, then refines it to a shine.
How an interior design project runs
An interior design project moves through set stages: a brief and measured survey, concept design, detailed drawings with material samples, a written.
How to care for curtains in a Dubai home
Vacuum curtains every week or two with a soft brush on low suction, keep AC vents from blowing straight onto the fabric, screen them from the.
Curtain types and how each one is cleaned
The fabric sets the method. Sheers and most polyester can be washed cool or steam cleaned in place. Cotton and linen shrink, so they get low moisture.
Mould and musty smells in curtains
Curtains go mouldy where the lining touches cold glass and picks up condensation, or when a home is shut with the AC off. Vacuum with a HEPA machine.
Cleaning blinds: roller, roman, venetian and zebra
Dust every blind weekly with a microfibre cloth or a soft brush. Roller and zebra fabric is vacuumed and dabbed, never soaked. Roman blinds are.
Cushion and pillow care
Treat covers and inners separately. Wash removable covers cool, inside out with the zips closed, and refit them slightly damp. Wash polyester and.
Cleaning fabric and felt wall panels
Fabric and felt wall panels are cleaned dry. Vacuum them every few weeks on low suction with a soft brush, lift marks with a dry cleaning sponge or.
A deep cleaning programme for hotels
A hotel deep cleaning programme takes rooms and public areas out of service in a planned rotation, a few at a time, so every space gets a full clean.
Balcony cleaning and pigeon mess
Vacuum or sweep the dry sand first, then mop from a bucket so no water runs off the edge. Pigeon droppings are soaked, lifted wet and bagged, with.
Water tank types and how each is cleaned
Dubai properties use GRP panel tanks, concrete ground tanks and plastic roof tanks. The outline is the same for all: isolate, drain, remove sediment.
Why is my AC leaking water?
An AC leaks water when the condensate cannot drain away. The usual causes are a blocked drain line, a full or cracked drain pan, a coil that has iced.
Villa deep cleaning checklist, floor by floor
Deep clean a villa from the top down and from the back of each room to its door: roof and terraces first, then the upper floor, stairs, ground floor.
Carpet care between professional cleans
Vacuum slowly two or three times a week, and daily at entrances, because fine sand cuts carpet fibre from below. Blot spills at once with a white.
How often should a villa be repainted in Dubai?
As a general guide, repaint the outside of a Dubai villa every three to five years, starting with the walls that face the afternoon sun and the.
Painting a home while you are living in it
Yes, a home can be painted while you live in it. The work is done one zone at a time, so bedrooms, a bathroom and the kitchen always stay in use.
Damp patches and peeling paint: finding the cause
Paint peels where water is getting behind it. The position of the patch points to the cause: low on a ground floor wall suggests moisture from the.
Limewash, Venetian plaster or paint?
Choose paint for most rooms: it is quick, washable and easy to touch up. Choose limewash for a soft, cloudy, matt wall in living rooms and bedrooms.
Choosing paint colours for Dubai light
Dubai light is strong and warm, so colours look paler and more yellow on the wall than on a card. Choose a shade a step deeper and slightly greyer.
Curtain steam cleaning explained
Curtain steam cleaning treats the fabric while it hangs. The curtain is vacuumed dry, then a hand tool passes low moisture steam through the cloth.
How often should curtains be cleaned in Dubai?
Vacuum curtains lightly every two to four weeks, clean sheers every three to six months and have lined curtains professionally cleaned once a year.
Protecting curtains from the Dubai sun
Sun damages curtains by fading the dye and breaking down the fibres. Protect them with a lining, a sheer or blind between the glass and the main.
Curtain track problems and how they are fixed
Most curtain track problems come from four things: dust in the channel, worn gliders, brackets pulling out of the ceiling or wall, and a track that.
The steps of an office fit out in Dubai
An office fit out runs in a fixed order: survey and brief, design and drawings, approvals, then site work in sequence. Partitions and the services.
Reinstating an office before handing it back
Reinstatement means returning the unit to the condition the lease describes, usually its state when you took it. Partitions, joinery, flooring, added.
Fitted wardrobes: what to decide before ordering
Decide six things before ordering: what you need to store, hinged or sliding doors, the carcass and door material, the internal layout of rails.
A sagging or cracked ceiling: what it means
A fine straight crack along a board joint is usually cosmetic and comes from movement or a poorly taped joint. A sag, a bulge, a brown stain or a.
Gypsum board or tile ceiling for an office?
Use a suspended tile ceiling over open plan desks and wherever services need regular access: tiles lift out, absorb sound and are simple to replace.
Deep cleaning in Dubai: your questions answered
A deep clean of a Dubai apartment takes 4 to 8 hours with a crew of three or four, and a villa takes one to two days. Most homes need it twice a.
Villa deep cleaning: your questions answered
Most Dubai villas take one to two days to deep clean with a crew of four to six and a supervisor, and a large custom built house up to four days.
Move out cleaning: your questions answered
A move out clean takes 4 to 6 hours for an empty apartment with a crew of three or four, and about one day for most empty villas. It is done once, at.
AC deep cleaning: your questions answered
An AC deep clean takes one to two hours for each wall mounted split unit and two to three hours for a ducted unit, so an apartment with three or four.
Duct cleaning in Dubai: your questions answered
Duct cleaning takes about one day for most apartments and one to two days for a villa, with three or four technicians working one AC zone at a time.
Painting services: your questions answered
Painting takes one to two days for most apartments and three to six days for the inside of a villa, with a similar time again for the outside. Rooms.
Grease trap cleaning for restaurants: how and how often
A grease trap is emptied before floating grease and settled solids fill about a quarter of its depth. The contents are pumped or scooped out, the.
Pest control for restaurants in Dubai
Restaurant pest control is a routine, not a single spray. Each visit starts with an inspection, followed by gel bait in cracks around warm equipment.
Getting a restaurant kitchen ready for an inspection
Book a deep clean that reaches what daily cleaning misses: behind and under equipment, the hood and filters, floor gullies, cold room seals, walls.
Cleaning a new restaurant before opening day
After the fit out, a new restaurant needs builder's dust taken out of the hood, ducts and ceilings, protective film and adhesive removed from.
Caring for a villa on Palm Jumeirah: salt, sand and glass
A villa on Palm Jumeirah has sea air on every side. Salt is rinsed from glass, frames and metal with fresh water before anything is wiped, sand is.
Deep cleaning a mansion in Emirates Hills: how it is planned
A mansion in Emirates Hills is surveyed before anything is cleaned. A supervisor walks every floor and wing, lists each room, and records stone.
Home care in Dubai Hills Estate: villas, townhouses, towers
Dubai Hills Estate is still being completed in places, so fine construction dust is the main issue for every home. Villas need glass, door tracks and.
Al Barari villas: greenery, water, humidity and mould
Al Barari is built inside botanical gardens, and the planting, streams and lakes keep humidity high and walls shaded. Mould starts where humid air.
District One villas: lagoon air, glass and stone care
A District One villa has large panes of glass facing the Crystal Lagoon and wide floors of natural stone. Glass is rinsed before it is washed, and.
Jumeirah Bay Island and La Mer: beachfront home care
A home on Jumeirah Bay Island, at La Mer or on Pearl Jumeirah is within a few hundred metres of open sea, so salt, fine sand and humidity reach.
Jumeirah Golf Estates: a yearly care calendar for a villa
A villa in Jumeirah Golf Estates is best cared for by season. Before summer, service every AC zone and deep clean. During summer, keep filters.
Tilal Al Ghaf: first year care for a new villa
A new villa in Tilal Al Ghaf needs a post handover deep clean and AC grille or duct cleaning before furniture arrives, to remove builder dust, grout.
Dubai month by month: what the climate does to a home
From about November to March the air is cooler and drier, which suits deep cleaning, outdoor work and repairs that need open windows. April and May.
Penthouse care in Dubai: terraces, high glass, tall rooms
A penthouse has more exposed surface than any apartment below it: a terrace open to wind, sand and salt, tall glass that cannot be reached from the.
Black mould in the bathroom: why it returns, what stops it
Black mould returns in a bathroom because the moisture is still there. In a windowless bathroom with a weak extract fan, the room stays damp for.
Home after the summer to mould: what to do first
Open the internal doors and wardrobes, switch the AC on to dry the air and photograph everything before you touch it. Do not brush or dust dry mould.
Why does my AC smell? Causes and fixes in Dubai homes
A smell from the AC usually comes from moisture inside the unit. A musty smell means growth on the coil, in the drain pan or in the ducts. A sour.
Villa or apartment in Dubai: what the upkeep involves
In an apartment, the building looks after the outside, the shared plant and often the cooling supply, and the household looks after what is behind.
After a sandstorm in Dubai: cleaning the home and the AC
Keep the windows shut and wait until the wind has dropped. Then lift the dust instead of spreading it: vacuum with a filtered machine from the top of.
Maid rooms, driver rooms and stores: the forgotten rooms
Staff rooms, stores, laundry rooms, pump rooms and garages are small, poorly ventilated and seldom inspected, so damp, mould and pests often start.
Black, white, green, yellow and pink mould: what the colours mean
The colour of mould does not tell you the species or how harmful it is; only laboratory sampling does. Colour does hint at where moisture sits and.
How to prevent mould in a Dubai villa or apartment
Keep indoor humidity below 60 percent, run the AC steadily instead of switching it off for long periods, keep the AC drain lines clear, let bathrooms.
Signs of a hidden water leak in a Dubai home
The usual signs of a hidden leak are a water bill that rises for no reason, a meter that turns with every tap closed, damp or stained walls and.
Why does my breaker keep tripping? What to check safely
A breaker trips for one of three reasons: the circuit is overloaded, there is a short circuit, or current is leaking to earth through damp or a.
False ceiling types and how to deal with stains and sagging
Standard gypsum board suits living rooms and bedrooms. Moisture resistant board belongs in bathrooms, kitchens and laundries. Lay in tiles suit.
Renovating a villa in Dubai: approvals, sequence and planning
Before renovating in Dubai, write down the scope, ask your community or building management what approvals they require, check whether the authority.
Automatic gate or garage door not opening: what to check
Most automatic gates and garage doors stop for simple reasons: no power, a flat remote battery, blocked or dirty safety sensors, sand in the track.
How often should a water tank be cleaned in Dubai?
Every six months is the interval most often recommended for water tanks in Dubai, and once a year is the minimum for a sealed, shaded tank in good.
How to look after a private pool through a Dubai summer
In a Dubai summer, test the water two or three times a week, run the pump long enough to filter the whole pool every day, brush walls and steps.
Mould in Dubai homes: causes, removal and prevention
Mould grows in Dubai homes where humid air meets a cold surface or where something leaks: around AC vents, inside ducts, in wardrobes on outside.
Roof waterproofing in the UAE: signs, systems and timing
Roof waterproofing in the UAE fails mainly from sun and daily heat movement, which crack membranes and open joints, and from water standing around.
Wallpaper or paint? How to choose room by room
Use paint where walls get wet, greasy or knocked: bathrooms, kitchens, corridors and children's rooms. Use wallpaper where you want pattern or.
Choosing flooring for a Dubai home: the options compared
Porcelain tile is the most practical all round floor for Dubai homes because it resists water, sand and heat. Marble looks the finest but needs.
Maid service or deep cleaning: which does your home need?
Most homes need both. Regular maid service keeps a home tidy between visits: dusting, vacuuming, mopping, bathrooms, kitchen surfaces, beds and.
Moving in checklist: small jobs for your first week in Dubai
In the first week, change or rekey the locks, test every tap, drain, socket, light and AC unit, service the AC, fix leaks and loose fittings, hang.
How often should solar panels be cleaned in Dubai?
In Dubai, most rooftop solar panels need cleaning about once a month, and sooner after a sand storm or when the output on your monitoring app drops.
Restaurant kitchen hood and duct cleaning: a planning guide
Grease carried in cooking vapour settles inside the hood, filters, ducts and fan. Left there it becomes a fire risk, cuts airflow, heats the kitchen.
Crystal chandelier cleaning: how it is done safely
A crystal chandelier is cleaned with the power isolated and the lamps cool, either crystal by crystal in place with lint free cloths and a mild.
Hard water stains or scratches on glass: how to tell
Hard water stains are mineral deposits sitting on the glass: cloudy white spots or streaks that feel rough and follow the water. Scratches are cuts.
Artificial grass care in Dubai: clean, cool and odour free
Brush artificial grass against the pile every two to four weeks, blow or rake off sand and leaves, rinse it regularly and treat pet areas with an.
How often should a yacht be cleaned in Dubai?
Rinse a yacht with fresh water after every trip, wash the exterior every week and clean the interior every one to two weeks while the boat is in use.
Teak deck care in the Gulf climate
Rinse teak with fresh water after every trip and wash it gently every week or two with a mild cleaner and a soft brush worked across the grain. Never.
Keeping a yacht interior fresh between trips
Take everything damp and all food off the boat, wipe the heads and galley dry, prop fridge and locker doors open, and keep the air inside dry with a.