Kitchen deep cleaning checklist for Dubai homes

What does a kitchen deep clean include?

Daily cleaning deals with the surfaces you see. A deep clean deals with the places where grease, crumbs and moisture collect unseen and then feed smells, pests and fire risk.

• The extractor hood: filters, the fan housing you can reach, the light covers and the top of the canopy.
• The oven, grill and hob, including racks, door glass, seals and the floor of the oven.
• The sides and backs of appliances, and the floor and wall behind them once they have been pulled out.
• The fridge and freezer: shelves, drawers, door seals, the drip tray and the coils.
• The inside of every cabinet and drawer, shelf edges, hinges and handles.
• Cabinet tops, which hold a layer of grease and dust in most kitchens.
• Splashback, grout, worktop joints and the sealant around the sink.
• Sink, taps, aerators, waste and the cupboard below.
• Small appliances, bins, switches and socket plates wiped with a dry cloth, and the floor to the skirting.

In what order should a kitchen be deep cleaned?

Order matters, because grease and crumbs fall and dirty water runs down.

• Empty the cabinets and the fridge, and switch off appliances that will be moved.
• Put hood filters, oven racks and hob supports to soak in hot water with degreaser.
• Apply oven cleaner to a cold oven and leave it for the time on the label.
• Clean high surfaces: cabinet tops, the hood, upper cabinets inside and out.
• Degrease the splashback and worktops, then the hob.
• Finish the oven, then the fridge, then the smaller appliances.
• Descale the sink and taps and flush the waste.
• Pull out the appliances, clean behind and beneath them, and mop the floor last.

Which cleaner goes on which surface?

Kitchen dirt is of two kinds, and each needs the opposite chemistry. Grease is broken down by alkaline degreasers. Limescale is dissolved by acids. Using the wrong one wastes effort, and combining them, or mixing either with bleach, is dangerous.

• Stainless steel: degreaser, then a damp microfibre cloth along the grain. Scouring pads leave permanent scratches.
• Marble, limestone and other natural stone worktops: pH neutral cleaner only. Vinegar, lemon and descalers etch the polish within minutes.
• Quartz and solid surface tops: mild detergent. Keep oven cleaner and strong solvents away from them.
• Glass and induction hobs: a hob scraper held flat for burnt spills, then a cream cleaner on a soft cloth.
• Lacquered and wrapped cabinet doors: diluted degreaser on a cloth, wiped dry. Water left in the joints lifts the edges.
• Taps and sinks: a mild acid for scale, rinsed off thoroughly.

Why do kitchens in Dubai need deep cleaning more often?

Windows stay shut for most of the year, so the hood is the only way out for cooking vapour. When its filters are clogged the vapour stays in the room, cools, and settles as a film on cabinet tops, light fittings and the nearest AC grille. Homes where frying and grilling are done daily build this up within weeks.

Hard water leaves scale on taps, around the sink and inside kettles and dishwashers. Heat and humidity keep cockroaches and ants active all year, and both follow grease and crumbs to the warm gap behind the fridge and the oven.

Summer closures bring their own problems. A fridge that is switched off with the door shut grows mould on its seals, and sink traps dry out and let drain smell into the house.

What can I do myself, and when is a professional needed?

• Wash the hood filters every month in hot water with degreaser, or in the dishwasher if the maker allows it.
• Wipe the hob, splashback and cabinet fronts near the cooker after cooking, while the grease is still soft.
• Clean fridge shelves and seals every few weeks and throw out what has expired.
• Descale the taps and the kettle monthly.
• Before a long absence, empty the fridge and prop its door open if it is switched off. Pour water into the drains on your return.

Bring in a team when grease has hardened to a varnish on the hood and cabinet tops, when the oven smokes on heating, before and after a tenancy, and whenever pests have been seen. The MELLS surveys the kitchen on a site visit, lists the scope in a written quotation and has a supervisor check each item on completion.