Hitches & Glitches Witnesses Spike In Demand For Home Disinfection And Deep Cleaning

Dubai-based sustainable and technology-driven home maintenance specialist Hitches & Glitches (H&G), part of the Farnek Group, has witnessed a surge in demand for deep cleaning and disinfection, from tenants and homeowners ahead of the Eid Al Adhaholidays.

According to KelvinVargheese, Director of H&G, this is a direct consequence of the initial COVID-19 lockdown and the subsequent homeschooling and employees working full or part-time from home.

“Many people in the UAE, who were not classed as essential workers, have been spending a great deal of time at homeover the past four months, initially in a state of lockdown.

“Globally, prior to the coronavirus outbreak, the average person would spend around 70% of his or her time at home. However, once the pandemic struck, understandably, on average, people were spending more than 90% of their time at home, which was an increase of more than four hours per day.

“Therefore having spent so much time at home, the summer heat and humidity already upon us and the Eid break around the corner, it is only natural that residents are looking for a deep and thorough clean of their homes,” he added.

Disinfection and deep cleaning is much more comprehensive than normal regular cleaning, primarily because it reaches the ground-in grease and dirt in your home, not just the dust and of course kills germs. It also reaches areas which are not ordinarily covered such as the space behind large appliances in the kitchen like fridges and washing machines and the oven, areas which harbourmicroorganisms, built up dirt and grime for months if not years.

“If we take a modest two-bedroom apartment, it will take a team of four cleaners approximately two hours on average, in comparison to disinfecting and deep cleaning which can take up to six hours,” added Vargheese.

Approved Dubai Municipality (DM) technicians wearing the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to keep both them and your family safe, will start by thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting all surfaces, floors and furniture, starting with the highest, hardest to reach areas first.

All surfaces in the bathroom need to be disinfected, shelves, counter tops, floors, mirrors, basins,bathtubs and shower units. It is also vital that different cloths are used to avoid cross contamination, before moving from the bathroom to clean and disinfect other areas of the home.

“One procedure that is now commonplace, is the need to disinfect high-touch surfaces, such as handles, light switches, A/C controls, doorknobs, window latches and banister rails. That should also be carried out by tenants and homeowners on a regular basis,” said Vargheese.

Indoor air quality is also of paramount importance at home, especially for adults and children suffering from asthma or any sort of respiratory complaint, not to mention those vulnerable to catching the coronavirus.It is essential to have carpets, rugs and upholstery power vacuumed and steamed. That will eradicate ingrained dust, pollen, mites and pet hairs.

“It is also a good idea to make sure that you have your A/C regularly serviced as well to keep air quality at its best,” said Vargheese.