Cleaning, laundry and maintenance: 7 companies offering home services in the UAE

Never has it felt like it’s more important to maintain a clean and healthy home. At a time when the need for good hygiene is more pronounced than ever, we are all spending more time indoors, locked up with pets, kids and other family members, which generally means more mess. Many of us are also busier than ever – homeschooling children, adapting to new work-from-home protocols, trying to save our businesses or just getting through each day. So that pile of dishes or mountain of laundry can seem like one job too many. At the same time, we are all, rightfully, nervous about letting other people into our homes, which means we may be unsure about whether to call for help – whether it's for laundry, cleaning or general maintenance. So here are some home-services companies in the UAE that can lend a hand, and that have introduced stringent health and safety protocols in response to the current crisis. Home maintenance company Hitches & Glitches is still offering a full roster of services across the UAE, including cleaning, handyman, pest control, electrical and AC works, and has launched a new disinfection service that is approved by Dubai Municipality. It has introduced daily temperature monitoring of staff when they arrive and before they leave work, provided all workers with PPEs and hand sanitisers, and disinfects its fleet of cars every day. It is also the first maintenance company in the UAE to install a "sanitisation gateway", which uses a non-toxic, pH-neutral and durable disinfectant on all staff, when they leave and return to their accommodation. www.hitchesglitches.com ; 800 42634 Home maintenance provider We Will Fix It is assuaging any fears clients may have by offering a free disinfection of your entire property once they have finished a job. That means you can have peace of mind if you need to get your AC, plumbing or electrics repaired or serviced. The company has also introduced daily temperature checks for all staff and ensures that they change face masks between every job they do. In customers’ homes, technicians wear masks, gloves and shoe coverings, and clients are welcome to self-isolate in the garden or in a separate room while work is being carried out and communicate with technicians on the phone. www.wewillfixit.com ; 800 349 Helpling continues to offer household cleaning, as well as dedicated disinfectant and sanitisation services, between 8am and 6pm daily. Its disinfection services include non-toxic hospital-grade disinfectants, including Bacoban, Vital Oxide and Anosan, which, the company says, kill 99.9 per cent of bacteria and viruses, and have been approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency for use against Covid-19. They are also safe for children and pets. “From the beginning of the outbreak, Helpling has taken instant and stringent measures to ensure our customers' and cleaners' safety,” says Manar Alkassar, founder and chief executive of Helpling Middle East. Regular disinfection of cleaners’ vans, increased supply of PPEs to cleaners and drivers, and twice-daily temperature checks are some of the additional safety measures being implemented by the company, which is also encouraging its cleaners to avoid any contact with customers, keep a safe distance and disinfect their hands before arriving at a job. www.helpling.ae ; 800-989 On-demand home services app JustMop has also launched a new disinfection and sanitisation service, and has seen a 100-fold growth in demand for the service since it began in early March. It uses bio-safe, hospital-grade disinfectants such as Vital Oxide and Bacoban, which are safe for children and pets, to kill 99.99 per cent of viruses, bacteria and fungi. It takes about 30 minutes to disinfect a one-bedroom apartment. This in addition to the app’s standard cleaning services, and newly introduced full-time maid services for those looking to hire a live-in or live-out helper. “We are very proud of our cleaning heroes who are out there every day serving our clients, doing what they do best with a smile on their face. It is them we owe it to that we can help people keep their homes and living spaces safe and hygienic during the current situation,” says Flo Janin, the company’s founder. www.justmop.com Providing services in Dubai and Abu Dhabi via its app, laundry provider Washmen is encouraging customers to use its at-door service, which requires zero contact between customers and drivers. The company also says that its cleaning processes are, by default, designed to kill germs, bacteria and viruses. Clothes are cleaned with up to 11 different eco-friendly chemicals, which include disinfectants that target various viruses, and then steam-pressed at temperatures between 120℃ and 150℃. In addition, all clothes are washed at a new, dedicated Washmen facility, with no outsourcing, and no two customers’ clothing items are mixed together. Each order is kept separate and washed in individual machines that are regularly disinfected. At present, all staff are being temperature checked daily, all drivers have been equipped with masks and hand sanitisers, and external and non-essential visitors are prevented from entering the Washmen premises. www.washmen.com While Champion Cleaners outlets are currently closed, the company is still offering full dry cleaning and laundry services via pick-up and delivery, between 9am and 7pm every day. The company also offers cleaning of carpets, pillows, sofas, mattresses, strollers, soft toys and shoes and bags, using i-Genius technologies. Security procedures at its premises have been enhanced, with all staff provided with masks, gloves, individual sanitising lotions and sanitisation spray bottles to regularly clean their work stations. www.champion-cleaners.com ; 800 4556 Mplus continues to offer a range of home maintenance services, including general maintenance, water tank cleaning, air conditioning, plumbing, electrical, pest control, cleaning and painting. In response to the current crisis, the company has also launched two additional services, notes James Smith, general manager of Mplus. "We now offer a disinfection service to customers who want to create a clean and safe zone within their homes or workplaces. Additionally, in those cases where there has been a confirmed Covid-19 case, we offer a decontamination service to remove all traces of coronavirus, thereby preventing the further spread of Covid-19. We have provided our teams with specialist training and have sourced the latest equipment.” All technicians have been equipped with PPE, while disinfection and decontamination teams also wear disposable overalls and safety eye wear. Between appointments, steps are taken to ensure all equipment and staff are thoroughly sterilised to prevent cross-contamination. The health and well-being of team members is also closely monitored. www.mplus.ae ; 800 67587

Cleaning, laundry and maintenance: 7 companies offering home services in the UAE

The home services companies still operating – and the enhanced safety measures they've put in place