Deep cleaning before you move in: what to ask for

The clean a property gets before handover is usually a presentation clean: surfaces wiped, floors mopped, everything made to look ready. A deep clean is a different job, and moving in is the one moment you can have it done properly with nothing in the way.

Why do it before the furniture arrives

An empty property can be cleaned in a way an occupied one cannot. Skirting boards, the backs of cupboards, behind appliances, inside wardrobes, the tops of doors - all of it is reachable exactly once.

What to ask for

Ask for these by name, because a general quote will not always include them:

1. Inside all cupboards and wardrobes, not just the fronts.
2. Kitchen appliances internally - oven, fridge, extractor filters.
3. Bathroom descaling, including shower screens and tap fittings.
4. Window tracks and balcony doors, which collect more dust in Dubai than anywhere in the property.
5. AC vent covers and accessible filters, so the first month is not spent circulating the previous tenant's dust.
6. Floor treatment appropriate to the material - marble, tile and wood each want a different approach.

Sequence matters

Cleaning is done top down and dry before wet. Anything else means doing parts of it twice.

A crew that mops before dusting the high surfaces will be mopping again. It is a reasonable thing to ask about when you get the quote.

Getting the pest question out of the way

An empty property is also the right time for a preventative pest control treatment. Treating before the furniture arrives is easier, more thorough, and means you are not moving out of rooms for a day a month later.

How long it takes

A two-bedroom apartment is typically a full day for a small crew. A villa is usually two. Anyone quoting three hours for an empty villa is quoting for a presentation clean, which is a perfectly good thing to buy - just not the same thing.