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.
Hitches & Glitches
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
We Will Fix It
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
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
Just Mop
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
Washmen
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
Champion Cleaners
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
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
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THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
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Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
RESULTS
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Winner: Yas Xmnsor, Sean Kirrane (jockey), Khalifa Al Neyadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Falaj Hazza – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Arim W’Rsan, Dane O’Neill, Jaci Wickham
6pm: Al Basrah – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Kalifano De Ghazal, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi
6.30pm: Oud Al Touba – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Pharitz Oubai, Sean Kirrane, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Sieh bin Amaar – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Oxord, Richard Mullen, Abdalla Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Jebel Hafeet – Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: AF Ramz, Sean Kirrane, Khalifa Al Neyadi
8pm: Al Saad – Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Sea Skimmer, Gabriele Malune, Kareem Ramadan
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
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Price: From Dh590,000
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now