Disinfection in Al Hijrah, Makkah

Targeted, not broadcast

Product goes into cracks and runways, never sprayed across open surfaces.
Told before we start

What we will use, where it goes, and what to cover or move before we arrive.
A follow-up visit

We return after the first treatment, because what survives it does not show on the day.
Homes and businesses

Apartments and villas, and kitchens and stores that need a record of each visit.

Why they keep coming back in Al Hijrah

Capillary moisture rises to meter-high lines on walls facing the mountain, and white salt efflorescence marks the path of the water underneath the plaster. The method is set out in full on how we approach Disinfection.

The first reason

External walls and foundations on the slope

Houses in Al Hijrah are built against the rock face itself, and water draining from the mountain enters concrete, stone and brick walls directly. Salt crystallises on the surface where it dries. Disinfection must first remove the salt crust, which acts as a barrier, then treat the wet surface beneath.

The second reason

Capillary moisture and salt crystallisation

Capillary moisture rises through brick and concrete for metres, carrying dissolved salt. On affected walls a damp band extends from floor to roof, and salt forms a white layer. Cleaning the salt and applying disinfectant must be carefully timed so one does not undo the other.

The third reason

Poor air movement and persistent damp

Buildings are tightly packed and lanes are narrow, so air is sluggish. Surfaces stay wet longer, disinfectant takes more time to work, and lingering smell sits in the stagnant air between blocks.

Landmarks of Al Hijrah

Al Hijrah is defined by its position between the Cave of Thawr on Jabal Thawr and Dhat An Nitaqain Street which runs through the district, and organising access depends on understanding how to reach it through these landmarks and the actual distances across the uneven terrain.

Jabal Thawr
Cave of Thawr
Al Noor Specialist Hospital
Third Ring Road
Dhat An Nitaqain Street
Al Bukhari Mosque

Before treatment

What we look at before the product is chosen

The district sits on a steep rocky slope where the water table is high and the rock face feeds seepage directly into external walls. The mountain itself is the source, and water movement stops only in the driest months.

The touch points

Contact points on damp walls do not dry quickly even after disinfection, and moisture returns from below continuously. This reduces effectiveness unless the wall dries completely first.

Porous surfaces

Porous surfaces are more common here than elsewhere: cracked stone, old brick and weak concrete all absorb moisture and salt. The product soaks in but stays longer than on sealed surfaces.

The finish itself

Paint on damp walls is often a thin crust over crystallised salt. If the wall is painted without removing salt first, the paint peels and the product cannot reach the underlying surface.

The filter and grille of an indoor air conditioning unit

The air conditioning unit

Air conditioning units in flats facing the mountain suffer from constant mould because the air is saturated. Coils and filters need cleaning before and after disinfection.

Floor traps

Floor drains in kitchens and bathrooms are often mouldy because water sits and cannot dry. We remove the cover and clean the trap deeply before disinfection begins.

A metal handrail in an apartment stairwell

Shared entrances and stairs

Shared entrance lobbies in blocks on the slope are permanently damp and poorly ventilated, and smell lingers from damp walls and stairs. Strong ventilation after disinfection is necessary but may not be enough.

How we work

1
Walk the space and list the surfaces

We go through the rooms and mark the touch points, the porous surfaces and the finishes, then ask what prompted the call: illness at home, moving into a new place, building work, or a smell that arrived out of nowhere.
2
Clean what we are about to treat

We take the film of dust and grease off the surfaces that are in scope, so the product reaches the surface itself. This is preparation for the treatment, not general house cleaning.
3
Apply it, and hold the contact time

Hand work on the touch points, a product matched to each surface, and the surface left visibly wet for as long as that material needs before it is dried off. Cold fogging comes last, for what a cloth cannot reach.
4
Ventilate and hand back

We open the place up, rinse food preparation surfaces with water, and tell you when each room goes back into use. We give you that timing on the call, because it changes with the product and the space.

What a disinfection visit includes

A surface and touch point survey

What gets treated, and with what, settled before anything is opened.
Soil off first, then the disinfectant

The greasy film comes off first, then a product that stays wet for the contact time it needs.
Floor traps and the air conditioning drain

Floor traps, sink outlets and the drain tray, which is where most smells actually begin.
Cold fogging for the space

For upward faces and corners a cloth never reaches, done as the last thing before we leave a room.
Ventilation and use instructions

What gets rinsed with water, what is left alone, and when each room goes back into use.
A scheduled repeat when it is needed

For shared entrances and places people pass through every day, because a disinfectant leaves nothing behind to stop the next contact.

What is different about Al Shawqiyah Sub-Municipality

Al Shawqiyah sub municipality runs south from the Third Ring Road to the city's edge on the Al Layth road and the Jeddah expressway. Planned districts such as Al Shawqiyah, Al Malik Fahd and Bathaa Quraish have wide streets, villas and apartment blocks, while schemes in Wali Al Ahd are being built out and informal housing in Al Ukayshiyah and Al Zuhur is being cleared. The vegetable market and livestock auction at Souq Al Halaqa, open construction sites, the rocky slopes of Jabal Thawr and sewers still being laid through the southern fringe offer exposed food, shelter and moisture.

Questions about this district

Does the white salt on walls stop disinfection from working?

Yes, significantly. Salt forms a barrier between the product and the surface. We remove salt first with a weak acid wash, then wait for the wall to dry before disinfection begins.

Will water from Jabal Thawr bring infection back after disinfection?

Moisture will return because the source is the mountain itself. Disinfection treats what lives in current moisture but cannot stop new moisture entering. The solution is a moisture barrier on external walls.

How often does Al Hijrah need disinfection if moisture is permanent?

If moisture is constant, every 3 months may be necessary. The real solution is addressing the moisture source from outside first, which requires engineering intervention.

Can we prevent salt returning after we clean it?

No, salt returns as long as the moisture source is active. We can delay its return with a treatment that slows capillary rise, but it will come back.

Does disinfection help with damp smell in flats facing the mountain?

Yes, treating damp surfaces reduces smell. But constant moisture means the smell may return quickly, especially in humid seasons.

Do air conditioning units in Al Hijrah need special handling because air is so humid?

Yes. Filters and coils accumulate moisture and mould rapidly. We clean the unit thoroughly and disassemble internal parts before spraying them.

How much does disinfection in Al Hijrah cost?

It is set after the inspection, because the price follows the type of infestation, the size of the space, how far it has spread and the number of visits it needs. Send a photo and a description on WhatsApp and we will give you an estimate before we reach Al Hijrah.