Disinfection in Al Rawabi, 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 Rawabi

Dampness appears on the walls of lower storeys quickly after rain, and stale smells return from the shared floor traps in the corridors long before they would naturally clear. The method is set out in full on how we approach Disinfection.

The first reason

Shared entrances and the narrowed stairwells

The corridors and stairwells in these blocks are narrow and persistently damp, worn by the footsteps of thousands. Disinfectant cannot reach deep into the cracks between steps because moisture washes the product away unless the surfaces stay wet long enough for it to work.

The second reason

Floor traps and the voids between storeys

Water and grease accumulate in the floor traps under basins and in the kitchens, and smells travel up through the pipe voids between flats to the units below. These voids must be cleaned before disinfection starts, or the smell returns through channels the disinfectant cannot reach.

The third reason

Dampness rising from the tunnels and soaked ground

The foundations weep water from the tunnel system and saturated earth, and moisture rises by capillary action into the walls and the concrete base. Disinfectant works on the surface only, so we dry the walls first and then leave the product wet long enough to penetrate the hairline cracks where moisture pulls contamination inward.

Landmarks of Al Rawabi

The Al Rawabi blocks stretch from Al Rawabi Garden eastward to Ajyad Kudai Road on the west, and disinfection starts from the Kudai Ajyad Tunnel entrance and rises through each storey, treating every entrance, passage and floor trap that drains from the mountain excavations beneath.

Rai Bakhsh
Ajyad Kudai Road
Kudai Ajyad Tunnel
Al Rawabi Garden
Jabal Khandamah

Before treatment

What we look at before the product is chosen

The modern mountain tunnels that run beneath the buildings collect moisture and groundwater seepage from the surrounding hillside, and the apartment drainage networks discharge into open foundation pits created by earlier excavation.

The touch points

Lift buttons, railings and door handles are touched by thousands of hands daily, and the dampness makes them a constant breeding ground for pathogens.

Porous surfaces

The porous surfaces in the concrete stairs and plaster walls hold water and grease, and disinfectant cannot penetrate them unless the top layer is first removed by washing.

The finish itself

Old paint on stairs and walls reduces how well disinfectant is absorbed, so we scrape off flaking paint and clean the raw surface before application.

The filter and grille of an indoor air conditioning unit

The air conditioning unit

Air conditioning units in the shared passages blow damp air constantly, mixing hot and cold currents that collect pathogens in filters and ducting.

Floor traps

Floor traps in corridors and under stairwell basins hold standing water, grease and soap residue and generate foul smells because stagnant water produces colonies rapidly.

A metal handrail in an apartment stairwell

Shared entrances and stairs

The external door and stairwells lack natural ventilation, so we open all windows and passage doors during disinfection and afterwards to expel moisture and vapours.

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 Misfalah Sub-Municipality

Al Misfalah sub municipality runs downhill from the south of the Grand Mosque through Al Misfalah, Kudai and Al Rawabi to Al Taqwa, Al Hindawiyah, Al Khalidiyah and Al Rusayfah at the third ring road. The northern end is old apartment blocks and pilgrim hotels with restaurants along Ibrahim Al Khalil Street and the huge coach parks at Kudai. The south and west are dense popular districts with countless small shops and unplanned hillside housing, some of it already cleared for redevelopment, giving way to orderly land grant schemes in Al Rusayfah beside the railway station.

Questions about this district

Does permanent dampness from tunnels beneath reduce disinfectant effectiveness here?

Constant moisture washes the product away before it can dry, but we clean the surface first and dry it thoroughly, then apply at stronger concentration and leave it wet longer. We inspect the base and corners separately because they hold standing water.

Do the shared stairwells need special preparation before disinfection can begin?

Yes. We scrub the stairs hard to remove grease and accumulated dirt, then wait until they dry completely. Cracks between the steps hold moisture, so we brush and air-dry them with cloths before applying the disinfectant.

Does disinfecting one flat remove the need to treat the shared corridors?

No. The smell comes from the corridors, stairs and the shared floor traps beneath them. We disinfect corridors, stairwells and the external entrance as one, or the odour returns through channels no flat-level treatment can reach.

How often per year do the Al Rawabi blocks need preventive disinfection?

Two to three times annually depending on occupancy and seasonal dampness. New pilgrim waves bring new pathogens, and the tunnel system's moisture encourages rapid bacterial growth.

Does treatment of the gaps between a flat and the shared passage include the door itself?

Yes. The door, frame and all cracks around it hold moisture and colonies. We clean and air-dry them and apply disinfectant to wood and metal, then leave the door slightly open until completely dry.

After disinfection, when can residents touch the stair rails and door handles?

Once the disinfectant is completely dry, which takes four hours in damp conditions instead of two. We leave the entrance door open and windows wide to speed drying and ventilation.

How much does disinfection in Al Rawabi 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 Rawabi.