If your "deep cleaning company" arrives with 2 cleaners and finishes your 2-bedroom apartment in 90 minutes, you didn't get a deep clean. You got a regular clean at deep clean prices — and the AC vents, behind-appliance dust, and bathroom silicone you paid to have cleaned are still exactly as they were before they walked in.
This is one of the most common scams in Dubai's cleaning market because it's the easiest to disguise. Here's how it works, why it's so profitable, and the 30-second test to spot it.
🚩 The Scam in 3 Lines
- What you're told: "AED 800 for a full deep clean — 2 cleaners, takes 90 minutes."
- What's actually happening: A regular surface clean priced as a deep clean. AC vents, inside cabinets, behind appliances, oven interior — none of it gets touched.
- The real cost: AED 800 wasted now + AED 1,500–5,000 deducted from your security deposit later when the landlord's cleaning inspection fails.
How the scam works
A "deep clean" requires 12+ person-hours of work minimum for a 2-bedroom Dubai apartment — that's 3 cleaners working 4 hours, or 4 cleaners working 3 hours. The labour cost alone for a real deep clean is AED 480–700 before equipment, chemicals, and company overhead.
The scam mechanic is simple: companies quote "deep clean" prices (AED 600–1,200) but deliver "regular clean" labour (2 cleaners × 90 minutes = 3 person-hours). That's 75% less work than what was promised, for the same price.
⚠️ Why the scam thrives
Most homeowners don't know what a real deep clean involves. The apartment looks clean when the cleaners leave — counters wiped, floors mopped, surfaces visible. The shamal dust caked behind AC vents, the grease behind the oven, the silicone mould in the shower corners — none of that gets touched, but none of it is visible from eye level either.
The scam is exposed 6 weeks later when the landlord runs a move-out inspection and deducts AED 3,000 from your security deposit for "inadequate cleaning."
How to spot the scam in 30 seconds
Three signals confirm you're being scammed:
The 4-hour test
✅ Apply this to any cleaning quote you receive
For a 2BR apartment: 3 cleaners × 4 hours = 12 person-hours minimum.
If the quote doesn't commit to that ratio in writing, it's not a deep clean — regardless of what they call it on the invoice.
The math works at every property size:
What you should do instead
Before booking any "deep clean" in Dubai:
✅ The 4-point protection checklist
- Demand the written inclusion list. Real deep cleaning covers AC vents, inside cabinets, behind appliances, oven interior, bathroom silicone descaling, and detail work — all in writing.
- Lock the cleaner-to-time ratio in the contract. Minimum 12 person-hours for a 2BR apartment. If they finish significantly faster, dispute the bill.
- Require before/after photos. Especially of AC vents, oven interiors, and behind appliances — the high-margin areas where the scam hides.
- Use bank transfer only. Cash payments leave no paper trail to dispute if the work fails inspection.
If the company refuses any of these, find a different one. There are dozens of legitimate cleaning companies in Dubai who deliver against all 4 standards.
How TaskRight protects you
Every cleaning company on TaskRight is verified — trade licence, insurance coverage, staff training standards, and before/after documentation policy. We don't list companies flagged for fake-deep-clean patterns or who refuse to commit to cleaner-to-time ratios in writing. You get the cleaning companies who actually deep clean — not the ones who pocket the deep clean price for regular clean labour.
👉 Find verified cleaning companies in Dubai →
Frequently asked questions
How long should a proper deep clean take in Dubai?
For a 2-bedroom apartment, 4–6 hours with 3–4 cleaners. For a villa, 7–10 hours with 4–6 cleaners. Anyone claiming to deep clean a 2BR apartment in under 4 hours with fewer than 3 cleaners is doing surface work only — the math doesn't allow real deep cleaning to be done faster.
What's the difference between regular cleaning and deep cleaning in Dubai?
Regular cleaning covers visible surfaces — floors, counters, bathrooms. Deep cleaning adds AC vent removal and washing, inside-cabinet cleaning, behind-appliance work, oven interior degreasing, bathroom silicone descaling, and detail work on skirting boards and light switches. Real deep cleaning takes 3–4 times longer and costs 2–3 times more than regular cleaning.
How can I tell if my cleaning company actually deep cleaned?
Check these specific areas immediately after they leave: top of kitchen cabinets, inside the oven, behind the fridge, the AC vent grilles, the corners of bathroom shower silicone, and the window tracks. If any of these still have visible dust, grease, or grime, you got a regular clean priced as a deep clean. Demand a refund or re-clean.
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