Why Fujairah Homes Get Mould in Summer, and How to Clean It

On the west coast, summer air is hot and dry. On the east coast it is hot and humid. If you have moved to Fujairah from Dubai and found black spots on the bathroom ceiling in August, the weather is the reason.

Quick answer: Fujairah is at its most humid in July and August, the opposite of Dubai. Outdoor humidity then averages about 64%, and the dew point is about 26°C, warmer than most homes set their air conditioning. Cool surfaces collect condensation, and mould follows. Clean small patches on hard surfaces with detergent and water, dry them fully, and fix the moisture, or it comes back.

Fujairah Is Humid When Dubai Is Dry

• July and August: about 64% average humidity in Fujairah, against about 47% in Dubai.
• Dew point: about 26°C in Fujairah in July and August.
• Humid days: days averaging 70% humidity or more came to about 81 a year in Fujairah, against 34 in Dubai.
• The north coast: the model point near Dibba Al Fujairah shows almost the same pattern, with about 63% in July.

When the dew point outside is 26°C and the room is set to 24°C, any cold surface the humid air reaches is a place for water to condense.

Where Mould Starts

• Bathroom ceilings, grout and silicone edges
• AC vent grilles and the wall or ceiling around them
• Window frames and the wall below windows
• Behind wardrobes and beds pushed against outside walls
• Inside wardrobes, on shoes, bags and leather

How to Clean It Safely

The US Environmental Protection Agency's guide to mould at home recommends scrubbing mould off hard surfaces with detergent and water, then drying them completely. It also advises that absorbent materials such as ceiling tiles and carpet may need replacing if they become mouldy, and that larger areas, more than about 1 square metre, call for professional help.

• Wear gloves and ventilate the room.
• Scrub with detergent and water, then dry the surface fully.
• Never mix bleach with ammonia or acid cleaners. The mix releases toxic gas.
• Do not just paint over mould. It grows back through the paint.
• Fix the moisture: run bathroom extractor fans, keep the AC running on humid days, leave a gap between furniture and outside walls, and avoid drying laundry indoors.

What This Means in Practice

Homes in Fujairah City, Al Faseel and Al Mahatta, and beach homes further up the coast in Dibba Al Fujairah and Al Aqah, all benefit from a deep clean just before summer and another in October. Our deep clean covers surface mould on tiles, grout, silicone, window frames and AC grilles. Mould inside walls or ducts is a job for a maintenance specialist, and the difference is explained in our guide to AC duct cleaning vs house cleaning.

For a routine through the rest of the year, see how often to deep clean a home in the UAE.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a deep clean cost in Fujairah?
House cleaning in Fujairah starts from AED 50 an hour for regular cleaning, and a deep clean is priced by home size: AED 400 for a studio, AED 500 for one bedroom, AED 650 for two, AED 850 for a three-bedroom apartment and AED 1,000 for a three-bedroom villa. Larger villas are quoted on WhatsApp.

Why do I get mould in summer, not winter?
In Fujairah the air is most humid in July and August. Humid air meeting cool, air-conditioned surfaces leaves moisture behind, and mould grows where things stay damp.

Can you remove black mould from grout?
Surface mould on grout and silicone usually cleans off. Silicone that is stained right through may need replacing to look new again.

Is bleach the best way to kill mould?
Detergent and water, followed by thorough drying, is the recommended first step for hard surfaces. If you use bleach, never mix it with ammonia or acid-based cleaners.

The Short Version

• Fujairah is most humid in July and August, when Dubai is at its driest.
• The summer dew point, about 26°C, is above typical AC settings, so cool surfaces get damp.
• Clean small patches with detergent and water, dry fully, and fix the moisture.
• Deep cleaning in Fujairah starts from AED 400 for a studio.

Laundrykhalas cleans homes and offices across Fujairah. Offices can book commercial cleaning in Fujairah from AED 60 an hour. Message us on WhatsApp before noon for same-day cleaning.

Source: daily mean relative humidity and dew point, 2015 to 2024, from the ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, for the model points nearest Fujairah City (25.25°N, 56.25°E), Dibba (25.50°N, 56.25°E) and Dubai (25.00°N, 55.25°E). ERA5 works on a grid about 25 km wide, so these figures describe areas, not individual buildings. Cleaning advice follows the US EPA's guidance on mould.