Hotel Housekeeping: Comprehensive and Professional Guidance
A hotel’s cleanliness is a crucial parameter in determining the success and ratings of any hotel. It engages guests to return and recommend the same hotel to their friends and family.
Hotel housekeeping is considered as one of the essential elements to keep the hotel clean and hygienic to have a better experience for hotel guests. Guests usually expect a comfortable and pleasing stay to feel like “home away from home.
Every hotel employs additional housekeeping staff to provide their clients with a pleasurable and unforgettable experience.
What is Hotel Housekeeping？
The definition says housekeeping is a “provision of a clean, comfortable and safe environment.” Housekeeping in hotels means performing duties to maintain hotel hygiene in the best possible. It is related to cleanliness and keeping a highly desirable ambiance.
Why Is Hotel Housekeeping Important？
The hotel housekeeping department is essential as they bring the most revenue. Most hotels survive on the sale of rooms, food, beverages, and other services such as laundry.
Hence, hotel housekeepers must rigorously work on cleanliness, maintenance, and aesthetically organizing the rooms and other public and back areas of hotels and surroundings.
This hotel housekeeping department maintains rooms when guests arrive and cleans the hotel daily to make it look rejuvenating and attractive. It further improves the business of the hotel.
Therefore, housekeeping is one department that contributes in a big way to the hotel’s overall reputation.
What Are The Advantages Of Hotel Housekeeping？
A well-maintained atmosphere
Comfortable stay experience
Privacy
Assured security
Less strain on management and transportation of materials within the premises.
Better control of tools and materials.
Effective use of space.
Improved productivity
Lower exposure to hazardous products like dust, vapors, etc.
Proper supply of amenities.
Making a guest feel special.
What Are The Duties of Housekeeping in a Hotel?
Different people are recruited into the hotel housekeeping department with additional duties based on their positions.
1, Housekeeping Managers: They are the one who manages other people’s work. His duties include:
Operating reports about the arrival and departure of people.
Scheduling the timetable of other housekeeping staff.
Managing expenses related to the housekeeping department.
Resolving issues related to service being provided to guests.
Attending hotel leadership meetings.
Working as upfront staff by arranging rooms and meetings on special requests.
2, Room Attendant Duties– As per these roles, employees mainly work 24 hours by cleaning and maintaining hotel rooms for the guests.
Mainly work on cleaning rooms during mid-stay and after the departure of the guests.
Making beds removing used linen and towels.
We restocked guest room amenities such as drinking glasses, notebooks, etc.
Disposing of garbage and eliminating recycling materials by proper processing
Picking and returning laundry items safely.
They must notify the maintenance department of broken appliances or old light bulbs.
3, Public Area Attendant Duties- They have a significant role in creating an impression on the guests. Their duties include,
Cleaning public areas like lobbies and restaurants, among others.
Maintaining the offices and employee workplace on the premise
Maintaining the hygiene of stairways, lobbies, etc.
Obliterating the garbage and waste to the sanctioned dumping regions.
Providing a report of damage to the public areas of the premises to the management authorities.
4, Laundry/Linen Room Attendant Duties- Their work is required for managing the operational flow of the hotel-
Eliminating linen that is damaged or stained.
Managing the washing machines and drying equipment of the hotel.
Maintaining the supply and distribution of soaps, cleaning products, etc.
Managing the laundry services for the guests.
Keeping the laundry well-maintained through proper washing, drying, pressing, etc.
Hotel Housekeeping Procedures
Housekeeping procedures are pretty varied and broad.These include:
Removing the linens,
Clearing the trash,
Dusting,
Wiping & disinfecting surfaces,
Preparing the bed,
Cleaning the bathroom,
Replenish items,
Vacuuming, sweeping, and mopping the floors,
Adding finishing touches and,
Take a final look.
What is a Housekeeping Job in a Hotel?
Some of the critical jobs required to be performed by hotel staff include,
Performing cleaning duties in all guest areas and the backside of the hotel.
Ensuring proper standards of housekeeping are followed.
Maintaining a good supply of required inventory.
Performing consistent work by providing professional, friendly, and engaging service.
Responding timely to guest requests for items like coats, towels, etc.
Follow safety and sanitary procedures.
Assist other departments in need to provide good service to the guests.
Perform additional hotel housekeeping duties if required.
Report to the Maintenance department related to any fault in item or equipment.
What Skills and Requirements for Hotel Housekeeping?
Ability to pull and push work-related equipment.
Be physically fit to work long hours, including sitting, standing, etc.
Strong coordination of senses along with motor skills.
Knowledge about cleaning supplies and procedures.
Should be able to work independently without any supervision.
Should generally have previous cleaning experience, but not necessary.
Have the ability to handle objects of different shapes and sizes.
Always speak with guests and other people in a professional language.
Always appreciate and thank guests for visiting the hotel.
Always works on detailing items and cleanliness.
Ability to understand and follow instructions.
Provide standard customer service.
Can work in a team without creating any problems and issues.
Possess the right attitude and have good communication skills to avoid any misunderstandings.
What Time is Hotel Housekeeping Takes Place?
Housekeeping staff mostly come between 8 am and 4 pm, but many hotels prefer cleaning rooms by morning or mid-day when guests are not there.
Although, there is, as such, no proper timing for housekeeping, and it also depends upon the following factors:
Check Out: If the guest is due to check out, then housekeeping needs to clean the room before any new guests arrive, and they will do so once the guest has checked out.
Rooms With “Do Not Disturb” Signs– If rooms have “do not disturb” signs, then housekeeping should move to other rooms without signs earlier than scheduled.
The Number of Staff– Some hotels hire more staff, and some have few members, so it depends upon the team when they will reach your room for cleaning.
Length of Stay– Your stay in the hotel also plays a role in housekeeping. If you stay longer, the hotel will ask how often you want your room cleaned daily or every two to three days.
Weekends and Holidays– Housekeeping timing will vary more than on weekdays during holidays and weekends.
Many four to five stars hotels have offered a service of room cleaning after 10:30 am if the “do not disturb” sign is there.
How Many Rooms Should a Housekeeper Clean?
Hotel housekeeping work includes staff performing the most physically demanding job. They usually clean an average of about 10 to 14 rooms per day. It aims to provide an effective and proper cleaning of the rooms, although, sometimes, it can extend to about 25-30 rooms per day if needed.
Checklist for Cleaning A Hotel Room
The cleaning of the hotel room should be done in the top to down process. This signifies that the higher levels need to be cleaned earlier than the lower levels.
Hence, the hotel housekeeping checklists are as follows:
Open the windows and let ventilation occur in the room.
Assess and remove the cobwebs in ceilings.
If walls are stained, clean them.
Air-conditioner filters should be cleaned and dusted correctly.
Ceiling fans should be cleaned and brushed ideally.
Lights and switchboards in rooms should be brushed and cleaned.
Pictures and frames in rooms should be at the proper angle and cleaned perfectly.
Shade lamps should be straight and dusted.
Check drapes properly and should be vacuum cleaned.
Check window panes and tracks.
Furniture should be appropriately aligned and dusted.
Ned heads, chairs, and desktops, among others, are wiped properly and arranged neatly.
Check hangers in the wardrobe and, if needed, replace them.
Puff up the cushions.
Assess all the furniture drawers and do a proper cleaning.
Arrange the bed properly.
Assess stains or spots on the bedsheets and replace them if needed.
Check the mattress and pillow’s condition.
Clean mirror and glass surface properly.
Trash bins and ashtrays should be adequately cleaned.
Replace linen and bins.
The luggage and shoe-keeping furniture need to be hygienic and well-maintained.
Reloading all the missing entities in the room.
Test all the electrical appliances to ensure their performance and working.
Check light bulbs.
Change any fluctuating or faulted bulb.
Check telephone is working or not.
Test the charging points and switch them off till the arrival of the next guest.
Clean and maintain the floor.
Identify and remove any spots.
Test and hygiene the doorknobs and handles.
Application of deodorant for keeping the room atmosphere fresh.
How to Become A Good Hotel Housekeeper?
Housekeeping plays a significant role in creating guests’ experiences in hotels. Having a clean room with a comfy bed and fresh towels are a few things that keep a guest coming back to the hotel. Hence, here are a few things that make one a good housekeeper. These are as follows:
1, Organize Your Supplies
As housekeeping requires a lot of stuff to do the work efficiently. These include taking Care of gloves, mop, trash bags, etc. One needs to organize them properly to be readily available when needed to save time. One can clean the room faster than going here and there for items.
2, Stay Under the Time Limit
Mostly, housekeepers should clean a room in about 15 to 30 minutes. Hence, one needs to keep track of their time and clean quickly to stay on top of the task.
3, Knock on the Door Before You Go In
Always knock on the door before entering the room, even if guests have checked out. If a guest tells of coming later, move to the next room.
4, Open the Curtains– It helps in proper air ventilation.
5, Tidy Up Clutter or Garbage– Pick up the garbage and throw that without touching the guest’s stuff.
6, Make the Beds– Make the bed neatly and change the bedsheets.
7, Clean the Bathrooms– Take rubber gloves, grab disinfectant, clean the washroom properly, replace the dirty towels, and restock the items with fresh ones.
8, Dust and Wipe Down Hard Surfaces– Always do dusting in the room and freshen it up.
9, Replenish the Mini-bar and Supplies– Check for supplies and replace them if needed.
10, Take Care of any Special Requests– Sometimes, guests request that their rooms be like that, so they should be taken Care of.
11, Vacuum the Floors– Clean the floors and prevent re-doing work.
Helpful Tips for Good Hotel HouseKeeping
Firstly, Open Room Windows, If Applicable– This is quite important as it helps air ventilation and starts cleaning the room. It also helps to see the areas that need to be cleaned.
Next, Clear out the Clutter– Cleaning the trash cans, eliminating used linens, maintaining the supply of essentials, etc., should be started first. It will help in getting a clear idea of subsequent.
Begin with cleaning Bedroom regions-To reduce the transmission of microbes, always clean the bedrooms and then move to bathrooms. This helps in sanitation and overall cleanliness.
Allow Cleaning Products to Work– Spray the products in the bathroom and give them time to work instead of scrubbing all the items, which helps in saving time. Start with shower walls and toilets and then move to mirrors and windows.
Ensure sweeping before constantly mopping– Mopping is the final step to prevent dust from getting wet. Cleaning wet areas and floors full of dry dust will become difficult.
To clean Nooks and Crannies, try a toothbrush– Use a toothbrush to clean a few areas, like the bottom of a toilet, as it works faster.
Keep Everything for Cleaning in a Cart– Before going for housekeeping, keep all the required items in one cart as it will save time and be handy.
Be Sure to Dust Everything– Before leaving the room and cleaning the floor, ensure everything is cleaned and dusted correctly.
Use Mattress Protectors to Expand their Lifespan– A protected mattress can save much housekeeping time to watch the bed from liquids, stains, and dust.
Vacuum the Hotel Furniture– Vacuuming the furniture will make it look cleaner and fresh.
Hotel Housekeeping Tools and Equipment
They are categorized into two types:
1, Mechanical Equipment:
A vacuum Cleaner is commonly used in hotel housekeeping equipment to clean the floor or any surface. It is easy to operate for all types of workers.
Polishing Machine-It helps in restoring the luster of the floor surface.
Floor Scrubber is a helpful tool for cleaning the floor in one go. It can be used for drying the tiles, washing, scrubbing, etc.
Stream Vapour Machine-It provides a deep clean that includes visual and sanitized clean. It produces steam at high rates, killing bacteria and disinfecting the room.
2, Manual equipment:
Microfiber Cloth– The microfiber cloth is suitable for wiping and cleaning the surfaces of washrooms, bedrooms, etc.
Abrasives: Rough grit paper products help clean metal or other hard surfaces.
Different Types of Brushes– These are stiff brushes, soft brushes, scrubbing brushes, flue brushes, feather brushes, and others used to eradicate superficial grams depending upon nature.
Brooms are an excellent tool for removing dust or hair from solid surfaces.
How to Keep Hotel Housekeeping Better During Covid?
As covid-19 is prevailing all over the world, there are new guidelines about hotel housekeeping training during the Covid-19 period, which are as follows-
All staff should be trained in universal precautions methods.
Staff should wear disposable gloves during cleaning and change them at the beginning of every shift.
Use the proper method of removing gloves and disposing of them properly to prevent cross-contamination.
Carts should be sanitized before use every day.
Clean and disinfect objects used daily, such as door jams, remote controls, top of headboards, electric sockets, chair frames, etc.
Disinfect in-room telephones.
Sanitizing master key every day.
Disinfecting handles to mops, dusters, toilet brushes, etc.
Disinfecting all luggage cart handholds after every use.
Sanitizing seats, tables, lamps, and all other areas that guests in lobbies commonly touch.
Removing pamphlets, magnetizes, and menus from the common area.
Sanitizing vending machines and guest laundry, including appliances, soap, door handles, seats, etc.
Offering masks to guests on arrival and enforcing usage.
Put the tape in sitting areas so people can maintain 6 feet distance between them.
Using bio-hazard disposable waste bags.
Use plastic aprons so that they can be easily disposed of.
Maintaining proper ventilation as it prevents the spread of the covid virus.
Open room windows whenever possible to allow natural ventilation.
Increase the total airflow supply and percentage of outdoor air using various ventilators.
Inspect filter hoise and ensure their accuracy. Furthermore, you should check for different ways to minimize filter bypasses.
Ensure exhaust fans are in proper condition and working correctly.
Monitor carbon dioxide levels as it depicts ventilation and overcrowding effectiveness.
Gyms, restaurants, swimming pools, and spas, among others, should be closed for the time being to prevent the transmission of the virus.
If any guest or specific area is exposed to Covid-19 cases, then follow this:
Any surfaces in contact with an ill person should be adequately cleaned and disinfected with 0.1% sodium hypochlorite.
The service staff is trained in disinfecting products’ preparation, handling, application, and storage.
If bleach is not possible, use 70% alcohol or other disinfecting solution.
Use only disinfecting materials like gloves and disposable gowns while using all safety measures necessary. If material needs to be reused, disinfect it before using.
The items like used linens or clothes of guests need to be taken in specific carry bags while carefully managing them so that there is no deposition of dust or contamination.
The items that require disposal of need to be kept in a container and a lid.
Whenever staff enters the room, an ill person should wear a mask.
Staff-used PPE should be removed and disposed of carefully.
Potentially exposed staff should be monitored and quarantined until the results are negative.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do hotel housekeepers make in an hour?
Hotel housekeeping salary varies as per nation and type of hotel. In the United States, it is about 12.54 dollars per hour.
Hotel Housekeeping Costs Per Hour- Average housekeeping costs depend upon the time spent cleaning a room divided by the number of rooms in a property.
Labor Costs: These are the most extensively paid hospitality jobs and account for over 40% of accounting costs.
Is Hotel Housekeeping a Hard Job?
Yes, it is typically a very hardworking job and quite unpleasant. It involves sorting big sheets and unfolding the washers, folding towels, and cleaning the whole room properly without any stains and dirt, which is tiring in a few minutes.
It involves physical demand and can be classified as moderately heavy to heavy work.
Does Hotel Housekeeping Get Tips?
Hotel guests often interact with staff and are given a tip for their gestures and friendly behavior.
Housekeeping is one such department that mainly ignores getting tips, as there is no direct contact between the guests and the housekeeping staff.
Some guests leave tips for housekeeping staff in infancy and high-rated hotels, but mostly, they do not get any hotel housekeeping tips.
Why Tip Hotel Housekeeping?
When entering the hotel, most guests feel their rooms must be cleaned; carpets are vacuumed, towels are refreshed, bathrooms are cleaned, trash can be emptied, etc. All this work is done by housekeeping staff to make guests’ stay pleasant. Hence, they deserve certain kinds of tips.
Their work is physically demanding, and they must perform all day long. Moreover, housekeeping staff mostly suffers from injuries while doing their job. Hence, looking at their challenging and demanding job, tips are necessary.
Hotel housekeeping should be given a tip for their hard work, encouragement, and motivation. Getting a recommendation for guests shows their work is being praised.
How Much Tip Hotel Housekeeping gets?
It depends on various factors such as:
Number of Occupants (if there is an extra member with you, the housekeeper has to work more, so tip more than usual).
Room Type– how much time a housekeeper takes to clean a room depends on its size and amenities, so tip according to their hard work.
Condition of Your Room – housekeeper will appreciate it if the room is not that dirty, but if your room is in disarray, they have to work more, tip according to that.
Special Requests– some guests ask for items like extra hotel shampoo, slippers, etc. They appreciate their work by giving excellent tips if you get them completed.
Interaction with Staff– If the housekeeper has a friendly and positive attitude, pay higher tips for their friendly guest service.
Your budget– Always give the housekeeper a tip, keeping your budget in mind.
Where To Leave Hotel Housekeeping Tips?
The tip for the hotel housekeeping staff should be kept where it is easily visible, like in the drawer or near the bathroom sink. Avoid keeping the tip beside a nightstand or the bed corner, as it may misplace the information.
What Does Hotel Housekeeping Wear?
They mostly wear a proper uniform: dresses, shirts, pants, vests, aprons, gloves, good pairs of comfortable shoes, etc.
How To Stay At A Hotel During Covid?
Although cases still prevail globally, one cannot travel or be at home during business meetings or any business trip where one must stay at hotels. Then do follow these protocols for safe staying at hotels which are as follows-
Know before you go– Understand the number of cases increasing daily when traveling, as it will minimize the steps one takes while staying at the hotel.
Know what the hotel is doing– Before randomly checking into a hotel, check their websites, as hotels regularly update their measures during a pandemic to reduce the risk of transmission.
Pack the “new essentials”-While packing your bag, do not forget to include things necessary for safe travel, including masks, sanitizers, disinfecting wipes, and disposable gloves that help prevent the transmission of the virus.
Ask for a room that has not Been Recently Occupied– Although housekeeping will disinfect and clean each room after it is vacated, giving some days when it was empty reduces the risk of transmission. Hence, ask for rooms that are not used recently.
Opt for private transportation– During Covid-19, try to travel by personal vehicle to reduce the risk of transmission. Hotels help in providing this service, do speak to them.
Disinfect frequently touched areas– Before getting comfortable in a room, disinfect high touchpoints such as TV remotes, door handles, light switches, thermostats, alarm clocks, etc.
Arrange housekeeping services during your stay– Always get your room serviced when you are away, as it prevents transmission, and when one returns, the space will be fresh and clean.
Dine in your room or outdoors– When free, try to stay in your room most of the time and avoid social gatherings to prevent transmission.
Open your windows– Studies state the virus decreases outdoors and in open-air, so open your room windows for proper air ventilation.
Remember your mask and physical distancing– Always wear your mask and keep a 6 feet distance from people while stepping out.
Summarizing the results of our observations, in conclusion, hotel housekeeping is essential for the hotel business. The housekeeping staff is hardworking and dedicated to making guests’ experiences unique and memorable.
Hotel housekeeping is not just about cleanliness but is, in fact, about the standard of hospitality. It is one of the hotels’ essential services in pleasurable guest experiences.
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