Importance of Housekeeping Management in Hotels

HOUSEKEEPING MANAGEMENT

THM 244

BY ÖZLEM YAMAK

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO HOUSEKEEPING MANAGEMENT

   OBJECTIVE: 

Describing role of

housekeeping within the hotel and

explaining relationship with the other

departments

.

Why do Guests return to a hotel ?

1.

Cleanliness/Appearance

2.

Good service

3.

Facilities

4.

Convenience/ Location

5.

Price/Reasonable rates

6.

Name/reputation

•

If sheets are soiled, blankets are rough and

scratchy, pillow thin and non-supportive and

shower curtains are moldy and stained, the

entire image of the hotel is tarnished and the

guest most likely will no return.

•

Housekeeping is the customer’s 

first

impression and 

last

 impression.

IMPORTANCE OF HOUSEKEEPING

•

A hotel’s housekeeping-hk. department can be considered the glue that

keeps everything together. Withouth a strong hk. Staff, guests wouldn’t

have clean rooms to check in or re

turn to

, the loby would be filthy,

furniture and fixtures would be dusty, and the hotel would look unkempt

and dirty.

•

Characteristics common to all lodging establishme

nts

, regardless of size,

category, is the need for hk. services that 

‘refreshing

’. In short, hk.

establishes a hotel’s reputation for 

cleanliness

 and 

quality

.

•

A

ccording to Sudhir Andrews, author of ‘Hotel Housekee

p

ing’, the hk.

Department is vital to attracting and keeping guests through it’s role of

maintaining top quality decor, cleanliness and service.

      IMPORTANCE OF HOUSEKEEPING

•

Housekeepers job include cleaning rooms, changing bedding,

cleaning all bathrooms, replacing toileteries, cleaning

common areas, doing laundry and ensuring a clean overall

apperance. It’s easy to see why there are usually more

employees working in the housekeeping department than in

any other hotel department.

•

It is important to have housekeeping  available 24 hours per

day 7 days per week for guests in the hotel industry.

Housekeeping Department



Largest department in the Hotels.



Staff



Payroll



Responsibility- ‘

Eyes and Ears of the Hotel’.

Maintenance Concerns

Guest Behaviour

Employee Theft



The most vital department in a hotels



Highest impact on guests (remember, guest wants cleanliness)



Lowest wages paid



Least respect received

The aims of the housekeeper are to:



Achieve the maximum efficiency possible in the care and comfort of the

guests and in the smooth running of the department,



Establish a welcoming atmosphere and a courteous, reliable service from

all staff of the department,



Ensure a high standard of cleanliness and general upkeep in all areas for

which she is responsible,



Train, control and supervise all staff attached to the department,



Establish a good working relationship with other departments,



Ensure that safety and security regulations are made known to all staff of

the department,



Keep the general manager or administrator informed of all matters

requiring attention.

THE ROOMS DEVISION

•

Rooms Divisions

: Composed of departments and functions

which play essential roles in providing the services that guests

expect during their stay. Divided into departments that Front

Office (front desk, cashier, mail + information section,

reservation, telephone), Security, and Housekeeping

(laundry). Show departments on an organisational chart.

•

Other Departments are:

Food and Beverage Department

Human Resource Department

Accounting Department

Sales and Marketing Department

Engineering and Maintenance Department

•

The executive in charge of the rooms division is the 

Rooms Division

Director/Resident Manager/Executive Manager/Senior Assistant

Manager 

(Look At Organisational Chart).

•

The rooms D

i

vision Director reports directly to the property’s general

manager. As a member of the 

executive committee

, the rooms division

director takes an active part in policy-making decisions related to

operations.

•

The 

front office 

and 

housekeeping departments 

are of critical importance

to the property. The 

Executive Housekeeper 

is the head of housekeeping

and is therefore directly responsible for managing what is in most cases

the largest department of the establishment.

•

The position of executive housekeeper in the organisational chart is that

of 

department head

, equal in rank to the front office manager, the

security manager, and the remaining managers in charge of departments

in other divisions.

•

Each department classified either a 

revenue center 

or a 

support center

.

This method is especially useful for accounting purposes and in relation to

the property’s recordkeeping and information system.

•

Revenue Center

: sells goods or services to guests and thereby generates

revenue for the hotel. The Front Office, F&B outlets, room service, and

retail stores are typical hotel revenue centers.

•

Support Center

: does not generate direct revenue, but plays a supporting

role to the hotel’s revenue centers. The housekeeping department is a

major support center within the rooms division. Others; accounting,

engineering and maintenance, HR.

•

The terms 

front of the house 

(employees have a great deal of guest

contact)and 

back of the house 

(employees have less direct guest contact)

may also be used to classify hotel departments and the personnel within

them.

•

The overall success of an operation depends on the profitability of the

rooms division (70-80% of revenue).

COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HOUSEKEEPING & FRONT OFFICE



Written Communication

Occupancy Report

Housekeeping Rooms Status Report



Mechanical Communication



Computerized Communication

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION



Occupancy Report/Night Clerk’s Room Report

: Prepared by a front desk

agent every night, lists the occupied rooms that night, indicates the rooms

expected to check out the following day (due out).

The Executive housekeeper gets this list in the morning and shedules the

rooms for cleaning.



Housekeeping Status Report

: Prepared by housekeeping department at

the end of the shift, indicates the current housekeeping status of each

room (the rooms that have been cleaned that day).

based on a physical check of each room



Room Status Discrepancy: 

is a situation in which the housekeeping

department’s description of a room’s differ from the front desk’s

description of a room. Reasons why discrepancies may occur:



Guests switches from one room to another + front desk doesn’t change its

records.



Error is made by the night clerk when filling out the Night Clerk’s Report.



Guest is given wrong room key by mistake.



Room is used by an unauthorized employee.



Room is sold by front desk without being recorded, + money is pocketed

by the clerk



Guest checks in or out between the time report is made + check is

conducted.



Keeping room status information up-to-date requires close

communication between the front desk + housekeeping department. The

two most common systems for tracing current room status are 

mechanical

room rack systems

 and 

computerized status systems.

MECHANICAL COMMUNICATION



A 

Room rack 

may be used by the front desk to track the registration

process with the guest’s name + other necessary information + placed in

the room rack slot corresponding to the assigned room number. The

presence of the room rack slip indicates that room is occupied. When the

guests check out, the rack slip is removed + the rooms status is changed to

an 

on-change

.



T

his system may lead to mistakes + delays in the room status information

between housekeeping + the front desk. For ex., if a room rack slip is

mistakenly left in the rack after the guest’s check out, front desk agents

may think that a vacant room is still occupied (sleeper).



Here the communication between housekeeping + front office may be

spoken (on the telephone), written (through the usual reports) or

tele

-

writer.

COMPUTERIZED COMMUNICATION



In a computerized ro

o

m status system, housekeeping and front desk uses

a computer terminal which ensures instant access to room status

information. When a guest checks out, a front desk agent enters the

departure into the computer which alerts housekeeping that the room

needs cleaning. After the room is cleaned + inspected, housekeeping

enters this information into the terminal. This is how the front office is

informed that the room is available for sale.



When the computer system is connected to the 

guestroom telephone

system, the supervisors can enter a designated code on the room

telephone to change the room’s status in the hotel’s computer system to

inform front desk that the room is ready for sale. This saves time + energy

in informing the front desk about the status of rooms.



Other Communications

: Information about occupancy forecast, arrival of

VIP’s, early check-in of groups, closing of certain sections for deep-

cleaning or repairs, delivery of guest laundr, lost and found items, special

guest requests, …

SUMMARY OF DAILY COMMUNICATION BETWEEN F. O. + H. K.

DEPARTMENTS

6 A

. M.



Front Office to housekeeping:

Daily report of each room’s status

Rooming lists + times for arriving groups

Special requests (adjoining rooms, rollways), VIP rooms

Late check-outs

Early check-ins

8 A. M.



Front office to housekeeping:

Check-outs already departed

Update of special request and VIPs

Assignment of show rooms for the day

10 A. M.



Housekeeping to front office:

Results of vacant room check

Rooms that will not be cleaned today

Rooms on maintenance + the reasons

Through the Day



Front office to housekeeping:

Late departures

Extended stays

Room changes

Check-outs which have departed



Housekeeping to front office:

Continual reporting of vacant and ready rooms

Readiness of special requests

Status update of rooms found discrepency

Check –Out Time



Housekeeping to front office:

Status of expected check-outs

During Check-In



Front office to housekeeping:

Update on special requests

Rooms needed as soon as possible

End of the Day



Housekeeping to front office:

Complete update of hotel status

COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HOUSEKEEPING AND MAINTENANCE

Every piece of equipment, fixtures and furniture in the

guestrooms, hallways, linen and laundry rooms, public areas

and employee locker rooms must be in perfect working order

at all times.

There are three kinds of maintenance activities

1.

Routine Maintenance

2.

Preventative Maintenance

3.

Scheduled Maintenance

Maintenance work order system

1.

Routine M

a

intenance

: activities are those which occur on a regular (daily

or weekly) basis for the general upkeep of the property. Ex. Sweeping

carpets, washing floors, cleaning windows, re-placing burned out light

bulbs, cleaning guest rooms, cutting grass. Many of them are handled by

housekeeping.

2.

Preventative Maintenance

: consist of 3 parts: inspection, minor

correction, + work order initiation. Every day, the rooms are routinely

inspected for any leaks, crac

k

s etc. by room attendants and inspectors. If

there are some minor problems, engineering is informed through the

telephone + they are corrected while the room attendant is cleaning the

room.

However, preventative maintenance sometimes identifies major

problems for which work orders are initiated. Then, this type of work is

referred to as scheduled maintenance.

3.

Scheduled Maintenance

: activities are initiated at the property based on

a formal work order. Work orders are the key in the communication

between housekeeping and engineering. When a work order is filled by

the housekeeping, one copy is kept in the department and 2 copies are

sent to the engineering to inform them. One of those copies is kept by

the chief engineer and other is given to the engineering and staff who

will fix the problem.

       TEAMWORK: 

is the key to successful hotel operations. Housekeeping

must work  closely not only with the front office and maintenance but

also with every other department in the hotel. Although the general

manager is responsible for implementing the teamwork philosophy, each

department and every employee can help.

CHAPTER 2 & 3

PLANNING AND ORGANISING THE HOUSEKEEPING

DEPARTMENT

OBJECTIVE:

 Identifying the major

responsibilities and drawing the

organisation of the housekeeping

department.

HOUSEKEEPING RESPONSIBILITIES



Areas of responsibility of the housekeeping department will be different

depending on the size of the hotel.

In limited service hotels:



Guestrooms



Corridors



Public areas, such as the lobby and public restrooms



Pool and patio areas



Management offices



Storage areas



Linen and sewing rooms



Laundry room



Back-of-the-house areas, such as employee locker rooms

Additional areas in mid-and-world class hotels



Meeting rooms



Dining rooms



Banquet rooms



Convention exhibit halls



Hotel-operated shops



Game rooms



Exercise rooms

Exceptional areas that not directly responsible for cleaning



Kitchen

  (Food and Beverage)



Maintenance department



Swimming pool



Front desk

MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS OF EXECUTIVE

HOUSEKEEPER



Planning

 (initial activities)



Organising

/

Co-ordinating/Staffing

 (pre-operating a.)



Directing/Controlling

 (operating activities)



Evaluating

 (appraisal activities)

PLANNING

      It is deciding where one should go and how to get there.

      Planning is probably the executive housekeeper’s most important

management function. Without competent planning, every day may

present one crisis after another. Constant crises lower morale, decrease

productivity, and increase expenses within the department. Ex

housekeeper must be addressed all details in order to ensure that the

work is not only done- but done correctly, efficiently, on time, and with

the least cost to the department. And basic planning activities are:



Area Inventory List



Frequency Schedules



Performance Standards



Productivity Standards



Equipment and Supply Inventory Levels

+



Housekeeping Department Operating Budget

Basic Planning Activities

Initial Planning Question

1.

What items within this area must

be cleaned or maintained?

2.

How often must the items within

this area be cleaned or

maintained?

3.

What must be done in order to

clean or maintain the major items

within this area?

4.

How long should it take an

employee to perform an assigned

task according to the

department’s performance

standards?

5.

What amounts of equipment and

supplies will be needed in order

for the housekeeping staff to meet

performance and productivity

standards?

Resulting Documents

Area Inventory List

Frequency Schedules

Performance Standards

Productivity Standards

Inventory Levels



Area Inventory Lists 

are show all the items within each area that will need

housekeeping’s attention. Preparing area inventory lists is the first

planning activity because the lists ensure that the rest of the planning

activities address every item for which housekeeping will be held

accountable. Lists are bound to be long and extrem

e

ly detailed.



When preparing a guestroom area inventory list, it is a good idea to follow

the sequence in which room attendants will clean items and in which

supervisors will inspect items. This enables the executive housekeeper to

use the inventory as the basis for developing cleaning procedures, training

plans, and inspection checklists.



For example, items within a guestroom may appear on an area inventory

lists as they are found from 

right to left 

and from 

top to bottom 

around

the room.



Frequency Schedules

 indicate how often items on area inventory lists are

to be cleaned or maintained. Items that must be cleaned on daily or

weekly basis become part of a routine cleaning cycle and are incorporated

into standard work procedures. Other items are inspected on a daily or

weekly basis, but they become part of a 

deep cleaning 

program and are

scheduled as special cleaning projects.



The executive housekeeper must take into account a number of factors

when scheduling deep cleaning of guestrooms or other special projects.

For example, whenever possible, days marked for guestroom deep

cleaning should coincide with 

low occupancy 

periods. Also, the deep

cleaning program must be flexible in relation to the activities of other

departments.



For example, if the engineering department schedules extensive repair

work for several gueast

rooms, the executive housekeeper should make

every effort to coordinate a deep cleaning of these rooms with

engineering’s timetable.



Performance Standards 

are developed by answering the question ‘what

must be done in order to clean or maintain the major items within this

area?’. Standards are required quality levels of performance. Performance

standards state not only 

what 

must be done, they also describe in detail

how

 the job must be done.



O

ne of the primary objectives of planning the work of the housekeeping

department is to ensure that all employees carry out their 

cleaning tasks

in consistent manner.

 Although these are vary from one housekeeping

department to another. Important aspect of developing standards is

gaining consensus on how cleaning and other tasks are to be carry out.



When performance standards are not properly developed, effectively

communicated, and consistently managed, the productivity of

housekeeping department suffers because employees will not be

performing their tasks in the most efficient and effective manner.



The written cleaning standards should be a part of the department’s

standard operating procedures 

(SOPs) and strictly observed during the

training

 period  of new employees. Experienced housekeepers know the

truth of the adage, ‘

You can’t expect what you don’t inspect’.



Productivity Standards 

determine the acceptable quantity of work to be done

by department employees. An executive housekeeper begins to establish

productivity standards by answering the question, ‘How long should it take for

a housekeeping employee to perform an assigned task according to the

department’s performance standard?’. Productivity standards must be

determined in order to properly staff the department within the limitations

established by the hotel’s operating budget.



However, housekeeping managers must know how long it should take a

housekeeping employee to perform the major tasks identified on the cleaning

frequency schedules- such as guestroom cleaning once this information is

known, productivity standards can be developed.



Sample Productivity Standard Worksheet

STEP 1

Determine how long it should take to clean one guestroom according to the

department’s performance standards.

Approximately 27 minutes

PS

: Since performance standards vary from property to property, this figure is

used for illust

r

ative purposes only. It is not a suggested time figure for cleaning

guestrooms.

STEP 2

Determine the total shift time in minutes

.

8 hours X 60 minutes = 480 minutes

STEP 3

Determine the time available for guestroom cleaning.

Total Shift Time……………………………………………………………480 minutes

Less:

Begin

n

ing of Shift Duties………………………………………….20 minutes

Morning Break………………………………………………………….15 minutes

Afternoon Break……………………………………………………… 15 minutes

End of Shift Duties…………………………………………………….

20 minutes

Time Available for Guestroom Cleaning………………………..410 minutes

STEP 4

Determine the productivity standards by dividing the result of Step 3 by the

result of Step 1.

410 minutes/

  27 minutes               = 15.2 guestrooms per 8 hour shift



So, 

q

uality

 and 

quantity

 can be like two sides of a coin. On one side, if the

quality expectations (performance standards) are set too high, the

quantity of work that can be done accordingly may be unacceptably low.

This forces the executive housekeeper to add more and more staff to

ensure that all the work gets done. The challenge is to 

effectively

 balance

performance standards and productivity standards. Quality and quantity

each can serve to check and balance the other.

Equipment and Supply ‘Inventory Levels’ 

are needed

by housekeeper to get jobs done. The executive

housekeeper plans appropriate inventory levels by

answering the following question: ‘What amounts of

equipment supplies will be needed for the

housekeeping staff to meet the  performance

productivity standards of the dep

a

rtment?’. The

answer to this question ensures smooth daily

housekeeping activities and forms the basis for

planning an effective purchasing system. A

purchasing system must consistently maintain the

needed amounts of items in housekeeping

inventories. And there are two types of inventory

items 

recycled and non-recycled inventories

.

1.

Recycle Inventories: 

items which are recycled during the

course of hotel operations. For example, linens, some guest

supplies (irons, ironing boards, cribs, etc…), room attendant

carts, vac

u

um cleaners, carpet shampooers, floor buffers and

many other items. The number of recycled items that must

be on hand to ensure smooth operations is expressed as 

par

number.



Par Number

: 

Par refers to the number of items that must be

on hand to support daily, routine housekeeping operations.

For example, one par of linens is the total number of items

needed to outfit all the hotel guestrooms once; two par of

linens is the total number of items needed to outfit all the

hotel guestrooms twice; and so on.

2.

Non-Recycled Inventories:  

items that are

consumed or

used up during routine activities of the housekeeping

department. For example, cleaning supplies, guestroom

supplies (such as bath soap), and guest amenities (which may

range from toothbrushes, shampoos, conditioners, colognes,

etc…). A purchase ordering system for non-recyclable

inventory items establishes a par number that is based on

two figures:



Minimum quantity: 

the fewest number of purchase units

that should be in stock at any time. The inventory should

never fall below the minimum quantity.



Maximum quantity: 

the greatest number of purchase units

that should be in stock at any time. It must be consistent with

available storage space and must not be so high that large

amounts of cash is tied up.

ORGANISING



It includes determination of tasks, skills and personnal necessary to achieve

objectives of the department.



Organising refers to the executive housekeeper’s responsibility to structure

the department’s staff and to divide the work so that everyone gets a fair

assignment and all the work can be finished 

efficiently and 

on time.



Structuring the department’s staff 

means establishing the 

lines of authority

and the 

flow of communic

a

tion 

within the department. Two important

principles that should guide the organisation of a department are:

•

Each employee should have only one supervisor

 (unity of command)

•

Supervisors should have the authority and information necessary to guide the

efforts of employees under their direction

 (span of control)



The executive housekeeper delegates authority to supervisors and must

ensure that each employee recognizes the authority structure of the

department (but can not delegate responsibility). The executive housekeeper

is ultimately responsible for the actions of department supervisors. Therefore,

it is important that supervisors be well informed about hotel policies,

procedures, and the limits of their authority.

The Housekeeping Department Organisational Chart



Organisational Chart 

provides a clear picture of the lines of authority and

the channels of communication within the department.



People working this departments are: executive housekeeper, assistant

housekeeper, uniform room attendants, floor supervisor, public area

supervisor, room attendant, housemen, head housemen, desk control

supervisor, clock room attendants, night supervisor, horticulturist, head

gardener, and gardeners.



COORDINATING

 is the management function of implementing the results

of planning and organising at the level of daily housekeeping activities.

Each day, the executive housekeeper must co-ordinate schedules and

work assignments and ensure that the equipment, cleaning supplies,

linens … are on hand for employees to carry out their assignments.



STAFFING 

involves recruiting applications, selecting those best qualified to

fill open positions, and scheduling employees to work

 (More information

at Chp

.

 4)



DIRECTING i

nvolves supervising motivating, training and disciplining

individuals who work in the department.



CONTROLLING 

refers to the executive housekeeper’s responsibilities to

design and implement procedures which protect the hotel’s assets. (More

information at Chp. 5). Assets are anything the hotel owns which has

value. Example keys, linens, supplies, equipment…



Managers direct people and control things.



EVALUATING 

is the assesing the extent to which planned goals are

attained one of the most important evaluation tool is the monthly budget

reports.

CHP. 5 MANAGEMENT OF INVENTORY AND EQUIPMENT

   OBJECTIVE: Learning how housekeeping

material is classified and defining the

concepts of fixed and operating assets.

CLASSIFICATION OF MATERIALS



Administrative

function refers to adequate selection and purchasing of

supplies and equipments.



Classification of material is a prerequisite to the process of controlling the

large number of items used in the housekeeping department.



Housekeeping materials is divided into two major categories as:

1.

 fixed assets, and

2.

operating assets.

1.

FIXED ASSETS

:



Items that have a long-term life span, generally over 1 year.



Fixed assets are usually cost over $ 100 and depreciated at

the end of the fiscal year.



Depreciation 

means that company reduces value of 

assets

during the period of ass

e

ts’ estimated useful life. For tax

purposes, depreciation is a tax allowance that can be set

aside by the company year after year for replacing items

once they can no longer be used.



Fixed Assets are sub-categorized into 

;

1.

F.F. & E ---Furniture, Fixture and Equipment



Items that have a 5 to 7 year life span



Such as beds, chairs, paintings, mattresses, television sets that are used

in guestrooms, public areas, and staff areas.

2.

Software



Items have a 3 t0 5 year life span



Comprise guestroom fixtures of a textile nature that are not bed linens or

bath linens



Such as curtains, bedspreads, pillows, blankets, comforters

3.

Department Equipment



Life span of these items is between 3 and 7 years



Such as heavier m

o

bile equipment used in the housekeeping department

for cleaning or transportation purposes, vacuum cleaners, schampoo

machines, glass washers, and so on.

2.

OPERATING ASSETS



Include items under the control of executive

housekeeper that are generally used in the day to

day operations of department



An important characteristic of operating assets is

that it must be regularly inventoried.



Operating Assets are sub-catagorized into ;

1.

Cleaning Supplies



Includes 

 e

very one of the items used for cleaning purposes



Such as cleaning solutions, disinfectants, polishers, brooms, mops, rags

2.

Linens 

– have a sub-categories of bed linen and bath linen



Bed linen: 

includes sheets and pillowcases



Bathroom linen: 

includes towels, washcloths, bath mats and washable

shower curtains

3.

Uniforms



It is self-explanatory, including apparel used in the housekeeping

department by supervisors, section housekeepers, laundry, and linen

room personnel

4.

Guest Supplies: 

Items used by guests. And sub-divided into 2

classification as non-reusable and reusable items.



Non-reusable guest supplies 

are soaps, pens, paper items, mints, etc.



Re-usable guest supplies 

are items that can be used again, such as

ashtrays, clothes, hangers and wastebaskets.

CHP. 6 CHARACTERISTICS OF HOUSEKEEOING

EQUIPMENT  AND SUPPLIES



Executive Housekeeper must 

administer

 and 

maintain

 their

properties’ 

fixed assets 

classified as F. F. & E., Software and

Department Equipment and 

operating assets 

classified as

Cleaning Supplies, Guest Supplies-non

-

reusable and reusable-,

Linens-bed and bathroom- and Uniforms.



For this reason (administration and maintain), executive

housekeepers must have 

appropriate knowledge

 of the

assets that are under their control.

HOUSEKEEPİNG F. F. & E., SOFTWARE AND DEPARTMENT EQUIPMENT



DESIGN :

•

Regardless of their type of service, lodging properties must maintain

interior design consistency standards throughout the building.

•

Its guestroom and public area design, color patterns, fabric and upholstry

quality and overall apperance must befit the category they represent.

•

For instance, colors must be complementary. In general blue is

complementary of orange, green of red, and yellow is violet (Look at

colorstar).

•

Why food companies use red? McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King as prime

examples of this.

•

Using several light tints and shades of the same color makes rooms seem

larger, while full-intensity hues tend to make the room compact. Adjoining

walls should be painted the same color to provide a sense of continuity.

When covering walls, smaller prints should be used in small rooms and in

all cases color patterns should be complementary.

•

For instance, lobbies may be fitted with fireplaces, bookcases, and live

plants to make them seem more homey and inviting to travelers.



FURNITURE

•

Executive Housekeeper are generally responsible for the refurbishing and

upkeep of furniture in guestroom, public and employee areas.

•

Furniture should be:

–

Solidly built,

–

Easy to maintain,

–

Functional, and

–

Attractive.

•

For example, desk chairs should have padded backs to provide comfort to

guests (ergonomic) and prevent wood from hitting desktops.

•

In general, guestrooms should provide a warm residential look; for

instance, love seats and armchairs can replace the standard chairs so often

found in hotel rooms.



Upholstery

•

Upholstery fibers may be natural, synthetic, or plastic.

–

Natural fibers  

such as cotton, linen, silk and wool are rich looking and

long wearing but expensive and delicate to maintain because they

stain easily.

–

Synthetic fibers 

are

less expensive and easy to clean but they are less

elegant and more likely to generate static electricity.

–

The greatest advantage of upholstery 

plastic materials  

such as vinyl is

that they can easily cleaned by just wiping with a soapy cloth;

however, they generally have a duller appearance than natural or

blended materials

•

All fabrics should be strong enough to withstand repeating shampooing.



Beds

•

Beds are the 

central attraction 

in guestrooms and often a 

big selling point 

for

travellers when choosing a lodging property. When to pay a room, guests expect to

receive a 

clean

, 

well-maintained sleeping area 

and a 

comfortable bed

.

•

It is important to know the composition of the bed structure of each property in

order to figure out the maximum number of people that the property can house.

•

 Knowing the different types of beds and how many guests can stay in the rooms

will help executive housekeepers plan for bed and bathroom linen and supplies

(Look on page 107, Table 6.1).

•

Another type of sleeping equipment is the 

mobile bed

. Families, collage groups

often require additional sleeping accommodations in guestrooms.

•

Rollaway 

or bed on wheels, consists of a folding frame with an attached bed

spring body.

•

Cribs 

are also essential to have in order to accommodate infants or young children.

•

Dual-purpose sleeping equipment 

is common in guestrooms. Provides both

seating space and extra sleeping capacity, eliminating the need to roll in a mobile

bed on short notice. Sofas, couches, chair-beds, and in-wall beds are the most

common dual-purpose pieces of equipments.

•

In-wall beds, 

also called 

Murphy beds, 

are concealed in the wall behind a panel,

giving the room appe

a

rance of a studio or parlor rather than a bedroom.



Box Spring

•

To act as shock absorbers between the mattress and the bed frame itself.

•

Box spring increase the height of beds, giving them a more elegant look.



Mattresses

•

Surveys of favorite guest amenities conducted regularly by hospitality

magazines consistently show that guests put comfortable mattresses at

the top of the list, second only to cleanliness.

•

Innerspring

 type mat

t

resses are have metal coils that support the weight

of the sleepers while conforming to their body contours.

•

The firmness of the mattress is determined by the gauge of steel used,

number of turns of each coil, and the way the coils are attached to the

mattress frame.

•

Foam

 mattress are used for rollaway beds. Latex foam or urethane. Less

expensive but don’t provide adequate firmness expected by an adult

guests.

•

Water-filled mattress (waterbeds) became quite popular with the public

when they were first used in the 1960s, but they soon proved to be

inconvenient with lodging operators because they often leaked and

because the water had to be heated, which became costly.



FIXTURES

•

Guestrooms, lobies are furnished with accessories such as mirrors,

decorations, pictures, and lights, to complement the furniture.

•

The color and style of fixtures should be ballanced with the overall room

decor.

•

Amount, style, and quality of furnishing will dramatically affect the

apperance of rooms.

•

For instance, strategically placed mirrors can give small room an illusion of

depth.



Carpets

•

Beautiful carpeting can enhance the appearance of lodging properties and

make a lasting impression on guests.

•

The first step in selecting right carpet is to match its color, texture, and

pattern with the design of the area where it is to be installed.



Lighting

•

Lights of adjustable intensity should be placed strategically so that guest

can arrange their preferences to suit their needs.

•

For example, subdued lighting for relaxation or bright lighting for working

or entertaining friends.



EQUIPMENT

•

Guestrooms are often equiped with multi-line telephones complete with

voice mail and PC compadibility; some hotels even provide celluar phones

and 24 hour access to translators and information in other language.

•

Widescrean television sets and high-quality clock radios are a must in 4

and 5 star properties, as are in room sales.



SOFTWARE

•

Depreciable fixed assets that are not furniture or equipment, such as

bedspreads, mattress covers, blankets, pillows and window coverings may

be categorized under the cla

s

sification of software.



Bedspreads

•

As with mattresses, bedspreads should be purchased with the quality of

durability, comfort, maintenance, and fire safety in mind.

•

Bedspreads are an important in decor of guestrooms and should

complement the motif, color and design of the room.

•

While the normal recycling life span of a good bedspread should be at

least 5 years, polycotton bedspreads only last from 2 to 3 years.



Blankets

•

The purpose of blankets is to act as insulators.



Mattress Covers

•

All mattress should be fitted with moisture-proof covers at all times to

prevent staining.



Pillows

•

Comfortable pillows are a necessary complement to comfortable

mattresses. It is advisable to provide two pillows per person for most

guests like to prop them up high to watch television in bed.

•

Hotels should stock a few natural-fill pillows to meet the occosional

request for guests. A record should be kept in the housekeeping

department of the room number where the pillows were delivered and

then should be recovered after the guest’s check-out.



Wall Covers

•

The first consideration for selection wall covering is that they match the

general decor of room; the second, and just as important, consideration is

their durability and ease of maintenance.

•

The two most common forms of wall coverings are paint and vinyl.



Window Coverings

•

Most windows in guestrooms are covered with curtains and sheers.

•

Because of their susceptibility to fading, fabrics used for curtains must be

resistant to direct sunlight.

•

It is advi

s

able to purchase good-quality, vinyl-coated fabrics that can retain

their shape and color for long periods of time.

•

In all cases, the curtain rods and cords must be sturdy to avoid damage;

having batons instead of cords may reduce the chance of breakage.



DEPARTMENT EQUIPMENT

•

Besides F.F.&E. and software material, housekeeping department needs

major pieces of equipment to clean guest, public and employee areas and

to transport clean and soiled linen, trash and supplies.

•

In all cases, department equipment used in housekeeping should be of

heavy duty quality, able to withstand rough and continuous use.

•

Housekeeping Cart: 

It is the most significiant piece of housekeeping

equipment

•

Usually, one cart is assigned to the cleaner of each section of guestrooms

(section housekeeper) and one to each janitor. It is carries the supplies the

housekeepers need to clean a hotel room and prepare it for the next

guest.

o

Characteristics of Housekeeping Cart:

•

Cart should be 

large enough 

and 

have enough shelves 

to carry full

complement of supplies needed in each working shift in order to avoid

unnecessary trips to the linen room for additional supplies.

•

Cart must be 

light

 and 

maneuverable

 enough to be pushed by one person

from door to door and from floor to floor, including pushing it into and out

of service elevators.

•

Cart should be 

contoured with rubber bumpers 

to protect walls and wall

corners and have casters with brakes of superior quality.

•

Some carts can be purchased with 

side panels that can be locked 

in order

to prevent linen and guest amenities from being exposed to whomever

walks past them, thus eliminating theft.

•

If fitted with laundry and trash bags, these should be made of heavy-duty

material to withstand hard use.

•

Plastic baskets or caddies containing guest amenities and cleaning

supplies are generally placed on the top shelf of carts.



Vacuums

•

The typical vacuum cleaner used in guestroom carpet cleaning is upright, with

one or two motors. Dual-motor type has one motor to drive bet

t

er brush and

another to provide the suction.

•

Some useful characteristics of commercial vacuums are: having collector cups,

or zipper receptacles instead of paper bags (it is better to use disposable

bags), long electric cable, wraparound bumpers, secondary filters to protect

the vacuum motor, adjustable brush settings, three-position handlers, and

self-lubricating brushes. Some vacuums are incorporated into the

housekeeping cart.

•

Large area vacuums 

are used in hallways and lobies that contain extensive

areas of carpeting. In very large ballrooms and meeting rooms vacuums with

30 inch brushes should be used.

•

Wet/Dry vacuums 

are designed for wet pickup on any type of hard flooring

surface. They can be used to remove liquids when hard floors are stripped or

for any kind of liquid absorption.

•

Back Vacuums 

worn by housekeeper, are convenient for dusting and cleaning

vertical or high surfaces and fixtures, especially curtains, drapes and wall

coverings. Back vacuums are light, quiet machines equipped with adjustable

straps and hoses that can be expanded to three times their normal length.



Floor Machines

•

Designed to mechanically polish, buff, strip, scrup, grind, sand, burnish,

and shampoo surfaces.

•

Usually one multipurpose machine used.

•

Burnishers

 are used when the property has large areas of terrazzo or tile

floor. Burnishing up to 30.000 square feet per hour.

•

Polishers

 are heavily weighted machines used to grind, sand and polish

marble and other stone floors.

•

Scrubbers

 are used to automatically scrub hard or resilent surfaces by

applying a stripping solution and recovering the liquid as the machine is

pushed along the surface

•

Extractors

 are used to clean carpets and rugs. The simplest and least

expensive consists of a machine with two tanks- one that holds the

cleaning solution and one that collects the suctioned liquid.

•

Self-contained extractors 

are very convenient to operate as they don’t

require a wand or hoses. The best models have four-phase cleaning action

(sprey, scrub, rinse, and extract in one pass). They are also available with

dry foam instead of liquid solution.



OTHER DEPARTMENT EQUIPMENT

•

When large lodging properties use drinking glasses made of glass (rather

than), 

glass washers 

are necessary. The practice of washing housekeeping

glasses in the kitchen’s dishwashers is not an effective one as it is usually

seen as an ‘encroachment’ by the food and beverage department

personnel.

HOUSEKEEPING CLEANING SUPPLIES, GUEST SUPPLIES, LINENS & UNIFORMS



CLEANING 

SUPPLIES

•

Cleaning supplies are categorized under 

operating assets 

and are

including in the property’s operating budget.

•

They comprise chemicals necessary to perform cleaning jobs.

•

 There are several hundred manufacturers

of cleaning chemicals, each of

which markets and sells countless products.

•

The responsibility of selecting and using the right chemicals rests with the

executive housekeeper.



Purchasing Supplies

•

In large properties, the purchasing function is performed by the

purchasing agent

. However, it should be up to the executive housekeeper

to determine what products to use in the department, and to inform the

purchasing agent of the specification and characteristics recuired for the

supplies to be bought.

•

An 

agreemen

t should be made between the department and the vendor

to train workers, at 

no cost

, on 

how to use the cleaning supplies 

properly.

•

Factors regarding the purchasing decisions are ; 

price, availability, service,

and quality.

•

For instance, if a product is difficult to obtain, if purveyor doesn’t provide

training/technical support, if much larger quantities than a more

expensive one have to be used, you might not obtain the expected value

from it.

•

Shopping of cleaning supplies must be done competitively. Because the

cleaning supplies market is quite competitive. Common to select Cleaning

supplies of similar quality from at least 2 different vondors.

•

Bulk purchasing 

of chemicals generally allows for great saving in price to

the housekeeping department. Also, there are disadvantages with buying

chemicals in large quantities.

–

Overbuying products may mean having to 

store them for long periods

of time, 

tying up 

r

esources 

and 

space.

–

Chemicals may 

deteriorate

 while in storage and

–

Actually be 

more labor 

intensive.

–

Decanting liquid from a 55-gallon drum into smaller containers may

take a considerable amount of time. 

Human error when mixing

concentrates 

and water or causing spills.

•

Although, 

pre-measured chemicals 

are ready to be used as purchased,

thus not requiring much handling, their high cost is disadvantages.

And they generate a lot of trash as they are used.

•

In-house 

chemical dispensers 

or mixing stations can be a good

alternative to both bulk and pre-measured products. The dispensers,

plumbed to hot or cold water, can  automatically mix bulk chemicals,

eliminating human error and labor cost from the process.



Housekeeping Chemicals

•

Major purposes of chemicals are:



To remove dirt,



To destroy harmful microorganism,



To preserve,



To make beautiful  furniture, fixtures and surfaces.

•

pH scale: 

stgength of cleaning chemicals is measured by pH scale. pH is

the symbol for the logarithm of the reciprocal of hydrogen ion

concentration in gram atoms per liter.

•

The scale goes from 1 to 14. 1 indicating very acidic solution, 14 a very

alkaline solution, and 7 a neutral solution.

•

Cleaning chemicals that have been enhanced with alkalis and acids to

strengthenen their cleaning powers can be dangerous for human and

often can not be used on certain surfaces. A natural cleaner can be used

for all types jobs but its cleaning power is limited.

•

Detergent: 

it is the another name for cleaners. Detergents act

chemically to emulsify dirt, holding it in suspension so it can be

removed away from the surface. Most cleaning detergents are

made from mineral oil.

•

All purpose cleaners: 

have natural pH-balanced formulas for

general-purpose cleaning jobs. They usually are synthetic

detergents, often vegetable oil based, of which pine oil is very

popular because of its pleasant scent and strong deodorizing

power. Have corrosion inhibitors to protect metal surfaces.

•

Single purpose cleaners: 

are heavy-duty cleaners used for

specific cleaning jobs. Abrasive cleaners are cleaning powders or

pastes combined with silica for though cleaning jobs. These

cleaners will scratch soft surfaces like fiberglass or porcelain.



Restroom and Bathroom Cleaners

•

Strong acidic cleaners are needed to clean away lime and rust deposits in

restroom and bathroom fixtures.

•

Most toilet cleaners kill bacteria and viruses, including the HIV-1 virus, on

contact. Housekeepers should be trained well in how to handle these

powerful products.

•

Graffiti removers consist of a gel formula that effectively effects ink,

crayon, lipstic

k

, some spr

a

y paints, magic marker, and bumper stickers

from most hard surfaces. These powerful products should not be used, on

rubber vinyl, plastic or painted surfaces.

•

Chemicals 

can be used to control and kill pathogenic bacteria by sanitizing

a

range of viruses

 a

nd disinfecting surfaces and utensils. But, 

disinfectants

are germicidal chemicals that kill microorganisms and prevent them from

multiplying. They are effective against many forms of microorganisms,

including salmonella, fungi, and a broad.



Floor Care Chemicals

•

Floor cleaners are water or vegetable oil based and can be applied to

synthetic surfaces, marble, terrazzo, and other washable floors.

•

Strippers

 are chemicals used to remove and clean old floor finishes prior

to rewaxing, resealing, or refinishing them. After the floor has been

stripped, the alkaline residue should be neutralized with a 

neutralized

rinse

prior to applying a new finish.

•

Floor sealers 

are used to protect porous surfaces such as concrete,

terrazzo, wood, and marble from staining.



Carpet Chemicals

•

Carpet

shampoo is marketed under manyn commercial brands, and it is

composition can be different as well.



CLEANING ACCESSORIES

•

Up-right brooms 

are used for reaching into corners, along walls or hard to

reach areas for fast. Such as janitor, wareho

u

se, household, lobby, porter,

whisky brooms. In all cases, up-right brooms should be heavy duty and

have wire bands to help retain shape.

•

Push brooms 

usually consist of combination of horse hair and synthetic

fibers. For durability, the broom block should be attached to the handle by

a sturdy metal brace.

•

Wet mops 

also come in a variety of forms:

–

four-ply cotton-synthetic fiber blend mops have good absorption;

–

mops with looped ends are more durable than cut-ended

–

Some brands feature mildew and bacteria resistant mops with

scrubber headbands and double banding

–

Tight twisted, string-style eight-ply mops are especially designed for

floor finishing applications.

•

Mop buckets/wingers 

come in different shapes and forms as well. Dual

bucket systems consist of two overlapping buckets mounted on a mobile

platform with casters. One bucket holds the cleaning solution and the

other carries the rinse water for better sanitation.

•

Heavy-duty plastic buckets are preferable to zinc ones as they are quiter,

have no corrosion, and will not dent.



Handling and Storing Chemicals

•

Knowing how to safely handle, mix, and store them can protect

employees, guests, and the company from explosions, fires,

environmental contamination, higher insurance premiums, and costly

litigation.



Hazard Communication (HazComm)

•

In order to protect workers from unsafe working conditions, the

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA

) requires that

employees handling chemicals are informed of the risks that these

chemicals pose and that the employeer provides appropriate training on

how to use them safely.

•

HazComm

 requires that a list of hazardous chemicals used in the

housekeeping department be compiled and kept updated. The executive

housekeeper must then develop a program to let all employees be awere

of, and alert to the hazardous materials they will come in contact with,

teaching them about their specific characteristics and dangers.

•

Workers should wear the right personal protective equipment when

handling certain chemicals-mainly gloves, face masks, and goggles.

•

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDT) 

provide all information about

product’s hazardous ingredients, its physical and chemical characteristics,

flammability, recommended handling, health hazards, and what to do in

case of ingestion, fire, or explosion.



GUEST SUPPLIES

•

Lodging companies provide their guests with guestrooms items intended

to make their stay as convenient and comfortable as possible.



Non-reusable Supplies/Amenities

•

Items that guests are expected to use up or may take away with them

when the end of their stay. Finding the right amenities for a property must

be calculated endeavor; the higher the room rate is, the more luxurious

amenities should be. In all cases, today’s travellers have come to expect

the best possible 

a

menities for the type of establishment tyey patronize.

•

Sample Bathroom Amenity Items 

are: after-shave lotion, bath gel, bath

salts, bath soap, body lotion, body powder, cologne, cosmetics,

deodorant, fabric wash, facial tissue, hand lotion, hand soap, mouthwash,

nail clippers, perfume, razor, scissors, shampoo and conditioner, shaving

cream, shower cap, suntan lotion…

•

Sample Guestroom Amenity Items 

are: bathrobe, candy, chocolates,

coffee and tea, cookies, corkscrew, flowers, fruit, laundry bags, matches,

mints, notepads, pens, postcards, sewing kit, shoe horn, shoe mit, slipper,

stationery…



Reusable Supplies

•

Depending on quality of lodging establishment, reusable supplies can

range from the barely essential items offered by economy properties to

the highly sophisticated.

•

Supplies provided by most lodging properties are coat hangers, ice

buckets, waste baskets, ashtrays, Bible, and recently electronic

equipments.

•

Technology-minded guestes hope to find in lodging properties are

computers with Internet access, fax machines, voice mail, DVD players,

high quality receivers…



UNIFORMS

•

Uniforms for section housekeepers and housepersons should be

functional, good looking and comfortable, with sleeves that allow for ease

of movement. Badly designed unstylish uniforms can affect worker’s

morale and lower the property’s image. Because of turnover, smocks,

shirts, and pants must be easily alterable and able to stand frequent

washing.

•

It is important to establish par of employee uniforms. So that each worker

is provided with a clean, fresh looking outfit each day.

•

In order to save space, capital incestments, and labor costs, some

properties may resort to having uniform services provided by companies

that furnish a 5 par of uniforms for each full time employee on a weekly

basis.

•

Executive housekeeper must analyze the cost of purchasing, laundering,

and maintaining uniforms in-house and that of having the service provided

by an outside contractor.

•

If the cost of the latter is substantially greater, the service should be

conducted on the property.