Aside from having a place to lay our heads and get a good shower, cleanliness and security are top priorities when choosing a hotel. Housekeeping then is at the heart of a hotel business because it helps guests relax and not be bothered by petty but tedious concerns like tidying the room or taking out the trash. Staying in a hotel that has excellent and intuitive housekeeping services is always a treat. Any hands-on parent or homemaker can attest to the challenge of keeping a house. Imagine how hard it can be when the cleaning, the daily change of sheets, and the laundry are multiplied many times over in a hotel setting. So, how does housekeeping work in a hotel.
Things you Need to Know About Hotel Housekeeping
Housekeeping is all about maintaining the sanitation, order, and ambiance of a property. It is all about the proper care of the hotel’s amenities so that guests are assured of a comfortable stay. Specifically, housekeeping could involve systematic cleaning and taking care of laundry needs and care of beddings and linens. The upkeep of furniture, fixtures, and fittings of rooms, lobbies, and halls are also included. Another important thing to do is pest control, among others.
Housekeeping in a hotel is also a science, so there are principles recognized and followed in the industry. These principles are mainly anchored on safety and security, privacy, and hygiene and sanitation. For hotels that are more conscious about their carbon footprint and overall effect on the environment, eco-friendly principles are also adhered to. Eco-friendly principles could encompass water conservation since hotels are some of the heaviest users of water across industries. It’s all about striking a balance between the best service for guests and the best care for nature.
Let’s go through some of the principles and standards applied in housekeeping and how does housekeeping work in a hotel.
Housekeeping is all about maintaining the sanitation, order, and ambiance of a property. It is all about the proper care of the hotel’s amenities so that guests are assured of a comfortable stay. Specifically, housekeeping could involve systematic cleaning and taking care of laundry needs and care of beddings and linens. The upkeep of furniture, fixtures, and fittings of rooms, lobbies, and halls are also included. Another important thing to do is pest control, among others.
Housekeeping in a hotel is also a science, so there are principles recognized and followed in the industry. These principles are mainly anchored on safety and security, privacy, and hygiene and sanitation. For hotels that are more conscious about their carbon footprint and overall effect on the environment, eco-friendly principles are also adhered to. Eco-friendly principles could encompass water conservation since hotels are some of the heaviest users of water across industries. It’s all about striking a balance between the best service for guests and the best care for nature.
Let’s go through some of the principles and standards applied in housekeeping and how does housekeeping work in a hotel.
Cleaning and Hygiene Principles
Cleaning is not just about tidying up a room or keeping a table dust-free. Its purpose is most important to ensure that harmful bacteria and viruses are removed in all areas of a hotel. This is so the health and wellbeing of guests and staff alike are taken care of. Concentration on high-touch points like counters, tabletops, doorknobs, and the like are key in housekeeping.
Cleaning is not just about tidying up a room or keeping a table dust-free. Its purpose is most important to ensure that harmful bacteria and viruses are removed in all areas of a hotel. This is so the health and wellbeing of guests and staff alike are taken care of. Concentration on high-touch points like counters, tabletops, doorknobs, and the like are key in housekeeping.
A housekeeper must take note of the following:
- The proper cleaning sequence and procedures must be followed. The sequence usually looks like this: sweeping, dusting, mopping, disinfecting, polishing, air freshening.
- Cleaning must start from the innermost corners of a room and end in a hotel’s outermost areas. This is because there is the least dirt inside a private room compared to high-traffic areas.
- When polishing surfaces, the housekeeper must take care that no damages, discoloration, and other changes are made. Thus, only accredited and approved cleaning agents must be used in the hotel premises.
- The utmost care must be given when handling guests’ luggage.
Safety and Security Principles
Hotels should be extensions of a guest’s home. Thus, it has to be safe, secure and doesn’t add to a guest’s concerns and worries. Also, safety and security principles must also be exercised for the welfare of the housekeepers and staff. In this light, how does housekeeping work in a hotel?
Hotels should be extensions of a guest’s home. Thus, it has to be safe, secure and doesn’t add to a guest’s concerns and worries. Also, safety and security principles must also be exercised for the welfare of the housekeepers and staff. In this light, how does housekeeping work in a hotel?
- Housekeepers must use protective equipment like gloves and masks, especially when handling or being exposed to harmful chemicals.
- Housekeepers should be mindful that they do not cause any obstruction, like blocking passageways and tight corridors due to the improper parking luggage trolleys.
- Any spills must immediately be wiped away, cleaned, and dried to avoid accidents.
- The caution sign must always be used to warn guests and staff on wet floors.
- Housekeepers must master the use of chemicals for cleaning and sanitation, ensuring everyone’s safety.
- The proper posture must be followed when cleaning and performing tasks to reduce cases of straining, fatigue, and similar problems.
- Housekeepers must ensure that guests’ articles and personal property are safe.
Privacy Principles
So, how does housekeeping work in a hotel? Housekeeping is also tasked to see through the comfort and privacy of the guests. Maintaining comfort and privacy are all about treating guests with utmost respect and reverence.
Décor is also part of housekeeping, in that ensuring the guests’ pleasant stay ought to be the priority of cleaners. Adorning a corner with many flowers, strategically placing greens indoors, and hanging a painting up a wall all contribute to a guests’ pleasant stay in a hotel. Housekeepers must know these interior design details by heart, too, so that they know the proper care and maintenance of these ornaments.
So, how does housekeeping work in a hotel? Housekeeping is also tasked to see through the comfort and privacy of the guests. Maintaining comfort and privacy are all about treating guests with utmost respect and reverence.
- Housekeepers should respect guests’ privacy by not disturbing their rest and staying at the hotel, especially when doing housekeeping tasks.
- Housekeepers must not divulge any private information that they find out about guests. They must not pry into guests’ articles.
- Housekeepers must maintain an aura of trust, especially when serving guests.
Décor is also part of housekeeping, in that ensuring the guests’ pleasant stay ought to be the priority of cleaners. Adorning a corner with many flowers, strategically placing greens indoors, and hanging a painting up a wall all contribute to a guests’ pleasant stay in a hotel. Housekeepers must know these interior design details by heart, too, so that they know the proper care and maintenance of these ornaments.
Conclusion
Cleaning and keeping the hotel in order, however, are not the only responsibilities of housekeepers. It’s interesting to discover these facets about how does housekeeping work in a hotel. Apart from all the messy and seemingly unglamorous chores of keeping house, a hotel keeper also has a hand at aesthetics.
Cleaning and keeping the hotel in order, however, are not the only responsibilities of housekeepers. It’s interesting to discover these facets about how does housekeeping work in a hotel. Apart from all the messy and seemingly unglamorous chores of keeping house, a hotel keeper also has a hand at aesthetics.