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1hls chapLer covers lnLroducLlon Lo dally rouLlnes ln Pk depL 1he housekeeplng day

Cpenlng Lhe house and 8rleflng LnLerlng a guesL room 8oom cleanlng procedures and
guesL amenlLles Maklng a bed Lvenlng or Lurn down servlce Second servlce
Da||y rout|nes and systems
lannlng ls vlLal for housekeeplng deparLmenL 1he success of Lhls plannlng ls rLeflecLed ln
Lhe dally rouLlne followed ln Lhe housekeeplng deparLmenL 1he execuLlve housekeeper
guldes hls/her Leam ln carrylng ouL Lhe dally rouLlne whlceh he/she would have esLabllshed
and lmproved upon slnce Lhe lncepLlon of Lhe hoLel 1he enLlre plannlng process however
efflclenL on paper would resulL ln an lnefflclenL housekeeplng seLup lf noL Lranscrlbed lnLo
good dally rouLlne acLlvlLles
1nL nCUSLkLLING DA
ln a hoLel LhaL has been funcLlonlng for some years housekeeplng operaLlons follow a seL
dally rouLlne wlLh Lhe requlred sysLems ln place A key concepL ln Lhls dally funcLlonlng ls
Lhe 'housekeeplng day' 1he housekeeplng day refers Lo LhaL parL of Lhe 24 hours ln a day
when housekeeplng operaLlons are ln full swlng lor sysLemaLlc managemenL of Lhe dally
rouLlne of Lhe housekeeplng deparLmenL Lhe housekeeplng day ls dlvlded lnLo Lhree shlfLs
as ls Lhe case operaLlonally Loo needless Lo say more sLaff are scheduled for Lhe mornlng
shlfL Lhan for Lhe oLher shlfLs slnce Lhe workload peaks durlng Lhe shlfLs slnce Lhe workload
peaks durlng Lhe shlfL 1he Lhree shlfLs are usually as follows
O Mornlng shlfL 700 am Lo 400 pm
O AfLernoon shlfL 200 am Lo 1100 pm
O nlghL shlfL 1100 pm Lo 800 pm
1he dally rouLlne may dlffer sllghLly from one hoLel Lo Lhe oLher and shlfL Llmlngs may vary
conslderably dependlng on Lhelr locaLlon and LargeL cllenLele
CLNING 1nL nCUSL
'Cpenlng Lhe house' refers Lo a dally operaLlonal procedure whereby rooms are asslgned for
servlclng by C8As scheduled for work LhaL day 1he procedure depends enLlrely upon Lhe
occupancy level of Lhe hoLel Cpenlng Lhe house ls enLlrely a supervlsory acLlvlLy and should
be compleLed before Lhe workers arrlve for work LhaL ls before 78 am
1he nlghL supervlsor keeps ready Lhe 'nlghL reporL' or Lhe occupancy reporL generaLed aL
nlghL by Lhe fronL desk aLLendanL 1he nlghL supervlsor also passes on Lhe llsL of arrlvals and
deparLures obLalned from Lhe fronL desk Lo Lhe asslsLanL housekeeper 8ased on Lhese Lwo
documenLs Lhe asslsLanL housekeeper prepares Lhe dally work reporL 1he alm of referrlng Lo
Lhe nlghL reporL ls Lo schedule Lhe work accordlng Lo Lhe occupancy for Lhe sLaff expecLed
Lo come ln for mornlng shlfL duLles 1he asslsLanL housekeeper checks Lhe occupancy for Lhe
day and Lakes lnLo accounL Lhe LoLal number of sLaff avallable ln hand and decldes Lhe
number of C8As requlred for servlclng Lhe rooms aL LhaL occupancy level 1he asslsLanL
housekeeper hands over Lhe secLlon worksheeL Lo each floor supervlsor 1he secLlon
worksheeL has Lhe room numbers of Lhe secLlon LhaL Lhe floor supervlsor ls responslble for
and ldenLlfles Lhelr sLaLus as 'vacanL' 'occupled' or 'check ouL' 1hls sheeL Lhus lndlcaLes Lhe
room sLaLus of Lhe enLlre secLlon Lo Lhe supervlsor 1hls ls Lhen cllpped on Lo Lhe room
aLLendanL's carL Cnce each room has been cleaned and lnspecLed Lhe floor supervlsor puLs
a check mark agalnsL LhaL room number on Lhe sheeL
Sample occupancy report

Sample daily work report


As parL of Lhelr openlng duLles Lhe supervlsors Lake over from Lhe prevlous shlfL sLaffs and
check Lhe keys peruse Lhe logbook whlch ls used ln Lhe housekeeplng deparLmenL Lo convey
lnformaLlon from one shlfL Lo Lhe oLher AnoLher documenL consulLed by Lhe supervlsor ls
Lhe banqueL funcLlon prospecLus (8l) 1hls glves Lhem prlor lnLlmaLlon of Lhe varlous
parLles and conferences held and llsL Lhe expecLed responslblllLles of all Lhe supporL
deparLmenLs lncludlng housekeeplng for Lhe same 1he housekeeplng responslblllLles for a
banqueL may lnclude provldlng Lable and decoraLlon llnens decoraLlve arLlfacLs flower
arrangemenLs and speclal accessorles cleanlng Lhe hall prlor Lo and afLer Lhe evenL and so
on 1he 8l ls senL well ln advance Lo Lhe housekeeplng deparLmenL Lo allow plannlng for
Lhese Lasks
r|ef|ng
1he depuLy housekeeper or Lhe execuLlve housekeeper belng Lhe managerlal sLaff wlll hold
Lhe brleflng sesslon for all Lhe employees aL Lhe beglnnlng of Lhe work shlfL 1hls process
faclllLaLes a Lwoway communlcaLlon beLween Lhe managemenL and Lhe sLaff usually Lhls ls
Lhe Llme aL whlch groomlng sLandards are checked before allocaLlng [obs Lo Lhe sLaff 1he
followlng may be communlcaLed ln Lhe course of a brleflng sesslon of 10 mlnuLes
O Any vls ln house
O ollcles and new procedures Lo be followed by sLaff or hoLel ln general
O ob allocaLlons
O lmmedlaLe reporLlng relaLlonshlps for Lhe shlfL
O hecklng of groomlng sLandards and personal hyglene
O AppreclaLlon of work well done on Lhe earller shlfLs
O 8ecLlflcaLlon requlred (on Lhe basls of observaLlon)
O 8anqueLs or oLher evenLs Lo be held ln Lhe hoLel

|ean|ng Guest rooms
leanlng ls Lhe removal of dusL dlrL forelgn maLLer Larnlsh and sLalns from Lhe varlous
surfaces wlLh Lhe ald of cerLaln cleanlng agenLs and equlpmenL uusL dlrL and forelgn maLLer
deposlLed on a surface are referred Lo as soll 1hls may lnclude sand mud polluLanLs smoke
and fumes broughL lnLo Lhe bulldlng from ouLslde Some Lypes of soll such as sewage halr
dead skln cells and flbres shed from Lhe cloLhlng are generaLed by Lhe occupanLs of Lhe
bulldlng
leanlng ls carrled ouL for Lhe followlng reasons
AesLheLlc appeal 1he envlronmenL ls made vlsually aLLracLlve and appeallng
Pyglene LffecLlve frequenL cleanlng conLrols Lhe growLh and reproducLlon of paLhogenlc
bacLerla and oLher germs
MalnLenance Surfaces and arLlcles however good ln quallLy wlll have a long funcLlonal llfe
only when Lhey are cleaned on a regular basls
SafeLy leanlng ls done for safeLy agalnsL healLh hazards flre hazards and sllp hazards
S1ANDAkDS CI LANING
uependlng on Lhe purpose of Lhe area and surfaces Lo be cleaned varlous sLandards of
cleanlng may be lmposed Cnce a sLandard has been esLabllshed Lhere should be sLrlcL
adherence Lo Lhe cleanlng meLhods requlred and efflclenL Lralnlng and supervlslon ls
called for 1here may be dlfferenL sLandards of cleanlng for dlfferenL surfaces and areas
as follows

hys|ca||y c|ean When Lhls sLandard ls seL Lhe area or surface ls supposed Lo be free
from apparenL dusL and dlrL as when wlped by hand

hem|ca||y c|ean1hls sLandard means LhaL Lhe area should be free from harmful
chemlcals on Lhe surfaces and ln Lhe surroundlng alr

acter|o|og|ca||y c|ean 1o meeL Lhls sLandard Lhe surfaces should be cleaned so as Lo
be free from any harmful bacLerla LhaL may cause dlsease or lnfecLlon 1hls ls referred
Lo as cllnlcal sLandard as mosL hosplLals follow Lhls sLandard for Lhelr general wards

Lntomo|og|ca||y c|ean 1hls means LhaL Lhe area should be free from harmful lnsecLs
or pesLs

Csmo|og|ca||y c|ean 1hls cleanlng sLandard demands LhaL Lhe surfaces and areas should
be free from any organlc or lnorganlc maLLer LhaL may emlL an odour

1erm|na||y c|ean 1hls refers Lo Lhe sLandard of cleanlng usual ln operaLlon LheaLres
and lnLenslve care unlLs ln hosplLals where surfaces need Lo be consLanLly sanlLlzed
agalnsL all klnds of paLhogenlc mlcrobes
kCLDUkL ICk nLkING A kCCM
iven below ls a sLepbysLep procedure for checklng a room
3ter|ng the koom
1 knock Lhe door announclng Pousekeeplng
2 lf Lhere ls no answer afLer flfLeen seconds knock Lhe door agaln Lhe second Llme
announclng Pousekeeplng
3 lf Lhere ls sLlll no answer use Lhe masLer key Lo open Lhe door announclng
Pousekeeplng and knocklng Lhe door when a[ar When relaLlvely sure LhaL Lhere ls no
occupanL open Lhe door wlde
SwlLch off Lhe room alrcondlLloner or heaLlng uraw all curLalns and open all wlndows Lo
alr Lhe room
Guest e|ong|ng heck
1 heck deparLure rooms for guesL losL and found lLems and reporL Lhem
lmmedlaLely Lo Lhe conLrol desk
2 lck guesL cloLhes and hang Lhem ln Lhe wardrobe ln occupled rooms
3 LmpLy all ash Lrays lnLo a wasLe paper baskeL ln Lhe room ollecL oLher loose
Lrash on Lables and floors and Lhrow Lhem ln Lhe wasLe paper baskeL checklng
for guesL belonglngs
4 heck wasLe paper baskeLs for guesLs belonglngs before empLylng Lhem lnLo
Lhe Lrash bag of Lhe malds carL
ollecL all loose papers and magazlnes and sLack Lhem neaLly on Lhe desk

Ma|ntenance heck

1he room aLLendanL has Lo check Lhe room for malnLenance requlremenLs and reporL Lhe
same Lo Lhe onLrol uesk Pe wlll enLer such malnLenance requlremenLs ln Lhe room
checkllsL 1he checks lnclude Lhe followlng

lecttlcol

laulLy
alrcondlLlonlng
or heaLlng
lused bulbs
nonworklng
llghLs and lamps

uefecLlveplugs
and plug polnLs
ShorL clrcul Ls

laulLy geysers
Mlnlbars

Mlcrowave ovens

keLLles halr dryers


8ollet

Supply of hoL
waLer ln guesL
baLhrooms

Mecboolcol

SafeLy boxes

uoor and
wlndow locks



llombloq clvll cotpeotty lecttoolc

laulLy Any 8roken or 1v noL
Laps and masonry shaky Worklng
showers

work

furnlLure


8locked Seepages 8roken
dralns chlpped glass
and waLer palnLlng panes and
closeLs mlrrors





Wardrobe
W flushlng doors
sysLems


Wall
leakage

G TH B

Bed making requires technical expertise in a hotel because of the sheer volume of beds to
be made in a given shift f a room attendant has to prepare 16 rooms, as per the prevalent
standards, in a shift, he has potentially 32 beds to make This is in addition to cleaning the
rooms and bathrooms t is here that his productivity is determined iven below are the
detailed steps for making a bed:

1 Pull the bed away from the headboard by tugging the bed from the foot of the bed
All the beds in hotels are mounted on wheels for easy maneuver ability
2 Remove all soiled linen from the bed Shake them out for any guest articles that
may be misplaced in the folds
3 Deposit the soiled linen in the linen hamper of the maid's cart
nvert mattresses over-side and end-to-end to ensure even use, every alternate day
Adjust the skirting so that they fall evenly on the floor
5 Shake out the mattress protector and relay it on the mattress Change the protector
if soiled or smelling
6 Clean the headboard with a feather duster
7 Open out a fresh lower sheet and tuck it securely at the head, sides and the foot of
the bed
8 Miter the corners following the sequence
9 Open out the fresh top sheet and distribute it evenly on the lower sheet Ensure
that the laundry crease is in the same line as the inner sheer for even distribution
The sheet hem must be evenly pulled up to the headboard Tuck this sheet at the
footboard
10 Open out the blanket and distribute it evenly on the top sheet using the crease as
described earlier for even distribution Ensure that the blanket labels are at the foot
of the bed Pull the blanket eight inches from the headboard to position the pillows
and create a fold for the guest to slide in
11 Fold the top sheet at the head of the bed, over the blanket and fold the blanket
and top sheet once again
12 The blanket and the top sheet are tucked uniformly under the mattress on both sides
and the corners at the foot of the bed are mitered
13 Fold the corner of the blanket and top sheet for the guest to easily slide into the bed
(Some hotels will do this only during turndown service)
1 Cover the pillows with fresh pillow covers Fluff the pillow and even out pillow covers
to look full, neat and tidy Since pillow slips are usually larger than the pillow, the
excess slip should be neatly folded downward The side of the pillow which has the
fold should be away from guest view n the turn/down service, a breakfast knob is
placed on the pillow
15 Cover the completed bed with a bed spread ensuring it is right side up and falling
evenly all round the bed to look appealing The bed spread corners must fall to the
floor in an aesthetic manner
16 Tuck the bed spread under the pillows to complete the bed
17 Push the bed back towards the headboard ensuring that it is aligned
18 Put spare blankets (upon guest's request) in plastic covers and store in the top shelf
or lower shelf of the wardrobe in the guest room, The blankets are folded in a
manner where the hotel logo is at the top



G

Guest Room cIea33

1 Place room service trays and trolleys outside along the wall of the corridor' wall and
call room service from the room telephone to clear them

2 Commence the dusting of allsurfaces in a clockwise direction in the room Clean all
surfaces in a circular motion with a dry duster Use a hand dustpan to collect any
unwanted matter on the surfaces without lifting dust in the air Ensure that all surfaces
are spotlessly clean Pay special artention to nooks and corners especially those
points that may not be visible to the guest
3 Use a stiff bristled brush-or vacuum cleaner with the appropriate attachment to clean
upholstered furniture
Replace stationery as per standard numbers prescribed by management The normal
standard is six letter heads and six envelopes Some hotels also provide postcards in
the stationery kit
5.Dust and replace each item on dressers, bureaus, and desks Special attention must
be given to the display of publicity materials as prescribed by the management
6. Clean lamp shades with a feather duster Lift lamps and clean under the base Replace
lamps and adjust the lamp shade
7. Disinfect the telephone mouthpiece with Dettol (or any other disinfectant) Wipe the
balance of the telephone with a damp cloth Check phone for the dial tone
8. Clean the mirror with a dry cloth first and then with a damp newspaper to make it
sparkling
9. Dust the wardrobe, shelves, hangers and rods Brush the ward- robe floor Supply new
laundry bags and replace missing hangers and underliners
10. Dust both sides of all room doors, baseboards, window sills, inside and out, bottom
and centre sashes of window curtains, sash rails, etc
11. Clean all the picture frames
12. Clean floor heaters or airconditioning units
Bathroom I ea3 3
1. Open windows (if any) and vents
2. Shake out all soiled bathroom linen and deposit them in the linen hamper of the maid's
cart
3. Collect trash from the bathroom dustbin and deposit it in the trash bag of the maid's
cart
4. Clean the ceiling and airconditioning vents for cobwebs
5. Wipe bulbs and light shades with a dry cloth Check that all the bulbs are working
6. Wipe down tile walls using a sponge or damp cloth Follow with a dry cloth ensuring
that tiles are free of water marks
7. Clean mirror first with a dry cloth and then with a damp newspaper and finally with a
dry cloth Ensure that the mirror is smudge-free Clean the medicine cabinet
8. Clean the wash basin counter with a wet sponge first followed by a dry sponge (in
occupied rooms, shift guest belongings from one side of the wash basin to the other
while cleaning Replace them as the guest had left it)
9. Wipe dry the shower curtain with a sponge Scrub and clean dry the bath tub ensuring
that the water faucets and shower are sparkling and in working condition
10. Scrub the toilet bowl and bidet using the special brush or mop and the appropriate
sanitiser The inner rim must be clean, ensuring it is dry and spotless inside Clean the
WC from the outside with a sponge till it is sparkling and dry Clean the lid
and toilet seat of the toilet bowl dry and close it by placing the disinfectant label
11. Replenish fresh bath linen and guest supplies as per the number of per
following standards

Linen Supplies

One bath towel per person 2 toilet rolls
One face towel 1 bath tumbler per person
One hand towel 1 soap dish
One bath mat 2 soap cakes per person (25gms each)
1 candle stand with candle
One ash tray with match box
(n smoking rooms only)
1 shoe mitt
1 vanity case
1 shower cap
2 disposable bags
1 blade dispenser (if not built into the wall)
1 face tissue box
1 waste bin
Promotional tent cards


12. scrub the floor with the prescribed mop and ensure it is dry
13.Finally close the windows; shut all the lights and close the bathroom door




F3aI Iea33 of the Room

1. Close the windows
2. Vacuum the carpets (or brush it if vacuum cleaners are not available)
from the window towards the exit door
3. Arrange furniture if necessary
4. Switch on the airconditioning or heating at the minimum temperature
for a departure room and at the same temperature at which the guest had left it for an
occupied room
5 Have a last look at the room referring to the checklist for the completion of work



The rty oze3
Certain areas in a room or bathroom elude the room attendant's attention and dust tends to
accumulate in such areas Such areas are normally hidden from a guest's eye However,
the cleanliness of these areas shows the standard of cleaning of the hotel Experience
shows that the following areas are overlooked and appropriately called ''The dirty dozen''
They are
1. The top of door edges and ceiling
2. Airconditioning ducts and diffuser grills
3.Under bathroom counters and grab bar
4. Areas beneath the dresser table
5. Behind the WC bowl and the S trap
6. n the toilet roll niche
7. Faucet nozzle filter
8. Toilet vents
9. Top of picture frames
10. Headboard
11. Rear surface of the doors
12. nterior surfaces of drawers


;e3 3 ser;ce
Most of the room cleaning is done in the morning and
afternoon shift, the exception being rooms with a "Do-not-
Disturb" sign Such rooms are normally occupied by late night/
early morning arrivals, especially crews All occupied rooms,
however, require an evening turndown service to prepare the
room for the night The room attendant will follow the
procedure given below:
1.nock and enter the room as per the procedure given above
2. Put all light switches on to check that they are working
3. Draw heavy curtains to give privacy to guests at night
4. Hang loose guest clothes in the wardrobe
5. Take off the bed cover, fold it neatly and store it in the wardrobe in the top or lower
shelf
6. Fold one corner of the blanket to enable a guest to slide into the bed easily (picture
alongside)
7. Place a breakfast knob card along with a rosette/chocolate, as prescribed, on the pillow
(picture alongside)
8. Remove soiled glasses and bottles if any Replenish glasses and fill the water flask
with drinking water (where applicable)
9. Empty and clean ashtrays and waste bin
10.Replace soiled bath linen as per the standards given above
11 Replenish missing toiletries and other supplies
12 Set the climate control temperature to the minimum
13. Turn off all lights except the passage lamp/night lamp as prescribed
14. Shut the door firmly
$eco3/ $er;ce
This is a service provided at the specific request of a guest This normally happens when a
guest had a party or meeting in the room and would like the room in order before he/she
retires
The room attendant would complete the following tasks:
1. Remove soiled dishes, bottles and glasses
2. Remove room service trays, if any
3. Dust the room where necessary
4. Replace used guest supplies
5. Empty and clean ashtrays and waste basket
6. Arrange the bed properly
7. Replace soiled bathroom linen as per the standards discussed above
8. Flush the WC
9. Wipe dry the counter top around the wash basin
10. Use a room refresher if necessary
11. Replace water tumblers and fill water flasks with fresh water

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