Accommodation Operations

Accommodation Operations
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B.SC HOSPITALITY AND CATERING MANAGEMENT
ACCOMMODATION OPERATIONS

UNIT 1

1.1 The role of housekeeping in hospitality operation
1.2 Types of hotels and service offered
1.3 Types of rooms

1.1 THE ROLE OF HOUSE KEEPING IN HOSPITALITY OPERATION

The housekeeping department is the backbone of all hotel services and is closely connected with all the other
departments. It is a vital part of the system that affects the overall quality of service provided by the hotel. This
department needs to coordinate and be in constant touch with the other departments, such as food and beverage,
engineering and maintenance, security and front-office.

The efficiency of the housekeeping department has a direct impact on room availability because it is the housekeeping
department which provides the rooms for occupancy that the front-office ultimately offers for use to the guests. It is
responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the entire property. The off-season for the hotel is, in fact, the peak season
for the housekeeping department. The attitude and mannerisms of the staff reflect the image of the property. Personal
hygiene and grooming are natural requirements for the housekeeping staff. They are expected to be neat and tidy,

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courteous and polite, with a pleasant personality. Language proficiency is an advantage while astute communication skills
are a must. The look and presentation of a room is the sole responsibility of the department. However expensive or
beautiful an article may be, it loses its charm and value if it is not well displayed. The role is a multifaceted one, its
various dimensions encompassing the responsibilities of guide, counsellor, trainer, facilitator and organiser. An effective
and efficient housekeeper needs to be patient, firm and fair, be a good listener and promote effective team bonding. As a
career, it can give a deep sense of satisfaction at the end of the days work.

1.2 TYPES OF HOTELS AND SERVICE OFFERED

Hotels can be classified according to the following categories.
1. According to length of stay
Residential
Semi residential / Semi transient
Transient

2. According to type of plan
European Plan (E.P.) Room tariff + Bed Tea (Optional)
Continental Plan (C.P.) Room tariff + Continental Breakfast
American Plan (A.P.) Room tariff + Breakfast + Lunch+ Dinner
Modified American Plan Room tariff + Breakfast + Lunch/ Dinner

3. According to number of rooms

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Size of hotel Range of rooms
Small Size 0 25
Medium Size 25 100
Large 100 300
Very Large 300 and above

4. According to location of property
Airport / Railway Hotels
Downtown
Suburban hotel
Country hotels
Floating hotels
Highway hotels
Resorts

5. According to type of guest / clientele
Business
Leisure
Others

6. According to operating periods

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Seasonal
Year round
Two seasonal
7. According to type or level of service
Economy hotels
Mid range service hotels
World class hotels

8. According to ownership
Independent hotels
Chain / Group of hotels
Private hotels

9. Alternate lodging properties
Dharamshalas
Sarais
Houseboats
Hostels
Pilgrim hostels
Clubs
Circuit houses
Palace on wheels

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Youth hostels
Dak Bungalow
Tourist camps
Camping grounds
Travellers lodge
Dormitories
Retiring rooms
Broadways houses
Wayside Inns
Villas / Chalets
Rest houses
Condominiums
Holiday villas
Log cabins
Circuit houses
Sanatoria
Apartment hotels
Hospices
Rent and self catering accommodation
Caravan camping sites
Paying guest accommodation


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Services offered in these hotels could vary from hotel to hotel and the positioning of the hotel and could include all or
some of the following:

Expensive furnishings, decorative and artwork.
Upscale restaurants and lounges
Spacious meeting facilities
Concierge service
Special guestroom and bathroom amenities
Nightly turndown service
Meeting facilities for conferences and small convention
Full food and beverage service
Coffee shop
Room Service
Banquet rooms
Specialty restaurant
Lounges
Uniformed service
Airport service

1.3 TYPES OF ROOMS

Each hotel has a variety of rooms to suit the needs of the guest. Following are the types of rooms usually found in a hotel.

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SINGLE ROOM
A room that has one single bed and is meant for one person. Size of bed is 36x 75

DOUBLE ROOM
Room with a double bed meant for a 2 people. Size of bed is 54x75

TWIN ROOM
A room with 2 single beds separated from each other meant for 2 people. Size of bed is 39x 75.
TWIN DOUBLE ROOM OR DOUBLE DOUBLE ROOM
A room with 2 double beds separated from each other meant for 4 people.

TRIAD ROOM
A room with 3 single beds separated from each other .Meant for 3 people.

QUAD ROOM
A room with 4 single beds separated from each other meant for 4 people.

HOLLYWOOD TWIN BEDDED ROOM
A room with 2 single beds separated from each other but have a common headboard meant for 2 people.

PARLOUR

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It is a sitting room or a living room attached to a parlour bedroom meant for sitting and relaxing.

STUDIO ROOM
A parlour set up with one or two studio beds or couches or sofas that can be converted into beds.

SUITE ROOM
A living room with one or more bedrooms, a kitchenette and a mini bar, it is an important room because,
Size of the room is larger.
More facilities provided like compact kitchenette with fridge.
A particular theme is followed for its colour & dcor.
Very elaborate furnishings & fittings are used.

DUPLEX ROOM
A set of rooms at different floor levels, connected by an internal stairway, generally the living room is at the lower level and
the bedroom above.

INTERCONNECTING ROOMS
Two rooms adjacent to each other, having an interconnecting door, allowing entry from one room to the other without
having to go through the corridor, generally preferred by families

PENTHOUSE
A set of rooms situated on the topmost floor a part of which may be open to the sky and be used as a terrace garden.

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ADJACENT ROOMS
Rooms next to each other along the corridor or across

ADJOINING ROOMS
Rooms with a common wall but no interconnecting doors

CABANA
Rooms situated next to the swimming pool usually attractively furnished may also have a sofa-cum-bed.

EFFICIENCY ROOM
A room with kitchen facilities usually found in residential hotels, motels & resorts

HOSPITALITY ROOM
Rooms let out to guests to entertain their own guests usually charged on an hourly basis.

LANAI ROOM
A room with a veranda that overlooks the garden or the lawns
QUEENSIZED BEDROOM
A room with a queen-size bed

KINGSIZED BEDROOM

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A room with a king-sized bed
2.1 Organization chart for a large hotel
2.2 Inter relation with other departments: Coordination- co-operation-communication.

1.4 ORGANIZATION CHART FOR HOTELS

HOUSEKEEPING ORGANIZATION CHART-300-600 ROOMS (LARGE HOTEL)

FLORIST
EXECUTIVE HOUSEKEEPER
EX.ASST
HOUSEKEEPER
ROOMS
EX.ASST
HOUSEKEEPER
PA
EX.ASST
HOUSEKEEEPER
LINEN ROOM
FORMAL
CONTRACT
HOUSEKEEPING
SUPERVISOR
HOUSEKEEPING
SUPERVISOR
HOUSEKEEPING
SUPERVISOR
HORTICULTURE
LAUNDRY
CARPET
CLEANING
PEST CONTROL
DESK
COORDINATOR
ASST.
ENGINEER
PAINTER
POLISHER
CARPENTER

HOUSEKEEPING
ATTENDANTS
HOUSEKEEPING
ATTENDANTS
HOUSEKEEPING
ATTENDANTS
CHIEF ENGINEER
ENGINEER

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HOUSEKEEPING ORGANIZATION CHART-200-300 ROOMS (MEDIUM HOTEL)

EXECUTIVE HOUSEKEEPER
DESK
COORDINATOR
EX.ASST HK
ROOMS
EX.ASST HK
PUBLIC AREA
LAUNDRY HORTICULTURE
PAINTER
POLISHER
CARPENTER
PEST CONTROL
HOUSEKEEPING
SUPERVISOR
HOUSEKEEPING
SUPERVISOR
LAUNDRY AND
UNIFORM ROOM
SUPERVISOR
HK ATTENDANTS
(FLORIST)
(GARDENER)
HK ATTENDANTS HK
ATTENDANTS
HK
ATTENDANTS

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HOUSEKEEPING ORGANIZATION CHART-UP TO 80 ROOMS (SMALL HOTEL)

HOUSEKEEPING INCHARGE
HOUSEKEEPING SUPERVISOR
(FOR>=50 ROOMS
MULTI SKILLED HOUSEKEEPING
ATTENDANTS

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HOUSEKEEPING ORGANIZATION CHART-UP TO 80-200 ROOMS (SMALL HOTEL)

EXECUTIVE
HOUSEKEEPER
HOUSEKEEPING SUPERVISOR
(FOR>=50 ROOMS
HOUSEKEEPING
ATTENDANTS
EX.ASST HOUSEKEEPER

DESK
ATTENDANT
LINEN/UNIFORM
SUPERVISOR
ALL CONTACTED SERVICES
PUBLIC AREA SUPERVISOR
(IF PA IS LARGE)

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1.5 Inter relation with other departments

All departments within a hotel are required to have a mutual cooperation and teamwork, which is of guest importance and
for their effective functioning. No department is isolated, they are interdependent. If people observe maximum courtesy
this helps the work to be more pleasant and usually in smoother operation.
The housekeeping department has very close relation-ship with front office; essential information has to be passed for
efficient functioning.
HOUSE KEEPING COORDINATES WITH THE FOLLOWING DEPARTMENTS

1. FRONT OFFICE
Coordinates with front office department are one of the important features of housekeeping. As soon as there are guest
departures the front office rings the house keeping desk and reports the room number of rooms vacated so that
housekeeping can take them over to clean and prepare it for sale. Once the rooms are cleaned house keeping
supervisor checks the room and ring the house keeping desk supervisor and hands over the clean room. Housekeeping
desk supervisor then informs the front office about the clean or ready rooms for sole. Rooms received by housekeeping
for cleaning are called departure room. While cleaned rooms handed to the front office for sole are called clean or ready
rooms.
FRONT OFFICE HOUSE KEEPING
1. Occupancy forecast is given to housekeeping department
could be given annually, monthly, weekly or daily.
This enables housekeeping department to plan extra
cleaning work and plan for staff holidays

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2. Night report gives the status of each room and also the
occupancy percentage
Enables housekeeping to allocate the work for the day.
3. Daily VIP arrival list and VIPs in-house guest list. Enables housekeeping to prepare rooms for VIP arrivals
and check on good service for VIP staying on.
4. Daily anticipated departure list Enables housekeeping to plan due work for the day
5. Long term forecast of VIP arrivals When VIP are due the house keeping puts the suites off
for a few days in advance to prepare in advance the room
for the VIP arrivals
6. Group rooming list (tourist in group) Helps housekeeping to organize the daily work better. It
also helps in placement of supply of any item given extra.
7. Room changes Important in case of lost and found items or in case of
laundry
8. Arrival list Enables housekeeping to keep required number of ready
room for sale.
HOUSE KEEPING FRONT OFFICE
1. Occupancy report (given twice a day 10am, 4pm and
9.30pm)
Since physical checks of status of rooms are taken by
housekeeping, this report should tally with front office
report discrepancies needed to be investigated.

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2. Check out ready room This enables reception to know which rooms are ready to
be let out.
3. Sleep out list It a guest has not slept in the hotel it can indicate him as
a skipper, that is he has abandoned his luggage and left.
This is the first and can course loss revenue.
4. Out of order room list These rooms cannot be lots out and the reception needs
to know for approximately how long it is foreseeing.
5. Unusual observations, little or no luggage, carrying
pets or strange behaviour by guest.
This indicates possible loss of revenue

2. ENGINEERING AND MAINTANENCE DEPARTMENT
Maintenance takes care of all kinds of repairs that are electrical lights wiring etc.
Air condition not working
Plumbing Bathroom fixtures like bathtubs, tops, showerheads, water closets, flush handle, wash basin, tube etc.
Carpentry Repair of furniture
Masonry Crack on the wall or joints of tiles where filling needs to be done.
All the above maintenance complaints which are received by the Desk Housekeeper from the floor supervisor is
informed to the maintenance department by telephone, maintains order slip then the repairs and complaints are

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attended by maintenance personnel. It is further double checked by the floor supervisor and cleared to the desk
housekeeper for sole.
HOUSE KEEPING ENGINEERING AND MAINTENANCE
1. Maintenance requests since housekeeper or supervisor
check each and every room every room every day, they check
for maintenance faults and informs maintenance
department.
Maintenance department organizes the attendance or
technician to work accordingly.
2. Special cleaning programs rooms or public areas are
taken for special cleaning programs
Maintenance can check those rooms for any repairs.
3. Snagging list - list of jobs to be done by maintenance
department. When housekeeping locks the room for
redecoration or renovation.
Enables the department to plan work in advance.
ENGINEERING AND MAINTENANCE HOUSE KEEPING
1. Preventive maintenance e.g. plumbing, electrical checks
etc.
After the preventive maintenance is done housekeeping
organises to clear these rooms
2. Special requirement in equipment servicing Housekeeping arranges for the delivery and collection of
that equipments and collection of that equipments sent
to maintenance departments.


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3. FOOD AND BEVERAGE DIVISION

PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT
Generally coordinates with the housekeeping for uniform of the staff and exchange of kitchen dusters.
SERVICE DEPARTMENT
1. From the banquet sections or banquet functions, soil
linen is sent to the house keeping, also a banquet function
sheet is sent to the house keeping in advance, and it gives
details of the function time, number of people location of the
function, flower arrangements required and linen
requirement.
Enable housekeeping department to forward and plan
linen requirement and order for flowers arrange clock room
attendants housekeeping also makes sure that all banquet
halls are clean for the function.
HOUSE KEEPING SERVICE
1. Linen and uniform inventory plans, give details of date,
time and location of stock taking.
Enables food and beverage staff to be prepared for stock
taking
2. Shampooing and special cleaning of public area. Ensures that food and beverage service does not try to use
these areas at this time. In restaurant the staff would
ensure to corporate with the housekeeping department.

4. PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT

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Housekeeping coordinates with personal department for requirement of housekeeping staff, salary administration
indiscipline, grievance, procedure, identify cords for staff, induction (introduction) locker facilities, transverse
promotion etc.
5. PURCHASE DEPARTMENT
Housekeeping department coordinate with a purchase department for the purchase of all necessary indents (supplier)
like uniform material, linen cleaning agents and materials, equipment, guest supplies, capital expenditure items (major
expenditure). Once in the main store (general main store) from the main store indents are issued to the respective
department from the store (Housekeeping). The indents are then taken to floors either to the rooms or public area.
6. LAUNDRY DEPARTMENT
This is the department that can either enhance or kills the quality of housekeeping service, responsibility of laundry is
Wash and dry clean linen and staff,
Uniforms to very high standard of cleanliness
To supply clean, uniform and linen to housekeeping on time
To wash and dry clean guests clothes

Housekeeping should ensure that clean linen is issued to restaurants health club, guestroom as it reflects the quality
and the image of the establishment.
7. SECURITY
The guestroom is the most private place and a hotel goes through great length to ensure guest privacy and security.
However a guest can take advantage of the situation by using the room for gambling etc. In such case security

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department must be notified. Housekeeping also coordinates with security department pertaining to lost and found
article. The expensive articles are stored with the security department.

FRONT OFFICE
1. Reports on rooms status and
occupancy releases check out rooms.
2. Receives requests of guests, VIP arrivals
and check rooms
PERSONAL DEPARTMENT
1. Conveys, staff, grievances, absenteeism, leave
extra hour
HOUSE KEEPING
FOOD AND PRODUCTION
SERVICE
1. Supply linen, cleaning and flower
arrangement.
MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT
1. Rooms and public area,
jobless, blocked room for major
repair
PURCHASE
DEPARTMENT
1. Ordering of materials
and equipment.
SECURITY
1. Care of keys
2. Lost and found
3. Fire prevention

FOOD AND BEVERAGE PRODUCTION
1. Pest control, daily periodic cleaning.


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REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What is the role of housekeeping in hotels?
2. What are the various types of hotels that require housekeeping?
3. List and briefly explain the different types of rooms
4. What is the importance of interdepartmental coordination especially with housekeeping?
5. Draw and explain the organisational chart of hotels of various room sizes.


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UNIT 2

2.1 Cleaning equipments manual-mechanical, Use and care of equipment
2.2 Cleaning agents-selection of cleaning agents-classification-water-hard, soft, soaps, detergent and the
composition, alkalis, acids, solvents, abrasives, deodorizers, disinfectants, seals, polishes-distribution and control

2.1 CLEANING EQUIPMENTS

INTRODUCTION

Equipment: An instrumentality needed for an undertaking or to perform a service
A tool is, among other things, a device that provides a mechanical or mental advantage in accomplishing a task. Most
tools employ some form of simple machine, or a combination of them. For example, a hammer simply functions as a lever
with the fulcrum (pivot point) being the hand of the user.

Only 5 to 10% of the cost of cleaning is spent on cleaning equipment and agents rest being labor. But they play a major
role in cleaning process. The housekeeper should endeavor to provide those which make cleaning easier for her/his staff,
save time and obtain satisfactory result.

TYPES OF EQUIPMENT (MANUAL, MECHANICAL)


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Mechanical equipment and manual brush
1. Manual Equipments

Brooms and brushes Cloth Containers
Hard broom Wet cleaning - Room attendants trolley/chambermaids trolley
Soft broom 1. Swab Hand caddies/caddie box/lamper
Water closet brush 2. Floor cloth Bucket
Upholstery brush 3. Chamois Mug
Carpet brush 4. Scrim Dust bin
Scrubbing brush 5. Sponge Dust pan
Cob-web brush

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Leather brush Dry cleaning
Tooth brush i. Checked cotton
dusters

Cloth brush ii. Yellow flannel
Moping handle iii. Rags
Scrubbing brush iv. News paper
Bottle brush
Rubber mop or water squeezer Protecting surface
v. Hearth cloth
vi. Bucket
cloth/splash mat

vii. Drugget

Brooms and brushes
These are designed to remove wet or dry soil. It consists of plastic or wooden base in
which bristle of horses hair or coir or nylon are inserted. Bristle has a crystal like
action, which removes soil and dirt

Classification of brushes:

Hard brushes: It has bristle, which are well placed.

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These are used to remove dirt

Soft brushes: they have fairly flexible bristles,
Which are set closer and used to remove soil e.g. carpet brush

Scrubbing brush: They have both short handles and long handles and well-
placed bristle either nylon or coir.

Water closet brush : It consists of nylon embedded
in plastic for hygiene, used only for water closet cleaning and no where else. It is also called
Jonny mop

Upholstery brush : It consists of smooth neat nylon brush embedded in wooden
or plastic handles


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Carpet brush: very similar to upholstery brush, bristles are thicker, coarser and normally used in conjunction with
a dustpan

Water Squeezer: It consists of metal rod with aluminium lease and has a rubber lining
to remove water from hard surface after floor has been scrubbed

Cobweb brush : It consists of nylon bristle or coir bristle on a long handle used for
removal of dust and cobweb above stretch length


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Long handle mop : It consists of long bamboo attached to wooden lease with
twisted cotton fibres which is used for cleaning large areas like corridors

Feather brush: it consists of short plastic handle with feather embedded in it. It
is used for light dusting of breakable items

Dry or flat mop : similar to long handle mop but has thicker bristles used
for buffing or polished surface

Precaution :
While using the above-mentioned item following things should be kept in mind
Brooms and brushes should never be kept on bristles
Bristle should be cleaned and dried before storage

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While cleaning stiff bristles & brushes, the last rinse should be with cold water followed with salt water to keep the
bristles stiff

Use of brushes:
Brooms and brushes are used for removing dust from variety of surfaces.
The bristles of them are made of animals, vegetable or man made origin.
Sweeping raises a certain amount of dust and with the advent of more hygienic process of vacuum cleaning the broom is
used less often.
Brooms and brush should not be used in hospitals as it is important that dust does not become airborne and spread
infection.
A carpet or box sweeper is used for removal of surface dust and crumbs from carpet.
It consists of revolving brush between two small dustpans

Use of mops:
Dry mops consist of a head of various shapes and sizes, made from soft twisted cotton yarn or synthetic fibre and
attached to a long handle.
Synthetic fibres are electrostatic, so they attract dirt
The large mops are known as mop sweepers, those with two heads, have a scissor like action and are very suitable for
large areas.
Wet mops or sponge mops are used for cleaning lightly soiled floors in conjunction with bucket, hot water and detergent.
It consists of longer coarser cotton yarn than dry mop.
Squeezes are used to remove excess water from the floor and smaller ones used in window cleaning.

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Cloths:
It can be used for wet cleaning, dry cleaning and for protecting surface

Wet cleaning;
Swab : it is cotton material loosely woven used for cleaning areas with lot of water
Floor cloth: it is made of coarse material and issued for mopping of floors
Chamois leather: these are made from the skin of chamois goat. It is used for cleaning windows and must be
washed when necessary. They are expensive and are obtained for special requirements only

Dry cleaning:
Dusters and flannel: the dusters are used for dusting of all surfaces and flannels are made of softer material and
used for highly polished surface
Rugs : they are discarded pieces of cloth used for polishing and are disposed after use
News paper : these are used for buffing of window panes and glass surface

Protecting surface:
Dustsheet: they are made of thin cotton material and are normally discards from linen room. These are used for
covering up of furniture and surface when not in use to present layers of dust settling on them
Hearth cloth: these are made of ressain or known as American cloth. It comes in various sizes. It is used to protect
carpets where there is a fireplace being used or cleaned

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Bucket cloth or splash mat: this is like hearth cloth but is in a smaller size. They are used by window cleaners or
anybody using a bucket to prevent marks of the bucket on the carpets
Druggets: these are made of coarse linen or fine canvas may be in the form of carped square or a runner (a long
strip) this is used to protect the floor during renovation

Use of cloth
Dusters and mitts are used for the collection of dust from hard surfaces and are made of soft cotton or short life material
and mitts may be impregnated.
Dusting is only used for removal of dust when dust is actually collected on duster.
Every duster has eight sides. To make optimum use of the duster as well as for the better grip we need to fold the duster
in such a way that it has eight sides.
Damp dusting is more effective on some surfaces and is only method used in hospitals.
Rag may be obtained from linen room or bought by sack and is used for applying polish.
Wet cloth should be absorbent and of a manageable size so that they can be wrung by hand. They are colour coded
according to the areas or purpose for which they are used.
Swabs are of mutton cloth or other soft, absorbent material. They are used for wet work above the floor.
Floor cloths are made of coarser cotton material than swabs and are used for WC pedestal and floors when the use of
kneeling mat is advisable.
Chamois leathers were originally skins of chamois goats. But now they are usually skivers i.e. split skins of sheep or
simulated skins. They are used wet for cleaning windows and mirrors, but also used dry as polishing cloths for silver.
Scrim is a loosely woven linen material which, because of its absorbency and not leaving linters is often used instead of
chamois leather for cleaning windows and mirrors.

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Dust sheets are made of thin cotton material, about size of a single sheet, and may be discards from the linen room. They
must be kept always clean as they are used to cover furniture, stored articles and during spring cleaning.
Druggets are made of coarse linen, fine canvas or clear plastic and in the form of carpet square or runner. They are used
to protect the floor during bad weather and during redecoration.
Hearth and bucket cloths must be used clean, is used to protect the carpet or flooring when fireplace is being cleaned or if
there is likelihood of water being splashed.

Containers

Bucket or a pail: Buckets are normally made of plastic these days because they are lighter in weight, quieter in use and
easier to clean than galvanized iron ones. Mop buckets on castors with wringer attachments are still usually made of
galvanized iron.
Polish applicator trays are used when applying liquid polish to a floor with a polish applicator mop.
Spray bottles are used to apply a fine spray of water or cleaning solution as required.
Dustbins are made of galvanized iron and were noisy but now they are of rubber composition or in
the form of refuse sacks, which are of strong disposable paper or plastic and attached to a
stand.
Dustpans are used in conjunction with brush for the gathering f the dust. Formerly they were metal
but are plastic now days.
The edge of it in contact with the floor must be thin and flat.

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Sanibins are small metal or plastic containers with lids are kept toilets for the collection of soiled sanitary towels for the
hygienic reasons paper bags are provided for wrapping of the soiled towels.

Housemaids or chambermaids boxes were originally made of wood or metal but now are made of plastic they consist of a
box with a handle and a fitted tray and are used by maids to carry small items.

Chambermaid/Housemen trolleys:
it is used when a main section needs to be cleaned, like rooms on a particular floor. It is used if the corridor is
wide enough and there is sufficient storage place on the floor. A trolley is largely fitted conveyance which has two
bags of various shelves for storage of linen and other supplies
Trolleys is a large fitted conveyance, which as well as holding the items mentioned for the housemaids box has a
bag for soiled linen and one for rubbish, shelves on which clean linen and other accessories are carried and a
step on which the vacuum cleaner can rest.

Mechanical Equipment
Vacuum Cleaner:

I. Parts of a vacuum cleaner
a) A metal box containing a motor and a fan
b) A dust bag fitted inside/outside the vacuum cleaner
c) Nozzle
d) Suction

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e)
II. Principle of functioning
a) Works on the principle of suction
b) When the motor is turned on the air is driven out through an exhaust pipe or an outlet which creates a
vacuum inside which causes suction
c) Dust and dirt is sucked into the nozzle and is deposited in the dust bag which is made of a 3-ply cotton fabric
or a special fabric which allows the air to escape
III. Precaution:
a) Bags to be dusted regularly or else the pores get clogged not allowing the air to escape and thus making
suction difficult. This strains the motor
b) Bits of metal or glass piece should be picked up before using a vacuum cleaner or else it will damage the
dust bag
c) Flex should be kept straight
d) Brushes should be cleaned before and after use
IV. Advantages:
a) Cleans thoroughly
b) Time consumption is less
c) Raises no dust, so it is hygienic and healthy
d) Less wear and tear on the carpets
e) Economical in long run
f) Labour is less
IV. Disadvantages

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a) Noisy
b) It can suck in small objects lying around
c) It is bulky so needs more storage space
d) Regular maintenance and servicing is required
e) Consumption of electricity is high

Types of vacuum cleaner:

Upright type vacuum cleaner
It is suitable for rooms but does not have any attachment; generally an upright vacuum cleaner is less flexible for room
cleaning, as it is more difficult to clean under furniture. It is used only for dry pick up. In this type of vacuum cleaner the
dust bag for collection of soil or dirt is attached on the handle of machine

Small size tank type
Used for room cleaning. It is very effective and is used for dry dust pick up, normally
comes with attachments with nozzle. It is best for cleaning sides of a chair. Another nozzle
is provided for carpet edges and a round brush for the upholstery and curtain
cleaning

Wet and dry pick up vacuum cleaner
It is used for wet and dry pick up, so the heads have to be changed for the dry and wet cleaning. The hose (pipe) also
needs to be changed. Using a damp hose for dry work will result in dust locking the hose. Further more the filters need to

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be changed; nylon filters for wet works and felt for dry pick up. This is a machine for dual use but one has to ensure staff
is correctly trained before the use of this vacuum cleaner

Dustette (small hand vacuum cleaners)
Used to vacuum clean upholstery mattresses and can be used for curtains/fabric/wall coverings and even cars

The following tips for selecting a proper vacuum cleaner:

The size of dirt bags or attachments containers can have an immediate impact on vacuum productivity. General
productivity increases significantly after the dust collector is 50 per cent full. If the dust holder is too small, the
operator will have to stop more often to empty the container.
Vacuum bags, belts, and brushes should be easy to replace. If dealer servicing is required, there should be a
reputable dealer nearby that carried all the necessary parts in stock.
If you have a large inventory of vacuums, it is important that parts be interchangeable and readily available at a
reasonable cost.
Ease of service and minimal down time should be primary considerations in purchasing equipment.
Amperage is not a recommended consideration for commercial vacuums. Instead, go by horsepower and cubic feet
of air moved per minute (CFM).
Water lift also is an important gauge for vacuums that may be required to clean up water spills.
Vacuums should collect dust and dirt, not spread it around. There are numerous filters available and a major
consideration should be to purchase vacuums that improve air quality.

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Since vacuuming requires repetitive motions, a vacuum should be ergonomically designed. Features to take note of
include weight, tire size, handle shape, and height adjustability of the handle and/or attachments.
The distance between the brush and the floor surface should be adjustable. This helps to facilitate the cleaning of
different types of floor covering, such as commercial loop carpets, carpet tiles, carpet runners, and mats.

Pile lifter:
It is a vacuum cleaner, which has two motors. It is extremely strong in action the part of the carpet you see or walk on is
normally made of synthetic or natural fibres like nylon, wood, or cotton. The pile is also known as face of the carpet
because of strong suction from two motors. It makes the pile stand up better the pile lifter is not used every day but used
once in a week or so

Carpet and upholstery shampoo machine
These are machine, which spray shampoo solution on the carpet. The shampoo is brushed evenly on the carpet. Then the
machine pulls the dirt and renders the carpet clean

Floor buffing machine
With the help of the soft pads these machines apply the floor polish on the floor and a film of
polish is evenly spread on the surface of the floor. The machine then buffs it evenly all around
the floor
Floor scrubbing brush
These machines can scrub, shampoo and polish the floor


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SELECTION OF EQUIPMENTS
The housekeeper has a great responsibility when choosing equipment since a poor choice can prove less efficient than
desired and more costly than it should be. Its necessary to be able to justify its use in terms of saving time and labor,
hence the saving of money and its efficiency in obtaining a good result
a) Quality and durability: Quality and durability of equipment should be checked before selection of any equipment.
Quality of equipment can be found from the organization that has already used these machines. We can get a
feedback from them if it is satisfactory. Then we can purchase the machine
b) Reliability :Reliability of a supplier to meet the deadline of time that the equipment should be supplied of time that
the equipment should be supplied on time
c) Purpose of the equipment: This is a very important point to be kept in mind before purchasing any equipment. It
should be very clear that for what the equipment is being purchased, what would be its use and function and also
where it will be used
d) Transportation: Transportation on time to replenish stock. That is gathering information whether the supplier has
enough facilities to transport the equipment or not. Therefore it is better to have a contract with the local office
Equipment should be light when balanced and easy to manipulate. Availability of future stock so that there is no
problem for more stock or replacement of spare parts
e) Knowledge: Knowledge in term of usage. People handling the equipment should be educated and the equipment
must be one which can be easily operated
f) Cost factor: Whether the organization is capable of spending so much or not on the basis of the equipments are
chosen

CARE & STORAGE OF EQUIPMENTS

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1. PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE: A preventive check of the all housekeeping equipment should be done at least once
a month, the preventive check can be done in the maintenance department or the dealers of the equipment by
conducting preventive maintenance we can ensure the machine would lost longer and would be noise free.
2. PROPER HANDLING OF THE MACHINE: It should be cleaned and dried after use to avoid from rusting. The bags
and filters of the machine should be changed as and when required.
3. TRAINING: The staff should be trained when the new equipments are introduced to the departments are
introduced to the department. All the staff should be taught the operation of new equipments so that misuse of
equipments can be avoided.
4. STORAGE: The equipment should be stored in a damp free atmosphere to prevent from rusting and the stores to be
well ventilated.
5. THE MACHINES SHOULD BE LABELED for easy identification.
6. STOCK RECORDS: Should be maintained to keep check on the number of the equipments being purchased and
stored, the number of equipments discarded and the number of equipments in use.
7. CERTAIN RULES: Certain rules must be followed regarding issue of stock e.g. A dry can be fixed for issue of stocks
so all the staff of the department are aware of the new equipments that is being introduced into the department.
8. EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENTS: Expensive equipments should be covered with polythene and kept in place to avoid
rusting if not in used.
9. EQUIPMENT INVENTORY: Monthly inventory of equipments is very important to have a record for the type,
number and upkeep of the equipment
10. MAINTAIN LOGS:Maintain log for equipment that is issued by the housekeeping staff or borrowed by other
department

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CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE
To ensure proper care and maintenance of all equipments, implementation of preventive maintenance program acts very
useful this should include the following actions
Clean equipment after each use
Empty vacuum bags and clean the vacuum brushes daily
Rinse shampoo tanks after each use
Train housekeeping attendants in simple maintenance procedures such as changing vacuum cleaner belt etc
Wipe all equipments with damp cloth
Allocate time at the end of each shift for proper cleaning
Enter annual maintenance contract (AMC) with the supplier
Inspection and storage of equipment
Check electrical cords for wear and tear

2.3 CLEANING AGENTS:

It is essential that the housekeeper be familiar with the different range of products available, has knowledge of the shelf
life of products, and keeps up to date with modern technology. Choosing which products to use can be very difficult
especially with the conflicting claims of the manufacturers. It is useful to acquire samples and make comparisons of
costs, suitability, durability, ease of application, and compare the amount of labour and equipment required.


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The actual cost of detergents, seals, polishes, disinfectants, etc., may be only 5% of the total cost of cleaning and
maintenance, but the use of unsuitable products will undoubtedly lead to a waste of time and energy, damage surfaces,
possibly cause accidents, and as a result increase overall expenditure. Wherever possible, products should be
standardized, thereby effecting savings on material and labour.

Solid dirt is relatively easy to remove and does not create too many difficulties, but problems can occur when dirt is mixed
with grease or oil.

Dust or Dirt:

Before beginning cleaning it is important to understand the difference between DUST and DIRT: two terms that are quite
often used synonymously by a layman.

DUST DIRTS

Loose particles which are floating
around in the air; may or may not be
visible to the naked eye.
Dirt is dust or other materials which
adheres to a surface.
Easily removable by dusting either
dry or damp.
Cleaning requires the use of friction
in conjunction with a cleaning agent.
Dust becomes dirt over a period of
time.
May not be possible to remove after
long periods.

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How does a cleaning agent, CLEAN?
By
Holding the dirt and conveying it away as in rinsing process
Reacting with dirt, breaking it down, hold it in suspension and covey it away.
Dissolving out the grease or other substances which fixes the dirt (e.g. addition of ammonia / methylated spirit to
water for washing)
Emulsifying the grease and holding it in suspension together with the dirt, to be removed.

Various Cleaning Agents

Water:
Universal cleaning agent
Simplest of all cleaning agent
Soft water preferable over hard water
Always use water at room temperature for cleaning before increasing the temperature of water.

Abrasives
Depend on their rubbing / scratching to clean from hard surfaces
The extent to which abrasives will rub/scratch a dirty surface depends on
(a) Nature of abrasive material soft, medium, or hard
(b) The size of particles of abrasive fine, medium fine, very fine.

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Generally mixed with detergents and an alkali to give a scouring powder / paste / liquid.

Examples: glass, sandpaper, water emery paper, steel wool, jewellers rouge, scourers, etc.

Acids:
Clean by dissolving metal. Therefore making it possible to clean metallic stains, hard water deposits, tarnish on
silver, copper.
Mild acids like citric acid, acetic acid clean mild stain.
Strong acids like oxalic acid, dil. HCl clean stubborn stains
Thorough rinsing of surface after use of acid is important to remove any leftovers.
Must be used in diluted concentrations; if used concentrated, it is important to wear protective clothing.

Alkalis
Used a grease emulsifier and stain removal agents
Available in flake / powder / liquid form
Used in addition to surfactants
Used for cleaning of blocked drains, ovens, etc.

Window Cleansers
Used for cleaning windows / door glasses

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Contains: Water miscible solvent (isopropyl alcohol) + synthetic detergent (helps in removal of dirt) + an alkali (acts
as a stabilizer) or water + methylated spirit (involves rubbing action) or ammonia

Toilet Cleansers
Contains:
Acid (which remove metallic stains)
Disinfectant (which disinfects)
Deodorant (for freshening up the air.
May contain detergents which increase the viscosity of the toilet cleanser
Available in Powder form: Soluble acid in powder form (e.g. Chlorinated bleach) + effervescing substance
(helps in spreading the active ingredient throughout the medium) or in Liquid form: uses diluted acids or in
Crystalline form: normally based on sodium acid + an anti-caking agent (to prevent corrosion of any metallic
container) + a surfactant.

Methylated Spirit, White Turpentine and Carbon Tetrachloride
All grease solvents
Highly inflammable (methylated spirit, white turpentine)
Carbon tetrachloride fumes are harmful if inhaled. Therefore never use it in confined spaces.

Bleaches
Are actually solutions of sodium hypo-chlorite and an alkali (as a stabiliser)
Have the property to whiten and germicidal powers

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Care while usage to prevent spotting of surrounding surfaces
Used for badly stained sinks and W.C.

Paraffin Wax/Oil
Used for cleaning stained bathtubs
Rarely used because of its smell.

Detergents
Are cleaning agents which when used in conjunction with water can loosen and remove dirt and then hold it (dirt) in
suspension so that the dirt is not re-deposited on the clean surface.
The main property of a detergent is to act by reducing the surface tension and wetting the article.
A good detergent should:

(a) have good wetting powers To lower surface tension of the water so that the detergent solution
penetrates between that article and the particles of the dirt.
(b) have good emulsifying powers To break up grease and enable the dirt to loosen and dissolve into the
solution (of detergent).
(c) have good suspending powers So that the dirt particles are prevented from re-depositing on the surface.
(d) Be readily soluble in water
(e) be effective in all types of water and
produce no scum.

(f) Be harmless to the article and to the

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users skin.
(g) Cleanses reasonably quickly and with
minimum agitation.

(h) Readily available and easy to use.

Soaps

Are cleaning agents which are obtained when fat or oil is treated with an alkali (the process is called saponification).
The alkali content in any soap determines the oiliness, dryness, normal conditioning power of that soap.

Features
Cheap
Effective in water
Ineffective when used in hard water and hence it forms scum (therefore synthetic detergents have come into
existence)
May or may not be perfumed.
Good, rich lather formed in conjunction with soft water.

Types of Soaps

Toilet Soaps
For hand wash purposes

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Available in small tablets to medium sized cakes (usually 25 gm) or as paper soaps.
Cleansing done by rich lather formed.
Are unbuilt soaps.
May contain dyestuffs and perfumes
Left over toilet soaps may be
a. Returned to manufacturer for remarking and discounts
b. Collected and a crude liquid soap solution made. This solution may be used for scrubbing back-of-the-house
areas.
c. Disposed off for hygienic reasons

Soap Flakes
Dissolve easily and yield quicker suds than cakes
Contain soap, perfume and preservatives (anti-caking agents)
Delicate fabrics being washed by hand at lower temperatures
For hand wash purposes.

Soap Powder
Dissolve easily
Contains large quantities of builders (aprrox. 40%)
Good for use in washing machines.


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Classification of soaps
Unbuilt Soaps Built Soaps
Do not contain alkalis Contain alkalis
Used on lightly soiled fabrics Used on heavily soiled fabrics
Produces scum with hard water No scum formation with hard water
Generally does not irritate skin Can cause irritation of skin due to alkalis present.

Effects of scum formation
Greying of the fabric
Stiffness of the fabric
An odour in the fabric

Synthetic Detergents:
Are soap less
Are not affected by hard water
Have good suspending powers
Do not dry smeary
Are stable in both acidic and alkaline media
May or may not be perfumed

Types of synthetic detergents


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(a) Liquid synthetic detergents are used for
- washing hard surface
- washing lightly soiled surfaces
- do not contain - any alkaline builders, any oxygen bleach and hence are neutral in action are light duty
detergents
(b) Powdered synthetic detergents
(c) Biological (Enzymatic) detergents

Polishes
Clean by producing a shine by providing a smooth surface from which light is reflected evenly.
The smoothness of surface is brought about by
o Removing unevenness of the surface (as in polishing of metals)
o By providing a very smooth protective layer (as in floor and furniture polishes)
A Good Polish
Should be non greasy
Gives a good shine easily
Does not mark the surface
Does not smell unpleasant
Should give a hard dry finish to ensure maximum protection and ease of cleaning.

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REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Classify cleaning equipment.
2. Illustrate a chambermaids trolley and list the items kept in it.
3. What are the cleaning agents and explain different types.
4. How does a cleaning agent clean?
5. Write short notes on mechanical and chemical methods of cleaning.
6. What are the characteristics of a good detergent?
7. Explain briefly the different types of vacuum cleaners.
8. What are the points to be kept in mind to maintain equipment?

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UNIT 3

3.1 Staff requirement in housekeeping department, job allocation, and job procedures
3.2 Work schedule, duty rosters, training, performance appraisals,

3.1 Job Description
A job description is a detailed document identifying all the likely duties appertaining to a job position as well as reporting
relationships, additional responsibilities, working conditions, and any specific know-how necessary about equipment and
materials.

Job descriptions must be tailored to the specific operational needs of individual properties. A well-defined job description
brings about greater certainty of what is expected in terms of performance, and when actual results match expected ones,
both morale and efficiency are raised. A job should not be too narrowly stipulated, as it leaves no scope for individual
creativity. On the other hand, too vague a description makes it difficult to understand and handle the job. This may lead
to frustration and loss of focus. Job descriptions are also excellent tools for training.

A job description covers the following aspects:
Job profile
Coordination details
Reporting relationships

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Scope of job
Supervisory relationships
Hours of work
Job descriptions are written for unskilled, semi-skilled, and skilled employees as well as for supervisors, managers, and
executives. In the organizational structure, as one proceeds down the chain of authority towards the operative levels, job
descriptions need to more detailed, clear-cut, and expressed in a way that can be understood by less-educated workers. A
sample job description for a floor supervisor in a five-star hotel is presented in Exhibit 3.1.

The advantages of a job description are as follows:
Newly recruited employees know exactly what their job is all about.
Job descriptions set a basic foundation for achieving the standards of performance.
The document ensures that the supervisor and the subordinate have a clear understanding of their role in the
common work; else there may be a misinterpretation of the job, leading to friction.
A job description serves as a legal document for any disputes arising from a lack of definition of roles.
A job description may come to the employees' aid when dealing with an unreasonable superior who overburdens
them with tasks not in their purview.
At higher levels, people are expected to have a higher mental caliber, and often the results of their work are not
immediately evident (unlike in the case of the operating staff). In large hotel chains and luxury hotels, for employees
at 'high management' levels, a position description is written out instead

Job Description
Job title: Floor Supervisor

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Place of work: Housekeeping Department, Blue Mount Hotel, Ooty
Immediate
supervisor:
Assistant Housekeeper
Shifts: 06.00-15.00
01.00-10.00
22.00-07.00
Purpose of job:
To ensure that all guestrooms and sundry areas for which she is responsible are maintained to
company standards
To supervise the RAs assigned to her team.
To relay information concerning the status of rooms to and from the housekeeping office.
To achieve maximum efficiency and guest satisfaction
Subordinates
directly
supervised:
RAs, housemen
Liaison with:

Other supervisors, receptionists, maintenance staff, laundry manager, linen room, staff, valet, head
floor waiter, storekeeper
Scope of work: Help with training of staff
Maintaining stocks
Maintaining set standards of work
Planning of work
Reporting any problems to the immediate supervisor

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Basic duties: Checking staff on duty
Issuing keys
Supervising RAs and housemen
Checking all guestrooms including VIP rooms and sundry areas on her floor
Issuing cleaning and guest supplies
Supervising linen requirements and checking floor linen stocks
Attending to special requests for guests, e.g. hairdryers, irons, extra beds, etc.
Liaising with the front office
Reporting maintenance work
Undertaking administration work
Maintaining security procedures with regard to keys, fire drill, etc.
Conveying immediately all reportable matters to the immediate supervisor

Job Specification

A job specification is a document detailing the minimum qualification and qualities required by an individual to perform a
particular job. A job specifications would include the following

Educational qualifications
Mental traits
Age limit
Personality

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Equipment skills
Language skills
Physical characteristics
Special requirements

Job specifications are generally used as tools for the selection of the right employee for a a particular job as defined in the
job description.

Job list

A job list identifies all the key tasks that must be performed in the order of their importance by an individual occupying a
specific position within the department. The job list should reflect the total job responsibility of the employee. The job list
sometimes called a task list should be brief and to the pint. It should not be a detailed breakdown of the procedures to
be followed in carrying out each task

While determining staff strength, it must be remembered that each property will have its individual requirements. The
factors to be considered here are:
The type of hotel it is .
The location of the hotel
Traditions and customs of the locality
The size of the hotel (in terms of the number of rooms)
The occupancy rate of the hotel

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Management needs
Company policies
The quantity of work to be done
The quality of work expected, that is, the standards to be met
The time needed to do the work
The frequency with which the work needs to be done
The time when the work area is available
The amount of traffic in the area

The staff strength of the housekeeping department mainly depends on the size and structure of the hotel, that is, whether
it has a compact structure with clusters of rooms, the number of rooms per cluster or floor, the expanse of the public
areas and landscaped areas, and so on. The general rules of thumb that aid in determining staff strength in the
housekeeping department are presented below

Each hotel needs to develop its own staffing guide, which should help in scheduling the right number of staff for every
positional level in the housekeeping department at various occupancy levels of the hotel.

Procedure for developing a staffing guide
Let us understand how a staffing guide is put together with a hypothetical example. Let's say there is a property called
Hotel Coral Island, a 500-room luxury hotel, and that we need to have a staffing guide for the position of guest room
attendant. How do we proceed?

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Step 1 Determine the labour hours to be scheduled at various occupancy levels of this 500-room hotel, using the
productivity standards for the hotel's room attendants (refer Chapter 5, 'Productivity Standards'). Assume that the
productivity standard for guestroom attendants is 30 minutes (0.5 hours) to clean one guestroom. Using this productivity
standard, we can calculate the labour hours required for room attendants at various occupancy levels of the hotel.

For example, at 100% occupancy,
Rooms to clean next day = 500 x 1.0 = 500 rooms
Labour hours to clean 500 rooms = 500 x 0.5 = 250 hours
At 90% occupancy,
Rooms to clean next day =500 x 0.9 = 450 rooms
Labour hours to clean 450 rooms = 450 x 0.5 = 225 rooms
At 85% occupancy,
Labour hours to clean 425 rooms = 425 x 0.5 = 213 hours
Thus, a staffing guide table can be developed for all occupancy levels, ending at a zero base, where no room attendants
will be required since the occupancy is nil.

Step 2 Now determine the number of full-time employees (FTE) who must be scheduled to work when the hotel is at
specific occupancy levels. Since the productivity standard is 0.5 hours to clean 1 guestroom, a room attendant is expected
to clean 16 guestrooms during a 9-hour shift. Given this information, the number of full-time room attendants (RA)who
must be scheduled at different occupancy levels can be determined by dividing the number of occupied rooms by 16.


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For example, at 100% occupancy,
No. of full-time RAs needed = 500 / 16 = 31.25
= 31 (rounded off)
At 90% occupancy,
Rooms to clean next day = 500 x 0.9 = 450 rooms hours
No. of full-time RAs needed= 450 /16
= 28.12 = 28 (rounded off)
At 85% occupancy,
No. of full-time RAs needed = 425 / 16 = 26.56
= 27 (rounded off)

The actual number of room attendants scheduled by the executive housekeeper will finally depend on the number of full-
time and part-time room attendants available to her. For example, at 90 per cent occupancy, 28 full- time room
attendants may be scheduled; or 20 full-time room attendants, each working 8 hours, and 16 part- time room
attendants, each working 4 hours, may be scheduled.

Step 3 Ideally, the executive housekeeper should also incorporate into the staffing guide table, the labour expenses
required at each occupancy level. This helps in zero-base budgeting. Whether the executive housekeeper schedules only
full-time or some part-time employees as well, the total labour expense for the room attendants should not exceed the
calculated amount at a specific occupancy level.
RE
I

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The labour expense is calculated for room attendants by multiplying the labour hours by the average hourly rate for room
attendants. Assuming that the average hourly rate for room attendants is Rs 10, the next day's labour expense will be
calculated as follows:

At 100% occupancy,
Labour hours of RAs = 250 hrs
Labour expense for RAs per day = 250 hrs x Rs 10
= Rs. 2500

The staffing guide table should be completed for all positions and all occupancy levels in a similar way, taking productivity
standards for the various positions into account.

Staff strength for a 300 room property
Executive housekeeper 1
Assistant housekeeper 2 (morning and evening)
Floor supervisor 1 per 60 rooms, 1 evening, 1 night
Public area supervisor 1 per shift
Linen room / uniform room supervisors 1
Room attendants 1 per 16 rooms for morning, 1 per 30 rooms for evening
if turn down is provided

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Linen room/uniform room attendants 2
Housemen On average 1 per 60 rooms
Desk attendants 1 per shift
Tailors/upholsterers 2 depending on size of hotel
Horticulturists 1
Head gardeners 1 per 20 gardeners
Gardeners 1 per 4500 sq. ft

RECRUITING, TRAINING

Internal sources Opportunities arising from internal sources should be thoroughly examined before scouting for external
sources. Internal sourcing encourages growth within the organization and prevents stagnation and discontentment among
the staff. Internal sourcing is advantageous to the executive housekeeper also, since the manager thus gets employees
who have already proven themselves and are familiar with the property. Internal sourcing involves promotions and
transfers. External sources could be from colleges and high schools, employment agencies, industry employees, industrial
trainees, networking and through advertisements.

Training is the overall enhancement of human ability by developing knowledge, skills, attitude, and behaviour in order to
achieve individual goals. Training relates not only to new employees, but is an ongoing process for the entire team.
Training is effective only when the knowledge gained is applied at work and tested for usefulness.


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The first step in training is to assess the need for training in the department. The second step is to identify areas in which
training is required and list them according to priority. The third step is to determine what type of training is needed in
each area. The fourth step is to plan the training programmes and set time periods for implementing them. The fifth step
is to evaluate the programme

Benefits of training
The benefits of training are as follows:
New employees learn in a comfortable atmosphere.
New employees understand the importance of the job and the expectations to be met.
Existing employees improve their work performance.
Flexibility is incorporated due to cross-training.
The incidence of accidents is reduced and safety is enhanced.
Reduced expenditure on maintenance of machines results.
Employees are motivated and their job satisfaction improves.
Employees' and overall productivity improves.
Employee turnover is reduced.
The executive housekeeper gets more time for management activities.
Standards and quality of work improve.
Supervision improves.
More profits flow in due to better business.

Work Schedules

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A work schedule is a document that lists the actual tasks to be carried out by an employee in a particular shift and the
time frame in which to undertake each task. The document includes the following:
The position of the employee
The area of operation
The time at which the employee has to perform the allotted task.
Timings of meals, breaks, and any special jobs
Time for tidying equipment and closing up

Work schedules must be written in simple language and have a concise form. Since the amount of work in a day may
take longer than the length of one shift, several work schedules need to be compiled for use in one day. The number of
schedules made for a given area is thus an indication of the number of staff required to clean that area on the particular
day. The schedules should be handed over to the employees when they report for work

Planning Duty rosters
Duty rosters specify the allotment of jobs, hours of duty, and days off for each member of the staff. To make for an even
share of duties, the roster should be rotated every five weeks. Duty rosters must be simple in format, easy to interpret,
clearly written, and displayed on the staff notice board at least a week in advance.

Advantages of a duty roster
Planning a duty roster in advance helps to ensure:
The exact number of staff required to be on duty at any given occupancy.
That staff working hours are as per their employment contract.

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Regular off-days are availed for enhancing productivity.
Knowledge of which employees are present on the premises in instances of emergencies.
Accuracy in attendance and payroll reports.

Steps in making a roster
The steps in making up a duty roster are as follows:
Step 1 Ascertain occupancy levels and events expected in the hotel. This information is provided by the sales and
marketing department at the beginning of the financial year. On a daily and a weekly basis, more specific reports of
occupancy are available through coordination with the front office department. The overall forecasts of occupancy must
be considered before scheduling the employees' annual leave. These forecasts also help the executive housekeeper to
follow the staffing guide to ensure sufficient staff at peak periods and avoid excess labour during slack periods.
Step 2 Ascertain the spread of duty hours to be scheduled in the duty roster, whether 12 hours, 16 hours, or 24 hours.
Decide whether the positions will work for 5 or 7 days per week.
Step 3 Ascertain the type of shift-straight shift, break shift, rotating shift, or any other alternative scheduling-to be used.
Step 4 Ascertain the number of full-time and part-time staff on the payroll. Step 5 Ascertain the number of labour hours
per day and per week required for various positions.
Step 6 Incorporate coffee breaks and mealtime allowances in the roster.
Step 7 Ascertain that each employee gets a weekly off day after 6 working days. Provide for compensatory offs. Schedule
one reliever per 6 employees.
Step 8 Ascertain closed days and restricted holidays, and any contingency planning that may be needed.

Performance appraisal refers to the process of evaluating an employee's job performance against set standards, providing

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feedback on his/her performance, and taking corrective action if the performance is not up to the mark. Employee
performance appraisal is one of the most important aspects of managing personnel in which the executive housekeeper is
involved.

Performance appraisal should be an ongoing process. Systematic, formal appraisal of employees should be done at
periodic intervals throughout the individual's employment. The rule of thumb is to evaluate employees as often as
necessary to let them know how they are doing and what they need to do to improve. For many employees, an annual
performance appraisal may not be enough. Managers may need to informally appraise their employees periodically in
addition to the annual, more formal performance appraisal. The first regular appraisal should occur at the end of a
probationary period of employment, which may be of 3-6 months' duration, or sometimes more. After successfully
completing their period of probation, the employee should be told when to expect the next appraisal.

Performance appraisals must contain the following information:
A statement of observed strengths.
An indication of whether assigned objectives have been met.
A statement of observed weaknesses.
A statement of counselled action-what the employee should do to improvetheir performance and what the employer
will do to assist.
An estimate of when the employee should be ready for promotion.

ATTRIBUTES AND QUALITIES OF HK STAFF

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Housekeeper must have self-confidence
She should have the training ability and experience to teach and motivate people working in the department
Teaching requires dedication and desire to help others learn
Patience is the quality advised by the management because of its importance in housekeeping
Ambition to bigger housekeeping job in a larger property
Traits for success are honesty, loyalty, sincerity
i. Honesty in relationship to management
ii. Loyalty to employees
iii. Sincerity with housekeeping staff
A sense of humour will help immensely when it comes to granting outrageous request from other department heads
e.g.: maids fighting in the corridor
Being persuasive salesman, able to present an idea or to explain a need convincingly will help whether it is asking
engineering to repair a leak
It is a privilege for housekeeper to bring their guest to dine but if they could occasionally dine with staff would
emphasize on their humanity, organize birthdays and new year parties to help the employees feel they are cared

Educational requirement
The educational qualification are related to the size and the quality of the institution or the services offered
IHM or BHM graduates, home science graduates supervisory level
Vocational school teaching specialization
Number of college trained housekeepers are barely sufficient to meet the demand of qualified manager


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Organizational framework of the housekeeping department (Large/medium/small)
Organization provides clean picture of lines of authority and channels of communication, systematic direction of
order
It protects employees from being over directed, WHO (person), WHOM (person doing job), WHAT (job)
The hierarchy chart shows each employee takes order from person directly above him/her in department

The purpose of organization structure is to demonstrate:
Reporting lines
Accountability
Indication on career path
Guidelines to new recruits

JOB DESCRIPTION
A job description by its very nomenclature is a written description of the jobs to be performed in a particular
position
Job description are simple statement of all the incumbents to position will be expected to do
It specifies parameters within which a job is done
It is a realistic guide to any employee recruited for a particular job
These parameters not only include duties and responsibilities but also reporting relationship authority, control and
coordination with other department

Advantages of job description

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The new recruit knows what his/her job is
Acts as a basic foundation to set standards of performance
Both the superior and subordinate view the job requirement to be performed in commonality
It clarifies division of labour
Acts as a legal document for any disputes (e.g. Women working in night shift)
Protects an employee from unreasonable superior who overburdens an employee
For smooth functioning it is essential to have a job description from general manager to a room boy

JOB SPECIFICATION
A job specification is a written itemization of the minimum requirements that must be met by the applicants
These specification are derived from the job description
It makes it necessary to decide what levels of supervision the department have to written down

Advantages of job specification
Indicates job by name: room attendant, houseman
Entry should be management or non management
States educational requirements
Give a range of age permissible by law
If job requires handling of equipments
If job requires special physical traits such as minimum height, physical strengths etc
Requirement of social skills like physical appearance, grooming
If any minimum experience required

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JOB DESCRIPTION OF EXECUTIVE HOUSEKEEPER

Title: Executive Housekeeper
Reports to: General Manager
Directly supervise: All housekeeping staff
Coordinates with: Front office manager, F&B Manager, Chief Engineer, Interior Decorator

Scope of the job
It is the most important position in the hotel housekeeping. It carries responsibility for cleanliness, maintenance, and
aesthetic appeal of the hotel so that they are in desirable and saleable condition

A good housekeeper must posses
Degree of tact
Good organization ability
Eye for detail

Demonstrate skills in leadership, initiative, problem solving, prioritising, and delegation, training and developing
subordinates, goal setting and being goal oriented

Training
Recruit, train and dismissal of staff

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Interviews and select best-qualified candidates for the position.
Ensures that they have proper training program and on-going development
Ensures that the company job description and training manuals are as per the current standards
Evaluates continuously the performance of the employees and counsels them in case of any deviations
Conducts regular meeting with all her employees

Administration
Maintains all related records of materials in an effective manner and according to company policies
Maintain a record of all activities within the department
Standards
Implements and monitors Company policies, standards and procedures
Daily inspects all areas of cleanliness, safety, adherence to standards and procedures
Monitors grooming and hygiene standards of the department
Ensures environment policies are implemented

Quality
Plans yearly departmental budgets
Monitors and controls inventory of supplies, par stock etc.
Quality checks and economical use by the department
Monitors performance and expenses against budgets on a regular basis
Communicates to the management expenses regarding payroll, cost per occupied room, condition of guestrooms
and public area inventories

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Inform the general manager of the need for redecoration and replacements of guestroom furniture, equipments etc.

Controls
Maintaining accurate and up to date records of all major projects attended by her including repairs and renovation
Ensures that all inventories are performed and recorded
Linen and uniform control-material
Supervises and directs the daily activities and is responsible for the efficient and smooth operation of the
department
Controls contractors-quality of work, productivity
Ensures preventive maintenance is ongoing in all guestrooms, public area and back of the house areas
Productivity
Evaluates workloads and work habits of all employees
Improves efficiency standards to ensure better performance
Institutes new processes and procedures to increase productivity

JOB SPECIFICATION OF EXECUTIVE HOUSEKEEPER
Title: Executive housekeeper
Category: Management
Qualification: Minimum a graduate preferably a hotel management/home science
Age: 30 to 45 years (depending on the size of the hotel)
Equipment skill: Knowledge of all housekeeping equipments
Physical qualification: Healthy and sturdy

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Mental qualification: Should be able to prepare a budget
Personality consideration: Must display leadership skills
Languages: English, Hindi, local language
Previous experience: Minimum 6 yrs worked as deputy housekeeper
Special requirement: Able to make floral arrangement, interested in horticulture and Interior decoration, should handle
money, time, material, Men, should have raining skill

JOB DESCRIPTION OF ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE HOUSEKEEPER

Title: Executive Assistant Housekeeper/Deputy Housekeeper
Reports to: Executive Housekeeper
Directly supervise: Floor and public area supervisor, linen and uniform Room Supervisor, desk and florist
Coordinates with: Executive Housekeeper and all the housekeeping staff

Scope of the job:
Executive Assistant Housekeeper assists the executive housekeeper in managing the department, maintaining a level of
service and cleaning and maintenance standards in all areas of responsibilities
Supervises daily operations and ensures that the highest level of cleanliness and services are maintained in the property
Enforces hotel standards, policies, procedures and department rules

Specific responsibilities:

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Demonstrate an ability to acquire the following attributes: leadership, initiative, problem solving, prioritising,
delegation, training and developing subordinates, goal setting and being goal oriented
Prepares daily work assignments or duty roster for all staff
Allocates work for housekeeping staff
Takes care of spot checking of housekeeping staff and maintenance of guest rooms and public areas
Follow up on all outstanding issues from previous staff
Conducts daily briefing with staff
Attends to courtesy calls and is responsible for grooming of staff
Trains the staff in guest room and public area cleaning and supervision
Ensures all records are maintained like inventories, budget. Purchase, equipments, front office reports, special
cleaning etc
Ensures all guest rooms and public areas are inspected by her in a given period of time, including VIP rooms
In charge of sanctioning leave only after the approval of the desk coordinator
Takes care of lost and found item in the hotel
Coordinates all repairs and refurbishment

JOB SPECIFICATION OF EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT HOUSEKEEPER
Title: Executive assistant housekeeper
Category: Management
Qualification: Minimum a graduate preferably a hotel management / home science
Age: 30 to 40 years (depending on the size of the hotel)
Equipment skill: Knowledge of all housekeeping equipments

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Physical qualification: Healthy and sturdy
Mental qualification: Should have high degree of tact, should be able to maintain all type of records
Personality consideration: Must display leadership skills
Languages: English, Hindi, local language
Previous experience: Worked in hotels as supervisor
Special requirement: Able to make floral arrangement, interest in horticulture and Interior decoration, should have
training skill

JOB DESCRIPTION OF HOUSEKEEPING SUPERVISOR

Title: Floor supervisor/Public area supervisor
Reports to: Deputy Housekeeper
Directly supervise: Housekeeping employees allotted to her area of Activity
Coordinates with: Front office, maintenance department, desk supervisor, laundry and linen room supervisor

Scope of the job:
Responsible for keeping her entire area of responsibility clean, maintenance free and ensuring a high level of service

Specific responsibilities (floor supervisor)
Assigns duties to housemen, room boys/maids
Supervise corridor, guest rooms in that section
Check par stock of linen and guest supplies, timely delivery of linen to the laundry

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Submit performance appraisals periodically
Check all safety systems on floor (fire extinguisher, smoke detector)
Releasing check out rooms on time/at the earliest
Taking rooms on red slip
Making maintenance jobs and follow ups
Ensures rooms are ready with special care e.g. VIP
Special requests for long staying guests to be attended
Identification of supplies
Checking of floor pantries
Record lost and found items as per norms
Liaison with security on security aspects on guest floor e.g. Gambling
Account for movement of linen on floor
Prepares housekeeping occupancy list for front office
Co-ordinates room service for clearance of food trays and other items
Check the serviceability of equipments on the floor
Responsible for all equipments on that floor
Responsible for behaviour of room boys/maids in floor

Specific responsibilities (Public Area supervisor)
Daily supervision of public areas
Allocation of duties for public area for cleaning in various shifts and areas
Making maintenance complaints and follow ups

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Planning periodic cleaning schedule
Co-coordinating with contract cleaners
Ensures banquet halls are clean on time
Train new recruits
Submit performance appraisals of staff working under
Account for furniture movement if any
Check and control equipments

Specific responsibilities (Desk supervisor)
All queries, complaints and requests of guest to be attended and to be directed accordingly
It is a centre of communication with other departments
Responsible of issue of keys, pagers, mobiles
Maintains all records
Leave adjustments/relievers for areas
Takes care of floral arrangement ordering
Enters occupancy in consolidated slip and sends to front office
Prepare duty register daily after checking duty chart
Extra work schedule is handed to all staff
Makes weekly indents and collects the same from sales department
Records all messages for executive housekeeper or other staff and intimates
Informs check out rooms to respective supervisor and clears the same to front office
Handle all computer records

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Ensures to collect any extra item (guest loan item) given to guest

JOB DESCRIPTION OF ROOM/PUBLIC AREA ATTENDANT

Scope:
To provide a high cleaning standard in guest rooms, corridors, pantries and staircases assigned

Specific responsibilities (Room/Public area attendant)
Cleaning of a given number of rooms or public areas
Provide a high level of service standards
Interacts with guests and personnel of the hotel in an efficient and friendly manner
Follow periodical cleaning schedules
Responsible for equipping all rooms with linen, amenities in the guest rooms
Use proper cleaning products
Reports maintenance complaints to the desk and floor supervisor
Reports any loss or damage
Maintain high level of hygiene
Afternoon shift (responsible for turn down service and late checkouts)

REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What is the ideal staff requirement for the housekeeping department?
2. What is a duty roster?

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3. What are performance appraisals?
4. How does the job specification of an housekeeping supervisor differ from that of a room attendant
5. What are work schedules?

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UNIT 4

4.1 Daily cleaning room
4.2 Check-out room-occupied room-vacant room-evening services
4.3 Weekly
cleaning, special cleaning, periodic cleaning, Standard supplies.
4.4 Ordinary VIP and VVIP placement-guest special request-special cleaning program
4.5 Tasks schedule and records, public area cleaning, front /back area-work routine-guest room inspection

4.1 CLEANING OF GUEST ROOMS
Step by step room cleaning procedure

Cleaning of the guest room is the responsibility of the housekeeping attendants assigned to various guest floors. Normally
check out rooms should be given priority for cleaning since they can be made available for sale only after cleaning. The
golden rule for cleaning sequence of rooms is departure rooms, vacant room then occupied or stay over room


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Enter room
Tidy and air out room
Strip and make bed
Dust room
Clean bathroom
Vacuum
Make the final check
Note room status on check list
Close the door

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Entering of a guest room
The housekeeping attendants maintain a checklist, which shows the status of a room whether it is occupied,
vacant, or departure that is given by the desk attendant. Before entering any room check the status of the room
Always knock the door or ring the bell before entering a guest room even if the room is vacant or check out. In
occupied rooms the guests will usually hang please clean the room sign on the door knob
Never knock if there is a do not disturb/ privacy please sign on the door. If the sign is there just make an entry in
the checklist and proceed to the next room
Knock firmly for other rooms and announce housekeeping
Use your knuckles to knock rather than any other hard objects
After knocking count up to ten and repeat, if there is no response use the floor master key to enter the room
If the guest is sleeping or in the bathroom, immediately leave the room as silently as possible
If the guest awake or answers ask may I clean the room sir if the guest agrees, proceed with the cleaning or else
ask the guest when would he like the room to be cleaned
Always hang the housekeeping cleaning the room sign on the door knob

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Wheel the trolley near the door of the guest room. Always keep the trolley as close to the wall of the corridor as
possible to avoid impeding passage of guest and others
If the guest arrives while cleaning ask him if the guest would like his room to be cleaned now or later

4.2 DAILY CLEANING OF A CHECK OUT ROOM

TASKS TO BE COMPLETED IN THE ROOM
1. Open curtains, arrange neatly and adjust lighting.
2. Empty and clean ashtrays and waste bins.
3. Strip and make bed(s)
4. Clean inside drawers and cupboards, putting the correct supplies at the same time.
5. Dust and clean all the furniture.
6. Clean mirror (s) and picture(s)
7. Put in the correct supplies
8. Clean inside mini-fridge.
9. Vacuum clean the carpet and arrange furniture correctly, or sweep, dust and mop the area.
10. Remove any stains on the carpet and / or walls, or windows.

IN THE BATHROOM
1. Remove soiled bathroom linen.
2. Empty and clean ashtrays, waste bins and sanibins.
3. Clean the toilet(s)

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4. Clean the showerhead; bath; bath side, surrounding tiles and shower curtain(s)
5. Clean any shelves there may be.
6. Wash the tooth glasses / gargle glasses.
7. Clean the washbasin and vanity unit.
8. Clean the mirror(s)
9. Put in linen and supplies.
10. Clean the floor.

OPEN THE CURTAIN, ARRANGE NEATLY AND ADJUST THE LIGHTING

Normally one finds the curtains closed or drawn in the morning. So as to enable you to see to clean you must open
them and be sure they are hanging evenly and neatly.
If the room has net curtains then too one may be required to open them.
Turn off the lights that may have been left on. If it is a very overcast day or if it is evening time you will need the
lights on to see properly but remember then to turn them off after you finish your work.
Empty and clean the ashtrays and waste bin
Usually we start by cleaning the dirtiest things first so that no odour remains. Empty all ashtrays into the waste
bin and empty this further into the garbage bag on the trolley. Now clean the ashtrays and the waste bin.
Normally there are metal containers on the trolley for collecting ash, since there might be a lighted cigarette or the
ash might be hot and so the plastic garbage bin might get holed up.
If you do not empty the ashtrays now you may find ash lying around when you start to make the bed(s).


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NOTE: ALWAYS CHECK THE ASHTRAYS FOR LIT CIGARETTES.

STRIP AND MAKE THE BEDS

Stripping the bed(s)
1. Remove any personal clothing / items from the bed(s)
2. Standing towards one side of the bed fold down the bedcover head to toe end, twice. (In case there is a separate
headpiece then bring down the headpiece to the toe end, first).
3. Remove the pillow cases from the pillows and keep the pillows aside. Send the pillowcases to the laundry.
4. Fold the toe end of the bedcover to the top and then the sides of the bedcover, folding from the seams.
5. Remove the bedcover and keep it on the topmost shelf of the wardrobe.
6. Standing at the foot end of the bed unfold the sides first and then un-tuck the second sheet, third sheet and the
blanket together.
7. Remove the third sheet and then the second sheet. Keep them aside for sending to the laundry.
8. Holding the blanket from the centre fold it lengthwise so that the thick fold is away from you. Repeat the process
once more. Then fold the blanket into two and keep it aside.
9. Remove the first-sheet and send for laundry.
10. Check the mattress protector for stains/tears etc. if there are any remove and send it to laundry / linen room
11. Check under the bed(s) for any trash or any guest items. Keep them in a convenient place.
12. Collect all soiled linen and put it into the soiled linen bag on the chambermaids trolley.

Making the bed(s)

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1. Bring in fresh linen. (Normally always a few pieces extra)
2. Change the mattress protector:
Lay a fresh protector on the bed.
Unfold the pad the right aide up and spread it evenly over the centre of the bed.
Smoothen out any wrinkles.
3. Notify any tears on the mattress protector to your supervisor.
4. Centre the first sheet on the mattress so that equal amounts of sheet overhangs on both the sides.
5. Tuck in and mitre the bottom sheet from the upper left and lower left corners.
6. Tuck in the bottom sheet along the left side of the bed.
7. Centre the second sheet on the first sheet placing the wrong side up, with the broad hem of the sheet laid up till the
head end of the bed.
8. Open up the blanket and place its top end 8 to 10 inches away from the second sheet.
9. Centre the third sheet and place it such that the head end of the third sheet is directly over that of the second
sheet.
10. At the head end turn the third sheet, under the blanket, neatly. Next turn the second sheet over the third
sheet and fold over once more giving a fold of about 6 to 8 inches.
11. Tuck in the 2
nd
sheet, blanket and the 3
rd
sheet at the foot end (half only).
12. Mitre the lower left corner.
13. Tuck in the 2
nd
sheet, blanket and the third sheet along the left side of the bed.
14. Walk to the other side of the bed.
15. Mitre the first sheet at the lower right corner.
16. Tuck in the remaining half of the 2
nd
sheet, blanket and the third sheet. Mitre the lower right corner.

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17. Mitre the first sheet at the upper right corner.
18. Tuck in the first sheet along the right side of the bed.
19. Tuck in the 2
nd
sheet, blanket and the third sheet along the right side of the bed.
20. Centre the bedspread. Make sure that the seams and pattern of the spread are straight.
21. Fluff up the pillows. Put the pillow cases over the pillows.
22. Place the pillows at the head end of the bed so that they are centred.
23. Bringing the bedspread over them tuck in the bedspread under the first and the second pillow.
24. Smoothen out any wrinkles on the bed.

Clean inside drawers and cupboards putting in the correct supplies at the same time.
Since this is a check out room you may find the guest has some drawers and wardrobes open. Do not close them.
Clean and at the same time put in any supplies that go inside the drawers and cupboards.
It depends on the surface of the drawers and cupboards how clean them. If they are wooden you dust them and
generally in of wooden surfaces you ought to use white lining paper which is to be folded and changed when
necessary. Now-a-days that is earlier old fashioned and most hotels use white Formica surfaces for interiors of
cupboards and drawers. In the letter case you should wipe them clean. Incidentally one usually finds a couple of
departures in drawers so one can dust out any small bits etc. This is otherwise difficult to pick-up. In some hotels
paint the interiors of cupboards and wardrobes with gloss colour and then you can also wipe these clean.
The sort of supplies that go in drawers and cupboards are sewing kit, laundry and dry cleaning slips / bags,
hangers, PLEASE PICK UP MY LAUNDRY cards, etc. Putting in fresh supplies at the time of cleaning would
enable us to save time.


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Dust and clean all the furniture
Again depending on the kind of surfaces the techniques of dusting too would vary. In general, dusting has to be
carried out during room cleaning.
Principles of cleaning should be kept in mind when dusting any article / furniture. The parameters of dusting
would normally vary with regards to the article being dusted for example if there is a sofa then the dusting would
involve brushing the upholstery followed by wiping the wooden parts of the sofa with a damp cloth first and then
with a dry cloth. The wiping has to be done for the sofa from the top side, underside, under the armrests, for the
legs, etc.
Hotels do not use furniture as you find in the home, because the use heavy duty furniture called CONTRACT
FURNITURE. This means it is extra hard wearing. These days contract furniture need not be very heavy, it is
usually hard wearing because of design. Another reason for the furniture not being in heavy is because of surfaces
such as Formica and also because the type of paints and wood polishes contain plastic and many coats of these are
used to produce an easy clean hard wearing, chip-proof finish, or they use laminates of wood.
To dust correctly one must clean all the surfaces (remember the bars; dust traps one finds on chairs, under
cushions must also be cleaned. Fold your duster into three lengthwise. Fold it to three again width wise. This way
of folding gives you 18 clean surfaces / folds which make your duster more effective.
For mirrors and glasses one should dust the surface before cleaning the mirrors as dust can rise when cleaning and
stick on to the mirror.
ALWAYS START DUSTING FROM ONE SIDE OF THE ROOM, WORKING CLOCKWISE OR ANIT-CLOCKWISE
DIRECTION (SO THAT ONE DOES NOT FORGET ANY AREA TO BE DUSTED) AND LASTLY DUST THE ARTICLES
IN THE CENTRE.


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Cleaning mirrors / glasses and pictures
Clean the frame and the top with your duster.
Clean the glass surface first with a damp cloth and then a dry cloth. Check the mirror surface from various angles
looking for water and dirt marks (especially to the sides of the picture frames).
Most hotels now-a-days are using glass cleaning sprays as they give better quality product. However they are
expensive and not absolutely necessary.
NOTE: While cleaning glass the main thing to look out for is that no linters are left behind.

Replenishing guest amenities and supplies
The guest supplies are important in hotels as they are a convenience to the guests. Well packed and presented
supplies tend to give the guests a good impression. It shows the care taking nature and attitude of the hotel.
The supplies vary from one hotel to another. More expensive hotels would normally have a larger amount of guest
amenities and supplies. The supplies would even vary from each room type to another and definitely also with the
type of clientele one gets.

Cleaning the mini bar / refrigerator
Firstly switch off the refrigerator.
Clean the shelves with a damp cloth or sponge. If there any food / beverage spillages then they will normally go
away with a wipe using a damp cloth. However, in case the food / beverage stain is sticky / oily then use hot water
to clean.
Clean the gasket / beading of the refrigerator using a disinfectant to remove and further prevent the growth of any
fungus.

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Clean the main door from outside using a wet sponge.
Wipe the doors and shelves dry.

Vacuum clean the carpet and arrange the furniture correctly.

Carefully vacuum clean the whole room, also any upholstery that needs any vacuuming with special attachments.
Furniture should be moved for vacuum cleaning the flooring.
Replacement of the furniture is absolutely essential.
One vacuum cleans as the last task in the room because unlike sweeping it does not raise dust since it works on
the principle of suction it does not create any dust in the room.

Removing any stains on the carpet and / or walls or windows

Because we want everything to be in a perfect state for the next guest we must also remove any stains if necessary.
Stains on the carpet can be removed with special foam sprays, but when these are not available use detergent, water and
a scrubbing brush.

There are also special sprays which dry to a powder, absorb stains and you vacuum clean the powder. They are very good
as they leave no water-ring mark or article. Stains or marks are often found on walls above the desks, beds, and luggage
racks and one wipes them off with a sponge. Wipe off also any marks on the window.

IN THE BATHROOM

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Remove used bathroom linen
Since the guests often scatter the used towels around in the bathroom you must gather these up, as one cannot see
anything clearly until they are removed.
Put them in the dirty linen-bag of your trolley.
In some hotels they use another separate towel trolley on wheels, so that bed and bathroom linen is separated.

Empty and clean ashtray, waste bin and sanibins
Empty the ashtrays into the bin, and further empty the bin into the waste-bin on your trolley. Also empty the mini
bin if it has been used.
Wash the ashtrays and the two bins with your floor cloth. Now squeeze out your floor cloth to wipe off excess
moisture and then use a dry duster to wipe the bins dry.

Clean the toilet
Since we usually clean the most likely to be dirty things as quickly as possible to reduce the odours, we next clean
the toilet after removing the big waste.
When you clean with a lavatory brush, the method used is not a demanding task.
Using either liquid soap or a scouring powder or a special toilet cleanser, scrub with your brush the insides of the
toilet bowl. Take care to scrub around the rim as water marks can build up here since the water flushes out
through here. Now flush. If still not clean, brush and flush again.

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Water marks are caused in the areas of hard water because of the amount of Calcium in the water. If the toilet
drips or a tap leaks one gets marks from water also. Sometimes one gets brown marks from the Iron content or
from the water pipes. We call all these water marks water-scale build-up.
Now you must clean the outside of the toilet bowl. Use a duster with water and detergent for this. Clean the pipes
behind the toilet as well. Keep these dusters away from the other dusters which are being used for glass cleaning.
Now using the same duster, clean the lid of the seat and the underneath of both (the lid and the seat itself). Many
hotels put a strip on the lid seat saying Sanitized for Your Use / Disinfected for your protection. In this case
one uses another duster / floor cloth this time dampened only with a product such as DETTOL (or any other
antiseptic solution), and one wipes this all over the seat and lid and the underneath of both.
Normally one stores the toilet brush in a plastic bag on the trolley / or in a separate compartment (built in the
maids hand caddy) separating it away from other cleaning materials. One changes the plastic bag daily.
Leave the toilet lid and seat closed.

Note: After cleaning the toilet always wash your hands. It is as important as washing hands after using a toilet. The
other best alternative is the use of rubber hand gloves of hygiene.

Clean the bathtub, bath side, surrounding tiles and shower curtain(s)
Using your sponge and detergent with hot water clean the bathtub, the rim of the bathtub, the side, the water taps
/ faucets, the bathtub side tiles (which get splashed when a guest uses the bat and / or the shower).
Clean the shower curtain rail using a dry duster.
Clean the shower curtain using hot water and detergent solution. Scrub the shower curtain wherever necessary.
Wipe it dry.

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Avoid splashing the water all over or you might end up creating a mess.
Now wipe the bathtub and the tiles around it, dry. Wipe the water faucets, shower head, shower curtain rail and all
other metal fixtures, dry. Metal if left damp can corrode. Also water if left on chrome plated fixtures can leave
water stains behind.
Place the shower curtain loosely arranged at the foot end of the bathtub with the bottom of the curtain inside the
bathtub. If one closes the curtain completely, it does not allow enough circulation of air and can cause humidity
problems.

Cleaning the shelves (if any)
Remove any supplies that may be on the shelves.
Clean with your sponge and dry.
Replace any supplies there where.

Wash the gargle glasses
Some hotels use disposable plastic glasses pre-wrapped and one discards the used, and exchanges clean for dirty.
If ordinary gargle glasses are in use, then wash the gargle glasses using hot water and a little detergent and a
separate sponge or nylon scrubbing disc. Do not use the sponge you clean the bath with. Rinse with cold water.
Dry with your glass cloth which you use only for your gargle and drinking glasses.
Many hotels wrap and put on the wrapper Sanitized for your Use. This is done by rinsing with a sterilizing agent
of the kind used for baby equipment.

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Many hotels do not wash the glasses in the room but centrally at the dish-washing area where the machine rinsing
temperature otherwise sterilizes them for certain. Then you have a tray of wrapped glasses on your trolley and
exchange clean for dirty.

Clean the washbasin and the vanitory unit
Usually in hotels the washbasin is inset into a slab of Formica or marble, giving an additional surface around the
washbasin. This is called the vanitory unit or a vanity. In a bathroom it is always a washbasin. Sinks are found in
the kitchen.
We clean all this area before we clean the mirror as we may splash water on the mirror while cleaning. Remember a
correct method uses your brains so you dont have to repeat the work. Room-cleaning is enough of a physically
tiring job without giving oneself jobs to repeat.
Clean the washbasin, taps and the vanitory unit with your sponge, hot water and a detergent. Rinse with cold
water and remove all the dirt. Wipe the surfaced dry.

Clean the mirror
Wipe with a damp cloth.
Rub with your glass cloth which you must keep dry.
Check your mirror from all angles that there are no wipe marks on it.

Put in the linen and the supplies
The linen generally used in a double room is :
o 2 large bath towels

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o 2 medium sized towels
o 1 bath mat.
o 2 face cloths
o 3 bed sheets
o 2 pillow cases
The other supplies normally found in the bathroom are:
o Soap on the bath, basin and bidet.
o 2 toilet paper rolls (always an extra so the guest does not run out of paper)
o 1 pack of tissue box.
o 2 sanitary disposal bags.
o 1 shoeshine slip.
o The two gargle glasses that you already cleaned (generally they are wrapped in glass covers)
o 1 ashtray on the washbasin.
o 1 W.C. band.
Many hotels also supply:
o A mini bottle each of
Shampoo
Bubble bath
Eau-de-cologne
Body gel
Body talc


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Clean the floor
One must wash the bathroom floor daily.
Use your floor cloth and a little detergent. One can also use a little phenol in the water to disinfect, since the guest
walk bare footed in the bathroom often.
Wipe under the wash basin; clean at the same time any underneath pipes that may exist. Clean behind the door.
Be sure that the last guest has left nothing behind the door and that it is clean. Clean the remaining floor area.
One works backwards so the one finishes at the entrance to the bathroom and then one does not walk over the
washed and still damp floor.
Always leave the bathroom door open for air to circulate.

CLEANING THE BATHROOM
Equipment
All-purpose cleaner
Clean cloths and sponges
Glass cleaner
Bowl brush
Clean bath towels, hand towels, wash-cloths and bath mat.

Procedures

Step 1

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o Turn on lights and fan. Replace any burned-out light bulbs. Check fan for proper operation.
Step 2
o Remove used towels, washcloths and bath mat.
Step 3
o Empty trash and wipe container
Step 4
o Flush the toilet. Apply all-purpose cleaner around and under the lip of the bowl. Let it stand while you attend
to other cleaning tasks.
Step 5
o Clean the shower area.
o Check the shower head to make sure it is positioned correctly.
o Wash the tub or shower walls and soap dishes using a damp cloth and all-purpose cleaner. Check condition
of walls as you clean.
o Rinse the tub or shower walls and soap dishes with sponge.
o Clean both sides of the shower curtain of shower door. Pay special attention to the bottom where mildew may
accumulate. Wipe dry.
o Clean shower curtain rod or clean the tracks and frame of the shower door.
o Scrub the bathtub with all-purpose cleaner. Remove and clean the drain trap.
o Clean bathtub fixtures. Polish dry to remove water spots
o Hang clean bath mat over edge of the tub.
o Reposition shower curtain or shower door to the centre of the tub.
Step 6

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o Clean the vanity and sink area.
o Run some warm water into the sink. Add the correct amount of all-purpose cleaner.
o Clean the counter top area of the vanity.
o Clean the sink. Remove drain trap and clean.
o Clean sink fixtures. Polish dry to remove water spots.
o Wipe dry the counter top area of the vanity.
o Clean mirror with glass cleaner
Step 7
o Clean the toilet
o Scrub the insides of the toilet and under the lip with the bowl brush, Flush.
o Using cleaning solution and a cloth, clean the top of the seat, the lid, the tank, and the outside of the bowl.
o Wipe dry all the outside surfaces
o Close the lid.
Step 8
o Clean bathroom walls and fixtures
o Dust light fixtures
o Using a clean damp cloth, spot-clean fingerprints and smudges
o Wipe down electrical outlets and light switches, paying close attention to the surrounding wall area.
o Wipe and polish towel bars.
o Dust all exposed piping.
o Clean both sides of the bathroom door
Step 9

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o Restock bathroom supplies
o Replenish the towels
o Replenish guest amenities
o Replenish toilet and facial tissue supplies.
Step 10
o Clean the floor.
o Spray bathroom floor and baseboards with all-purpose cleaning solution.
o Starting with the farthest corner and working your way toward the door, scrub the floor and wipe baseboards.
Step 11
o Make one final check. Visually scan all areas of the bathroom for areas you may have over-looked. Turn off
the lights and the fan.
CLEANING THE HOTEL ENTRANCE

Equipment
Broom and dustpan
Mop and bucket
All-purpose cleaner
Floor cleaner
Glass cleaner
Cloths and sponges

Procedures

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Step1
o Swab any excess water from the floor using a dry mop, rag, or sponge.

Step 2
o Sweep floor area, including matting or runners.
Step 3
o Mop floor area, including matting or runners if appropriate.
Step 4
o Clean glass areas of doors on both sides, working from the top down.
Step 5
o Clean non-glass areas of doors. For particular attention to fingerprints and smudges around handles and
knob areas.
Step 6
o Polish knobs or handles.
Step 7
o Clean door tracks
Step 8
o Make sure all mats and runners are laying straight and flat. As a final check, open each door to ensure
proper clearance along the bottom.


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CLEANING THE LOBBY NIGHTLY ACTIVITIES

Equipment:
Clean ashtrays
Glass cleaner
Broom and dustpan
Mop and bucket
All-purpose cleaner
Floor cleaner
Cloths and sponges
Dusting solution
Vacuum

Procedures

Step 1
o Remove and replace dirty ashtrays
Step 2
o Pick up loose papers and trash. Report any items left behind by a guest to your supervisor.

Step 3

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o Empty trash containers. Replace wastebasket liners.
Step 4
o Clean glass and windows areas, including any glass tabletops.
Step 5
o Dust furniture, fixtures and lobby telephones.
Step 6
o Polish drinking fountains. Wipe drinking area dry and polish operating buttons or knobs.
Step 7
o Spot-clean walls and wall fixtures. Dust top and sides of any picture frames.
Step 8
o Dust or polish hand railings
Step 9
o Clean hardwood or tile floor areas.
Step 10
o Vacuum carpeted floor areas.
Step 11
o Straighten furniture, including loose cushions on sofas and chairs.

CLEANING THE FRONT DESK AREA

Equipment
Clean ashtrays and matches

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Cloths and sponges
Dusting solution
Vacuum
Broom and dustpan

Procedures
Step 1
o Remove and replace dirty ashtrays. Restock with matches.
Step 2
o Empty trash receptacles. Replace wastebasket liners.
Step 3
o Dust light fixtures and decorative wall items
Step 4
o Dust and polish front desk surface. Work from the top down, paying particular attention to removing
fingerprints, smudges and scuff marks.
o Clean around any folders or paperwork. Do not move or throw anything away.
o Report any surface damages to your supervisor.
Step 5
o Spot-clean wall areas. Check for smudges around switches and electrical outlets.
Step 6
o Vacuum behind the front desk area. Cover all exposed areas of the carpet you can reach including those
under any tables and chairs. Use a broom to get hard-to-reach areas and edges.

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CLEANING CORRIDORS

Equipment
Dust mop for dusting high or hard-to-reach areas.
Dusting solution.
All-purpose cleaner.
Wall cleaning solution.
Cloths and sponges
Vacuum
Light bulbs.

Procedures

Step1
o Dust air supply vents, sprinklers and ceiling corners.
Step 2
o Dust and polish light fixtures. Replace burned-out light bulbs.
Step3
o Spot-clean walls.
o Begin at one point in the corridor and work your way completely down one side then the other until you arrive
back at your starting point.

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o Check trim areas around guestroom doors and remove any fingerprints or smudges.
Step 4
o Clean baseboards.
o Begin at one point in the corridor and work your way completely down one side then the other until you arrive
back at your starting point.
Step 5
o Clean both sides of all exit doors. Wipe down surrounding trim and door tracks.
Step 6
o Vacuum carpet. Begin at one end of the corridor and work your way back to an exit door.

CLEANING ELEVATORS

Equipment
Cloths and sponges
All-purpose cleaner
Glass cleaner
Dusting solution
Dust mop for dusting high or hard-to-reach areas.
Light bulbs
Portable canister vacuum

Procedures

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Step 1
o Wipe down exterior of elevator door. Clean smudges and fingerprints from outside controls and surrounding
wall area.
Step 2
o Empty and clean ashtray near elevator entrance.
Step 3
o Enter the elevator and key or push the appropriate control on the interior control panel so the elevator
remains stationary with the doors open.
Step 4
o Bust eh ceiling light. Replace any burned out light bulbs.
Step 5
o Wipe down interior surfaces. On each wall or mirrored surface, begin at the top right hand corner and work
your way across and down.
Step 6
o Clean and polish hand rails.
Step 7
o Wipe down control panel so it is free of finger-prints and smudges.
Step 8
o Vacuum elevator carpet. Begin in far corner and work y our way back toward the doors.
Step 9
o Vacuum and wipe elevator door tracks.

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Step 10
o Close elevator door and wipe down interior surface.
Step 11
o Before leaving the elevator key or push the appropriate control on the interior control panel and the elevator
resumes normal operation.

CLEANING PUBLIC RESTROOMS

Equipment
All-purpose cleaner
Cloths and sponges
Glass cleaner
Bowl brush
Supplies for paper, tissue and soap dispensers.
Light bulbs
Broom and dustpan
Mop and bucket

Procedures

Step 1

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o Check status of restroom.
o Knock firmly on the door and say House-Keeping. If no answer is heard, knock again and repeat
Housekeeping.
o Wait a second time for a response, if you still do not receive an answer, open the door slightly and repeat
Housekeeping.
o If the washroom is occupied, excuse yourself and close the door.
o If the washroom is unoccupied, prop the door open with the doorstop and position the approved floor sign
that indicates the room is being cleaned.
Step 2
o Flush toilets and urinals. Apply cleaner around and under the lip of the bowl, and around and under the rim
and drain holes of the urinal. Let cleaner stand while you attend to other tasks.
Step 3
o Empty trash containers. Replace wastebasket liners.
Step 4
o Empty and clean ashtrays in sink and in individual stalls.
Step 5
o Clean sinks and countertop areas.
o Run warm water into each sink. Add the correct amount of cleaner.
o Clean the countertop area.
o Clean the sink. Remove drain trap and clean.
o Clean sink fixtures. Polish dry to remove water spots.
o Wipe countertop areas dry.

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o Dust and clean any exposed piping under the sink.
o Clean mirror with glass cleaner.
Step 6
o Clean toilets and urinals
o Scrub the inside of the toilet or urinal with the bowl brush. Flush.
o Using a clean rag for each unit, clean exterior surfaces from top to bottom.
o Wipe dry all exterior surfaces. Polish handles.
Step 7
o Clean partitions between stalls
Step 8
o Clean washroom walls and fixtures
o Spot-clean walls for fingerprints and smudges.
o Dust light fixtures. Replace any burned-out light bulbs.
Step 9
o Restock dispensers for toilet paper, tissue, paper towels and soap. Dust or polish dispensers to remove any
fingerprints or smudges.
Step 10
o Clean the floor
o Sweep all exposed floor areas. Run edge of broom along baseboards.
o Mop floor with warm water and appropriate cleaning solution.
o Rinse floor using hot water; wring mop frequently.
o Dry-mop floor.

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Step 11
o Make one final check. Visually scan all areas of the public restroom for areas you may have overlooked.
Smell the air for any unusual odours. Reassemble cleaning supplies and close the door.

TURNDOWN SERVICE

Who provides it?
o All luxury lodging properties
o Where guests need to be in bed all the time
Features
o A neat, fresh and crisp bed
o Freshen up bathroom
o Guest expectations fulfilled
o No accidents at night
o Guest knows he is being cared for

Advantages to hotel
o Linen turned around faster
o Hence easier to maintain
o 2
nd
time cleaning (rooms are easier to clean)
o Room occupancy checked
o Room discrepancies can be sorted

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o A way of keeping guest activities in check
At what time?
Vacant rooms
o Evening (1800 2100 hrs.)
o Except for VIP. arrivals
o Check for guest request
Occupied rooms
o Evening (between 1800 2100 hrs.)
o On guest request
Departure rooms
o Immediately on readying the room
Late - departure rooms
o Immediately on readying the room
o Check room arrival list
VIP rooms
o Evening (between 1900 2030 hrs.)
o When guest leaves the room
o (co-ordinate with F&B and FO)
o On guest request
Arriving VIP rooms
o Only after the guest arrives
o (1830 2000 hrs.)

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o Keep ready for late arrivals (later than 1930 / 2000 hrs.)
o When guest leaves the room (co-ordinate with F & B and FO)
o On guest request

Procedure

Reporting activities
o Collect floor occupancy lists from desk HK.
o Collect floor master keys from desk HK.
o Check log book for any instructions guest/hotel
o Proceed to guest floor

Preparing to clean (on the floor)
Arrange room attendants trolley
o (neat, clean well stocked)
Check room occupancy list
Proceed to guest corridor
Knocking and entering
o Check for DND board
o Check for double lock
o Knock (as per the standard procedure)
o Prepare the room to clean

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Cleaning the room
o Collect waste paper lying around
o Remove soiled bathroom linen
o Check for no. Of occupants
o Make night bed
o Replenish guest supplies & amenities
o Replenish water
o Empty wastepaper & sanitary bins
o Vacuum and dust the room
o Touch-up the bathroom
o Replenish guest supplies & amenities
o Replenish linen
o Dust the bathroom
Closing up tasks

Draw the curtains & bolt doors / windows
o Switch-on HVAC(check standards)
o Switch-on bedside light & channel music
o Check entire room & leave
o Fill-up room occupancy lists

What if .the room is a DND?

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Make a note of time and DND on the room occupancy
Report against the room number
Check back time and again. Clean, if available
If room not available, use a DND slip
Inform housekeeper / night shift / make a log entry

What if .the room has a Double Lock?
Know your hotel policy
Check for DND
If DND board is on, follow procedure for DND rooms
If no DND, then Knock and seek permission
Follow procedure for turndown service.
What if .the room has a Double Lock?
Know your hotel policy
Check back later for availability for cleaning.
If room not available, use a DND / D.L. Slip
Inform Housekeeper / night shift / make a log entry.

What if .the guest has just arrived?

SMILE

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Acknowledge Guest presence and / or privacy
Offer turndown service

What if .the guest requests for LATER-ON?
Acknowledge Guest request.
Check for specific time to come back. Make a note of Floor Occupancy Report
DO RETURN AT THE SPECIFIED TIME. NO EXCUSES!

4.3 Spring-cleaning procedure
Spring cleaning or super room cleaning is done once in a month or once in two month or so depending on the occupancy
of the hotel. This is generally done after preventive maintenance of the room has been done by the maintenance
department. In this a thorough cleaning of all the areas of the room is done which is not done during everyday cleaning
The front office has to be informed before blocking a room for spring cleaning so that they can check the occupancy
status of the hotel
Date of releasing the room has to be strictly adhered to avoid loss of room revenue
All linen has to be removed and send to laundry
All accessories to be removed
All amenities including housekeeping and room service is removed and given to the department concerned
Curtains, bedcover, mattress protector etc can be given for dry cleaning to the laundry
Carpet should be rolled up or covered with a dust sheet

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The housekeeping supervisor with a maintenance supervisor then makes a comprehensive list of all complaints in
the room which includes both maintenance and housekeeping complaints after checking each and every item of the
room like plumbing, electrical, painting and polishing, carpentry, a/c etc.
The maintenance complaints is given to the maintenance department
After the maintenance department finish attending their complaints the housekeeping starts working on the room
The room is first aired out so that the paint an polish smell goes out of the room
The carpet is relayed or stretched if required. Carpet shampooing is done
Upholstery shampooing is done
Permanent fixtures are cleaned and polished
Any item to be send for lacquering etc is sent and fixed back
Furnitures if send out for repair or polish is taken back to the room and rearranged
Through cleaning of the room is done keeping in mind each and every corner of the room including bathroom
scrubbing
The bed is made with fresh sheet and the mattress is turned if required
Accessories and soft furnishings are kept back
Curtains are fixed back
Complementary items are restocked and all guest amenities also
Just before releasing the room inform room service or butler service to keep their amenities
The housekeeping supervisor does the last check to ensure everything is fine in the room and releases the room to
front office
Weekly cleaning of rooms

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Weekly cleaning schedule is made by the housekeeping department to ensure that the areas that are not been able to
clean daily are at least cleaned once in a week. These may include
Polishing of wooden furniture
Vacuuming of upholstered furniture
Vacuuming curtains
Shower curtain scrubbing
Bathroom scrubbing
Cleaning window sills
Dusting ceiling vents
Brassoing of items
Hire out contractors for any special cleaning
4.4 ORDINARY, VIP PLACEMENT-GUEST SPECIAL REQUEST AMENITIES
Amenity it is anything that is provided to the guest to make their stay more comfortable pleasant. It need not be a facility.
There are 3 types of guest supplies.
1. Guest essentials
2. Guest expendables
3. Guest loan items

1. GUEST ESSENTIALS Those amenities, which are required by the guest during the stay but are not, used up on
departure. Example drinking glass, ashtray bud vase.

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2. GUEST EXPENDABLES Are those amenities, which are used up on check out and shall have to be replaced for the
next guest ex. Soap, shampoo, tissue paper, and moisturizer.
3. GUEST LOAN ITEMS Are those amenities which are provided to the guest on special request and on a returnable
basis. (Whether the guest is to be chosen or not depends on polices of the hotel.)

PLACEMENT OF GUEST SUPPLIES
1. BEHIND THE MAIN DOOR
a. DND cards
b. Please clean my room card
c. Collect my laundry card
d. Fire exit map
e. Safety locker facility

2. IN THE WARDROBE
a. Hangers, skirt hangers
b. Laundry bag
c. Laundry list
d. Extra pillow and blanket
e. Shoe horn
3. NEAR THE LUGGAGE RACK
a. Bedroom slippers
b. Towelling slippers

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c. Shoe shins cards

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4. ON THE MINI BAR CABINET
a. Flask
b. Drinking glasses
c. Glass covers
d. Coaster
e. Stir sticks
f. Coaster
g. Stir sticks
h. Bottle opener
i. Napkins

5. ON THE CHEST OF DRAWERS OR CREDENZA
Credenza is a series of drawers
a. Candle stand
b. Candle and a match box

6. INSIDE THE WRITING TABLE DRAWER
a. Breakfast cards
b. Hotel services directory
c. Writing folder or compendium inside which are letter sheets, envelop, fax sheets, are letter sheets, envelop, fax
sheets, post cards, aerogramme, and businessman kit. (Gem clips, rubber bands, bell pins)

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d. Sewing kit or Dutch wife
e. Flask tray/mineral water with glasses

7. ON TOP OF THE WRITING TABLE
a. Bud vase
b. Room service menu card
c. Ash tray and matchbox
d. Promoters and broachers
e. Telephone

8. ON THE BEDSIDE TABLE
a. T.V. remote
b. Scribbling pad
c. Pen, pencil
d. Telephone

9. INSIDE THE BEDSIDE TABLE SHELF
a. Gita
b. Bible
c. Local telephone directory
d. ISD and STD booklet
e. Yellow pages

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10. INSIDE THE BATHROOM

ON THE VANITY COUNTER
Tray with soaps, shampoo, moisturizer, foam bath, talcum powder, shaving kit, dental kit, comb, shower cap, for your
care kit or quick aid kit (cotton, ear bud, nail file) ,face tissues, gargle glass, face towel, hand towel

NEAR THE BATHTUB
1. Soap and shampoo
2. Shower cap
3. Mug
4. Towel rack (bath towel, hand towel, bath mat)

WATER CLOSET AREA
1. Toilet roll
2. Sanitary bag

11. COFFEE TABLE
1. Magazines,
2. News paper
3. T.V remote


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VIP GUEST HANDLING
VIP (s) include:
1. Politicians
2. Heads of states National and International)
3. Famous personalities in various fields like: Actors; Sportsmen; writers; etc.
4. Senior executives (of ones own company and other industries/companies)

Treatment to VIPs (the housekeeping aspect is):
- Rooms to be ready under all circumstances before guest arrival.
- Priority over other rooms to service the guest room.
- Extra care and special attention with regards to cleanliness and hygiene.
- Special and/or an extra floral arrangement.
- VIP room (arrival or staying on) are always checked by the senior/deputy/executive housekeeper in addition to
the guest relations executive/hospitality staff or any other staff from the front office department.
- Housekeeping staff have to ensure that :
- The complimentaries placed by the Food and Beverage department.
Have been placed in time;
Are of the required type (according to the VIP status);
The quality of food items like fruits are good (not rotten);
The wines/other liquor kept are not opened/pilfered on guest departure.
- any maintenance complaints are
Notified in time

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Attended to in time.
- laundry service :
Is prompt
Makes a note of any special; guest request and try to comply with them.

VIP GUEST SUPPLIES AND AMENITIES:

The standards of VIP guest supplies/amenities would vary from one hotel chain to another and even between two units of
the same chain. Mentioned here are a few of the common VIP supplies that a hotel provides:
a. Linen : clean (stain free); soft; possible white linen (in hotels where the F.I.T. guests are given a different coloured
linen);
b. Bathrobes :
c. Plain ( white or coloured)
d. Plain with the hotel logo
e. Plain with the hotel logo and the initials of the guest.
f. Shoe shine pads/box
g. Newspaper and magazines (national and international)
h. Foot mats
i. Variety of toiletries like :
o Soaps
o Moisturizers
o Shaving kits

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o Eau-de-cologne
o Eau-de-toilette
o After shave lotion
o Mouthwash
o Toothbrush kits.
j. Personalised stationery
k. Free/discounted laundry service.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Explain the procedure for room cleaning.
2. Write the steps to make a bed.
3. What is turndown service?
4. What is spring cleaning or deep cleaning?
5. What are the supplies kept in a guest room?
6. What is the service and amenities given to VIPs?

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1)
Unit 5

5.1 Lost and Found procedure, housekeeping clerical work, lost and found register-lost and found enquiry file
5.2 House keepers report-handover records-guests special request register.
5.3 Records of special learning-attendance record, stock record- VIP list.

CONTROL DESK
IMPORTANCE ROLE COORDINATION
The housekeeping desk is the nerve centre of the entire department and its efficiency determines the smooth operation of
the housekeeping department. It is the main link for the information and communication between the various areas of the
department as well as the other department for coordination. The desk has to be manned 24 hrs otherwise the entire line
of communication would stop.

Coordination between the guests and floor housekeepers
The desk coordinator attends to all guest calls and requests. This is done with the help of pagers or floor paging system,
walky-talky or mobiles.

Coordination with front office

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The desk coordinator acts as the main coordinator between the housekeeping and the front office in giving and clearing of
cleaned and dirty rooms as fast as possible. The desk coordinator also receives special information from the front office,
which is communicated to the housekeeping supervisor on the floors. This information may include
VIP arrivals
VIP in- house
Group arrivals
Crew arrivals
Coordination with maintenance
All maintenance call to be attended to in the public areas and guest floors are diverted through the desk coordinator, who,
in turn conveys these messages to the maintenance control room as soon as possible, so that, concerned technicians can
be sent to attend the complaints. These technicians/ housekeeping supervisors then call back the desk coordinator and
inform her of the job completion

Registers maintained at the desk are
Staff placement book
Emergency cupboard register
Damaged or missing article register
Lost and found
Maintenance job order

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Key register
Guest service/call register
Occupancy book
Indent book
Purchase order book
Usually two writing boards are kept in the HK office each for a specific purpose:
The notice board serves as the main information display board for the department. The following information is generally
displayed
VIP arrivals
Duty charts
Banquet function list
Weekly cleaning schedules
Night cleaning schedules
Room numbers of long staying guests
The black board / log book displays information regarding any extra items given to a guest, like
Baby cot
Extra bed
Blankets
Iron

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Iron stand
Hair dryer
Hard board etc.
KEY CONTROL
Key control is a method of tracking keys that have been issued. Floor master key and housekeeper master keys are to be
controlled on a master key control register
To practice effective key control, personnel who issue floor master keys should log the following information
Enter the issuing date
Enter the floor number for which the key is intended
Enter the key identification number
Ask for the person receiving the key
Check the master sheet at the end of the shift to see that all keys have been returned. If the key is missing, locate
the individual who signed out or the missing key
Floor or section key
Room boys for cleaning the rooms generally use these keys
Floor or section master key
The floor supervisors or deputy housekeeper generally carries these keys. They should be signed in or signed out in the
key register

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Grand master key
The hotel management decides on whom to give this key as this key can open any room of the hotel. Usually this key is
issued to the executive housekeeper, the general manager of the hotel and a key can even be given to the security
department
Housekeeping godown key
Depending on the go downs contents; keys are maintained by the executive housekeeper / deputy housekeeper
Housekeeping department keys
These keys are issued to individuals who work in the office
Linen room key
Generally the linen room key is with the EHK and the person opening the same will sign a record book
Key cupboard
Keys are kept in the key cupboard when not in use. This cupboard itself has a lock
For hotels with key cards, the use of the key cards helps to minimize thefts and malpractices, as each key card is
programmed with an area and time specification. This means it can only open those rooms as specified while
programming and it has a time limit or lock out, depending on the work and shift timing of the staff. Whenever a key is
used the time of entry and the key that was used is logged. This can help the security to track the sequence of event, in
case of any mal practices or theft

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Key control Sheet
Date:
Key
code
Name Sign Time
out
Issued
by
Time
in
Sign Received

PAGING SYSTEM AND METHODS
Paging system in hotels is a way of communication between the staff and even for guest
Paging system started long back where in the bellboys and waiters use to ring a hand bell and run around the hotel public
areas looking for the guest to give their message. The boy use to carry a board with the message written on it.
With the changing time and technologies this system changed and now paging system is restricted within the staff. Earlier
housekeeping staff either used pagers or paging lights in the corridors, but now mobile phones are mostly used for this
purpose
PROCEDURES

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DUTY ALLOTMENT AND DUTY CHART
The allotment of duties is the responsibilities of the Executive Housekeeper. Depending on the hotel policy monthly or
weekly duty chart is made and the job allotment is done. All the staffs are well informed about the areas they are
responsible for. Any changes in the duty chart have to be informed to the Executive Housekeeper. A copy of the duty chart
is sent to the personnel department and another copy is displayed on the housekeeping desk for staff to check.

LEAVE HANDLING
In the housekeeping department only the Executive Housekeeper and in her absence the assistant executive housekeeper
is permitted to grant any leave. In the beginning of the year an annual leave planner is made. The staffs are asked to give
tentative dates for taking long leaves and the same is marked in the annual planner.
Basically there are three main types of leaves
Privilege leave
Casual leave
Sick leave
Privilege leave cannot be taken less than three days. They are the maximum days of leave granted to any staff
Casual leaves cannot be taken more than three days
Sick leave is only given if the staff is not well.

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Prior permission has to be taken for privilege and casual leave. The same has to be applied in the leave cards and the
executive housekeeper and the personnel managers sign has to be taken to avail the leave
BRIEFING AND DEBREIFING
Briefing is a process usually oral, of informing in the beginning of each shift the room boys and supervisors about the task
assigned for the shift which includes any extra cleaning required to be done. Some other information shared are expected
arrivals expected departure, hotel position, group arrivals, VIP arrivals etc
DEBREIFING
A planned interaction after every shift in the department in which the room boys and supervisors is allowed to ask and
receive information about the next shift, the next day and the coming days to come. The information shared is expected
arrivals, group arrivals, VIP arrivals etc
LOST AND FOUND
These are item left behind by guest. When an employee finds item left behind by a guest he has to immediately turn it over
to the lost and found. In no instance the employee should leave it in an unsecured spot.
The item is handed over to the housekeeping department in a bag writing the room number/area found/date/time, the
article found and their name on a slip of paper placed in the bag
The item is then given to the desk coordinator for registration of the article
The desk coordinator then makes the entry in the lost and found register stating the guest name, serial number, room
number, and the date

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The desk coordinator then informs the front office and security about the item and also enters in the guest profile in the
computer
According to the hotel policy the desk coordinator then tries to contact the guest either through mail or telephone and
informs the guest about the item left behind
If the guest claims the item, the claimant has to sign on the original copy stating received which is then filed in the lost
and found property claimed file
If the guest wants the item to be posted the same is done

Disposal
The unclaimed items are disposed according to hotel policy. It can be either given to the founder or given to charity or
auctioned after six months
Edible items are disposed generally disposed within two to three days
Passports, security is informed and they contact the embassy immediately
Credit cards, banks are contacted
Airline tickets, airlines are informed
Liquor is generally given off to the food and beverage department

GATE PASS

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Gate pass are slips, which are made to take out things from the hotel premises for various reasons like repair, sample or
gifts by guest
They are mainly two types
Returnable gate pass
Non- returnable gate pass
o Returnable gate pass these are made for items which are being taken out from the hotel but will be returned
to the hotel for e.g. Repair, sample etc
o Non- returnable gate pass - these are made for items which are being taken out from the hotel but will not be
returned to the hotel for e.g. Gifts from guests, scrap etc
INDENTING
It is a procedure where the housekeeping departments makes a list of items required by the department for its functioning
and sends it to the stores department. The list is called indent slip and it is usually made once in a week. In hotels a day
in a week is fixed for each department to give their indent slip and take the issue of the required items.
Stores Indent Sheet
Date:
S. no Indented items Quantity
indented
Quantity issued
with remarks


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Made by................................
Approved by ....................... Storekeeper.....................


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FORMATS
HOUSEKEEPING LOG BOOK
Housekeeping log book
Shift ___________ Time _______________ Date _______________
Log entries
.......
......
......
......
Name and sign of desk attendant

MEMO BOOK
MEMO BOOK
Work
order
no.
Date Description
of
maintenance
work
Location/
room no.
Reported
by
Job
completed
on
Sign of
supervisor

DEPARTURE REGISTER

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DEPARTURE REGISTER
Date:
Room
no.
Name of
departure
guest
Time of
departure
Given
by
Cleared
by
Time Sign of
desk
attendant

GUEST MESSAGE REGISTER
Guest Message register
S. no. Location
Room
no.
Message Given
by
Given
to
Time Action
taken
Sign

REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What are the steps to a lost and found procedure?
2. What are the forms and formats used in the housekeeping dept.?

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