HOUSEKEEPING MANAGEMENT

THM 244
BY ÖZLEM YAMAK
 CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION TO HOUSEKEEPING MANAGEMENT

OBJECTIVE: Describing role of

housekeeping within the hotel and
explaining relationship with the other
departments.
 Why do Guests return to a hotel ?

1. Cleanliness/Appearance
2. Good service
3. Facilities
4. Convenience/ Location
5. Price/Reasonable rates
6. Name/reputation
• If sheets are soiled, blankets are rough and
scratchy, pillow thin and non-supportive and
shower curtains are moldy and stained, the
entire image of the hotel is tarnished and the
guest most likely will no return.
• Housekeeping is the customer’s first
impression and last impression.
 IMPORTANCE OF HOUSEKEEPING

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

keeps everything together. Withouth a strong hk. Staff, guests wouldn’t
have clean rooms to check in or return to, the loby would be filthy,
furniture and fixtures would be dusty, and the hotel would look unkempt
and dirty.

• Characteristics common to all lodging establishments, regardless of size,

category, is the need for hk. services that ‘refreshing’. In short, hk.
establishes a hotel’s reputation for cleanliness and quality.

• According to Sudhir Andrews, author of ‘Hotel Housekeeping’, the hk.

Department is vital to attracting and keeping guests through it’s role of
maintaining top quality decor, cleanliness and service.
 IMPORTANCE OF HOUSEKEEPING
• Housekeepers job include cleaning rooms, changing bedding,
cleaning all bathrooms, replacing toileteries, cleaning
common areas, doing laundry and ensuring a clean overall
apperance. It’s easy to see why there are usually more
employees working in the housekeeping department than in
any other hotel department.

• It is important to have housekeeping available 24 hours per

day 7 days per week for guests in the hotel industry.
 Housekeeping Department
 Largest department in the Hotels.
 Staff
 Payroll
 Responsibility- ‘Eyes and Ears of the Hotel’.
Maintenance Concerns
Guest Behaviour
Employee Theft
 The most vital department in a hotels
 Highest impact on guests (remember, guest wants cleanliness)
 Lowest wages paid
 Least respect received
The aims of the housekeeper are to:
 Achieve the maximum efficiency possible in the care and comfort of the
guests and in the smooth running of the department,
 Establish a welcoming atmosphere and a courteous, reliable service from
all staff of the department,
 Ensure a high standard of cleanliness and general upkeep in all areas for
which she is responsible,
 Train, control and supervise all staff attached to the department,
 Establish a good working relationship with other departments,
 Ensure that safety and security regulations are made known to all staff of
the department,
 Keep the general manager or administrator informed of all matters
requiring attention.
 THE ROOMS DEVISION
• Rooms Divisions: Composed of departments and functions
which play essential roles in providing the services that guests
expect during their stay. Divided into departments that Front
Office (front desk, cashier, mail + information section,
reservation, telephone), Security, and Housekeeping
(laundry). Show departments on an organisational chart.
• Other Departments are:
Food and Beverage Department
Human Resource Department
Accounting Department
Sales and Marketing Department
Engineering and Maintenance Department
• The executive in charge of the rooms division is the Rooms Division
Director/Resident Manager/Executive Manager/Senior Assistant
Manager (Look At Organisational Chart).
• The rooms Division Director reports directly to the property’s general
manager. As a member of the executive committee, the rooms division
director takes an active part in policy-making decisions related to
operations.
• The front office and housekeeping departments are of critical importance
to the property. The Executive Housekeeper is the head of housekeeping
and is therefore directly responsible for managing what is in most cases
the largest department of the establishment.
• The position of executive housekeeper in the organisational chart is that
of department head, equal in rank to the front office manager, the
security manager, and the remaining managers in charge of departments
in other divisions.
• Each department classified either a revenue center or a support center.
This method is especially useful for accounting purposes and in relation to
the property’s recordkeeping and information system.
• Revenue Center: sells goods or services to guests and thereby generates
revenue for the hotel. The Front Office, F&B outlets, room service, and
retail stores are typical hotel revenue centers.
• Support Center: does not generate direct revenue, but plays a supporting
role to the hotel’s revenue centers. The housekeeping department is a
major support center within the rooms division. Others; accounting,
engineering and maintenance, HR.
• The terms front of the house (employees have a great deal of guest
contact)and back of the house (employees have less direct guest contact)
may also be used to classify hotel departments and the personnel within
them.
• The overall success of an operation depends on the profitability of the
rooms division (70-80% of revenue).
 COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HOUSEKEEPING & FRONT OFFICE

Written Communication
Occupancy Report
Housekeeping Rooms Status Report

Mechanical Communication

Computerized Communication
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

 Occupancy Report/Night Clerk’s Room Report: Prepared by a front desk

agent every night, lists the occupied rooms that night, indicates the rooms
expected to check out the following day (due out).
The Executive housekeeper gets this list in the morning and shedules the
rooms for cleaning.

 Housekeeping Status Report: Prepared by housekeeping department at

the end of the shift, indicates the current housekeeping status of each
room (the rooms that have been cleaned that day).
based on a physical check of each room
 Room Status Discrepancy: is a situation in which the housekeeping
department’s description of a room’s differ from the front desk’s
description of a room. Reasons why discrepancies may occur:
 Guests switches from one room to another + front desk doesn’t change its
records.
 Error is made by the night clerk when filling out the Night Clerk’s Report.
 Guest is given wrong room key by mistake.
 Room is used by an unauthorized employee.
 Room is sold by front desk without being recorded, + money is pocketed
by the clerk
 Guest checks in or out between the time report is made + check is
conducted.
 Keeping room status information up-to-date requires close
communication between the front desk + housekeeping department. The
two most common systems for tracing current room status are mechanical
room rack systems and computerized status systems.
MECHANICAL COMMUNICATION
 A Room rack may be used by the front desk to track the registration
process with the guest’s name + other necessary information + placed in
the room rack slot corresponding to the assigned room number. The
presence of the room rack slip indicates that room is occupied. When the
guests check out, the rack slip is removed + the rooms status is changed to
an on-change.

 This system may lead to mistakes + delays in the room status information
between housekeeping + the front desk. For ex., if a room rack slip is
mistakenly left in the rack after the guest’s check out, front desk agents
may think that a vacant room is still occupied (sleeper).

 Here the communication between housekeeping + front office may be

spoken (on the telephone), written (through the usual reports) or tele-
writer.
COMPUTERIZED COMMUNICATION
 In a computerized room status system, housekeeping and front desk uses
a computer terminal which ensures instant access to room status
information. When a guest checks out, a front desk agent enters the
departure into the computer which alerts housekeeping that the room
needs cleaning. After the room is cleaned + inspected, housekeeping
enters this information into the terminal. This is how the front office is
informed that the room is available for sale.
 When the computer system is connected to the guestroom telephone
system, the supervisors can enter a designated code on the room
telephone to change the room’s status in the hotel’s computer system to
inform front desk that the room is ready for sale. This saves time + energy
in informing the front desk about the status of rooms.

 Other Communications: Information about occupancy forecast, arrival of

VIP’s, early check-in of groups, closing of certain sections for deep-
cleaning or repairs, delivery of guest laundr, lost and found items, special
guest requests, …
SUMMARY OF DAILY COMMUNICATION BETWEEN F. O. + H. K.
DEPARTMENTS
6 A. M.
 Front Office to housekeeping:
Daily report of each room’s status
Rooming lists + times for arriving groups
Special requests (adjoining rooms, rollways), VIP rooms
Late check-outs
Early check-ins
8 A. M.
 Front office to housekeeping:
Check-outs already departed
Update of special request and VIPs
Assignment of show rooms for the day
10 A. M.
 Housekeeping to front office:
Results of vacant room check
Rooms that will not be cleaned today
Rooms on maintenance + the reasons
Through the Day
 Front office to housekeeping:
Late departures
Extended stays
Room changes
Check-outs which have departed
 Housekeeping to front office:
Continual reporting of vacant and ready rooms
Readiness of special requests
Status update of rooms found discrepency
Check –Out Time
 Housekeeping to front office:
Status of expected check-outs
During Check-In
 Front office to housekeeping:
Update on special requests
Rooms needed as soon as possible
End of the Day
 Housekeeping to front office:
Complete update of hotel status
 COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HOUSEKEEPING AND MAINTENANCE

Every piece of equipment, fixtures and furniture in the

guestrooms, hallways, linen and laundry rooms, public areas
and employee locker rooms must be in perfect working order
at all times.

There are three kinds of maintenance activities

1. Routine Maintenance
2. Preventative Maintenance
3. Scheduled Maintenance
Maintenance work order system
1. Routine Maintenance: activities are those which occur on a regular (daily
or weekly) basis for the general upkeep of the property. Ex. Sweeping
carpets, washing floors, cleaning windows, re-placing burned out light
bulbs, cleaning guest rooms, cutting grass. Many of them are handled by
housekeeping.

2. Preventative Maintenance: consist of 3 parts: inspection, minor

correction, + work order initiation. Every day, the rooms are routinely
inspected for any leaks, cracks etc. by room attendants and inspectors. If
there are some minor problems, engineering is informed through the
telephone + they are corrected while the room attendant is cleaning the
room.
However, preventative maintenance sometimes identifies major
problems for which work orders are initiated. Then, this type of work is
referred to as scheduled maintenance.
3. Scheduled Maintenance: activities are initiated at the property based on
a formal work order. Work orders are the key in the communication
between housekeeping and engineering. When a work order is filled by
the housekeeping, one copy is kept in the department and 2 copies are
sent to the engineering to inform them. One of those copies is kept by
the chief engineer and other is given to the engineering and staff who
will fix the problem.

TEAMWORK: is the key to successful hotel operations. Housekeeping

must work closely not only with the front office and maintenance but
also with every other department in the hotel. Although the general
manager is responsible for implementing the teamwork philosophy, each
department and every employee can help.
 CHAPTER 2 & 3
PLANNING AND ORGANISING THE HOUSEKEEPING
DEPARTMENT

OBJECTIVE: Identifying the major

responsibilities and drawing the
organisation of the housekeeping
department.
HOUSEKEEPING RESPONSIBILITIES
 Areas of responsibility of the housekeeping department will be different
depending on the size of the hotel.
In limited service hotels:
 Guestrooms
 Corridors
 Public areas, such as the lobby and public restrooms
 Pool and patio areas
 Management offices
 Storage areas
 Linen and sewing rooms
 Laundry room
 Back-of-the-house areas, such as employee locker rooms
Additional areas in mid-and-world class hotels
 Meeting rooms
 Dining rooms
 Banquet rooms
 Convention exhibit halls
 Hotel-operated shops
 Game rooms
 Exercise rooms

Exceptional areas that not directly responsible for cleaning

 Kitchen (Food and Beverage)
 Maintenance department
 Swimming pool
 Front desk
MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS OF EXECUTIVE
HOUSEKEEPER

 Planning (initial activities)

 Organising/Co-ordinating/Staffing (pre-operating a.)
 Directing/Controlling (operating activities)
 Evaluating (appraisal activities)
 PLANNING
It is deciding where one should go and how to get there.
Planning is probably the executive housekeeper’s most important
management function. Without competent planning, every day may
present one crisis after another. Constant crises lower morale, decrease
productivity, and increase expenses within the department. Ex
housekeeper must be addressed all details in order to ensure that the
work is not only done- but done correctly, efficiently, on time, and with
the least cost to the department. And basic planning activities are:
 Area Inventory List
 Frequency Schedules
 Performance Standards
 Productivity Standards
 Equipment and Supply Inventory Levels
+
 Housekeeping Department Operating Budget
 Basic Planning Activities
Initial Planning Question Resulting Documents
1. What items within this area must Area Inventory List
be cleaned or maintained?
2. How often must the items within Frequency Schedules
this area be cleaned or
maintained?
3. What must be done in order to
clean or maintain the major items Performance Standards
within this area?
4. How long should it take an
employee to perform an assigned Productivity Standards
task according to the
department’s performance
standards?
5. What amounts of equipment and
supplies will be needed in order Inventory Levels
for the housekeeping staff to meet
performance and productivity
standards?
 Area Inventory Lists are show all the items within each area that will need
housekeeping’s attention. Preparing area inventory lists is the first
planning activity because the lists ensure that the rest of the planning
activities address every item for which housekeeping will be held
accountable. Lists are bound to be long and extremely detailed.

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

the sequence in which room attendants will clean items and in which
supervisors will inspect items. This enables the executive housekeeper to
use the inventory as the basis for developing cleaning procedures, training
plans, and inspection checklists.
 For example, items within a guestroom may appear on an area inventory
lists as they are found from right to left and from top to bottom around
the room.
 Frequency Schedules indicate how often items on area inventory lists are
to be cleaned or maintained. Items that must be cleaned on daily or
weekly basis become part of a routine cleaning cycle and are incorporated
into standard work procedures. Other items are inspected on a daily or
weekly basis, but they become part of a deep cleaning program and are
scheduled as special cleaning projects.
 The executive housekeeper must take into account a number of factors
when scheduling deep cleaning of guestrooms or other special projects.
For example, whenever possible, days marked for guestroom deep
cleaning should coincide with low occupancy periods. Also, the deep
cleaning program must be flexible in relation to the activities of other
departments.
 For example, if the engineering department schedules extensive repair
work for several gueast rooms, the executive housekeeper should make
every effort to coordinate a deep cleaning of these rooms with
engineering’s timetable.
 Performance Standards are developed by answering the question ‘what
must be done in order to clean or maintain the major items within this
area?’. Standards are required quality levels of performance. Performance
standards state not only what must be done, they also describe in detail
how the job must be done.
 One of the primary objectives of planning the work of the housekeeping
department is to ensure that all employees carry out their cleaning tasks
in consistent manner. Although these are vary from one housekeeping
department to another. Important aspect of developing standards is
gaining consensus on how cleaning and other tasks are to be carry out.
 When performance standards are not properly developed, effectively
communicated, and consistently managed, the productivity of
housekeeping department suffers because employees will not be
performing their tasks in the most efficient and effective manner.
 The written cleaning standards should be a part of the department’s
standard operating procedures (SOPs) and strictly observed during the
training period of new employees. Experienced housekeepers know the
truth of the adage, ‘You can’t expect what you don’t inspect’.
 Productivity Standards determine the acceptable quantity of work to be done
by department employees. An executive housekeeper begins to establish
productivity standards by answering the question, ‘How long should it take for
a housekeeping employee to perform an assigned task according to the
department’s performance standard?’. Productivity standards must be
determined in order to properly staff the department within the limitations
established by the hotel’s operating budget.
 However, housekeeping managers must know how long it should take a
housekeeping employee to perform the major tasks identified on the cleaning
frequency schedules- such as guestroom cleaning once this information is
known, productivity standards can be developed.
 Sample Productivity Standard Worksheet
STEP 1
Determine how long it should take to clean one guestroom according to the
department’s performance standards.
Approximately 27 minutes
PS: Since performance standards vary from property to property, this figure is
used for illustrative purposes only. It is not a suggested time figure for cleaning
guestrooms.
STEP 2
Determine the total shift time in minutes.
8 hours X 60 minutes = 480 minutes

STEP 3
Determine the time available for guestroom cleaning.
Total Shift Time……………………………………………………………480 minutes
Less:
Beginning of Shift Duties………………………………………….20 minutes
Morning Break………………………………………………………….15 minutes
Afternoon Break……………………………………………………… 15 minutes
End of Shift Duties…………………………………………………….20 minutes

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

STEP 4
Determine the productivity standards by dividing the result of Step 3 by the
result of Step 1.
410 minutes/
27 minutes = 15.2 guestrooms per 8 hour shift

 So, quality and quantity can be like two sides of a coin. On one side, if the
quality expectations (performance standards) are set too high, the
quantity of work that can be done accordingly may be unacceptably low.
This forces the executive housekeeper to add more and more staff to
ensure that all the work gets done. The challenge is to effectively balance
performance standards and productivity standards. Quality and quantity
each can serve to check and balance the other.
Equipment and Supply ‘Inventory Levels’ are needed
by housekeeper to get jobs done. The executive
housekeeper plans appropriate inventory levels by
answering the following question: ‘What amounts of
equipment supplies will be needed for the
housekeeping staff to meet the performance
productivity standards of the department?’. The
answer to this question ensures smooth daily
housekeeping activities and forms the basis for
planning an effective purchasing system. A
purchasing system must consistently maintain the
needed amounts of items in housekeeping
inventories. And there are two types of inventory
items recycled and non-recycled inventories.
1. Recycle Inventories: items which are recycled during the
course of hotel operations. For example, linens, some guest
supplies (irons, ironing boards, cribs, etc…), room attendant
carts, vacuum cleaners, carpet shampooers, floor buffers and
many other items. The number of recycled items that must
be on hand to ensure smooth operations is expressed as par
number.
 Par Number: Par refers to the number of items that must be
on hand to support daily, routine housekeeping operations.
For example, one par of linens is the total number of items
needed to outfit all the hotel guestrooms once; two par of
linens is the total number of items needed to outfit all the
hotel guestrooms twice; and so on.
2. Non-Recycled Inventories: items that are consumed or
used up during routine activities of the housekeeping
department. For example, cleaning supplies, guestroom
supplies (such as bath soap), and guest amenities (which may
range from toothbrushes, shampoos, conditioners, colognes,
etc…). A purchase ordering system for non-recyclable
inventory items establishes a par number that is based on
two figures:
 Minimum quantity: the fewest number of purchase units
that should be in stock at any time. The inventory should
never fall below the minimum quantity.
 Maximum quantity: the greatest number of purchase units
that should be in stock at any time. It must be consistent with
available storage space and must not be so high that large
amounts of cash is tied up.
 ORGANISING
 It includes determination of tasks, skills and personnal necessary to achieve
objectives of the department.
 Organising refers to the executive housekeeper’s responsibility to structure
the department’s staff and to divide the work so that everyone gets a fair
assignment and all the work can be finished efficiently and on time.
 Structuring the department’s staff means establishing the lines of authority
and the flow of communication within the department. Two important
principles that should guide the organisation of a department are:
• Each employee should have only one supervisor (unity of command)
• Supervisors should have the authority and information necessary to guide the
efforts of employees under their direction (span of control)
 The executive housekeeper delegates authority to supervisors and must
ensure that each employee recognizes the authority structure of the
department (but can not delegate responsibility). The executive housekeeper
is ultimately responsible for the actions of department supervisors. Therefore,
it is important that supervisors be well informed about hotel policies,
procedures, and the limits of their authority.
The Housekeeping Department Organisational Chart
 Organisational Chart provides a clear picture of the lines of authority and
the channels of communication within the department.
 People working this departments are: executive housekeeper, assistant
housekeeper, uniform room attendants, floor supervisor, public area
supervisor, room attendant, housemen, head housemen, desk control
supervisor, clock room attendants, night supervisor, horticulturist, head
gardener, and gardeners.
 COORDINATING is the management function of implementing the results
of planning and organising at the level of daily housekeeping activities.
Each day, the executive housekeeper must co-ordinate schedules and
work assignments and ensure that the equipment, cleaning supplies,
linens … are on hand for employees to carry out their assignments.
 STAFFING involves recruiting applications, selecting those best qualified to
fill open positions, and scheduling employees to work (More information
at Chp. 4)
 DIRECTING involves supervising motivating, training and disciplining
individuals who work in the department.
 CONTROLLING refers to the executive housekeeper’s responsibilities to
design and implement procedures which protect the hotel’s assets. (More
information at Chp. 5). Assets are anything the hotel owns which has
value. Example keys, linens, supplies, equipment…
 Managers direct people and control things.
 EVALUATING is the assesing the extent to which planned goals are
attained one of the most important evaluation tool is the monthly budget
reports.
 CHP. 5 MANAGEMENT OF INVENTORY AND EQUIPMENT

OBJECTIVE: Learning how housekeeping

material is classified and defining the
concepts of fixed and operating assets.
CLASSIFICATION OF MATERIALS

 Administrative function refers to adequate selection and purchasing of

supplies and equipments.

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

large number of items used in the housekeeping department.

 Housekeeping materials is divided into two major categories as:

1. fixed assets, and
2. operating assets.
1. FIXED ASSETS:

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

 Fixed assets are usually cost over $ 100 and depreciated at

the end of the fiscal year.

 Depreciation means that company reduces value of assets

during the period of assets’ estimated useful life. For tax
purposes, depreciation is a tax allowance that can be set
aside by the company year after year for replacing items
once they can no longer be used.
 Fixed Assets are sub-categorized into ;
1. F.F. & E ---Furniture, Fixture and Equipment
 Items that have a 5 to 7 year life span
 Such as beds, chairs, paintings, mattresses, television sets that are used
in guestrooms, public areas, and staff areas.
2. Software
 Items have a 3 t0 5 year life span
 Comprise guestroom fixtures of a textile nature that are not bed linens or
bath linens
 Such as curtains, bedspreads, pillows, blankets, comforters
3. Department Equipment
 Life span of these items is between 3 and 7 years
 Such as heavier mobile equipment used in the housekeeping department
for cleaning or transportation purposes, vacuum cleaners, schampoo
machines, glass washers, and so on.
2. OPERATING ASSETS

 Include items under the control of executive

housekeeper that are generally used in the day to
day operations of department

 An important characteristic of operating assets is

that it must be regularly inventoried.
 Operating Assets are sub-catagorized into ;
1. Cleaning Supplies
 Includes every one of the items used for cleaning purposes
 Such as cleaning solutions, disinfectants, polishers, brooms, mops, rags
2. Linens – have a sub-categories of bed linen and bath linen
 Bed linen: includes sheets and pillowcases
 Bathroom linen: includes towels, washcloths, bath mats and washable
shower curtains
3. Uniforms
 It is self-explanatory, including apparel used in the housekeeping
department by supervisors, section housekeepers, laundry, and linen
room personnel
4. Guest Supplies: Items used by guests. And sub-divided into 2
classification as non-reusable and reusable items.
 Non-reusable guest supplies are soaps, pens, paper items, mints, etc.
 Re-usable guest supplies are items that can be used again, such as
ashtrays, clothes, hangers and wastebaskets.
CHP. 6 CHARACTERISTICS OF HOUSEKEEOING
EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES
 Executive Housekeeper must administer and maintain their
properties’ fixed assets classified as F. F. & E., Software and
Department Equipment and operating assets classified as
Cleaning Supplies, Guest Supplies-non-reusable and reusable-,
Linens-bed and bathroom- and Uniforms.

 For this reason (administration and maintain), executive

housekeepers must have appropriate knowledge of the
assets that are under their control.
HOUSEKEEPİNG F. F. & E., SOFTWARE AND DEPARTMENT EQUIPMENT
 DESIGN :
• Regardless of their type of service, lodging properties must maintain
interior design consistency standards throughout the building.
• Its guestroom and public area design, color patterns, fabric and upholstry
quality and overall apperance must befit the category they represent.
• For instance, colors must be complementary. In general blue is
complementary of orange, green of red, and yellow is violet (Look at
colorstar).
• Why food companies use red? McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King as prime
examples of this.
• Using several light tints and shades of the same color makes rooms seem
larger, while full-intensity hues tend to make the room compact. Adjoining
walls should be painted the same color to provide a sense of continuity.
When covering walls, smaller prints should be used in small rooms and in
all cases color patterns should be complementary.
• For instance, lobbies may be fitted with fireplaces, bookcases, and live
plants to make them seem more homey and inviting to travelers.
 FURNITURE
• Executive Housekeeper are generally responsible for the refurbishing and
upkeep of furniture in guestroom, public and employee areas.

• Furniture should be:

– Solidly built,
– Easy to maintain,
– Functional, and
– Attractive.

• For example, desk chairs should have padded backs to provide comfort to
guests (ergonomic) and prevent wood from hitting desktops.

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

instance, love seats and armchairs can replace the standard chairs so often
found in hotel rooms.
 Upholstery
• Upholstery fibers may be natural, synthetic, or plastic.
– Natural fibers such as cotton, linen, silk and wool are rich looking and
long wearing but expensive and delicate to maintain because they
stain easily.
– Synthetic fibers are less expensive and easy to clean but they are less
elegant and more likely to generate static electricity.
– The greatest advantage of upholstery plastic materials such as vinyl is
that they can easily cleaned by just wiping with a soapy cloth;
however, they generally have a duller appearance than natural or
blended materials
• All fabrics should be strong enough to withstand repeating shampooing.
 Beds
• Beds are the central attraction in guestrooms and often a big selling point for
travellers when choosing a lodging property. When to pay a room, guests expect to
receive a clean, well-maintained sleeping area and a comfortable bed.
• It is important to know the composition of the bed structure of each property in
order to figure out the maximum number of people that the property can house.
• Knowing the different types of beds and how many guests can stay in the rooms
will help executive housekeepers plan for bed and bathroom linen and supplies
(Look on page 107, Table 6.1).
• Another type of sleeping equipment is the mobile bed. Families, collage groups
often require additional sleeping accommodations in guestrooms.
• Rollaway or bed on wheels, consists of a folding frame with an attached bed
spring body.
• Cribs are also essential to have in order to accommodate infants or young children.
• Dual-purpose sleeping equipment is common in guestrooms. Provides both
seating space and extra sleeping capacity, eliminating the need to roll in a mobile
bed on short notice. Sofas, couches, chair-beds, and in-wall beds are the most
common dual-purpose pieces of equipments.
• In-wall beds, also called Murphy beds, are concealed in the wall behind a panel,
giving the room appearance of a studio or parlor rather than a bedroom.
 Box Spring
• To act as shock absorbers between the mattress and the bed frame itself.
• Box spring increase the height of beds, giving them a more elegant look.

 Mattresses
• Surveys of favorite guest amenities conducted regularly by hospitality
magazines consistently show that guests put comfortable mattresses at
the top of the list, second only to cleanliness.
• Innerspring type mattresses are have metal coils that support the weight
of the sleepers while conforming to their body contours.
• The firmness of the mattress is determined by the gauge of steel used,
number of turns of each coil, and the way the coils are attached to the
mattress frame.
• Foam mattress are used for rollaway beds. Latex foam or urethane. Less
expensive but don’t provide adequate firmness expected by an adult
guests.
• Water-filled mattress (waterbeds) became quite popular with the public
when they were first used in the 1960s, but they soon proved to be
inconvenient with lodging operators because they often leaked and
because the water had to be heated, which became costly.
 FIXTURES
• Guestrooms, lobies are furnished with accessories such as mirrors,
decorations, pictures, and lights, to complement the furniture.
• The color and style of fixtures should be ballanced with the overall room
decor.
• Amount, style, and quality of furnishing will dramatically affect the
apperance of rooms.
• For instance, strategically placed mirrors can give small room an illusion of
depth.

 Carpets
• Beautiful carpeting can enhance the appearance of lodging properties and
make a lasting impression on guests.
• The first step in selecting right carpet is to match its color, texture, and
pattern with the design of the area where it is to be installed.
 Lighting
• Lights of adjustable intensity should be placed strategically so that guest
can arrange their preferences to suit their needs.
• For example, subdued lighting for relaxation or bright lighting for working
or entertaining friends.

 EQUIPMENT
• Guestrooms are often equiped with multi-line telephones complete with
voice mail and PC compadibility; some hotels even provide celluar phones
and 24 hour access to translators and information in other language.
• Widescrean television sets and high-quality clock radios are a must in 4
and 5 star properties, as are in room sales.
 SOFTWARE
• Depreciable fixed assets that are not furniture or equipment, such as
bedspreads, mattress covers, blankets, pillows and window coverings may
be categorized under the classification of software.

 Bedspreads
• As with mattresses, bedspreads should be purchased with the quality of
durability, comfort, maintenance, and fire safety in mind.
• Bedspreads are an important in decor of guestrooms and should
complement the motif, color and design of the room.
• While the normal recycling life span of a good bedspread should be at
least 5 years, polycotton bedspreads only last from 2 to 3 years.
 Blankets
• The purpose of blankets is to act as insulators.

 Mattress Covers
• All mattress should be fitted with moisture-proof covers at all times to
prevent staining.

 Pillows
• Comfortable pillows are a necessary complement to comfortable
mattresses. It is advisable to provide two pillows per person for most
guests like to prop them up high to watch television in bed.
• Hotels should stock a few natural-fill pillows to meet the occosional
request for guests. A record should be kept in the housekeeping
department of the room number where the pillows were delivered and
then should be recovered after the guest’s check-out.
 Wall Covers
• The first consideration for selection wall covering is that they match the
general decor of room; the second, and just as important, consideration is
their durability and ease of maintenance.
• The two most common forms of wall coverings are paint and vinyl.

 Window Coverings
• Most windows in guestrooms are covered with curtains and sheers.
• Because of their susceptibility to fading, fabrics used for curtains must be
resistant to direct sunlight.
• It is advisable to purchase good-quality, vinyl-coated fabrics that can retain
their shape and color for long periods of time.
• In all cases, the curtain rods and cords must be sturdy to avoid damage;
having batons instead of cords may reduce the chance of breakage.
 DEPARTMENT EQUIPMENT
• Besides F.F.&E. and software material, housekeeping department needs
major pieces of equipment to clean guest, public and employee areas and
to transport clean and soiled linen, trash and supplies.
• In all cases, department equipment used in housekeeping should be of
heavy duty quality, able to withstand rough and continuous use.
• Housekeeping Cart: It is the most significiant piece of housekeeping
equipment
• Usually, one cart is assigned to the cleaner of each section of guestrooms
(section housekeeper) and one to each janitor. It is carries the supplies the
housekeepers need to clean a hotel room and prepare it for the next
guest.
o Characteristics of Housekeeping Cart:
• Cart should be large enough and have enough shelves to carry full
complement of supplies needed in each working shift in order to avoid
unnecessary trips to the linen room for additional supplies.
• Cart must be light and maneuverable enough to be pushed by one person
from door to door and from floor to floor, including pushing it into and out
of service elevators.
• Cart should be contoured with rubber bumpers to protect walls and wall
corners and have casters with brakes of superior quality.
• Some carts can be purchased with side panels that can be locked in order
to prevent linen and guest amenities from being exposed to whomever
walks past them, thus eliminating theft.
• If fitted with laundry and trash bags, these should be made of heavy-duty
material to withstand hard use.
• Plastic baskets or caddies containing guest amenities and cleaning
supplies are generally placed on the top shelf of carts.
 Vacuums
• The typical vacuum cleaner used in guestroom carpet cleaning is upright, with
one or two motors. Dual-motor type has one motor to drive better brush and
another to provide the suction.
• Some useful characteristics of commercial vacuums are: having collector cups,
or zipper receptacles instead of paper bags (it is better to use disposable
bags), long electric cable, wraparound bumpers, secondary filters to protect
the vacuum motor, adjustable brush settings, three-position handlers, and
self-lubricating brushes. Some vacuums are incorporated into the
housekeeping cart.
• Large area vacuums are used in hallways and lobies that contain extensive
areas of carpeting. In very large ballrooms and meeting rooms vacuums with
30 inch brushes should be used.
• Wet/Dry vacuums are designed for wet pickup on any type of hard flooring
surface. They can be used to remove liquids when hard floors are stripped or
for any kind of liquid absorption.
• Back Vacuums worn by housekeeper, are convenient for dusting and cleaning
vertical or high surfaces and fixtures, especially curtains, drapes and wall
coverings. Back vacuums are light, quiet machines equipped with adjustable
straps and hoses that can be expanded to three times their normal length.
 Floor Machines
• Designed to mechanically polish, buff, strip, scrup, grind, sand, burnish,
and shampoo surfaces.
• Usually one multipurpose machine used.
• Burnishers are used when the property has large areas of terrazzo or tile
floor. Burnishing up to 30.000 square feet per hour.
• Polishers are heavily weighted machines used to grind, sand and polish
marble and other stone floors.
• Scrubbers are used to automatically scrub hard or resilent surfaces by
applying a stripping solution and recovering the liquid as the machine is
pushed along the surface
• Extractors are used to clean carpets and rugs. The simplest and least
expensive consists of a machine with two tanks- one that holds the
cleaning solution and one that collects the suctioned liquid.
• Self-contained extractors are very convenient to operate as they don’t
require a wand or hoses. The best models have four-phase cleaning action
(sprey, scrub, rinse, and extract in one pass). They are also available with
dry foam instead of liquid solution.
 OTHER DEPARTMENT EQUIPMENT
• When large lodging properties use drinking glasses made of glass (rather
than), glass washers are necessary. The practice of washing housekeeping
glasses in the kitchen’s dishwashers is not an effective one as it is usually
seen as an ‘encroachment’ by the food and beverage department
personnel.
HOUSEKEEPING CLEANING SUPPLIES, GUEST SUPPLIES, LINENS & UNIFORMS

 CLEANING SUPPLIES
• Cleaning supplies are categorized under operating assets and are
including in the property’s operating budget.
• They comprise chemicals necessary to perform cleaning jobs.
• There are several hundred manufacturers of cleaning chemicals, each of
which markets and sells countless products.
• The responsibility of selecting and using the right chemicals rests with the
executive housekeeper.
 Purchasing Supplies
• In large properties, the purchasing function is performed by the
purchasing agent. However, it should be up to the executive housekeeper
to determine what products to use in the department, and to inform the
purchasing agent of the specification and characteristics recuired for the
supplies to be bought.
• An agreement should be made between the department and the vendor
to train workers, at no cost, on how to use the cleaning supplies properly.
• Factors regarding the purchasing decisions are ; price, availability, service,
and quality.
• For instance, if a product is difficult to obtain, if purveyor doesn’t provide
training/technical support, if much larger quantities than a more
expensive one have to be used, you might not obtain the expected value
from it.
• Shopping of cleaning supplies must be done competitively. Because the
cleaning supplies market is quite competitive. Common to select Cleaning
supplies of similar quality from at least 2 different vondors.
• Bulk purchasing of chemicals generally allows for great saving in price to
the housekeeping department. Also, there are disadvantages with buying
chemicals in large quantities.
– Overbuying products may mean having to store them for long periods
of time, tying up resources and space.
– Chemicals may deteriorate while in storage and
– Actually be more labor intensive.
– Decanting liquid from a 55-gallon drum into smaller containers may
take a considerable amount of time. Human error when mixing
concentrates and water or causing spills.
• Although, pre-measured chemicals are ready to be used as purchased,
thus not requiring much handling, their high cost is disadvantages.
And they generate a lot of trash as they are used.
• In-house chemical dispensers or mixing stations can be a good
alternative to both bulk and pre-measured products. The dispensers,
plumbed to hot or cold water, can automatically mix bulk chemicals,
eliminating human error and labor cost from the process.
 Housekeeping Chemicals
• Major purposes of chemicals are:
 To remove dirt,
 To destroy harmful microorganism,
 To preserve,
 To make beautiful furniture, fixtures and surfaces.

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

the symbol for the logarithm of the reciprocal of hydrogen ion
concentration in gram atoms per liter.
• The scale goes from 1 to 14. 1 indicating very acidic solution, 14 a very
alkaline solution, and 7 a neutral solution.
• Cleaning chemicals that have been enhanced with alkalis and acids to
strengthenen their cleaning powers can be dangerous for human and
often can not be used on certain surfaces. A natural cleaner can be used
for all types jobs but its cleaning power is limited.
•Detergent: it is the another name for cleaners. Detergents act
chemically to emulsify dirt, holding it in suspension so it can be
removed away from the surface. Most cleaning detergents are
made from mineral oil.

•All purpose cleaners: have natural pH-balanced formulas for

general-purpose cleaning jobs. They usually are synthetic
detergents, often vegetable oil based, of which pine oil is very
popular because of its pleasant scent and strong deodorizing
power. Have corrosion inhibitors to protect metal surfaces.

•Single purpose cleaners: are heavy-duty cleaners used for

specific cleaning jobs. Abrasive cleaners are cleaning powders or
pastes combined with silica for though cleaning jobs. These
cleaners will scratch soft surfaces like fiberglass or porcelain.
 Restroom and Bathroom Cleaners
• Strong acidic cleaners are needed to clean away lime and rust deposits in
restroom and bathroom fixtures.
• Most toilet cleaners kill bacteria and viruses, including the HIV-1 virus, on
contact. Housekeepers should be trained well in how to handle these
powerful products.
• Graffiti removers consist of a gel formula that effectively effects ink,
crayon, lipstick, some spray paints, magic marker, and bumper stickers
from most hard surfaces. These powerful products should not be used, on
rubber vinyl, plastic or painted surfaces.
• Chemicals can be used to control and kill pathogenic bacteria by sanitizing
a range of viruses and disinfecting surfaces and utensils. But, disinfectants
are germicidal chemicals that kill microorganisms and prevent them from
multiplying. They are effective against many forms of microorganisms,
including salmonella, fungi, and a broad.
 Floor Care Chemicals
• Floor cleaners are water or vegetable oil based and can be applied to
synthetic surfaces, marble, terrazzo, and other washable floors.
• Strippers are chemicals used to remove and clean old floor finishes prior
to rewaxing, resealing, or refinishing them. After the floor has been
stripped, the alkaline residue should be neutralized with a neutralized
rinse prior to applying a new finish.
• Floor sealers are used to protect porous surfaces such as concrete,
terrazzo, wood, and marble from staining.

 Carpet Chemicals
• Carpet shampoo is marketed under manyn commercial brands, and it is
composition can be different as well.
 CLEANING ACCESSORIES
• Up-right brooms are used for reaching into corners, along walls or hard to
reach areas for fast. Such as janitor, warehouse, household, lobby, porter,
whisky brooms. In all cases, up-right brooms should be heavy duty and
have wire bands to help retain shape.
• Push brooms usually consist of combination of horse hair and synthetic
fibers. For durability, the broom block should be attached to the handle by
a sturdy metal brace.
• Wet mops also come in a variety of forms:
– four-ply cotton-synthetic fiber blend mops have good absorption;
– mops with looped ends are more durable than cut-ended
– Some brands feature mildew and bacteria resistant mops with
scrubber headbands and double banding
– Tight twisted, string-style eight-ply mops are especially designed for
floor finishing applications.
• Mop buckets/wingers come in different shapes and forms as well. Dual
bucket systems consist of two overlapping buckets mounted on a mobile
platform with casters. One bucket holds the cleaning solution and the
other carries the rinse water for better sanitation.
• Heavy-duty plastic buckets are preferable to zinc ones as they are quiter,
have no corrosion, and will not dent.

 Handling and Storing Chemicals

• Knowing how to safely handle, mix, and store them can protect
employees, guests, and the company from explosions, fires,
environmental contamination, higher insurance premiums, and costly
litigation.
 Hazard Communication (HazComm)
• In order to protect workers from unsafe working conditions, the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that
employees handling chemicals are informed of the risks that these
chemicals pose and that the employeer provides appropriate training on
how to use them safely.
• HazComm requires that a list of hazardous chemicals used in the
housekeeping department be compiled and kept updated. The executive
housekeeper must then develop a program to let all employees be awere
of, and alert to the hazardous materials they will come in contact with,
teaching them about their specific characteristics and dangers.
• Workers should wear the right personal protective equipment when
handling certain chemicals-mainly gloves, face masks, and goggles.
• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDT) provide all information about
product’s hazardous ingredients, its physical and chemical characteristics,
flammability, recommended handling, health hazards, and what to do in
case of ingestion, fire, or explosion.
 GUEST SUPPLIES
• Lodging companies provide their guests with guestrooms items intended
to make their stay as convenient and comfortable as possible.
 Non-reusable Supplies/Amenities
• Items that guests are expected to use up or may take away with them
when the end of their stay. Finding the right amenities for a property must
be calculated endeavor; the higher the room rate is, the more luxurious
amenities should be. In all cases, today’s travellers have come to expect
the best possible amenities for the type of establishment tyey patronize.
• Sample Bathroom Amenity Items are: after-shave lotion, bath gel, bath
salts, bath soap, body lotion, body powder, cologne, cosmetics,
deodorant, fabric wash, facial tissue, hand lotion, hand soap, mouthwash,
nail clippers, perfume, razor, scissors, shampoo and conditioner, shaving
cream, shower cap, suntan lotion…
• Sample Guestroom Amenity Items are: bathrobe, candy, chocolates,
coffee and tea, cookies, corkscrew, flowers, fruit, laundry bags, matches,
mints, notepads, pens, postcards, sewing kit, shoe horn, shoe mit, slipper,
stationery…
 Reusable Supplies
• Depending on quality of lodging establishment, reusable supplies can
range from the barely essential items offered by economy properties to
the highly sophisticated.
• Supplies provided by most lodging properties are coat hangers, ice
buckets, waste baskets, ashtrays, Bible, and recently electronic
equipments.
• Technology-minded guestes hope to find in lodging properties are
computers with Internet access, fax machines, voice mail, DVD players,
high quality receivers…
 UNIFORMS
• Uniforms for section housekeepers and housepersons should be
functional, good looking and comfortable, with sleeves that allow for ease
of movement. Badly designed unstylish uniforms can affect worker’s
morale and lower the property’s image. Because of turnover, smocks,
shirts, and pants must be easily alterable and able to stand frequent
washing.
• It is important to establish par of employee uniforms. So that each worker
is provided with a clean, fresh looking outfit each day.
• In order to save space, capital incestments, and labor costs, some
properties may resort to having uniform services provided by companies
that furnish a 5 par of uniforms for each full time employee on a weekly
basis.
• Executive housekeeper must analyze the cost of purchasing, laundering,
and maintaining uniforms in-house and that of having the service provided
by an outside contractor.
• If the cost of the latter is substantially greater, the service should be
conducted on the property.