Humble Independent School District



HousekeepingWhat a guest expects - Hotel must be clean, sanitary and presentable at all times, inside and out. The hotel reception area gives a guest their first impression, it must be clutter-free and fragrant-smelling; warm, airy and welcoming.What the hotelier should expect - a hotelier must continually assess the state of readiness to accept guests, they must look at the property from a guests’ point of view to see if it looks appealing and inviting. They must check the outside entry, public areas, & guest rooms; and make sure the staff working in the hotel is aware of the standards for cleanliness and order.The housekeeping staff “delivers the product” of the hotel! This department is the largest staff in the hotel. It can consist of about 75% of the total permanent hotel staff. Guest surveys consistently rank ‘Cleanliness’ as number one priority!Good sanitation and cleaning prevent the spread of diseases and infection.Clean is the state of being free of dirt and bad odors. Sanitary is the state of being free from disease causing pathogens or having a safe level of pathogensCleaning – Vacuum the carpeting, draperies and wipe the furniture to remove dustPrevent mildew, an odor causing fungus, by cleaning surfaces properly and washing all linens properly as well. Mildew grows on damp surfaces, such as shower curtains, damp sheets, bathroom fixtures, floors, window sills. Mildew causes a bad odor and can stain linens. Sanitizing – Must use a chemical agent and/or heat to kill all germs and bacteria (pathogens) Surfaces are sanitized by washing them with a sanitizing solution. Telephones and television remotes must also be sanitized daily too!Housekeeping PersonnelExecutive Housekeeper is the top manager of the department. They oversee the largest department of a hotel as well as implement the logistics of servicing a large number of rooms with a large staff on a daily basis. It can be very challenging. They are responsible for hiring, training, supervising, evaluating, scheduling and motivating all staff. Also they are responsible for the budget of the department.The executive housekeeper must keep track of the occupancy and cleanliness status of each room. There are two basic occupancy status categories: occupied and vacant. Rooms can be clean, dirty or out-of-order (in need of repair).Skills needed for the Executive Housekeeper job:leadership – oversee a large number of people often from varied backgrounds, hires & fires employees; interacts with other departments; maximize loss preventionorganization – scheduling employees, insuring room standards, ordering and tracking use of supplies, forecast number of rooms to be used each night, record keepingmotivation – personal and your staff, hold Daily Standupscommitment - to maintaining high standards, training staffINSPECT WHAT YOU EXPECT!Assistant Executive Housekeeper – The second in command under the Executive Housekeeper, the duties include:Manages the housekeeping office, room inspectors and room attendantsRuns daily reports on room occupancy & departuresAllocates the room schedules to the room attendantsAnswers phone callsProcesses check-in and check-out log of guest roomsIssues cleaning suppliesKeeps and files all worksheets from Room AttendantsControls all pass keys used by Room AttendantsInspects several rooms deemed Clean by Room Inspectors Schedule and assign Deep Cleaning projects - dust high areas, clean AC vents, remove toilet bowl stains, rust spots, shampoo carpeting, vacuum draperiesHousekeeping Chain of Command graphicRoom Inspector A member of the housekeeping team who checks the room after it is cleaned, pays attention to details that might have been overlooked (Book of Mormon)Makes certain the room is ready for the next guestKeeps records of Room Attendant PerformanceInspects every VIP RoomRoom Attendants (should wear safety buttons provided by property to call for assistance/security if needed)Cleans an average 12 – 16 rooms each day Approximately 18 – 25 minutes per room; (longer time allotted for checkout rooms vs. stayovers) Rooms are ready by 3 PM, hotel check-in timeCheckout time is anywhere from 11AM – 1PMRoom Attendants “Turn-A-Room” when it is cleaned and ready for resale by notifying the Housekeeping Dept. and Front Desk that the room is ready to be sold or occupiedDaily duties of a Room AttendantEnter the guest roomClean the guest roomProvide the proper suppliesReport problemsLimit guest accessProvide turndown serviceEntering a Guest RoomCheck door for Do Not Disturb signAlways knock and say “Housekeeping” a minimum of 3 times before entering a room slowlyIf the room is empty the room attendant can begin working; if the room is occupied, the room attendant should apologize and ask when would be a good time to return and clean the room.Place cleaning cart across the doorway for safety and access to supplies during the cleaning of the roomProcedure for cleaning a guest roomTurn on lights, open drapes, set air conditioner (72° F Marriott standard)Gather items left behind, noting room numberClean ashtrays, mirrors, furnitureDust furnishingsEmpty trashVacuumMake the bedsClean & sanitize the bathroom – tub, sink, floor and toiletRestock suppliesInspect the roomRecord comments on worksheet; call into PMSClose drapes, reset AC, spray room freshenerTurn lights offLeave room and lock the door Update the status of the room with the property’s PMS Marriott fines guest $250.00 for smoking in guest room!LinensLinens is the term used to identify all guest room items made of cloth, such as sheets, bedspread, comforter, towels, floor mats, bathrobes. Linens are washed and sanitized in-house in the Laundry. Linens should be discarded & replaced when they are stained and torn. Dirty Linens are removed from the Room Attendants cart and taken to laundry by the floor supervisor. Clean Linens are stored in a linen closet on each guest floor.Evidence of Bed Bugsvisible small black dots on the sheetsvisible small dots of blood on the sheets from the bitesHousekeeping CartsHelps Room Attendants work efficiently because it holds all cleaning supplies, equipment, guest room supplies and linens. Items are often color-coded due to varying levels of knowledge of English language. The cart has a small basket (caddie) for carrying all cleaning sprays, rags, etc. into the guest room. Cosmetics and small amenities are usually stored on bottom to prevent guests from taking souvenirs! The carts also have a trash bag to collect room trash as well as a laundry bag for collecting dirty linens. Room Standards Charts are used to indicate how the room and closet should look after cleaning. Also how the toiletries should be set up in the bathroom is shown on the standards chart. Housekeeping carts should be cleaned and sanitized at the end of each shift. Carts are refilled by night shift employeesGuest Supplies a/k/a Consumables Most properties supply:toilet paper, facial tissue, writing tablet and ink pen toiletries- small bars of soap, small shampoo, hair conditioner, mouthwash, body lotion, shoe shine cloths, disposable shower caps are often provided by limited and full-service hotelsBeverage station -coffee, tea, bottled water & condimentsCity & restaurant guidesHoly BibleBook of MormonTelevision menuNon-consumable amenitiesIron, ironing boardHairdryerAlarm clocksHousekeepers must check: irons to make sure they are empty of water!closets for laundry bagsTime on the alarm clock, must be within 5 minutes of actual timeMost Frequently Stolen Stuff Alarm clocks, iPad docking stations and towelsGuests Requests are often made at the time of booking. The front desk or reservation staff puts the request into PMS. The housekeeping department insures the request is met. Simple requests can be extra pillows or blankets, removal of feather products like pillows, etc. Problems in the rooms?Since Room Attendants are in the guest rooms every day, they are responsible for noticing problems.Items left behind by guest should be brought back to Housekeeping Office. From there the item will go to Loss PreventionSupervisor must keep a log of when, where each item was found, description of item & its condition, name of finder, where it is storedRoom attendants check the rooms for damaged items or items that need repair.soiled, torn linensdamaged furniturebroken air conditioning/furnacebroken television or mini-fridgeleaky toilet or sinkburnt out lightbulbsBlitz and RPMMarriott employs 2 housekeepers to Blitz and two to Rooms Preventative Maintenance (RPM)Blitz – deep clean the room top to bottom, move furniture to vacuum, shampoo carpets, etc.RPM – refresh paint, tub caulk, cover nicks in furniture, & make minor repairs to the roomRoom attendants must also be aware of and watch for:missing furniture or other items- blankets, bathrobes, pictures, remotes, Bibles, etc.suspicious activity – large amounts of blood or evidence of human trafficking“Cooking equipment” either food or Methdiagrams and schematics of the propertybomb or incendiary device componentsRoom attendants’ daily schedule has codes that indicate occupancy, vacancies, & out-of-order rooms. If a room is supposed to be occupied and appears vacant, the Executive Housekeeper must be called.Unfortunately guests sometimes “forget to check-out!” but with credit cards on file that are verified at check-in this is less of a problemLimiting Guest AccessThe Room Attendant is responsible for making sure that no unauthorized people enter a guest room (prevents theft) or a physical attack of the Room Attendant. Strangers must not be allowed to enter the room while they are working. Often the attendant will use the cart to block the open doorway while cleaning the room. Some properties issue EMERGENCY buttons to Room Attendants!What should a Room Attendant Do?Question: A guest asks to be “let back into his room?”Answer: redirect the guest to the Front Desk to obtain a new key. Hopefully the Front Desk employee will verify the identity of the guest before issuing the key!OR Ask for the guest’s key and verify that it opens the room door before allowing guest to enter the room.A Do Not Disturb sign (DND) placed on door handle prevents Room Attendants from entering the room. After 24 hours, a message is left on guest’s phone explaining the DND prevented Housekeeping. After 3 days (72 hrs.) Texas Innkeepers’ Law allows staff entry into room.“Turn Down Service” is housekeeping work that is performed in the evening that includes straightening up of the room. closing draperies restocking the guests suppliesturning down of the bedding or corner folding the top comforter placement of a cookie, chocolate, etc. on the pillowTurn on soft corner lightsPlace a “breakfast menu hanger” next to bedPublic Areas of the Hotel: hallways, lobby, restaurants, meeting rooms, banquet halls, lounges, Business Centers, business offices, and public restrooms must be clean, presentable and sanitary as well. Lobby Attendants, House-staff, & Public-Area Housekeeper or clean these areas by vacuuming, dusting, sanitizing hand-rails, cleaning all glass surfaces, etc.Contract housekeeping services are offered by outside companies to lodging properties. The employees of the contract service wear the property uniforms, perform the daily duties as assigned by the property but are paid by the contract service. LAUNDRYLaundry is done in the laundry!The laundry department is responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of all linens. The staff includes the laundry supervisor, laundry attendants, and seamsters. Laundry supervisors supervise the attendants and seamsters. The supervisor is also responsible for keeping track of all linens and replacing linens when necessary. The laundry attendants perform all the tasks involved in washing laundry. The seamsters repairs worn or torn linens. Seamsters used to be called seamstresses.The purpose of washing laundry is to make it clean, sanitary, and attractive. Washing laundry includes five steps: sorting, washing, drying, folding, and storing.Pretreating stains (found during the sorting process)Linens that are stained or very dirty should be treated with a stain remover as soon as possible. There are three basic treatment methods:Soaking in a stain removal solutionApplying a detergent paste to the stainUsing special treatment methods listed on a stain removal chartTorn or damaged linens need to be repaired before they are washed. Linens that cannot be repaired must be discarded and deleted from inventory. Repairing linens is also called mending. Seamsters repair the linens, drapes, curtains, and other linen products for the hotel.Hot water and sanitizing solutions are used in the washing machine for both cleaning and killing pathogens. Laundry must be thoroughly dried before folding to prevent mildew growth. Laundry is dried in the dryer. Pathogens often thrive in the dryer’s lint trap. The lint trap must be regularly cleaned with a sanitizing solution.After linens are dried, they must be ironed and folded. Flatwork presses and flatwork irons are used to iron sheets. Some hotels have machines that automatically fold sheets.New linens are expensive; therefore, efforts are made to make the linens last. Linens should last at least three years before they need to be repaired. Linens last longer when they are handled carefully and washed properly.The linen room is where clean linens are stored. The Linen Room Supervisor or the Executive Housekeeper is responsible for the linen inventory. Ideally, the hotel should have five times the daily amount of laundry used. Most hotels have three or four times the daily amount.Four reasons linens need to be replaced:normal wear and tearimproper useslosses in the laundrytheftThe quality of linens will help determine how long they will last. The PMS can be used to keep the linen inventory records. The linen room must be locked. Items cannot be taken without a requisition form that is approved by the supervisor. Twice a year count should be made of every linen item in stock.Terms to Know for HousekeepingTurn Down ServiceContract housekeeping servicesDo Not Disturb sign (DND)Blitz and RPM (Rooms Prev Main)ConsumablesRoom Standards ChartsHousekeeping CartsLinensLaundryTurn a RoomRoom InspectorRoom AttendantAssistant Executive HousekeeperExecutive HousekeeperLobby AttendantDeep cleaningCleanSanitizeMildewLobby AttendantSeamsterVacantOccupiedOut of Order roomFive steps of laundry: sorting, washing, drying, folding, and storingMendingPretreatingPAR StockLinen room ................
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