House keeping basics

HousekeepingBasic knowledge in housekeeping

DESINGED BY Sunil KumarResearch Scholar/ Food Production FacultyInstitute of Hotel and Tourism Management,MAHARSHI DAYANAND UNIVERSITY, ROHTAKHaryana- 124001 INDIA Ph. No. 09996000499email:  [email protected] , [email protected]  linkedin:- in.linkedin.com/in/ihmsunilkumarfacebook: www.facebook.com/ihmsunilkumar webpage: chefsunilkumar.tripod.com 

Importance of housekeeping

• The hotel’s main product. • In order to be competitive in the

industry, they must have a clean and functional room.

• An image of a clean room creates an imagery of impeccable service.

Housekeeping Department

Your Safety: Lifting heavy objects

• Get help when lifting heavy items. • Follow these safe lifting methods:

• Bend your legs , not your back, when you pick up something heavy.

• Hold the heavy item close to your body. • Move to face the heavy object before you lift

instead of twisting your body.

Doing the same motion over and over

• Use a cart to move linens, laundry, or other heavy items.

• Push rather then pull carts.• Take regular rest breaks, even just

short breaks to stretch your body. • Take turns with other workers to do

different types of tasks. • Pad your knees (with a mat or towel)

and change your position often when you work on your knees.

Slippery and cluttered floors

• Clean up spills immediately. • Keep floors dry. • Never run or move too fast. • Do not carry items too tall for you to see over. • Wear shoes with non-skid soles.• Use a ladder or footstool to reach objects up high. • Never stand on the edge of a bathtub, bed, or

chair.

Laundry and other cleaning products

• Ask for information about the chemicals you use.• Read labels and follow instructions before using. • If you do not understand the label, write down the

name and ask someone for help. • Wear goggles and gloves when needed. Your

boss should provide them. • Do not mix chemicals together.

Handling abusive guest

• If you are being yelled at or harassed by anyone, get help from a co-worker or your boss.

• If someone continues to harass you at work, get help from a trusted friend or community organization outside the workplace.

• Do not work alone in a hotel room if hotel guests are present.

Diseases from hotel guests

• Wash hands with soap often, especially after handling soiled linen or cleaning the bathroom.

• When you handle trash cans or bags, watch out for syringes, razor blades, or other things that might hurt you or spread disease.

Study guide

• Research on new technologies featured on rooms

• Provide pictures on your favorite hotel guest rooms. Explain why it is your ideal room and provide a short description on the features of the room.

• Why is housekeeping an important department in the hotel?

• Why do we need to learn the room attendant pre-requisites?

Types of guest rooms

• Single Rooms: A room designed for a single traveler.

• Double Rooms: A room with two double beds. Doubles beds size is usually 54 × 75 in (4’6″ × 6’3″) or 137 × 191 cm.

• Twin Rooms: A room with two single beds. Single bed size is usually 39 × 75 in (3’3" × 6’3″) or 97 × 191 cm

• Suite Rooms: A complete room usually with a foyer that connects to one or more bedrooms. Usually, these are the most expensive rooms in the hotel

History of Beds

• Earliest Beds

Our earliest ancestors simply slept on the ground.

• Egyptian Beds

Piled palm leaves in their houses and slept on them, while the pharaohs slept on flat pallets made of hard materials such as gold.

• Roman Beds

The Romans invented the mattress, making beds that were comfortable as well as decorative.

History of Beds

• Renaissance Beds

Roughly 1400 to 1600, beds were located in every room of the house, doubling as couches during the day.

• Mattress History

Renaissance mattresses were filled with straw and bound with rope. Only in the late 1700s were softer cotton mattresses introduced.

• Modern Beds

The 20th century saw the evolution of comfortable mattresses, including foam mattresses, waterbeds and the queen-size mattress.

Guestroom beds

Housekeeping Organizational Chart

Housekeeping activities

• Room Cleaning• Laundry services:

• Commercial laundry (uniforms, linens, towels, table napkins, table cloths and others)

• Guest laundry (laundry of guest)• Minibar• Public areas

• Location and facilities of the hotel where the public can generally use. These include the lobby, public sitting areas, public toilets and walkways.

Room Assignment Priority

•Early make up request is the request of the guest to “make up room” of the guest. •VIP rooms are guestrooms that require extra attention since the occupants are considered Very Important Persons.•Blocked rooms are guestrooms that are reserved for guest with special requirements or needs.•Vacant and dirty rooms are checked out rooms to be blocked by front office for prospective guest.

Room Assignment Priority

•Late Checkout rooms are guestrooms are request made by the occupant and subsequently granted extension of check-out beyond the standard check-out time.•DND (Do not disturb) as per request of guest(signage), rooms are not to be cleaned until specific request of guest.•No service rooms are guestrooms requested by guest that his room not be cleaned.

Study guide

• What are the different types of guestrooms?• Discuss the history of Bed• What are the different sizes of bed?• Select one job in housekeeping and research on his

competencies• What are the different room assignment priorities?

Why do we need to know this as future room attendants?

• What are the different housekeeping activities?

Chemicals

Chemicals

Chemicals

Chemicals

Cleaning Tools

Room amenities

• Basic room amenities are stocked in their housekeeping cart for replenishment of used items.

• Room amenities would include linens, towels, room forms, stationary, pencils, bath toiletries and others

• Room amenities would vary from one property to another.

• Amenities in the hotel room are based also on the number of occupants. For example, if there are two people in the room bathroom supplies and amenities should be adequate for two people.

Room Cleaning process

Entering guest room

1. Rooms are accessed according to the property’s standardsEntering a guestroom is the first contact with guest. If done professionally, this will leave a lasting impression with the guest.

2. Find out if the guest is in the room. •If a Do Not Disturb (DND) sign is displayed at the door, note it on your worksheet and return to the room later. •Ask your supervisor to call the guest if DND sign is still displayed on the door.

Entering guest room

3. Properly introduce yourself in entering the room.

• Knock the door announcing “Housekeeping” and step back for about three feet from the main door so that the guests can see you from the door eye viewer.

• If there is no reply from the room, after 10 seconds knock for the second time announcing “Housekeeping”.

• After the third attempted knocking the door, simultaneously use your master key and announcing “Housekeeping” in opening the room. When you are reasonably sure that there is no occupant, open the door wide.

Entering guest room

4. If the guest is inside the room ask permission if you can clean the room.

• Introduce yourself and politely ask if you can clean the room.• “Good morning/ afternoon/evening (guest name). Is it alright if

I can clean your room?”

• If the guest gives a later time, note the time on your room assignment sheet. Thank the guest, and quietly leave the room and return on the specified time given by the guest

• Sometimes the guest will be sleeping or in the bathroom. If so leave quietly, close the door and return on later to clean the room.

Entering guest room

5. Prop open the guest room door• Use doorstopper• Time and motion from going to the housekeeping cart

6. Position your cart• Blocks the room from possible intruders