Housekeeping and Laundry Operations

LO-1
Identify housekeeping and
laundry operation

Slide 2
 Introduction to Housekeeping
The word“house”is referred to the hotel while “keeping” is for clean
and orderly maintenance.
House keeping: It is refers to a provision of clean and safe
environment

Housekeeping department has a broad coverage that

encompasses the whole compound of the hotel both internal
and outside of the building as a whole.

Housekeeping is an activity of keeping the hotel clean, tidy,

and up to the highest standard .

Housekeeping creates the first impression about the hotel in

the guests’ minds. Hence this department can be said as the
Heart/Back Bone of the hotel business. Large revenue for hotel
industry is generated mainly from the sale of rooms.
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 Types of housekeeping
Domestic
refers to housekeeping maintenance in a house. It covers
bedrooms, kitchen, dining, receiving area, grounds and the
surrounding areas within the house

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Institutional
Applies to housekeeping maintenance commercial lodging
establishments like hotels, resorts, inns. Areas includes the
guest rooms ,hallways and corridors, lobby, public areas
and restaurant , offices, stairways, grounds and plants ,
linen and laundry area , pest control.

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Introduction to Laundry

 can be define as a place

where washing and
finishing of clothes are
carried out

 a room in a house, hotel, or

institution where clothes
and linen can be washed
and ironed.
Types of laundry

 Commercial laundry or off premises laundry

Refers to laundering activities performed outside the
establishment

 On site or on premises laundry

Refers to laundering activities carried on within the

establishment by staff employed by the hotel
 Identifying the importance of housekeeping
 Comfort: It is the duty of the housekeeping department to ensure comfort
and a welcoming atmosphere to the guests as well as strive to extend well-
mannered, reliable and satisfactory service from staffs of all departments.

 Cleanliness and Hygiene: A high standard of cleanliness and general

upkeep in all areas. Clean and well maintained areas and equipment's create
a favorable impression on the guest. Hygiene is maintained especially in
the wash rooms, toilets, pool changing room, health club, etc.

 Privacy: Housekeeping staffs ensure the privacy of the guests and they
should be trained with proper procedures to enter the room.

 Safety and Security: The housekeeping department staffs should ensure

the safety and security of the guests with the help of security services.

 Décor: This work is an art and the housekeeping staff is mainly responsible
for creating a enjoyable atmosphere.
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 Identifying the functions of housekeeping
 Cleaning rooms and public area:
- housekeeping department cleans the rooms and toilets and wash basins
in the room.
- housekeeping department responsible for cleaning floor ,elevator
,lobby area ,corridors ,stair ways ,bar, restaurant , swimming pools, gym

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 Bed making:
- A guest require a comfortable bed to take rest ,relax and enjoy
- A bed that is well- made will provide the required comfort.
- Guests should not be able to tell if anyone has slept in the room , so a
clean environment and perfect bed making is a major consideration of
this department

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 Linen management
- One of the important jobs of the Housekeeping Department is linen
management i.e. guest room linens. This involves all functions from
purchase of linen to laundering, storage and distribution. In a hotel
different types of linen are used such as bed linens, bath linens. Each
type of linens must be distributed adequately to each type of guest
rooms on regular basis. all these require regular maintenance.

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 Pest control
- Pest Control is another major job of the Housekeeping Department. speaks
badly of a hotel where one sees rats, cockroaches running around.
Therefore, pest control is one of the primary responsibilities of the
housekeeping department. Most property outsources the activity of pest
controlling.

 Key control
- Key control is one of the major jobs of the housekeeping department. The
room keys have to be handled efficiently and safely before and after
permitting the room. 12
 Safety and security
- Housekeeping Department is responsible for maintaining a peaceful
atmosphere in the hotel. If the guests and staff always fear for their safety
and the safety of their belongings, the atmosphere will be very tense.
Hence the housekeeping department staff should be aware of ways to
protect himself and others, especially the guests around him and the
property of the hotel from accidents and theft. Several accidents
could occur at the place of work. These include fire accidents, falls,
wounds, injuries, carelessness in handling electrical equipment and
etc. It is important for all housekeeping personnel to know about first
aid as they could be the first ones on the spot to give immediate attention
to a guest and also an employee in trouble.

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 Room maintenance
- Good housekeeping department is just as responsible for the hotel's
maintenance as an engineering department. In an ideal environment, t h e
housekeeping staff and managers should act as the eyes and ears of the
engineering department. If damaged or broken items are not reported,
they can't be fixed. Proper maintenance will make the perception of
cleanliness easier to maintain and reduce guest complaints.
 Interior decoration
- Interior decoration is the art of creating a pleasant atmosphere in the living
room with the addition of a complex of furnishings, art, and crafts,
appropriately combined to achieve a planned result or design. These arts and
crafts have to be well maintained by the housekeeping department. Decorating
flowers is a creative and stimulating art which often carries a message or
theme. Flowers and indoor plants add color and beauty to a room. 14
 Establishing and maintaining interdepartmental
relationship
The Housekeeping Department should co-ordinate and ensure maximum
co-operation with other departments to provide high quality service. To
be successful, a well planned work schedule should be prepared so as to
ensure minimum disruption to the guests and work flow of other
departments.
Housekeeping Department can coordinate with:
 Front-Office
 Food & Beverage Department
 Stores
 Purchase Department
 Personnel Department
 Sales and Marketing Department
 Maintenance Department
 Security Department
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 Coordination with front office
• To ensure efficient rooming of guests, both housekeeping and front office
must inform each other of changes in a room’s status. Knowing whether a
room is occupied, vacant, out of order (OOO), under repair, or similar for
proper room management
• There should be coordination to clean front office public areas

• There must be coordination between housekeeping and front office

department to share information on occupancy levels which helps to
forecast occupancy for the year and makes it easier to draw up a budget,
establish par stock levels and estimate required staff strength.

• There should be coordination know about the daily room report and
housekeeping discrepancy report.

• The housekeeping and front office department also coordinate with each
other for other important information which require special attention and
request
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 Coordination with food and beverage department
• The coordination of housekeeping with the restaurants and banquet
halls is mainly concerned with the provision of linen and uniforms.
• There should be coordination to maintain minibar in guest rooms.
• House keeping may also have to arrange for flower decorations for
banquets.
• The coordination between the two departments becomes particularly
necessary in collection of trays from the guest corridors which are
collected from the room, placement of fruit basket in special rooms.
• In many hotels housekeeping also looks after pest control in restaurants,
kitchens, and stores attached to them. Special cleaning of these areas
call for coordination with the housekeeping department.

• Both the restaurant and kitchen staff requires clean uniforms on a daily
basis, for which too they need to coordinate with housekeeping.

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 Coordination store
• Coordination with stores ensures the availability of day-to –day
necessities of housekeeping.

• Larger hotels have a store attached to the housekeeping department

that stocks linen, supplies and so on.

• Smaller hotels may stock them in the general store, except for linen,
which is sent to the housekeeping department on purchase.

• Communication with stores is by way of a requisition form, which

housekeeping sends to when it requires certain items. The requisition
form is called as store requisition form.

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 Coordination with personnel department
Housekeeping coordinates with the personnel department for
following reason:

• Acquisition: human resource planning, recruitment, selection

• Maintenance: compensation management e.g. pay/ salary, wages,

over time, medical treatment etc.

• Motivation: performance appraisal system, reward management

system and training and development.

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 Coordination with purchase department
• Housekeeping should convey their requirements to purchase by way
of advance notice in the form of a purchase requisition.
• The purchase department buys out –of –stock items for
housekeeping, such as guest amenities, stationery, linen, cleaning
materials and equipment's etc.

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 Coordination with maintenance department
• A need for urgent repairs is reported to maintenance over telephone and
these requests are usually taken into action immediately.
There are various heads under which maintenance work is done they
are:
•Electrical work: air conditioning and heating; fused bulbs , lights and lamps
that are not functioning ; defective plugs and plug points ; short circuits; and
faulty geysers , refrigerators , and minibar fall under this category.
•Boiler work: this is necessary to maintain a supply of hot water to guestroom
•Mechanical work: this entails repair or replacement of any faulty
equipment, such as vacuum cleaners, ice-cube machines, and so on.
•Plumbing work: this deals with faulty faucets (taps), showers, drainage
systems, water closets, and so on.
•Carpentry work: broken of shaky furniture; mirrors and cupboards in less
than peak condition, and fresh woodwork are all part of this.

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 Coordination with sales and marketing department
 The sales and marketing department informs housekeeping of the occupancy
forecast for the entire year, which is broken up month wise. This enables
housekeeping to budget for the necessary expenses
 An important contribution of the housekeeping staff to hotel sales is
ensuring that repeat business is obtained by providing the level of
cleanliness and service that meets or exceeds guest expectations.
 The sales and marketing team also have to depend on housekeeping for their
uniforms.
 Two things are certain in the hotel business: no matter how many guests a
salesperson brings in the door, if housekeeping does not execute its function
with excellence the guests will not be coming back.

 Vice versa, no matter how well- kept the rooms, if the sales staff does not
bring potential guests to the hotel, occupancy falls.

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 Coordination with security department
 The coordination here is mainly concerned with the prevention of
fire and thefts and the safekeeping of keys and lost property.

 Housekeeping personnel should also report anything of a suspicious

nature or movement in hotel immediately to the security staff.

 Housekeeping have to coordinate if they see any anti-social activities

in the guest room such as gambling, smuggling and so on.

 The security department is responsible for conducting training

sessions on handling emergency situations for the staff. e.g. they
conduct fire drill to train staff to gear up in a fire emergency.

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 Differentiating duties and responsibilities of all
housekeeping and laundry areas
 Back of the house areas
is the area in a hospitality business that guests usually do not see ,
employees whose work does not directly involve interaction with
guest.

 Management office  Employee locker rooms

 Storage areas  Administrative offices

 Linen and sewing areas  Maid’s service room

 Laundry room  Staff waiting area

 Staff elevators

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 Front of the house areas
Refers to those accessible and visible by guest, direct contact and
interaction with guest

 Guest rooms  Restaurant

 Corridors  Banquets hall

 Lobbies  Spa

 Public rest rooms  Guest elevator

 Meeting rooms  Gymnasium rooms

 Gardens

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Identifying Sections and lay out of housekeeping and laundry

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Layout of housekeeping department in the hotel:

 Housekeeping department should be in such place which is accessible to all

the employees.
 Housekeeping department should be in that area which is at the back side of
the hotel, not disturbing any guests.
 Housekeeping department should be in the ground floor which must be
able to hold heavy equipment's.
 Housekeeping department should be in such place which is away from
general traffic.
 Housekeeping department should be in the convenient place to keep the
different equipment's used.
The layout of the department indicates the different areas and subdivisions in the
department. The layout of the department depends on following factors;-
 Total number of Guestrooms
 Amount of manpower required
 No. of outlets and banquets 27
 Different Sections in Housekeeping Department
 Executive Housekeeper's office:
An Executive housekeeper has to plan, counsel, brief and meets her
subordinates. It should preferably be a glass paneled office so as to
give her / him a view of what is happening outside the office. The
office should be leaded by a cabin for the secretary who would
control movement into the housekeeper's office.

 Desk control room

This room acts as a nerve system center for coordination and
communication with the front office and other departments. The
desk control room should have a large notice board to pin up staff
schedules and day to day instructions. The desk control room is the
point where all staff report for duty and check out at the duty end.

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 Linen room
This is the room where current linens are stored for issue and receipt. The
room should be large airy and free from heat and humidity. It should have
adequate shelves, easily accessible to stack all linen. It should be secured and
offer no possibilities of pilferage. The linen room should have a counter,
across which the exchange of linen takes place. The room should preferably
be adjoining the laundry so as to supply linen to and from the laundry.
 Linen room store:
This room stores the stock of new linen & cloth materials for uniform, etc.
the stock maintained should be enough to replenish the whole hotel at a time.
However, these stocks are only touched when the current linen in circulation
falls short due to shortage, damage or loss. The room should be cool and dry
with ample shelves, generally 6" above the ground.

 Tailor's room:
This room is kept for house tailors who attend to the stitching and patch-up
work of linen and uniforms. Room is avoided if the mending and the
stitching jobs are done in contract basis.
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 Uniform room
This room stocks the uniform in urgent use. It is possible that smaller hotel
may choose to combine the uniform room with the linen room. A separate
uniform room really depends upon the volume of uniforms in circulation.
The only difference will be that the uniform room would have adequate
hanging facilities as many uniforms are best maintained when hung
 Lost and found section
This section should be small and airy with cupboards to store guest articles
lost and may be claimed later
 Flower room
This should be air conditioned room to keep flowers fresh. The room should
have work table, a sink with water supply and all necessary tools required
for flower arrangement.
 Laundry:
This is an important section under housekeeping which is responsible for cleaning of
all fabrics used in hotel. The section should be adjacent to linen room so as to avoid
excessive steps. Laundry should ensure the cleanness and drying of all guest clothes,
employee uniforms and linen to the best assured standard. 30
 Standard operational procedure SOP
 Housekeeping Room attendant Cart
Before you begin to service the bedrooms in your section, collect all linen
cleaning equipment and supplies you need . This will save your time and energy.
Each house assistant may have a caddy for carrying materials and trolley that has
space for linen as well as cleaning material and supplies
House assistant collect room assignment sheet and stock trolley according
to standard{ cleaning agent ,cleaning equipment , linens}. Trolley have
three or four shelves.
1st shelf {Guest amenities}

 Tissue paper  Tooth brush

 Shampoo  Tooth paste
 Soap  Shower cap
 Conditioner  Bath Gel
 Lotion  Comb

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 2nd shelf {launder linen }
 Bed sheets
 Towels {face , hand , body }
 Pillow case
 Matters pad
 Blanket
 Duvet

3rd shelf {cleaning equipment and cleaning agent}

 Vacuum cleaner
 Cleaning agent
 Bucket

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Loading cleaning equipment guest amenities and launder
linen in trolley follow these procedure:
 Clean shelves and container before placing the guest room amenities inside
the trolley
 Check overall parts of trolley like wheels etc…
 Request guest amenities ,cleaning chemicals from supervisor
 Stock the trolley by putting guest amenities on the top shelves
 Folded bed sheet and towels should be filled in the 2nd sheet of the cart
 Put all chemicals ,vacuum cleaner , dust ,pan trash bag as the lower level of
the shelves

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Position of Room attendant Cart
Always position the trolley near the wall and out of the guest way
Don’t leave them in the middle of the corridor as:
 It makes it harder for movement of people in the corridor

 It makes it more appealing for theft

 It helps avoid injuries
 Ensures a clear path in the event of an
emergency

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 Entering a guest room
 First observe whether the guest has placed a “Do not disturb” sign
on the door knob

 Check the door is not double locked from the inside. If either
conditions exists, respect the guest wishes and return later to clean
the room .

 Knock the door 3 times by 3-5 second intervals and announce

“housekeeping” { never use a key to knock since it can damage the
surface of the floor }

 If the guest answers, introduce yourself and ask what time would
be convenient to clean the room. Note the time on your status
sheet or schedule
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 If no answer is heard , wait a moment, knock again and repeat
“housekeeping “ if there is still no answer , open the door slightly
and repeat “housekeeping”. If the guest does not respond after this
third announcement , the room is empty and can begin enter.

 Guest does not answer , does not always guarantee that a guest is
not in the room . Sometimes , the guest may be sleeping or in the
bathroom. If this is the case , you should leave quietly and close the
door, should the guest be awake , excuse yourself , explain that you
can come back later, discreetly close the door and proceed to the
next room.

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 Entering guest room
{summary}
 Check the room status
 Check for a “do not disturb “ do not knock is a sign is on the door
 Announce presence. Knock firmly and say “housekeeping” do not use a
key to knock on the door
 Wait for a response. If you don’t hear an answer , knock again and repeat “
housekeeping”
 Wait a second time for a response. If you still do not receive an answer ,
open the door slightly and repeat “ housekeeping “
 If the guest is sleep or in the bathroom, leave quietly and close the door
 If the guest is awake , excuse yourself , leave and close the door
 If the guest answer you knock , ask when you may clean the room
 If the room is occupied , position your cart in front of the door and leave the
door open. Begin cleaning
 If the guest returns while you are cleaning , offer to finish later. ask to see
the guest room key to verify that the key and room number match
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 Check out room
• check out rooms cleaned thoroughly and all used items/ amenities
are changed with fresh ones. Left guest items to be deposited at
Housekeeping control Desk.
• Knock and enter the room.

• All drawers and cupboards are checked for any lost and found of
guest.
• All dustbins are cleared of garbage.
• Soiled linen to be removed.
• Bed is made according to procedure for bed making.
• Dusting of room is done.
• Vacuum upholstery and carpet.
• All glassware and Ashtrays have to be cleaned.
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• All guest amenities in room have to be replenished.
• Bathroom is cleaned according to procedure.
• Replenished amenities in the bathroom.
• All items used by the previous guest are changed with fresh ones.
• All maintenance work are noted and given to the Engineering
department.

• Inform room status to the Housekeeping control desk

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 LO-2
Identify Guest Rooms and
Amenities

Slide 40
 Identifying and classifying guest room types
Following room type definitions are common in the hotel industry:

1) Single
A room assigned to one person. May have one or more beds. The
room size or area of Single Rooms are generally between 37 m² to 45
m²

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2) Double:
A room assigned to two people. May have one or more beds.
The room size or area of Double Rooms are generally between 40
m² to 45 m².

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3) Triple:
A room that can accommodate three persons and has been
fitted with three twin beds, one double bed and one twin bed or
two double beds.

The room size or area of Triple Rooms are generally between 45

m² to 65 m².

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4) Quad:
A room assigned to four people. May have two or more beds.

The room size or area of Quad Rooms are generally between

70 m² to 85 m².

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5. Queen:
A room with a queen-sized bed. May be occupied by one or
more people.

The room size or area of Queen Rooms are generally between

32 m² to 50 m².

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6) King:
A room with a king-sized bed. May be occupied by one or
more people.

The room size or area of King Rooms are generally between 32

m² to 50 m².

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7) Twin:
A room with two twin beds. May be occupied by one or more
people.
The room size or area of Twin Rooms are generally between 32 m²
to 40 m².

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8) Hollywood Twin Room:
A room that can accommodate two persons with two twin beds
joined together by a common headboard.

The room size or area of Hollywood Twin Rooms are generally

between 32 m² to 40 m².

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9) Double-double:
A Room with two double ( or perhaps queen) beds. And can
accommodate two to four persons with two twin, double or
queen-size beds.

The room size or area of Double-double / Double Twin rooms

are generally between 50 m² to 70 m².

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10) Suite / Executive Suite:
A parlor or living room connected with to one or more
bedrooms. (A room with one or more bedrooms and a separate
living space.)

The room size or area of Suite rooms are generally between 70

m² to 100 m².

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11) President Suite | Presidential Suite:
The most expensive room provided by a hotel. Usually, only one
president suite is available in one single hotel property. Similar to
the normal suites, a president suite always has one or more
bedrooms and a living space with a strong emphasis on grand in-
room decoration, high-quality amenities and supplies, and
tailor-made services (e.g. personal butler during the stay).

The room size or area of Presidential Suites are generally between

80 m² to 350 m².

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12) Connecting rooms:
Rooms with individual entrance doors from the outside and a
connecting door between. Guests can move between rooms
without going through the entrance.

The room size or area of Connecting rooms are generally between

30 m² to 50 m².

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13) Smoking / Non-Smoking Room:
Many hotels provide both smoking and non-smoking rooms
for their guests. In order to minimize the effects of secondhand
smoke exposure on non-smoking guests.

The room size or area of Smoking / Non-Smoking Room is

generally between 30 m² to 250 m².

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 Preparing guest amenities and facilities for
standard and VIP guest rooms.
V.I.P. are getting extra facilities in all the hotels and also get a very carefully
checked rooms. Usually Deputy house-keeper does this checking. All the V.I.P.
gets absolutely the best treatment possible. It must be remembered that the
gives away for VIP Amenities in Hotel vary from company to company and
even from hotels to hotels.

Some hotels even gives a small basket of fruit to all arrivals as VIP Amenities
and Items, which is very nice gesture. Some hotels supplies chocolates and
cookies along with the fruit basket. A big bouquet of flower is also given to
the V.I.P. rooms. Bath sheet and bath blanket is given to the V.I.P. rooms.

The housekeeping department is informed daily from the reception about

V.I.P. arrival and V.I.P.s already in the house One tries to get the V.I.P. room
ready as quick as possible.

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 Guest amenities
1. Toiletries (e.g. Shampoo, lotion, etc.)

2. Personal care (combs, shaving cream, razor, shower cap, hair dryer)

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3. Coffee Kit (maker, coffee and creamer)

4. Tissue box

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5. Bathrobes and slippers

6. Towel

7. Options for pillows: Many guests have allergies or strong preferences for certain
types of pillows, so you can make your hotel feel more like a home by offering down,
foam, and hypoallergenic pillows available.

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 Facilities
1. Free breakfast: Guests want to save money and enjoy the convenience of
either cooking their own breakfast or enjoying breakfast just steps from
their room. When most short-term rentals include kitchens, hotels can
compete on the breakfast front by offering some sort of free breakfast
option, whether it’s a continental buffet or a sit-down hot meal.
2. Free Wi-Fi internet access
3. Free parking
4.Gym or fitness center: Today’s guest doesn’t want to sacrifice their
workout routine on the road, so even if your hotel doesn’t have its own
fitness center, guests will appreciate discounted rates (or, even better, free
classes or gym time) at a nearby fitness facility.
5. In-Room Cocktail Station:
another way to elevate your in-room beverage experience is with a unique
guestroom cocktail station. Infuse some local flavor into guestroom
amenities with a recipe and the ingredients for a signature drink that
reflects the history or character of the property.
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6. Kitchen facilities, like: fridge, coffee maker and microwave

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 LO-3
Identify the Structure of
Housekeeping and Laundry
Department

Slide 60
 Identifying Job descriptions and Hierarchy
of housekeeping and laundry department

Organization Chart
• Provides a picture of the lines of authority and the
channels of communication within the department.

• It depends on the activities and the size of the hotel.

• In the small hotels one or more jobs are integrated and

handled by the few housekeeping personnel.
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Organization Chart of housekeeping
Department in a small Sized Hotel

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Organization Chart of housekeeping
Department in a Medium Sized Hotel

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Organization Chart of housekeeping
Department in a Large Sized Hotel

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 Identifying Job Description and Job specifications of
housekeeping and laundry department
Each property develops unique job description which specifies different tasks
that must be performed by an individual that occupy a given position. Below
there are some common tasks that might be performed by housekeeping
personnel. Here you have to know that those tasks that performed by
housekeeping personnel can be modified by each property.

1. Executive Housekeeper
 Responsible and accountable for the total cleanliness, maintenance
of the hotel.
 Schedule, recruit, train, and recommend hiring, discharging and
discipline of all department employees through management and in
accordance with labor regulations.
 Participate in all department head meetings
 Prepare the annual housekeeping budget for submission to the
General Manager.
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2. Assistant Executive housekeeper

• May be one for each shift – in a large hotel.

• He/She may be the housekeeper of a small hotel or the only

deputy to the Executive Housekeeper of a medium-sized hotel.

• He/She manages the resources given to achieve the common

objectives of cleanliness, maintenance and attractiveness in a
given shift.

• His/Her accountability normally ends on the completion of

his/her shift.

• In the absence of housekeeping supervisor this individual may

give briefing for housekeeping staff and asses customer
complain with regard to housekeeping activity
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3. 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

 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

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4. Desk Supervisor
 All queries, complaints and requests of guest to be attended and to be
directed accordingly
 It is a center of communication with other departments
 Responsible of issue of keys
 Maintains all records
 Takes care of floral arrangement ordering
 Enters occupancy in consolidated slip and sends to front office
 Extra work schedule is offered to all staff
 Records all messages for executive housekeeper or other staff
 Informs check out rooms to respective supervisor and clears the same
to front office
 Ensures to collect any extra item (guest loan item) given to guest
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5. 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
 Submit performance appraisals periodically
 Check all safety systems on floor (fire extinguisher, smoke detector)
 Releasing check out rooms on time/at the earliest
 Ensures rooms are ready with special care e.g. VIP
 Checking of floor pantries
 Record lost and found items as per norms
 Cooperation with security on security aspects on guest floor e.g. Gambling
 Prepares housekeeping occupancy list for front office
 Co-ordinates room service for clearance of food trays and other items
 Check the serviceability of equipment's on the floor
 Responsible for behavior of room boys/maids in floor 69
6. Uniform / Linen Room Supervisor

 Responsible for entire hotels linen.

 Send dirty linen from laundry after checking.

 Check laundered linen before giving it for ironing.

 Provide linen to the various departments

 Maintain register of linen movements and check linen regularly

 Supervise ironing and laundering of linen of the hotel

 Supervise work of linen room attendants and tailors

 Make suggestions related to replacement purchases and give

requirements of linen to executive housekeepers.

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7. Night Supervisor
The night supervisor reports to the assistant housekeeper. He supervises all
night staff engaged in the cleaning of public areas and guestrooms in hotel.
His/her duties are:-
 Ensure all public areas are thoroughly cleaned at night when
the traffic is low.
 Plan order of work and direct staff accordingly.
 Ensure submission of room attendant„s reports and room
status reports.
 Provide guest supplies and attend guest requests in the night like
providing water bottles, extra beds, towels etc.

 Report safety and security hazards

71
8. Linen Room attendant/ Linen Room Maid:-
Linen room attendants report to linen room supervisor. His/her duties
are:-

 Stacking sheets, pillowcases, towels, tablecloths, napkins in different

stacks.
 Place soiled linen in containers and send these to laundry.
 Examine and count each linen item when send to laundry and again
on return.
 Send torn articles to seamstress for repair.
 Maintain proper records of discards and determine percentage of
discards.

72
9. Guest room attendant/ Room maids/ Chamber maids/GRA:-
Guest room attendant(GRA) report to the floor supervisor. His/her duties are:-

 Cleans the rooms

 Change guestroom and bathroom linen.
 Make guest room beds.
 Replenish guest supplies.
 Answer guest requests promptly on the floor.
 Responsible for collecting guest laundry.
 Servicing of rooms in the evening( turndown service) and also
provide second service.
 Delivery lost and found articles if any found in the room
 Replenish maids cart with supplies for the next shift
 Arrange and stock the pantry with linen and supplies. 73
10. Head House person
He /she reports to the public area supervisor. His/her duties are:-
 Supervises work allotted to the housemen in public areas.
 Supervise work of people who clean carpets, wall washers,
window washers.
 Supervise work of chandelier cleaners, vacuum cleaning machine
operators
11. House persons:
They report to the head house persons or the public area supervisor.
His/her duties are:-
 Shift furniture in public areas.
 Clear the garbage's  Clean chandeliers, curtain and
 Clean all doors, windows and
other hard to reach areas in
ventilators
public areas.
 Clean fire fighting equipment's.
74
12. Public area Attendant
Keeps all lobbies and public facilities (such as lobby restrooms, telephone
area, the front desk, and offices) in a neat and clean condition. Public area
attendant promotes a positive image of the property to guests and must be
pleasant, honest, friendly and should also able to address guest requests and
problems.

 Cleans restrooms.
 Cleans and maintains restaurants and banquet halls.
 Empties ashtrays
 Polishes furniture and fixtures.
 Vacuums and polishes elevators.
 Keeps the front of the hotel free from trash.

 Sweeps, mops, scrubs, waxes, and polishes floors.

75
13. Cloak room attendants
Cloak room attendants are persons responsible for the supply of clean
dry towels, soaps and perfumeries, prescribed by the management for
the guest rooms.
 Take soiled hand towels to the linen room for replacement.
 Maintain adequate stocks of soap, detergents and hand towels to
meet demands at peak level.
 Maintain shoe-shine kit and clean guest shoes, if required.
 Maintain all cupboards and fixtures installed in the cloak room.
 Maintain a polite, dignified and helpful attitude to guests.
 Report any plumbing deficiencies to Public Area Supervisor.
 See that clack rooms are immaculately clean. Faucets should be
sparkling, wash basins dry and environment free of unpleasant odor.
 Supply the guest with towels, soap, comb, brush and powder.
 Clear the soiled linen periodically from the baskets.
 Brush the guest‟s jacket, if requested.

76
14. Tailors, seamstress and upholsterers
They report to the Linen Room Supervisor. His/her duties are:-
 Mending and stitching uniforms, linen, upholstery etc.
 Refurnish all damaged upholstery.
 Repair guest clothes if required.
 Calculate materials required for uniforms and upholstery and purchase
accordingly.

15. Valet/ Runners

“Valet service” means that they take care of guest laundry. They report
to the linen room supervisor. They are responsible for collecting soiled
guest laundry and delivering fresh guest laundry.

77
16. Dry cleaner and washers
He/ she is in charge of dry cleaning of the hotel linen and guest
clothing and washer does the laundering of the linen, uniforms and
guest clothing.
 Spot stained fabrics before loading them into washing machines.
 Load soiled linen into washing machines, feed in the right amount of
detergent and other laundering chemicals.
 Load washed linen into dryers.
 Clean equipment's after use.
 Sort soiled linen according to fabric types, colors, degree of soiling.
Transport soiled linen from linen room to laundry and fresh linen
from laundry to linen room.

78
17. Horticulturist
Many large hotels have their own horticulturist, who report to assistant
housekeeper. He / she leads a team of gardener in maintaining landscaped
gardens of the hotel as well as in supplying flowers from gardens for
flower arrangements in the hotels. Flowers are used largely to enhance
aesthetic appeal of various areas of the hotel.

18. Head Gardener

He reports to the horticulturist and maintains landscaped areas and
gardens in the hotel. His/her duties are:-
 Brief, schedule, allot duties
 Purchase plant seeds, plantings
 Purchase and supervise usage of manure and fertilizers.
 Maintain watering schedules of plants and attend problems
regarding watering schedules.
 Maintain and prepare indoor plants for the hotel.
 Supervise and maintaining the lawns.
 Ensure gardeners are handling equipment's and tools efficiently. 79
19. Gardeners
Gardeners report to the head gardener or the horticulturist. They keep
landscaped areas, lawns and gardens clean and aesthetically beautiful.
His/her duties are:-

 Dig landscaped areas and maintain them.

 Plant saplings and seeds

 Water gardens as per schedules.

 Maintain plant garden center and green house.

 Prepare potted flowers and potted plants.

80
20. Florist
Florists employ their own florist. Providing attractive flower
arrangements for the entire hotel is their responsibility. They report to
the horticulturist . His/her duties are:-

 Collect fresh flowers from gardeners every day.

 Purchase flowers from suppliers
 Prepare different flower arrangements for different areas- lobbies,
front office, restaurants, guestrooms, banquet halls etc.
 Treat cut flowers so that they last longer.
 Maintain flower arrangements by changing water, etc. .
 Responsible for flower arranging equipment's and equipment's, accessories
etc.
 Train the assistant florist.
81
 Identifying Attributes of departments according to the
organizational structure
Attributes of housekeeping staff:-
There are certain qualities which a housekeeping staff should possess in order to
perform the housekeeping functions which are sometimes more important than the skill
too.

 Pleasant personality
It is the result of good grooming and good presentation in front of guest.
He /she should be turned out in well iron clean uniform, aftershaves and
perfumes should not be too long. Minimum jewelry and light make up is
for female staff . Bad habit like chewing gum ,scratch of face hair in
front of guest should be avoided

 Physical fitness
Housekeeping us 24*7*365 operation and staff need to work long hour on
feet. Similarly most works are manual and have to lift heavy equipment
also, physical fitness is a must to cope with nature of this work.
82
 Personal hygiene
Housekeeping staff should take bath daily , their hair must be well combed
,nail clean. Their mouth should be free of offensive odour and any
infection should be reported

 Cooperation
The staff must cooperate with staff of other departments for team work
and more efficiency.
 Adaptability
The staff should be able to adopt to new ideas and accept changing
situations willingly

 Honesty
The housekeeping staff need to have this quality as they have access to all
the rooms and guest belongings are left lying around. They also deal with
various kinds of guest amenities that are very expensive. So they should
have inherent discipline and integrity.
83
 Punctuality
Should have respect for time during working hours as this reflects on
his/her sincerity.

 Good memory
Should have good memory to remember staff likes, dislikes, needs and
wishes of guests and especially repeat guests.

 Calmness
Housekeeping personnel should remain calm in various kind of
emergency situation

84
 LO-4
Use Cleaning equipment
and Agents

Slide 85
 Selecting Cleaning
equipment, supplies and
materials

86
 Cleaning Equipment
To keep the hotel clean and hygienic, various equipment's are
used. No work can be done without proper equipment. It is important
that the housekeeper makes a careful selection of equipment based on
necessity and suitability for use in a hotel industry,
There are mainly two types of cleaning equipment's:-.
 Mechanical cleaning equipment's.
 Manual cleaning equipment's

Mechanical cleaning equipment's

 Box Sweeper
It is electric sweeper that consists of a
friction brush. The brush often is fit to
revolve vertically or horizontally, when the
equipment moves on the surface. It can
clean floors as well as carpets. The wider
the better is the box sweeper brush. 87
 Vacuum cleaner
It is used to eliminate loose soil and dust particles
from carpet surfaces, upholstered furniture and
even hard surfaces.

Dust bags must be emptied daily

After using, roll back the wire neatly on the back

of the vacuum cleaner. Place it on one end of the
trolley.
 Scrubbing / Polishing Machines
Scrubbing/ Polishing Machines consist
of one large or several small brushes
which revolve and scrub the floor while
water and detergent are released from a
tank attached to a machine. With
suitable brushes this versatile machine
can be used for shampooing carpets,
polishing, spray buffing, spray cleaning
or polishing floors. 88
 Hot Water Extraction
A hot water extraction machine,
whether portable or truck
mounted, has a pump which
dispenses water, under pressure,
through spray nozzles into the
carpet and a high-powered
vacuum system that sucks the
dirty water into a holding tank
within the extraction machine.

89
 Manual cleaning equipment's
 Brushes
These may be designed to remove dry or wet or ingrained dust and
dirt from the hard or soft surfaces. Three main types of brushes are:
- Hard brushes: they are most suitable for the
removal of heavy soil and litters from the
carpet and for cleaning or rough surface
- Soft brushes: soft brushes may have bristles
that are fairly flexible and set close together.
These are used for removal of loose soil and
litter on hard smooth surface

- Scrubbing brushes :these brushes should

only be used to remove stubborn heavy
soiling small areas that are difficult for
scrubbing machines to access.
- Toilet brush: used for cleaning W.C/toilet bowel

- Feather brushes: these are used for light dusting

90
 Brooms
Broom consist of long bristles gathered together into handles. The
bristles of the broom are made of grass ,corn or coconut fiber.
Depend on the type of brooms are used for removal of dirt and dust
in the large areas. Brooms are classified into three main categories:-
- Soft –bristled broom :- these
types of brooms are made of corn
fibber or grass. This is used for
smooth floor.

- Hard bristled broom: these types

of brooms are used for hard surface
especially outdoor rough areas.

- Wall broom: these are also called

ceiling brooms. They have a soft
head or long handle made up of
canes. These brooms are used for
removal of cob webs
91
 Cloths
- Dusters – They are meant for dusting and
buffing and also for damp dusting when
sprayed with cleaning solution.
- Swabs – They are all purpose soft, absorbent
material and used for wet cleaning Specially
for cleaning sanitary fittings such as bath tubs
and wash basin.

- Floor Cloths – They are used to wipe WC

and remove spills from floor.
- Glass Cloths – They are made up of linen tow
yarns and do not leave behind lint. They can
therefore be used for wiping mirrors and
drinking glasses.

- Rags – Rags are disposable cloths usually used

for applying polish or strong cleaning agents
and are disposed of when dirty.
92
- Chamois leather – Chamois leather is made
from the skin of the chamois goat but now
various cheaper imitations are available. They
can be used wet for cleaning mirrors and when
dry for applying polishes for various metals.
Expensive in nature and requires good amount
of maintenance while in use as well as storage.
Now it has become obsolete.
- Scrim – Scrim is loosely woven cotton material,
used for dry as well as wet cleaning of highly
polished surfaces as it does not leave any lint
(small fibers left out by a fabric 1mm-2mm). Also
called glass cloth. It is used in place of chamois
leather because of its high absorbency and lint
free nature is often used for cleaning mirrors
and windows.
- Dust Sheets – They are made up of thin cotton
material. These are condemned linen items
which are used to cover furniture’s and
fixtures during spring cleaning or renovations.
93
- Drugget – : These are made of coarse, fine canvas or
clear plastic and they may be of the size of carpet
square and are placed on the floor on the doorway
to prevent excessive dirt being brought in or out
during bad weather or during redecorating projects.
They are sometimes placed in the passage between
the kitchen and dining area to catch spills and debris.

- Newspapers: They are used for protecting the work

areas as well as dry cleaning or buffing of the glass
surfaces.

- Micro Fibre Cloth: It is the one which has a

combination of both cotton and synthetic fibers and
is used for dry cleaning of different types of
surfaces especially the highly polished ones.
94
 Containers
Work becomes much more easier and efficient if the staff are given
suitable container to carry transport and to carry store supply and
other items. The various types of containers used by the
housekeeping staff are as follows

- Buckets- These maybe made from plastic or

galvanized iron. Plastic buckets are more popular
now a days as they are lighter in weight easy to clean.

- Wringer with bucket :- is a wheeled bucket that

allows its user to wring out a wet mop without getting
the hands dirty. .

- Dust pan- They are used to collect dust and

garbage from the floor and putting it into the dustbin..
They may be made of plastic or metal.

95
- Sani bins- They are metal or plastic bins with lit.
they are kept in the toilet for disposing of used
toilet roll and sanitary towels. They should be
lined with paper or plastic bag.

- Spray bottles- They are light weight

containers that delivers a fine mist of water or
cleaning solution through a fine nozzle
specially during the spray cleaning.

- Caddy: Also called cleaners box. These are

originally made of wood or metal. But now a
days day are made of plastic. box a handle
used by maids to carry working tools , safety
tools and chemicals
spray bottles

- Dustbins − They are used to collect daily

garbage produced in the hotel.
96
 Mops
There are various types of mops such.
Dry mops:- also dust control mop . These are used
to remove dust from floors , wall , ceiling . Mops have
handle, to which a metal frame is attached. The mop
head made of dense cotton fringes are inserted in to
the frame and stretched over it

Wet /damp mops:- these mops are used along

with buckets to remove dirt from the floor surface.
The mop consists of a handle and cotton fringes or
sponge which are capable of absorbing water

97
 Window Squeegee :used to clean window, glass

98
 Housekeeping Trolley
- Easy to transport cleaning equipment, agents and guest supplies
- Easy to carry out operation
- Avoid staffs from being forgetful and wasting time

99
Laundry machines /equipment

 Washing machine
 Continue………

 Dry cleaning machine

 Continue………

 Hydro extractor
 Continue………

 Dryer  Iron

Conventional Steam
 Continue………

 Steam iron table

 Continue………

 Flat work iron ,Roller

 Continue………

 Spotting table
 Continue………

 Ironing board  laundry cart

 Continue………

 ladder  Brushes
 Cleaning Agent
Cleaning agents are substances (usually liquids, powders,
sprays ) used to remove dirt, including dust, stains and bad
smells on surfaces.
Cleaning Agents / Chemicals (R1 to R9)

R-1 Cleaning and Sanitizing of Bathroom / Toilet surfaces

R-2 All-purpose cleaning agent / Hygienic Hard Surface Cleaner

R-3 For Cleaning Glass and Mirror Cleaner

R-4 For Furniture Polish and Cleaning / Furniture Maintainer

R-5 Air Freshener / Room Freshener / Bathroom Freshener

R-6 Heavy-duty toilet bowl/urinal cleaner for the removal of

stains and other residues.
R-7 For removal of Oil and grease from floor

R-9 Fully formulated cleaner for cleaning all fittings and walls in
the bathroom, sink, tub, tiles and fittings.
109
R-1 Cleaning and Sanitizing of Bathroom / Toilet surfaces
 Area to be cleaned:
All bathroom surfaces, sink, tub, tiles, floors and fittings
For cleaning: 20 ml in 1 ltr. water
For sanitizing: 50 ml in 1 ltr. water

Usage of this Cleaning Agent:

 Spray directly on the surface to be cleaned

 Leave for 2 seconds

 Scrub if necessary and wipe the surface with a clean and dry cloth

 Replace cloth regularly

110
R2: All-purpose cleaning agent
 Area to be cleaned:
All types of floor and walls

 How to Dilute:
Normal soiling: 20 - 40 ml in 1 ltr. water
Heavy soiling: 50 ml in 1 ltr. water
Usage of this Cleaning Agent:
 Floor cleaner for glass and floor like Italian marble Can be used for
wet mopping as well as scrubbing with a machine.
 Wet moping solution to be taken in bucket/mop trolley
 Rinse the mop frequently

 Alternatively, use scrubbing machine and pickup direct solution using

a wet vacuum cleaner

111
R3: Glass Cleaner and Mirror Cleaner
 Area to be cleaned:
Windows, mirrors, glass display cases

 How to Dilute:
20 – 50 ml in 1 ltr. water for cleaning all types of glasses and mirrors
Usage of this Cleaning Agent:

 Spray directly on a dry clean cloth

 Apply to the surface and wipe with a clean dry lint free cloth
 Replace cloth regularly
 Buffing dry

112
R4: Furniture Polish / Furniture Cleaning

 Area to be cleaned:
All wooden floors and furnishings
 How to Dilute:
Ready to use, No need to dilute.
Usage of this Cleaning Agent:

 Shake the bottle well before use.

 Spray on a soft dry cloth.

 Apply to the surface evenly and start buffing.
 Replace cloth regularly.

Note: Do not use on glasses, floors, stairs and laminated sheets

113
R5: Air Freshener / Room Freshener / Bathroom Freshener

 Area to be cleaned:
Offices. Corridors, washrooms

 How to Dilute:
Ready to use, No need to dilute further.

Usage of this Cleaning Agent:

 Do not spray directly on the floor

 Spray upward into the center of the room as required

114
R6: Toilet bowl cleaner ,Urinal cleaner
 Area to be cleaned:
Toilet bowls and urinals

 How to Dilute:
Ready to use, No need to dilute further.

Usage of this Cleaning Agent:

 Heavy duty toilet bowl and urinal cleaner.
 Do not use on stainless steel, enamel, marble and tiles.
 Flush around bowl especially around rim and bowl waterline
 Direct nozzle under toilet rim and evenly over the surfaces.
 Leave for 5 – 10 min.
 Flush toilet.
 Push water level down with toilet brush.

115
R7: For removal of oil and grease
 Area to be cleaned:
For removal of oil and grease from floor / Non-abrasive
cream cleaner for water-resistant hard surfaces.
 How to Dilute:
Normal soiling: 20 - 40 ml in 1 ltr. water
Heavy soiling: 50 ml in 1 ltr. water

Usage of this Cleaning Agent:

 For wet mopping, take the solution, bucket and mop.
 Rinse the mop frequently.
 Alternatively, use a scrubbing machine and pickup solution with a wet
vacuum.

116
R9: Removal of hard stains from Bathroom Walls and Fittings

 Area to be cleaned:
Fully formulated cleaner for cleaning all fittings and walls in
the bathroom, sink, tub, tiles and fittings.
 How to Dilute:
50 - 100ml in 1 ltr. water, as per the staining requirement

Usage of this Cleaning Agent:

 Prevent scale dirt on wall fittings
 Spray directly on the surface to be cleaned
 Leave for 20 sec
 Scrub and drain plain water
 Wipe surface and polish all metal surfaces with a clean cloth Replace
cloth regularly

117
Insecticides

To be used in fumigation and to eliminate

insects and pests.

In as much as the chemical is toxic, avoid

spraying unto food containers and food items.
Remove food within the affected areas during
the fumigation

Air Freshener
To be sprayed in the room in order
to remove foul odor in guestrooms,
comfort rooms or any area with
foul odor.

118
 Metal Polish
To be used for polishing brush copper
and metal surfaces.
Apply small amount on a cleaning towel
and rub metal surfaces until the tarnish
will disappear. Rinse immediately and
remove left over polish with hot water
 Vinegar
It is used in removing light stains in the
bath

119
 vim
Specially formulated, with
powerful foaming action, to
remove tough bathroom dirt with
ease

 Dettol
Used to disinfect surfaces at home. It kills
the majority of bacteria. It is one of the
few disinfectants useful against viruses

Dettol Power and Pure Advance Bathroom Spray

are ideal for tackling tough bathroom cleaning
tasks. Its active oxygen ingredient powers
through stains and breaks down so there's no
need to rinse afterwards. As well as being tough
on dirt, it kills 99.9% of bacteria
120
Furniture polish
Spray onto a lint-free cloth and wipe onto
furniture for light polishing. For a more
substantial gloss, spray directly onto
furniture and buff to a shine. Store your
homemade furniture polish in a dark, cool
cupboard to keep the oil from turning
rancid.
Window cleaner
Window cleaning, or window washing, is
the exterior cleaning of architectural glass
used for structural, lighting, or decorative
purposes. It can be done manually, using
a variety of tools for cleaning and access.

121
 Laundry detergent
N Laundry agent Type & Purpose Pictures
o and supplies

used in conjunction with

1 bar soap water for washing and
cleaning.
liquid detergent can be used
2 Liquid soap for cleaning clothes

Soap powder is a powder made

3 Powder soap
from soap and other substances
that you use for washing your
clothes, especially in a machine.

it uses to soften the fabrics and

4 Fabric softener prevent static. It can also use to
keep clothes smelling good while
being store.
5 Color may be used on certain
white fabrics. These contain
removal
sodium hydrosulfite, a
strong bleaching agent.

6 Bleach are used in stain removal to

render the staining material
colorless and invisible, as
well as to help actually
remove it.

7 Fabric stain the best stain remover for

practically all types of textile
remover
“stains” is plain detergent and
water.

8 Fabric Fabric stiffener makes fabric

strong and rigid
stiffener
Selecting and using personal protective equipment
Personal protective equipment, commonly referred to as "PPE", is equipment
worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries
and illnesses.
Types of personal protective equipment
 Gloves
Gloves of various types for use in the
Sorting room when handling soiled textiles
or in the washroom and stores area when
handling chemicals
Gloves are a garment covering the whole hand. Gloves usually have
separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb

Cleaning staff should also use rubber gloves to protect their skin from
burns. These are available in a range of lengths and thicknesses to offer
different levels of protection.
124
 Safety glasses
Is the best way to protect your eyes from
accidental splashes of cleaning agent. They are
made from strong plastics and rubbers that make
them comfortable to wear whilst giving you
reliable protection. Goggles offer more protection
when using chemicals as they have a surround
that hugs your face, leaving no gaps for liquids to
get in.
 Aprons

Different types of aprons may be used in the

sorting room and washroom areas but, there to
protect you and your clothing from splashes or
contact with liquids.
125
 Protective foot wear
Footwear refers to garments worn on the feet, which
originally serves to purpose of protection against
adversities of the environment, usually regarding
ground textures and temperature. Footwear in the
manner of shoes therefore primarily serves the purpose
to ease the locomotion and prevent injuries

 Facemasks
Facemasks are loose-fitting, disposable masks that
cover the nose and mouth, such as surgical masks and
nuisance dust masks. Facemasks are not approved by
the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) protection against any regulated
hazardous material.

126
 Uniforms

it can be a full uniform that can include shirt ,jackets, trousers, In

some instances, the uniform may be ‘color-coded’ to identify
staff from different working areas in the laundry,

127
128