Hotel Housekeeping Operations and Management, Second Edition, Raghubalan

CHAPTER EIGHT – COMPOSITION, CARE AND CLEANING OF DIFFERENT

SURFACES
Damage to steel:
From oxygen and moisture in air can be prevented by painting
1.
Due to corrosion is avoided by galvanizing
By applying molten glass is called enamelling

The process of applying shcllac dissolved in alcohol over brass and copper to reduce
2.
tarnishing is called lacquering
Silver is damaged with:
Prolonged contact of salt causing it to pit
3.
Prolonged contact of soap causing it to tarnish
Excess use of silver dip causing it to corrode

The four common treatments used to make stainless steel corrosion resistant are:
 Galvanising
4.  Anodizing
 Tin-plating
 Lacquering

5. Heavy tarnish from copper can be removed using a weak ammonia solution

6. Utensils made of cast iron need to be seasoned before first use to prevent rusting

Coating one side of a glass panel with silver or copper, followed by a coat of paint
7.
and a layer of enamel makes a mirror

A glass which:
1. Allows some light to pass through and blocks of distorts some, to that it is not
entirely transparent is obscured glass
2. Emits rainbow coloured reflections due to prismatic grooves is called cut glass
8. 3. When broken, holds the pieces in place with a wire until knocked out of the
‘frame’ for repair is obscured glass with wire
4. When broken, the pieces adhere to the plastic layer is laminated glass
When broken, forms tiny, harmless fragments that are less likely to fall out of its
frame is toughed glass

Rubbing with a dry cloth increases static electricity in plastic which attracts dust,
9.
hence they should be cleaned using a damp duster

Ceramics used for making sanitary fittings, drain pipes, vases, floor tiles, wall tiles,
10. cooking utensils and crockery should be handled with care while cleaning since they
are prone to cracking and chipping

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Hotel Housekeeping Operations and Management, Second Edition, Raghubalan

Wood board manufactured by

Gluing together many thin sheets of hardwood, which are terms as ‘plies’ is called
11.
plywood
Compressing wood chips and synthetic resin is called chipboard

A hard and transparent protective film formed on the wood surface – floors, furniture
12. and doors – after drying of a substance made from natural or synthetic resins is
called varnish
The two solid wood finishes damaged by water, heat and solvents are
13.  Lacquer
 French polish
General cleaning of leather involves two common process
14.  Dusting
 Suction cleaning

15. Rubber softens during cleaning with the use of hot water

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 Hotel Housekeeping Operations and Management, Second Edition, Raghubalan

CHAPTER NINE – HOTEL GUESTROOMS

Guestrooms not sold for the day looses out on the revenue for that day, they are
1.
therefore called commodities which are highly perishable
A combination of bedroom-cum-sitting room where the large bedroom has a sitting
2. area provided with chairs, a sofa and coffee table along with a workstation called an
executive room
The status of a guestroom:
 When a guest is currently registered to the room is occupied room
 When the guest is not checking out today and will occupy the room for at least
3.
one more night is stay over
 When the guest has left the hotel without making any arrangements to settle his /
her account is skipper
The status of a guestroom:
 When the guest room has been cleaned, inspected and is ready for an arriving
4. guest is vacant-and-ready
 When the room is expected to become vacant after the following day’s check-out
time is due-out room
A room that cannot be assigned to a guest due to maintenance work, refurbishing, or
5.
extensive cleaning is an out-of-order room
A GRA should not knock on the door or try to access a guestroom when there is a
6.
display of do-not-disturb
The GRA has the most frequent access to the guestrooms and they are expected to
7. have an eye for detail; hence they are rightly referred to as the eyes and ears of the
establishment
A guest may ‘skip’ easily without paying the bill when he is registered as a guest
8.
with no luggage / no baggage
The two indicators which a GRA uses to gauge the number of people occupying the
room are:
9.
Number of beds used
Amount of bath linen used
In case anything is missing or damaged, it needs to be reported immediately to the
10.
front office, so that the guest may be charged according to management policy
Guest corridors in a hotel should be designed keeping in mind three factors:
 Sufficient ventilation
11.
 Sufficient lighting
 Doors should not open facing each other
The two types of central corridors on guestroom floors are:
12. Double loaded central corridors
Single loaded central corridors

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13. On a guest floor corridor, emergency stairs should be sited near the ends

Service elevators arising from the back-of-the-house area and reaching the guest
14.
floor should open into a separate service lobby
A guest will feel safe in a guest room provided its location is such that, it is not
15.
accessible to all

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 Hotel Housekeeping Operations and Management, Second Edition, Raghubalan

CHAPTER TEN: STANDARD CONTENTS OF A GUESTROOM

The science of ergonomics deals with the shape and size of the furniture in relation
1.
to the human body and is a paramount consideration for comfort

2. Serviceability of the furniture depends mainly on its design with relation to its use

The four types of furniture found in hotel guestrooms, based on the way they are
placed are:
 Free-standing
3.
 Cantilevered
 Built-in
 Fitted

Furniture which is manufactured to a standard basic measurement or module, so that

4. different pieces of furniture can be joined together in a variety of ways to suit
individual requirements is called modular furniture

5. Actual antique furniture belongs to a period before the year 1840

In guestrooms that do not have an architectural feature, a focal point of interest can
6.
be created by grouping furniture
The guestroom telephone serves a dual purpose, it is
7. A means of communication
A room control system linked to PMS software
Automatic logging of removal of an item from the minibar is possible in an
8.
automated bar

The two types of sanitary fittings connected to the drainage system used for
collecting and disposing waste are
9.
‘Soil’ fittings
‘Waste’ fittings
While cleaning sanitary fittings, it is recommended to begin with the least dirty ones,
10.
moving on to the dirtier ones, so as to prevent the spread of bacteria

The four parts while constructing a bed are

Frame
11. Base
Headboard
Footboard

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While selecting a mattress the attributes to be checked include

 It should feel comfortable consistently on all parts of the mattress which is –
firmness
12.  It should be soft at all contact points which is – softness
 It should be firm enough to keep the body well aligned which is – support
 Its type of ticking, thickness of padding and coil count together make –
construction

13. Life of a mattress can be improved up to 50% by turning the mattress

The additional furnishings needed to make a guestroom viable in all senses are called
14.
accessories
Guest supplies conducive to guest’s material comfort and convenience are
subdivided into
 Guest amenities
15.
 Guest essentials
 Guest expendables
 Guest loan items

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 Hotel Housekeeping Operations and Management, Second Edition, Raghubalan

CHAPTER ELEVEN: CLEANING GUESTROOMS

Removal of dust, dirt, foreign matter, tarnish and stains from various surfaces with
1.
the aid of certain cleaning agents and equipments is called cleaning

The four reasons for cleaning are

Aesthetic appeal
2. Hygiene
Maintenance
Safety

3. Dust settles readily on any surface horizontal or vertical as it is heavier than air

Microbes and pests are controlled in various ways:

 An agent that makes the environment non-conducive to the growth and
reproduction of disease producing microbes is an antiseptic
4.  Substances used to destroy pathogenic micro-organisms are called disinfectants
 An agent used for reducing the microbial count to an acceptable level is a
sanitizer
 Agents used to destroy pests are called pesticides

Washing using water and rinsing agent, friction using an abrasive, static electricity
5. using a static mop, suction using a vacuum cleaner, or force using pressurized water
form integral parts of different cleaning processes

Sweeping is not the most efficient, hygienic, or advanced way of removing dust, as
6.
much of it becomes airborne
Preventing liquids and solids that are spilled on the floor from penetrating the finish
7.
and staining the floor can be achieved by spot mopping
Vacuuming with high filtration machines is the most complete method of dry-soil
8.
removal as it picks up, packages, and removes soil without spreading it around
The cleaning process where the machine goes over the area to remove soil, scuffs,
9.
light scratches and marks is called spray buffing

During organization of cleaning when

 The GRA completes all the tasks in one guestroom before going on the next
10. room is called conventional or orthodox or traditional cleaning
 The GRA moves from room to room and completes the same task in every room,
before returning to begin the cycle again for the next task is called block cleaning

The two departments expected to work in coordination during deep cleaning are
11.
housekeeping and maintenance
Direct contact of duvet or blanket with the skin and getting it soiled can be prevented
12.
by using a top sheet
Light dusting, check of all electrical appliances and flushing of WC are the cleaning
13.
processes carried out in a vacant room

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Making the bed ready for sleeping in and making the environment in the guestroom
14. conducive to and comfortable for a good night’s sleep is referred to as turn down
service
A chargeable service provided on special guest request after the guestroom has been
15.
serviced on that day is referred to as second service

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 Hotel Housekeeping Operations and Management, Second Edition, Raghubalan

CHAPTER TWELVE: CLEANING PUBLIC AREAS

The areas of the hotel that are in constant view and frequented by guests are referred
1.
to as pubic areas
It is impractical to take public areas ‘out of service’, hence, all cleaning and
2.
maintenance activities for these are scheduled for low-traffic hours or in the night
It is important to control the dirt and grit at the entrance to prevent it from
3.
embedding in the floor causing it to deterioration
The reservoirs of dust and dirt, rubbed away from the shoes are the doormats and
4.
runners
High level dusting, cleaning of ceiling and other hard-to-reach areas such as tops of
5.
cornices are not cleaned daily, they form a part of periodic cleaning
When guests approach the front desk during the cleaning process, it should be
6.
stopped momentarily

7. The flow of work at front desk should in no way be hampered by cleaning tasks

8. Indicating that elevator cleaning is being carried out is done by using signboards

Cleaning of long corridors should be carried out by dividing it into half lengths so
9.
that the other half is open while one is being cleaned
Thorough cleaning of public area washrooms should be carried out a minimum of
10.
twice daily
When banquet halls have bookings for several functions on the same day cleaning
11.
them would require a larger workforce and good organization
In addition to cleaning dining rooms housekeeping is also responsible for providing
12.
it with clean linen
The flooring in a health club should not be polished to a very high shine to prevent it
13.
from becoming slippery
To clean saunas, a bleach should be added as a cleaning agent as the insides to the
14.
saunas are prone to mould
If not cleaned to a regular schedule, swimming pools may become carriers of
15.
waterborne infections

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