Cleaning equipment

Manual Mechanical

Brushes Vacuum cleaners

Polish applicators
Scrubbing and polishing
Brooms machines
Containers
Wet-extraction systems
Box sweeper

Sundry equipment Carpet shampoo machines

Dry mops
Scrubbers-driers and
sweepers
Wet mops
High-pressure washers

Cloths
Scarifying machines

Fig. 7.2 Classification of cleaning equipment

(a) (b) (c)

(d)
3 Common manual equipment used in housekeeping: (a) A V-sweeper, (b) Typesof mopS; () Brooms
with plastic bristles, (d) Brushes with window squeegees. (See also Plate 3 in CD)
Source: Roots
Multiclean Limited
 156 Hotel Housekeeping: Operations and Management

AADDUY

(a) (b) (c) (d)

(e) ( (g) (h)

D
'
) (K)
UAIAINH 0)
(m)

Fig. 7.4
(n)

Brushes used in
NTSHIL LERLUTL IUL U T
(o) (p)
housekeeping: (a) Spot removal hard brush; (b) Upholstery brush;
(q)

curtain and pleats brush; (d) Soft metallic bristle brush; (e) (c) Long handled
Nylon fibre carpet brush: () Natural fibre
carpet brush for rugs; (g) Horsehair bristle carpet brush; (h) Leather
scrubbing brush; (j) Grout cleaning brush; (K) Carpet brush roller; () cleaning brush; () Short bristle
Oval shaped hard
shaped hard brush; (n) WC brush; (o) Nylon bristle deck scrubbing brush; (m) Iron
brush; (p) Oval wall dusting brush
(q) Nylon bristle wall dusting brush
 Brooms
Sweeping brooms consist of long bristles
The bristles of a broom may be made of
gathered together and inserted into a handle.
grass, corn, or coconut fibres.
the tvpe, brooms may be used for dust or dirt in large areas. Depending
on
removing Figure 7.5 shows
some brooms used in housekeeping.

(a) (b) (c) (d)

(e) () (h)
Fig. 7.5 Brooms used in housekeeping: (a) Natural fibre broom; (b, c) Nylon bristle brooms; (d, e) Nylon
handled
Dristled street brooms; (f) Coconut fibre yard broom; (g) Natural fibre broom; (h) Long
triangular grass broom
Box sweepers
These are also called carpet sweepers (see Figure 7.6) and are used for sweepingu
ng up
dust and litter from soft floor coverings such as rugs and carpets. They are ideal for
the removal of spills and for light cleaning of small carpeted areas. A box sweeper
consists ofa friction brush that revolves when the equipment is pushed manually over
the carpet or floor. The dust gets thrown up into built-in dustpans, which are hinged
at the bottom to facilitate emptying after use. Choose sweepers with a wide base that is
low enough to be pushed under furniture and that will clean close to a wall. In sweep
ers meant to clean hard floors as well as soft floor coverings, the brush can be lowered
to the floor to sweep.

Dry mops
Also called dust control mops, these are designed to remove soil and debris from floors
walls, and ceilings without raising and dissipating dust. These mops (see Figure 7.7)
generally consist of a handle to which a metal frame is attached. The mop head is either
inserted into the frame or stretched over it, according to the type.

Edge cleaning
brushes direct Center mounted
debris into
handle
cleaning
path Solid soft
vinyl wheels

Rotating bristle
brushes or wipers

Dustpan
(a) (b)
Fig. 7.6 Carpet sweeper: (a) Carpet weeper; (6) Parts of a carpet sweeper
 Housekeeping Inventories 159

(a) (b) (c) (d)

(e) (h) ()
Fig.7.7 Mops: (a) Dry mop; (b) Impregnated dry mop; (c) Disposable dry mop head; (d) static duster;
DO-all mops; (f) Kentucky mop with looped end; (g) Foss mop; (h) Sponge mop; () Squeegee
 Cloths

Protective cloths
Cleaning cloths

Dust sheets

mittens
Duster and cloth
Glass cloths
Druggets
Swabs and wipes
cloths
Rags and polishing Hearth and bucket
cloths

Floor cloths
Wet cloths

Scrim
Chamois leather

Fig. 7.8 Types of cloths used in housekeeping

cotton material than
made of coarser

Floor cloths Floor cloths bigger, thicker, and

are
and r e m o v e spills
from floors.
used to wipe WC pedestals
all-purpose swabs. They
are

sackcloth. Scrim, because

material resembling fine
linen
Scrim This is a loosely w o v e n leather for
lint-free nature, is often used instead of chamois
of its high absorbency and
windows.
cleaning mirrors and
tow yarns and do not
leave behind lint.
made of linen
Glass cloths Glass cloths are up
These should not
for mirrors and drinking glasses.
They can therefore be
used wiping
from glass fibres (glasscloth)!
be confused with fabrics made
obtained from the sewing
cloths Rags are disposable cloths usually
Rags polishing
and or strong
the sack from tailors. They are used for applying polish
room or bought by cloths need to have a fleecy,
and are disposed of when dirty. Polishing
cleaning agents
and piecesof flannel are ideal.
napped surface,
Wet cloths Wet cloths need to be very absorbent and of a manageable size, so that
used for mopping
they can be wrung out by hand easily during cleaning. They are
large floor areas.
the skin of the chamois goat antelope, but now
Chamois leather Real chamois leather is
various cheaper imitations are
available. These simulated chamois leathers are usually
leather can be used wet for cleaning windows
skivers, that is, split sheepskin. Chamois
cloth for silver and other metals. It is
and mirrors; when dry, it is used as a polishing
also ideal for wiping squeegee blades.
about the size of
Dust sheets Dust sheets are made of any thin cotton material, being
a single sheet. Discarded bed sheets or curtains
from the linen room are ideal for use as
dust sheets. They are used to cover floors, furniture, and other articles during spring-
cleaning or decoratin8
162 Hotel Housekeeping: Operations and Management

Druggets These are made up of coarse linen, fine canvas, or clear plastic. Theey may be
of the size of a carpet square or a runner. They are placed on the floor in doorwavs to
prevent excessive dirt being trekked in or out during bad weather and during redecorat
orat
ing projects. They are sometimes placed in the passage between the kitchen and dining
area as well to catch spills and debris.

Hearth and bucket cloths These are made of thick fabrics and used to protect the carpet
or flooring when a fireplace is being cleaned or placed under buckets to prevent marks
on the surface they are kept on. They also catch splashes of water.
Care and cleaning of cloths Good care of cloths is important for efficient cleaning and
longer life. Care and cleaning recommendations for various types of cloths are given
in Table 7.2.

Polish applicators
These are usually oblong in shape for efficiency of application. The polishing head
should slide out from the metal or plastic casing to enable easy replacement.
 Containers
Work becomes much easier and efficient if the staff are given appropriate containers in
which to carry, transport, collect, and store supplies and other items.

Types of containers The various types of containers (Figure 7.9) used are as follows.

These may be made of plastic or galvanized iron. Plastic buckets are more
Buckets
popular these days as they are lighter in weight, quieter in use, and easier to clean.
Buckets to be used with mops may have one or two sections, and may have a wringer

(a) (b) (c)

(d) (e) (f
Fig. 7.9 Various containers used in housekeeping: (a) Maid's cart; (b) Laundry sack on trolley: (c) Types of
dustpans; (d) Hand caddy: (e) Buckets with wringer attachment, (f) Sani-bins.
Source: Roots Multiclean Limited
Hotel Housekeeping: Operations and Management

(a) (b)
Fig.7.12 (a) Janitor's trolley and (b) Mop-wringer's trolley

Sundry equipment
This includes other miscellaneous pieces of equipment used in the housekeeping

department-ladders, carpet beaters, abrasive pads, rubber gloves, airing racks, fit
 Mechanical Equipment
equipment (Figure 7.13, see Plate 4 in CD) used in 1s.

The various pieces of mechanical

the housekeeping department are usually powered
by electricity or gas. The staff shhould
be well trained in the operation of these equipment
incorrect
since usage will
only not on
also become a safety hazard. The popular bra
lead to inefficient cleaning, but may ands
of mechanical equipment used in hotels are Karcher, T aski, Eureka Forbes, and Ro ots

Vacuum cleaners/suction cleaners

Vacuum cleaners remove debris, soil, and/or water from a surtace by suction. A
vacuum cleaners work on the same operating principle. In all types, a motor drives an
difterence in pressure between
impeller, which sucks in air through an inlet, creating a
the air within and that outside the machine. Air drawn in from the inlet passes through
and out of the machine. Usually the air is sucked in together with soil, debris, or water
The dust is collected into a container provided, which may be enclosed within the body
of the machine (as in cylindrical and canister models) or on the outside in the form of
a bag (upright models). The dust-collecting apparatus in the heavy-duty models used
in hotel properties usually consists of two types of dust bags. The inner bag is made of
disposable paper and the outer one is made of fabric.
Types of vacuum cleaners Various types of vacuum cleaners are available:
Dry vacuum cleaners These are used for removing dust and small pieces of debris from
floors, upholstery, furnishings, walls, and ceilings. Those using a flexible hose come
with attachments such as a floor-cleaning head, a power head, a crevice-cleaning head,

A
Fig. 7.13
(a) (b) (c)
Mechanical equipment used in housekeeping: (a) Dry vacuum cleaner; (b) Wet and dry vacuum
cleaner; (c) Carpet cleaner (upright); (d) Floor scrubber. (See also Plate
Courtesy: Karcher Cleaning Systems Pvt. Ltd.
4 in CD)
(d)
 halls, a n d

Exhaust
port

Electric
motor
Fan

Bucket

- Intake port

Dirt

Fig. 7.16 Wet-and-dry vacuum cleaner

General-purpose floor machines (scrubbing and polishing machines)
and spray maintenance
These are designed for scrubbing, buffing, burnishing, scarifying,
Figure 7.17 shows a scrubbing machine. Adjustable
handle
Scrubbing The bristle tips of a brush or the surface
of a pad abrade and cut the soilage to remove it. Cleaning solution
tank
Buffing The bristle tips of a brush or the surface of
a pad create a high-gloss finish on the floor surface Cleaning solution
In case of a surface on which a polish has been feeder hose
applied, it will involve the generation of local heat
to harden waxes and resins. Electric motor

Burnishing The tips of a brush or the surface of

a pad abrade and cut the floor surface to create a Brushes
smooth surface with a glossy finish. In case of a
polished surface, it will involve the removal of a Fig. 7.17 Scrubbing machine
surface layer of polish.

Scarifying The bristle tips or the edge of a cutting tool cut into impacted soilage,
removing it by means of a chisel-like action.
The bristle tips of a brush or the surface of a pad abrade and cut the
Spray cleaning
soilage from a surface. It differs from scrubbing in that only a fine mist of the cleaning
solution is applied to the floor and a thin film with a glossy finish is formed on the floor
surface. It can be used to maintain an unpolished floor or a floor protected by a hard

polish.
Spray burnishing This is similar to spray cleaning, but the term is applied to the main-
tenance of floors where a buffable or semi-buffable polish has been applied and the
bristle tips of a brush or the surface of a pad remove both soilage and a surface layer of
polish to leave a smooth, glossy surface. Resins and waxes in the maintenance product
form part of the restored finish.
These machines consist of one large or several small brushes that revolve and scrub
the floor. Water and detergent are released from a tank attached to the machine. These
machines can be used for shampooing carpets, polishing floors, and spray maintenance.
Such general-purpose machines are preferred in many establishments as the machine
can be put to greater use because of its versatility. In some machines, coloured, abrasive
nylon pads replace the scrubbing brushes. For normal-speed machines,

beige pads are used for buffing;

and
green pads are used for scrubbing;
black pads are used for stripping.