institutional housekeeping usually covers the following areas:

Guest rooms
Hallways and corridors
Lobby
Public areas and restaurants
Offices
Windows
Stores, concessionaires
Grounds
Linen and laundry area

Role of Housekeeping in the Hospitality Industry

The housekeeping department has many roles within a hotel. Besides ensuring cleanliness and aesthetic
appeal for all public areas and rooms, they report all maintenance issues within the hotel. Maintenance
reports are normally handled by the executive housekeeper. An executive housekeeper is an individual
in charge of the housekeeping department. It is important to note that maintenance is done by
the maintenance department. The maintenance department includes a team of people repairing
furniture or fixtures.
In most instances, hotels outsource maintenance. Therefore the housekeeping should record all places
that require repairs as they clean. It is important to note that there are exceptional maintenance duties
that are handled by the housekeeping team. For example, repairing torn linen or uniform. Therefore, part
of ensuring that a hotel maintains an aesthetic appeal includes ensuring that all public areas and rooms
with maintenance issues are promptly addressed.

Housekeeping Department Standards

The housekeeping department operates using certain standards. One of the most important standards is
ensuring that they offer the expected cleanliness level. The hospitality industry ensures that
housekeeping standards are upheld by using guest surveys to rate cleanliness. Guest surveys measure
guests' satisfaction levels and gather feedback that may help improve satisfaction. Guest surveys can be
done online via the hotel website, via survey forms, or during one-on-one conversations during checkout.

Executive Housekeeper / Manager of Housekeeping

The Executive Manager is the chief of housekeeping department. The Deputy Housekeeper and Assistant
Manager of Housekeeping report to him. Their responsibilities include −
 Ensuring overall cleanliness and aesthetics of the hotel.
 Ensuring overall sanitation, comfort, and ambience of the hotel.
 Training the new joiners and motivate the existing employees.
 Modelling and establishing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for cleaning and
decorating.
 Monitoring regular inventory of guest supplies and linen.
 Monitoring housekeeping equipment and hotel property.
 Evaluating employee performance, and handling their training, promotions, and transfers.
 Organize flower arrangements for events.
 Presenting the estimate of the required budget to the General Manager of the hotel.

Supervisors of Housekeeping

The supervisors report to the Assistant Housekeeper. Their positions and their respective responsibilities
include −
Floor Supervisor
 Issuing keys to the room attendants.
 Coordinating floor operations and tray clearance with room attendants.
 Inspecting rooms for readiness and reporting to the front office for the same.
 Catering for VIP facilities and providing special supplies such as hot drinking water, baby-
sitting provision.
Public Area Supervisor
 Ensuring that cleanliness is maintained at all times in public areas such as lobby, lifts,
parking, swimming pool, coffee shop, conference hall, banquet hall, and restaurant.
 Ensuring banquet and conference halls are well kept and ready.
 Ensuring the concerned operating staff is available as per the schedule.
Night Supervisor
 Ensuring provision of guest supplies such as water, extra bed, fans, or towels.
 Ensuring the operating staff working at night is following all cleaning SOPs.
 Supervising hotel area at night and ensuring cleanliness in all areas of hotel.
Uniform Room Supervisor
 Providing clean, ironed, and fresh uniforms to the hotel staff.
 Suggesting procurement of any uniforms required.
 Checking repaired linen from tailor room.
 Keeping track of number and condition of uniforms.
Linen Room Supervisor
 Inspecting linen and sending it to the laundry.
 Checking linen from laundry and sending it for ironing.
 Maintaining linen influx and out flux register.
 Checking repaired linen from tailor room.
 Suggesting linen replacements if required.

Operating Staff / Attendants

The positions and responsibilities of the Operating Staff/Attendants are explained below.
Uniform Room Attendant
 Collecting uniforms of staff at the end of every shift and maintaining them to be used for
the next time.
 Maintaining the shelves of uniforms and linens clearly.
 Giving and taking back the uniforms from the staff.
Linen Room Attendant
 Segregating the dirty linen according to its type and sending it to the laundry.
 Keeping the track of linen count before and after laundry.
 Stacking towels, bed sheets, pillowcases, table napkins separately into different sections
of shelves.
Guest Room Attendant
 Reporting to the floor supervisor.
 Cleaning the guest rooms, guest bathrooms, and the corridors.
 Changing the linen of the guest room and guest bathrooms.
  Topping up the guest supplies.
 Making guest-room beds.
 Replenishing the hotel cleaner’s trolley with supplies and linens for the next shift staff.
Storekeeper
 Reporting to the floor supervisor.
 Keeping the count of cleaning equipment and items such as cleaners and detergents.
 Generating requisition to purchase the required material.
Public Area Attendants
 Reporting to public area supervisor.
 Keeping the parking, lobbies, guest rooms, lifts, and corridors in best maintained status.
 Keeping these areas smelling fresh and clean.
Night Shift Attendants
 Reporting any hotel safety issues to the night supervisor.
 Performing housekeeping duties during night.

Qualities of Housekeeping Staff

There are certain professional qualities the housekeeping staff is required to possess −
Personal Hygiene and Appearance
The housekeeping staff on duty must −

 Be well-groomed with high degree of personal hygiene.

 Have trimmed nails and hair, and clean uniform.
 Have a clean and pleasant appearance.
Communications skills
The housekeeping staff must −

 Conduct themselves with a cooperative attitude.

 Speak in a friendly but sincere tone.
 Speak clearly in audible voice of moderate pitch.
 Maintain polite eye contact while interacting with the hotel guests.

Qualities of Housekeeping Staff

There are certain professional qualities the housekeeping staff is required to possess −
Personal Hygiene and Appearance
The housekeeping staff on duty must −

 Be well-groomed with high degree of personal hygiene.

 Have trimmed nails and hair, and clean uniform.
 Have a clean and pleasant appearance.
Communications skills
The housekeeping staff must −

 Conduct themselves with a cooperative attitude.

 Speak in a friendly but sincere tone.
 Speak clearly in audible voice of moderate pitch.
 Maintain polite eye contact while interacting with the hotel guests.
Interpersonal skills
For serving the guest and working for cleanliness, the housekeeping staff must

 Possess right attitude.

 Have good listening skills to avoid any miscommunication.
 Be a good team player.
Personal skills and Traits
The housekeeping staff must −

 Be able to retain and pursue the demand of the guest until it is fulfilled.
 Be sincere and physically fit.
 Respect each hotel guest they are dealing with. They must conduct themselves
confidently and courteously.
 Have high integrity.

The 10 Step Cleaning Process

Now that your rooms is organised, you’ll need to continue to clean it thoroughly. The best
way to maintain a high-level of cleanliness in your hotel to have a system for how rooms are
cleaned by you or your staff. Your staff should be trained to know what the standards are for
each room type and how to achieve those standards. There should also be a schedule or
some sort of system in place so that every room is cleaned on a regular basis. We suggest
the following to ensure your room is cleaned thoroughly each time.

1. Ventilate the Room

You should properly ventilate a hotel room before guests stay. This is because guests
expect a clean, fresh-smelling room when they check in. If the room smells musty or stale,
they will be disappointed. This is also to disburse any chemical smells that may linger after
deep cleaning. Housekeepers should open all doors and windows while they clean to
ensure the room is properly aired out by the time the new guests arrive.

2. Change and Restock Bed Linen and Towels

Beds and linen should be made and replaced before guests stay. Not only will it make your
room look neater, but it will also give you a sense of accomplishment when you start your
day. This includes stripping the beds of old sheets, duvets, and pillow cases, and collecting
old towels and facecloths. These should be placed in a laundry bin so they’re ready to be
cleaned by the laundry company. Or, if you’re cleaning them yourself, be sure to wash your
sheets in hot water and use a disinfectant cleaner to kill any bacteria.
If a guest is staying for more than one night they may not require new linen. To check this,
it’s standard practice to leave door hangars which guests can use to indicate whether they’d
like a “turn down” service, or whether they require no maintenance at all. It’s generally
recommended that you change the sheets in a hotel room every three days – but always, in
between guests. It’s also important to change the sheets if there are any stains or if they
become wrinkled.

If guests don’t require any new linen or towels, it’s still important to hang up all damp towels
so that they can dry and the room remains odourless.

3. Remove Rubbish
It’s always important to remove rubbish left behind by previous guests. Make sure to empty
the bins and replace them with bin liners, as well as remove anything else left behind. You’ll
need to also check for this in hidden areas, such as under the beds and in the shelves. Any
food that has been left behind by guests should also be removed.

4. Dusting
Rooms, even after a day or two, can become dusty. You’ll need to dust shelves, televisions
and any surfaces that you can see this collect before the next guests arrive. This also
includes ceilings and hard to reach places, so it’s essential to own an extendable duster.
Dust and cobwebs tend to collect on ceilings and high surfaces, so start there and work
your way down.

5. Wipe and Disinfect High Touch Surfaces

Now, more than ever, you’ll also need to wipe down all surfaces with disinfectant – including
high touch surfaces and electronics. Think television buttons, remote controls, light switches
and phones. This will help keep guests and your staff safe during the pandemic.

Don’t forget the details. It’s easy to overlook things like doorknobs, and baseboards when
you’re cleaning, but taking the time to clean these areas will make a big difference.

6. Clean the Bathroom Thoroughly

Housekeepers should clean the shower and toilet in hotels before guests arrive. This
includes scrubbing the tub, shower, and sink. The toilet should be cleaned with a
disinfectant cleaner and the floor should be mopped. In the shower, make sure to clean any
mould or mildew that may have formed and leave it dry.

7. Clean Mirrors and Windows

Mirrors, especially in the bathroom, can quickly become dirty and are noticeable to guests.
Guests use these everyday, so take the time to ensure they are spotless. This also goes for
windows that tend to collect fingerprints. Use special glass cleaner and microfiber cloths
while cleaning to ensure they’re left streak-free and crystal clear.

8. Vacuuming Floors and Furniture

Vacuuming your carpets between guests is important for several reasons. First, it helps to
remove any dirt, dust, or hair that may have been left behind. Second, it helps to freshen up
the room and make it smell clean. Third, it helps to remove any allergens that may be
present in the room. Vacuuming will help to make your guests’ stay more comfortable and
will also help to prolong the life of your carpet.

Be sure to vacuum upholstered furniture and curtains on a regular basis too. The vacuum
will come with special attachments for these specific areas.

9. Restock Amenities and Consumables

Next, it’s important to restock what is missing from the room – including any toiletries that
you supply guests. These include soap, shampoo and toilet paper rolls. This will ensure
guests don’t run out during their stay, and new guests will be ready to wash up once they
enter in the door.

This also means replenishing drink sachets such as coffee and tea, and any other items
that you offer on the counter or in the mini-bar. Depending on your policy, it’s important to
log which items are missing so that guests can be charged accordingly.

Next, wash and dry all used cutlery and cups – depending on what’s available in the room.
The sink will need to be left clean and tidy afterwards too.

10. Final Check

Before leaving the room, check that all windows are closed and doors shut. This will ensure
the room temperature returns to normal before your next guest arrives. If there is any scent
remaining in the room, you can use air freshener to help this. Finally, check that there’s no
remaining rubbish and that the furniture is tidy, and that all the supplies have been
restocked.

Now is also the time to check guest requests. If they require anything special in their room,
you must supply these before you leave.