482__Hotel Housekeeping: Operations and Management | AT CARE LABELS Alll quality fabrics carry labels indicating how they have to be cared for tions need to be taken in their care to avoid damage to the fabric. In many countr care labels on fabrics are mandatory by law. Such labelling has not yet been made mandatory in India but exporters of garments and other fabrics are required by the importing countries to stitch care labels on fabrics being exported. and what precau- Systems of Labelling and Basic Symbols There are three main systems followed in labelling. These are the British, the Canadian, and the Dutch systems. All the three systems have the same basic symbols, shown in Table 17.8 . The way in which these symbols are used in the three systems, however, differs. In the Canadian and the Dutch systems, three colours are used: + Red signifies ‘do not carry out the process’. + Amber indicates that caution is required in carrying out the process. + Green means that no special precaution is needed. Washing Instructions The washing instructions for the Canadian, Dutch, and British systems are outlined in Tables 17.9, 17.10, and 17.11, respectively. Bleaching Instructions The plain triangle indicates that bleaching can be safely carried out. When the symbol ‘C1’ is included within the triangle, it indicates that chlorine bleaches can be safely used. When the triangle is crossed (x), bleaching has to be avoided. Table 17.8 Symbols used on care labels symbol I Represents Instructions for / | Washtub Washing A | : \ Bleach Bleaching Dryer Drying | So | Hand iron Ironing Dry-cleaning cylinder Dry-cleaningTable 17.9 Washing instructions in the Canadian system Srna Is coe a ec | cen acne wash sing ha vate 10" | ‘Amber Machine-wash using warm water. ee/ | Amber ‘Machine-wash using lukewarm water. oy i Amber Hand-wash using lukewarm water. _ Red Do not wash. Table 17.10 Washing instructions in the Dutch system Symbol ___ Colour Instruction _| 95°C Green ‘Wash in hot water. crc / Green | ‘Wash in moderately hot water. | ‘Wash in lukewarm water. Instruction | Machine-wash in very hot (85°C) to boiling water Hand wash in | hand-hot (48°C) water. Maximum agitation may be used.Normal rinse may be used. Spinning or wringing are acceptable. Machine-wash in hot (60°C) water at maximum wash. Hand-wash_ in hand-hot (48°C) water with maximum agitation. Normal rinse may be used. Spinning or wringing are acceptable. Black ‘Machine-wash in hot (60°C) at medium wash. Hand-wash in hand- hot (48°C) water at medium agitation. Cold rinse only. Use a short spin cycle to dry or drip dry. Black Machine-washable in hot (48°C) water at medium wash. Hand- washable in hand-hot (48°C) water with medium agitation. Cold rinse only. Use short spin cycle to dry or drip dry. Black ‘Machine-wash warm (40°C) at medium wash. Hand-wash warm Black | (40°C) at medium agitation. Normal rinse may be used. Spinning or |__| wringing are acceptable, L wringing pt - (Contd)484 Hotel Housekeeping: Operations and Management _ Table 17.11 Contd _ Symbol Colour Instruction a | Machine-wash hot (40°C) at minimum wash. Hand-wash warm a Black | (40°C) with medium agitation. Cold rinse only. Short spin only. Do | ae not wring | ‘Machine-wash warm (40°C) at medium wash. Hand-wash warm Black | (49°C). Do not rub. Cold rinse only. Spin; do not hand-wring Hand-wash only in hand-hot water. Warm rinse may be used. Drip Black | Gry only oo Table 17.12 Bleaching instructions in the Canadian and Dutch systems Symbol Colour _| Instruction ‘Amber | Use chlorine bleach as directed on the container label. Red | Do not use chlorine bleach. ct Green | Bleaching with hypochlorite (chlorine bleach) if necessary is permitted Red | Do not bleach. bP | Symbols for bleaching instructions in the Canadian and Dutch systems are listed in Table 17.12. The British system uses the same symbols in black, indicating whether chlorine bleach may or may not be used and whether bleaching has to be avoided. Drying Instructions ‘The drying instructions in the British and Canadian systems are outlined in Table 17.13. Ironing Instructions The symbol for ironing is appropriate and clear, but details of temperature vary in each system. In the Canadian system, besides the colour, the temperature is indicated as degrees fahrenheit inscribed on the iron. The Dutch system only indicates temperature through the colours. The British system has one, two, or three dots showing the different temperature ranges to be used. When the fabric is not to be ironed, the iron is crossed out (x). The symbols for ironing instructions in the three systems are outlined in Table 17.14.Linen and Laundry Operations 485 Table 17.13 Drying instructions in the British and Canadian systems Symbol Colour — 7 = Canadian British | | | | Dry in a tumble-dryer (in the Canadian system) at O Green Black__| @ Medium to high setting, The British system only indicates that the item may be tumble-dried; the ___| | setting is not specified | Amber --= | Dry ina tumble-dryer at a low setting, J] | | | Red Black Do not tumble-dry. | | Green Black | Hang to dry or line-dry. fed | | —— | Amber Black | Dry ona flat surface em | | | | Green Black | Hang up while soaking wet to drip dry. Table 17.14 Ironing instructions Symbol Colour Instruction - Canadian system | A high setting suitable for cotton and linen of upto 400°F Green | may be used. | Amber ‘A medium setting of upto 300°F should be used Amber A low setting of upto 225°F should be used. | Red Do not iron. (Contay486 _ Hotel Housekeeping: Operations and Management Table 17.14 Contd |___Symbot Colour Instruction ~ Le ee Dutch system —_ | Green Use a hot iron. Amber Do not use a hot iron. | Red Do not iron _— _ — - British system Black Use a hot iron (upto 210°C; meant for cotton and linen), . ay | Black Use a warm iron (upto 160°C; meant for polyester, blends, fee) wool) jp F Black | Use a cool iron (upto 120°C; meant for acrylic, nylon (ia acetate) =a Black Do net iron. Dry-cleaning Instructions In the Dutch and British systems, a letter is inscribed in the circle. This letter indicates the solvent to be used. The Canadian system does not specify the solvent to be used. Table 17.15 gives the symbols for dry-cleaning instructions. Certain internationally accepted dry-cleaning codes are given in Table 17.16. Table 17.15. Dry-cleaning instructions “symbol Colour Instruction Canadian system O Green May be dry-cleaned it may be dry-cleaned, but tumble-drying should be done at a “Amber low temperature, | (Contd)____Linen and Laundry Operations 487 Table 17.15 Contd Symbol Colour oO | : Instruction Dutch system = Desysem () Amber Use only perchloroethylene or petroleum solvent. ©) Amber Use only petroleum solvent. ® Red Do not dry-clean. British system (a) Black Use any solvent, including trichloroethylene. (*) Black Use any solvent except trichloroethylene. () | ablace Use petroleum or fluorocarbon solvents only. ® | Black | Do not dry-clean. Table 17.16 Internationally accepted dry-cleaning codes Process Article may be normally dry-cleaned in all solvents usually used for dry-cleaning. Articles may be normally dry-cleaned in tetrachloroethylene, trichlorofluoromethane (solvent 11), hydrocarbons (white spirit), or trichlorotrifluoroethane (solvent 113) using the normal dry-cleaning process without restriction. Articles dry-cleanable in solvents given in the above row, but which are sensitive to some dry-cleaning processes and for which there is a strict limitation on the addition of water during cleaning and/or certain restrictions concerning mechanical action and/or drying temperature. ‘Articles may be normally dry-cleaned in hydrocarbons (white spirit) and trichlorotrifluoroethane (solvent 113) using the normal dry-cleaning procedures | without restrictions,488 Hotel Housekeeping: Operations and Management Table 17.16 Contd Symbol Process 2. Ce) Articles may be dry-cleaned in solvents given under the above category, but are F) Sensitive to some dry-cleaning procedures and hence, there is a strict lritation 7 on the addition of water during cleaning and/or certain restrictions concernin, ~~ __| mechanical action and/or drying temperatures y Other Care Labels Some retailers may have their own care labelling on the fabrics, These may consist of a simple letter code that identifies the five basic cleaning methods: + MH: Machine-wash hot; tumble-dry. + MW: Machine-wash warm; tumble-dry. + MG: Machine-wash gently; tumble-dry on low heat. + HW: Hand-wash warm; line-dry. + DC: Dry-clean only. a PREPARATION OF HOT AND COLD FACE TOWELS In many hotels, the housekeeping department may be responsible for preparing hot or cold face towels. Hot face towels are offered to guests on arrival at a hotel or restaurant to wipe the face in cold climates. Cold towels are offered for the same purpose in hot and humid climates. In some hotels, the preparation of hot and cold face towels are the responsibility of the F&B department. Procedure for preparing a cold towel The following are the steps for preparing a cold towel 1. Take a fresh (laundered and ironed) face towel. 2. Pour chilled water into a bowl. 3. Add a few drops of aromatic oil (select as per the hotel’s requirements) to the chilled water. 4. Dip the folded towel into the cold water with a pair of tongs. 5. Take the towel out of the water and squeeze out most of the water. . Roll up the face towel and place it on ice cubes in an ice-box or in a refrigerator. 7. Present the towel to the guest from a tray/salver when required, using a pair of tongs to proffer it. a Procedure for preparing a hot towel ‘The following are the steps for preparing a hot towel. 1. Take a fresh (laundered and ironed) face towel. 2. Take hot water in a bowl.3. Add a few drops of an aroma the hot water, 6 pair of tongs me SUMMARY Linen and laundry operations are important aspects of housekeeping. The planning and layout of the linen and uniform room has been discussed in this chapter. Depending on whether the hotel has an OPL or a con- tracted laundry, the activities carried out in the linen and uniform room differ. The linen exchange procedure for the guestrooms and for F&B linen has been described, along with the relevant forms and formats. The successful management of linen depends to a large extent on the par stock of linen maintained by the house- keeping department. How the linen par stock is maintained has been explained in this chapter. Another aspect of linen management is linen control. Maintenance of the quality and quantity of linen, stock-taking, and proper documen- tation are vital to the control of linen. The quality of linen purchased in the beginning will affect the quantity to be purchased later in the course of housekeeping operations to maintain the par stock. General selection criteria for fabrics meant for bed, bath, F&B, and health-club linen as, well as some soft furnishings have been listed. Individual quality requirements for all the above linen types have been discussed. The durability of linen is measured on the basis of its lifespan, that is, how many times the article «an be laundered before being categorized as ‘light linen’ {too wom to be suitable for guestroom use). The expected Useful life of an article of linen is often more important than the purchase price in determining whether alternative Products are economical or not. The cost of laundering linen over their useful life is usually much greater and more important than their initial price. After the lifespan of a given article is spent, the discarded or condemned linen should be recycled in a usable form. This has been discussed in brief. The & KEY TERMS Acoustics Sound absorption quality of certain materi- als, usually those used on ceilings, walls, and floors, Antichlors. These reagents are used in rinsing to ensure that all chlorine from bleaching has been removed. Linen and Laundry Operations 489 tic oil (selected as per the hotel’s requirements) to Dip the folded towel into the hot water with a pair of tongs. Take the towel out of the water and squeeze out most of the water. Roll up the face towel and place it on steam-heated warming equipment. Present the towel to the guest on a tray/salver when required, proffering it with a correct documentation of discards should be emphasized to control loss of linen. The planning and layout of an OPL for hotels is dis- cussed in the next section. The various types of laundry equipment have been described with relevant diagrams. ‘Many laundry aids have already been dealt with in Chapter 7, The reader should refer to the same where mentioned. ‘The laundry process is divided into stages and each stage has been discussed, with subheads for clear understanding Stain removal or spotting is an important function in the laundry. The section on stain removal is exhaustive, as this is a specialized skill. A trial-and-error method does not work here and there can be no shortcuts for stain removal. The dry-cleaning process has been outlined briefly, with its advantages and disadvantages. It should be understood that the term ‘dry-cleaning’ is a misnomer. The actual process does use liquids, apart from the dry powders and agents; but these liquids are non-aqueous. Dealing with guest laundry is another important responsibility of the housekeeping department. The guest laundry needs to be collected by valets at a stipulated time and needs to be returned by normal or express service as desired by the guest. Whether itis guest laundry or linen or uniforms being used in the hotel, the linen room and laundry personnel need to interpret certain symbols on the care labels. A detailed section on care labels has been included since following them is essential for the durability and proper maintenance of fabrics. Abrief for the preparation of hot and cold face towels has been given, since in many hotels, this may be the responsibility of the housekeeping department. Calender A machine with rollers for the ironing of cloth Itis used in institutional and commercial laundries tor ironing bed sheets and other flat articles. Contingency plan Planning done for uncertain events