WELCOME TO HOUSEKEEPING
The Housekeeping department is one of the largest and most essential in the college.
Our primary role is to ensure that we deliver an excellent service and standard of
cleanliness to our Fellow’s, staff, students and visitors. We are a team of 41 staff and
we also have a team of contract cleaners who look after a numberof our properties
and communal spaces, which are not based on central site. The Housekeeping
department is headed by Yvonne Chapman, our Housekeeping Services Manager.
Each College site has its own Housekeeper, who each has an Assistant.
The three main sites are Central Site, Wychfield Site and Thompson’s Lane, as well
as additional properties in Bateman Street and Norwich Street.
Central Site is managed by Elaine Fox-Teece and assisted by Marta Janko the
Masters Housekeeper and college seamstress. In addition, there are 10 Bedmakers
working on Central Site and three House Porters. The House Porters carry out a
range of duties such as cleaning, moving items around the college and preparing
rooms and equipment for conferences and meetings.
The Wychfield Site is managed by Elizabeth Maksymowicz, and assisted by Aneta
Wojsz who also carries out bedmaking duties. There are 14 part time Bedmakers
working at Wychfield and two full time House Porters (who have responsibilities similar
to those on Central Site). The House Porters at Wychfield are also responsible for
moving cleaning products and items of furniture from site to site using our college
vehicle.
Thompson’s Lane has two main buildings; Bishop Bateman Court (fondly known as
BBC) and St Clement’s Gardens (which is soon to be replaced by a new development
comprising 72 en-suite student bedrooms with communal areas and conference
facilities).
Thompson’s Lane is managed by Janis Spink and assisted by Teresa Griggs, who
also carries out bedmaking duties. There are 7 part time Bedmakers working in both
buildings. Thomson’s Lane does not have its own dedicated House Porters, therefore,
all House Porters cover duties there on a rota basis.
This guide has been compiled to help you achieve the excellent standards that our
department is proud to deliver. We hope that you will find it helpful and that it will
assist you in maintaining your responsibilities within the Housekeeping department.
STAFF UNIFORM
The Housekeeping team interact very closely with the College’s students,
Fellow’s, staff and guests and therefore, it is very vital that we pay close
attention to our personal hygiene and appearance. Each member of staff
will be provided with a uniform to be worn when on duty, and it is your
responsibility to ensure that it is laundered on a weekly basis.
Shorts may be worn during the summer but they must be knee length.
Staff must also pay attention to Health and Safety at work practices with
regards to footwear. Shoes should cover the whole of the foot and be
securely anchored at the heel to avoid accidents.
MOBILE PHONES AND PERSONAL STEREOS
Please be aware that the use of personal stereos is not permitted during working
hours for health and safety reasons. Staff must be able to hear and be aware of
what is taking place around them.
Personal phone calls should not be made or received during working hours unless it
is an emergency.
WORKING IN TEAMS
When you join the Housekeeping department you will automatically be placed into a
team. This means that if a member of your team is off sick, or on holiday, the other
members within the team will cover their work. Team work can be very enjoyable
as it gives staff the opportunity to get to know each other better and have the
experience of working in different areas within the College accommodation.
During the Conference period you will normally be expected to work in your teams
for the entire durationas your students will have gone home and visitors will be
occupying different rooms and staircases within the College. It is the team’s
responsibility to decide between them who is going to carry out each specific task
so that the cleaning is carried out effectively and in a timely manner. If this involves
changing beds for guests, then it may be helpful where possible to work in pairs to
reduce back strain. If you are working on a staircase that you normally cover during
term time, then it is your responsibility to carry out a final check so that you are
absolutely sure that the area is ready for occupation before you come to the end of
your shift. If you are working on a staircase normally covered by one of your team
mates, then it is their responsibility, and so on. If your team is covering an area that
is not normally cleaned by you or a member of your team, then the whole team
must take joint responsibility for checking it. If you are uncertain about any aspects
of team work, please talk to your line manager.
Further on in this booklet we will show you examples of what you should be looking
for when you are carrying out your final cleaning check, so that we can be confident
that the accommodation is presented to the highest standard possible.
STORAGE OF CLEANING MATERIALS
It is important that everyone is aware of their responsibilities for the safe
storage and care of cleaning products and cleaning materials
 Cleaning cupboards must be kept clean and tidy
 Cleaning buckets must be cleaned out regularly
 Only store the amount of cleaning materials and waste bags that you need (this is
especially important for Housekeepers who need to place order for cleaning
materials)
 Replenish stocks so that your colleagues have the appropriate cleaning materials
for use when covering your area
 Ensure that all trigger sprays are labelled and cleaning materials are stored safely
and correctly
 Ensure you use the correct colour coding systems:
Yellow cloths and mops for kitchens and other communal areas
Blue mops and cloths for toilets only
Pink Cloths for washroom and shower areas
Green Cloths for general areas
 Replenish cloths and sponges where necessary including the ones in kitchens
provided for students. Dusters and other re-usable cloths should be handed in
regularly to Housekeepers for laundering
 Mops, buckets, dustpans, brushes and brooms should all be kept as clean as
possible. New mop and broom heads can be provided by your Housekeeper if
necessary
 Please take responsibility for your own Vacuum cleaner and empty the bag on a
regular basis.
 Follow the correct Health and Safety procedures regarding the use of chemicals
and equipment. Protective clothing is supplied by your line manager
 Housekeepers on all sites will carry out two monthly checks on cleaning equipment
and cupboards on your staircase to ensure that these standards are being met
INSTRUCTIONS FOR TERM TIME CLEANING
DAILY TASKS
 TOILETS – Clean pans with preferred cleaner. Wipe seats, lids, pans, behind seats
and pedestals. Mop floors, paying attention to area behind toilets
 BATHROOMS/SHOWERS – Wipe down shower cubicles inside and out, including
screens. Check shower curtains. Clean basins and wipe bath surrounds and taps.
Clean hair traps. Clean mirrors and glass. Mop floors
 KITCHENS – Clean sinks, taps and draining boards. Wipe down cooker tops, work
surfaces and other appliances (fronts of fridges, microwaves, kettles etc.) Empty
bins, clean thoroughly as necessary remembering to do the lids. Sweep and mop
floors. Replenish washing up liquid
 STUDENT ROOMS – Empty rubbish bins
 COMMUNAL AREAS – Vacuum/mop halls and landings
 COMMON ROOMS – Refer to work instruction
 REPORT ANY FAULTS TO YOUR LINE MANAGER
WEEKLY TASKS
 Damp dust skirting boards in halls and on staircases, including door frames. Check
for fingerprints and marks on paintwork and glass
 Vacuum and dust student rooms, clean basins, taps, mirrors and surrounds. Give
clean linen each Friday and collect used linen the following Monday. Report to Line
Manager the individuals who do not return their dirty linen. Remember to fill in your
Room Cleaning form when each room has been cleaned
 Vacuum all stairs
 Wipe edges of stairs and bannisters with a damp cloth
 Replace yellow cloths and sponges in kitchens as necessary
PERIODIC TASKS
 Check for cobwebs and remove. Damp dust any ledges and windowsills in
communal areas
 Deep clean toilet pans with preferred de-scaler, paying attention to underside of
rims
 Clean inside of fridges and freezers paying attention to door seals. Clean ovens,
grill pans and tops of grills
 Take a stiff brush to kitchen floors and scrub with preferred cleaner. Rinse with a
clean mop and dry. Use a toothbrush to clean behind taps on sinks
 In student rooms, damp dust windowsills, paying attention to corners. Damp dust
tops of doors and frames, and tops of curtain rails
 Check build-up of lime scale on basins and taps and clean with toothbrush and
preferred de-scaler as required
 Check toilet brushes and holders, making sure the holders are clean and stain/dust
free. Replace shower curtains as necessary.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE DEEP CLEANING OF KITCHENS AT THE END OF
EACH TERM
 Turn off fridges and freezers and dispose of all unwanted contents
 Remove all interior shelves and storage containers and wash thoroughly
 Clean inside of fridges/freezers paying particular attention to door seals
 Empty rubbish, thoroughly clean bin and lid inside and out. Replace
bin liner
 Remove shelves and grill pans from cookers and clean inside of oven with
appropriate cleaner
 Thoroughly clean hob including all detachable elements
 Thoroughly clean oven shelves and grill pans
 Pull fridges/freezers/cookers away from the wall. Clean all exterior surfaces and
clean wall behind and floor area before re-positioning
 Clean lower level walls, paintwork, doors and skirting boards
 Clean interior glass and wipe window sills
 Clean all loose furniture and tops and legs of all tables and chairs
 Clean inside and outside of microwaves and wipe kettles
 Thoroughly clean the kitchen worktops with appropriate cleaner. Rinse well and
wipe dry
 Thoroughly clean inside kitchen unit cupboards and drawers. Wipe clean door
fronts and kick boards.
 Thoroughly clean the sink and draining board with appropriate cleaner. Rinse well
and wipe dry

Thoroughly clean floor, using a deck scrubber if the floor is particularly stained
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE DEEP CLEANING OF STUDENT ROOMS/FLATS AT THE
END OF EACH TERM
 Clear any rubbish from rooms, check all drawers and cupboards
 Strip bed, turn mattress and replace mattress cover as necessary
 Pull out all furniture where possible, including bed
 Clean thoroughly, all skirting boards and paintwork, making sure inside and outside
of the entrance door is free of stains and finger marks, include the tops of
cupboards and picture rails if the room has them. If paintwork is particularly dirty,
wipe over with a damp cloth before using the preferred cleaner
 Wipe light switches and internal intercoms
 If the walls are particularly stained or dirty, wipe over with a damp cloth
 Clean thoroughly, the inside of all drawers and cupboards
 Remove any cobwebs with soft cobweb brush
 Remove all blue tack, pins etc. from walls
 Vacuum the carpet thoroughly making sure that the edges and corners are not
missed
 Polish all wooden furniture with preferred furniture polish
 Clean sink thoroughly especially around taps with appropriate cleaner. If sinks or
taps have a build-up of lime scale it may be necessary to use a stronger de-scaler
such as TD 30. This product must be used with caution. Masks and goggles are
supplied
 Clean mirror with preferred glass cleaner
 Clean inside of waste bin and replace white bin liner
 Make the bed
ATTENTION TO DETAIL REALLY MATTERS
What a difference attention to detail makes!
OTHER IMPORTANT DUTIES
Reporting maintenance
The Housekeeping team are the eyes and ears of the college, and as we go about our
daily duties we will inevitably find things that need repairing or replacing. The college
operates an on line maintenance request system, so if you see anything of concern,
please report it to your line manager as soon as possible. Quick action on our part
can stop something minor turning into something more serious, so please be vigilant.
The college is very keen to ensure that we play our part in the care of our
environment, and all our students and staff are encouraged to recycle and be energy
efficient. One important way that we can help to conserve energy is to ensure that
when our rooms are vacated we check that taps are properly turned off, windows are
shut and radiators and lights are turned off in student bedrooms.
Pastoral care
The Housekeeping team work very closely with our students and as such play a very
important part in their welfare, especially during exam term which can be a very
difficult and stressful time. If at any time you have any concerns for anyone residing
on your staircase, please do inform you line manager who will ensure that the
appropriate person is contacted.