Housekeeping
Basic knowledge in housekeeping
• The hotel’s main product.
• In order to be competitive in the
industry, they must have a clean and
functional room.
• An image of a clean room creates an
imagery of impeccable service.
Importance of housekeeping
Housekeeping Department
A few things to remember before you start
• Get help when lifting heavy items.
• Follow these safe lifting methods:
• Bend your legs , not your back, when you pick up
something heavy.
• Hold the heavy item close to your body.
• Move to face the heavy object before you lift
instead of twisting your body.
Your Safety: Lifting heavy objects
• Use a cart to move linens, laundry, or other heavy
items.
• Push rather then pull carts.
• Take regular rest breaks, even just short breaks to
stretch your body.
• Take turns with other workers to do different types of
tasks.
• Pad your knees (with a mat or towel) and change
your position often when you work on your knees.
Doing the same motion over
and over
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Clean up spills immediately.
Keep floors dry.
Never run or move too fast.
Do not carry items too tall for you to see over.
Wear shoes with non-skid soles.
Use a ladder or footstool to reach objects up high.
Never stand on the edge of a bathtub, bed, or
chair.
Slippery and cluttered floors
• Ask for information about the chemicals you use.
• Read labels and follow instructions before using.
• If you do not understand the label, write down the
name and ask someone for help.
• Wear goggles and gloves when needed. Your
boss should provide them.
• Do not mix chemicals together.
Laundry and other
cleaning products
• If you are being yelled at or harassed by
anyone, get help from a co-worker or your
boss.
• If someone continues to harass you at work,
get help from a trusted friend or community
organization outside the workplace.
• Do not work alone in a hotel room if hotel
guests are present.
Handling abusive guest
• Wash hands with soap often, especially after
handling soiled linen or cleaning the
bathroom.
• When you handle trash cans or bags, watch
out for syringes, razor blades, or other things
that might hurt you or spread disease.
Diseases from hotel guests
• Research on new technologies featured on rooms
• Provide pictures on your favorite hotel guest rooms.
Explain why it is your ideal room and provide a short
description on the features of the room.
• Why is housekeeping an important department in the
hotel?
• Why do we need to learn the room attendant prerequisites?
Study guide
• Single Rooms: A room designed for a
single traveler.
• Double Rooms: A room with two
double beds. Doubles beds size is
usually 54 × 75 in (4’6″ × 6’3″) or
137 × 191 cm.
• Twin Rooms: A room with two single
beds. Single bed size is usually 39 ×
75 in (3’3" × 6’3″) or 97 × 191 cm
• Suite Rooms:
A complete room
usually with a foyer that connects to
one or more bedrooms. Usually,
these are the most expensive rooms
in the hotel
Types of guest rooms
• Earliest Beds
Our earliest ancestors simply slept on the ground.
• Egyptian Beds
Piled palm leaves in their houses and slept on them, while the
pharaohs slept on flat pallets made of hard materials such as
gold.
• Roman Beds
The Romans invented the mattress, making beds that were
comfortable as well as decorative.
History of Beds
• Renaissance Beds
Roughly 1400 to 1600, beds were located in every room of the
house, doubling as couches during the day.
• Mattress History
Renaissance mattresses were filled with straw and bound with
rope. Only in the late 1700s were softer cotton mattresses
introduced.
• Modern Beds
The 20th century saw the evolution of comfortable mattresses,
including foam mattresses, waterbeds and the queen-size
mattress.
History of Beds
Bed Type
US Size
European Size
Single
39 × 75 in (97 × 191 cm)
35 × 79 in (90 × 200 cm)
Double
54 × 75 in (137 × 191 cm)
55 × 79 in (140 × 200 cm)
Queen
60 × 80 in (152 × 203 cm)
63 × 79 in (160 × 200 cm)
King
76 × 80 in (193 × 203 cm)
71 × 79 in (180 × 200 cm)
Guestroom beds
Brief Description
Hotel Cycle
Department Head
Section Manager
Supervisory
Rank and File
Task to clean and maintain the
quality of guest room. These are
comprised mostly of chambermaids
and room attendants.
In some establishments, the
minibar team is usually under this
department (depending on the size
of the property).
Typically, in-stay, departure and
post departure phase
Executive Housekeeper
Guest Room Supervisor
Room Attendants
Chambermaids
Minibar Attendant
· In some of the hotels Room
Service attendant is part of
rooms
This department handles all
laundry, dry cleaning and pressing
needs of the hotel and guest.
Cleans and maintains all public
areas of the hotel.
Commercial needs of the hotel are
performed in all phases.
Guest laundry is mainly performed
during in-stay process of the
laundry.
Director of Rooms
Executive Housekeeper/Laundry
Manager
Laundry Supervisor
Laundry Attendants
Linen Attendant
Steam Pressure/Ironer
Valet Runner
Performed in all phases. Lobby
cleaning is usually performed
during night time, as there is lesser
traffic in the hotel during these
hours.
Executive Housekeeper
Public Area Supervisor
Utility man
Public Area Attendants
Pest Control
Gardener
Housekeeping Organizational
Chart
• Room Cleaning
• Laundry services:
• Commercial laundry (uniforms, linens, towels, table
napkins, table cloths and others)
• Guest laundry (laundry of guest)
• Minibar
• Public areas
• Location and facilities of the hotel where the public
can generally use. These include the lobby, public
sitting areas, public toilets and walkways.
Housekeeping activities
•Early make up request is the request of the guest to
“make up room” of the guest.
•VIP rooms are guestrooms that require extra
attention since the occupants are considered Very
Important Persons.
•Blocked rooms are guestrooms that are reserved for
guest with special requirements or needs.
•Vacant and dirty rooms are checked out rooms to be
blocked by front office for prospective guest.
Room Assignment Priority
• Late Checkout rooms are guestrooms are request
made by the occupant and subsequently granted
extension of check-out beyond the standard checkout time.
• DND (Do not disturb) as per request of
guest(signage), rooms are not to be cleaned until
specific request of guest.
• No service rooms are guestrooms requested by
guest that his room not be cleaned.
Room Assignment Priority
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What are the different types of guestrooms?
Discuss the history of Bed
What are the different sizes of bed?
Select one job in housekeeping and research on his
competencies
• What are the different room assignment priorities?
Why do we need to know this as future room
attendants?
• What are the different housekeeping activities?
Study guide
Toilet bowl cleaner
• An effective toilet bowl
cleaner kills a wide range
• A toilet Bowl cleaner kills
of disease-and odorgerms and get out hard
causing bacteria. There
water deposits such as
bowl ring in the toilet bowl. are commercial cleaners
readily available in stores.
• Most toilet bowl cleaners
For larger hotels,
may contain hydrochloric
distributors and suppliers
or phosphoric acids.
sell industrial cleaners.
These acids aids in
removing all kinds of dirt,
stains, rust and others
from bowls and urinals.
Chemicals
All purpose cleaner
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• An all purpose cleaner
concentrated generalpurpose cleaner should
be gentle on the hands
and be tolerable for any
furniture surface. A good
number of all purpose
cleaners have a PH level
of 11 to 12.
Chemicals
Most of the all-purpose
cleaners nowadays are
equipped will germ killing
formulation.
Glass cleaner
• The cleaner is usually
• A glass cleaner is meant partnered with the
squeegee for fast and
for windows, mirrors,
effective cleaning of
glass counters,
tabletops, display cases windows.
and other glass
Wood polisher
surfaces. Some contain • Use polish only if the
ammonia solution and
furniture starts to look
alcohol content to clear
dull, worn-out and seedy.
away grease, dirt and
fast dry.
Chemicals
Chrome & brass polisher
• Metal polishes contain
solvents and detergents to
remove tarnishes, mild
abrasives and oil to
brighten and slow down the
tarnish process in metals.
Chemicals
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Chamois and non-abrasive
sponge
Chamois absorbs liquid up to
seven times their weight. It is 6.
used for drying various
surfaces such as granite,
marble, mirror and glassware.
Toilet brush, Toilet swab,
bucket, scoop
Toilet brush is a bristle brush
often uses to clean inside the
toilet bowl.
Toilet swab or Johnny mop is
a ball of rayon, acrylic or
cotton at the end of long
handle. The tool is designed
to clean the bowl without
scratching its surface.
Complete set of rags:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Cleaning Tools
One (1) for toilet
One (1) for dusting wooden
surfaces
One (1) for drying marbles
Two (2) for glass and mirrors
Squeegee
Tool designed to swipe dry
glass and windows.
• Basic room amenities are stocked in their
housekeeping cart for replenishment of used items.
• Room amenities would include linens, towels, room
forms, stationary, pencils, bath toiletries and others
• Room amenities would vary from one property to
another.
• Amenities in the hotel room are based also on the
number of occupants. For example, if there are two
people in the room bathroom supplies and
amenities should be adequate for two people.
Room amenities
Enter guest room
Prepare Room for
Cleaning
Clean room area
Dust the room
Make the bed
Clean the bathroom
Replenish supplies
and guestroom
amenities
Vacuum Guestroom
area
Exit Guest Room
Room Cleaning process
1. Rooms are accessed according to the property’s
standards
Entering a guestroom is the first contact with guest. If
done professionally, this will leave a lasting impression
with the guest.
2. Find out if the guest is in the room.
•If a Do Not Disturb (DND) sign is displayed at the door,
note it on your worksheet and return to the room later.
•Ask your supervisor to call the guest if DND sign is still
displayed on the door.
Entering guest room
3. Properly introduce yourself in entering the room.
• Knock the door announcing “Housekeeping” and step back
for about three feet from the main door so that the guests
can see you from the door eye viewer.
• If there is no reply from the room, after 10 seconds knock
for the second time announcing “Housekeeping”.
• After the third attempted knocking the door, simultaneously
use your master key and announcing “Housekeeping” in
opening the room. When you are reasonably sure that there
is no occupant, open the door wide.
Entering guest room
4. If the guest is inside the room ask permission if you can clean
the room.
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Introduce yourself and politely ask if you can clean the room.
• “Good morning/ afternoon/evening (guest name). Is it alright if
I can clean your room?”
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If the guest gives a later time, note the time on your room
assignment sheet. Thank the guest, and quietly leave the
room and return on the specified time given by the guest
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Sometimes the guest will be sleeping or in the bathroom. If so
leave quietly, close the door and return on later to clean the
room.
Entering guest room
5. Prop open the guest room door
• Use doorstopper
• Time and motion from going to the housekeeping cart
6. Position your cart
• Blocks the room from possible intruders
Entering guest room