CHAPTER 9
Guestroom Cleaning
Objective: examining how to clean a guestroom and
make a bed + order of cleaning the rooms
Guestroom Cleaning
To maintain the standards that (1) keep guests
coming back, (2) ensure quality for the guest, (3)
ensure efficiency and satisfaction for the employee
performing the task; room attendants must follow
a series of systematic procedure for guestroom cleaning
which (a) save time, (b) energy and (c) reduce
frustration.
The sequence of room cleaning
1. preparatory steps
2. actual cleaning tasks
3. final check
4. room inspection
5. providing special
services and
amenities (optional)
Preparing to Clean
The room attendant’s workday begins in the linen
room (headquarters of the HK).
the employee reports to work
 receives room assignments, room status reports and
keys
 the room attendant prepares for the workday;
assembles and organizes the supplies necessary for
cleaning
 checks out at the end of his/her shift

Assembling Supplies

A room attendant requires special tools (e.g.
cleaning supplies and equipment, linens, room
accessories, and amenities) to prepare a
guestroom.
the room attendant cart is regarded as a tool box
stocked with everything necessary to do an
effective job (for a half day) to;

enable the room attendant to avoid wasting time
looking for a cleaning item or supplies
Stocking the Cart
Most room attendant carts have 3 shelves; the lower
2 for linen and the top for supplies. Avoid over and
under stocking. Items found on a cart includes;
 clean sheets, pillowcases, and mattress pads
 clean bath mats
 toilet and facial tissue
 fresh drinking glasses
 soap bars
 clean ashtrays and matches
Hand Caddy: a kind of box to carry all the cleaning
supplies for the guestroom and bathroom. May
include;
 all-purpose cleaner
 spray window and glass cleaner
 bowl brush
 dusting solution
 cloths and sponges
 rubber gloves
A laundry bag for dirty linen, trash bag, a broom and
vacuum are also positioned on the cart. Ex. 1, pg 256 Sample Stocking Arrangement for Room Attendant’s Cart
Room Assignments
The room status report (or the housekeeping report);



provides information on the occupancy or
condition of the hotel’s rooms on a daily basis.
uses simple codes to indicate room status.
determines the order in which the room
attendant cleans rooms.
Categories of Room Status
There are several categories of room status which
determine a room attendant’s cleaning order. The
most important ones are as follows;




Check-out: a room from which the guest has already
checked out
Stayover: a room in which the guest is scheduled to stay
again
Due out: a room from which a guest is due to check out
that day
Early Makeup: a room for which a guest has reserved an
early check-in time or to a request for a room to be
cleaned asap.
Order for Servicing Guest Rooms
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Occupied rooms (stayover rooms) requesting
“first” or “early makeup” service
Check-out rooms that are “blocked” for arrival, in
other words requesting “early makeup”.
Check-out rooms
Occupied (stayover) rooms
Rooms that are “due to depart” but are still
occupied (only when no other guest rooms can be
serviced)
Exceptions for Servicing Guest Rooms
If the DO NOT DISTURB sign is on the door of an
occupied room, wait until 3:00 pm, then call the room.
a) if they answer, ask them if they want service
b) if there is no answer, mark the time you called on the
worksheets - and indicate “DND - No Service.”
 If the DO NOT DISTURB sign is on the door of a guest
scheduled to check out, wait until 12:00 noon to call the
room.
a) if there is no answer, you may enter the room
b) if they do respond, you may politely ask when they are
checking out today - and when you may service the room.

Cleaning the Guestroom
A) Entering the guestroom
1. check whether there is “Do Not Disturb” sign on the
door or the door is double-locked.
2. if not, knock the door and announce “Housekeeping”.
3. if a guest answer, introduce yourself and ask what time
the cleaning can be done. Note the time on your status
sheet.
4. if no answer is heard, wait, knock again, and repeat
“Housekeeping”.
5. if there is no answer, repeat “Housekeeping” the third
time.
6. if there is still no answer, you can enter.
7. if the guest is sleeping or in the bathroom, leave quietly.
if the guest is awake excuse yourself, and explain you
can come back later.
8. when you enter finally, position your cart in front of the
open door with the open section facing the room
because;
 it gives easy access to the supplies
 blocks the entrance to intruders
 in case of stayovers, alerts returning guests of your
presence
9. if the guest returns while cleaning, offer to finish your
work later. make sure that it is the guest’s room by
checking his room key for security.
B) Beginning Tasks
1. turn
on the lights
2. draw back curtains and check the cords or hooks for
damage
3. open the windows and air the room
4. check the air conditioning and heater
5. take a good look ate the room, check for damaged and
missing items
6. replace dirty ashtrays and glasses
7. collect any room service trays
8. empty waste basket
9. in occupied rooms, straighten newspapers & magazines
10.in check-out rooms, check for lost property
C) Making the Bed
1. remove personal items from the bed
2. remove the bedspread and blanket
3. strip the bed of dirty linen
4. remove pillows
5. check mattress pad & mattress
6. make the bed / miter the corners - mitering: is a simple
way to make a smooth, neat, professional corner. Ex.
4, pg 261-Step-by-step approach for mitering
 place the bottom sheet on the mattress and miter
the corners
 place a top sheet on the bed, wrong-side up
 place the blanket on top of the sheet
at the head of the bed, turn the top sheet over the
blanket
 miter the top sheet and the blanket and tuck them
along the side of the bed
 center the bedspread over the bed, fold the bedspread
down from the head for pillows
 position the pillows at the head of the bed
 pull the bedspread over the pillows
 check the bed for smoothness
Tips: (1) Start cleaning form the bed is important in stayover
rooms because if the guest returns while cleaning, the
freshly made bed will give the room a neat appearance. (2)
The most efficient way of making a bed is to completely
finish one side before beginning on the next. This saves
time walking back and forth around the bed.

D) Dusting
1. dust the items - picture frames, mirrors, headboards, lamps
and light bulbs, bedside tables, telephone, windowsills,
window and sliding glass door tracks, dresser including the
drawers, television and stand, chairs, closet shelves and
hooks and rods, top of doors and knobs and sides, air
conditioning and heating units and fans or vents.
2. clean mirrors, glass surfaces and television (check whether
it is working)
3. check walls for spots and marks, remove any smudges
Tips: (1) Work clockwise around the room which reduces the
chance of overlooking. (2)Begin from the highest places
so that dust does not fall on the items that have cleaned
already. (3)Spray the dusting solution onto the dust cloth,
never on the object to prevent stains.
E) Cleaning the Bathroom
1. shower
area
2. vanity and sink
3. toilet
4. walls and fixtures
5. floor
Cleaning items consists of; all-purpose cleaner for
bathroom surfaces, cloths and sponges, glass and mirror
cleaner, rubber gloves, protective eye covering.
Tips: (1) Check for hair in the drain trap, (2) To prevent
spotting, immediately wipe the fixtures with a dry cloth,
(3) Clean the shower curtain and door, (4) Apply the
all-purpose cleaner for the toilet bowl before the other
cleaning tasks, (4) All-purpose cleaners are preferable
over acid bowl cleaners.
F) Vacuuming
1. vacuum over all exposed areas of the carpet including
under tables and chairs and in the closet
2. start at the farthest end of the room and vacuum your
way back
Tips: (1) close windows, and draperies, and turn off lights
as working back towards the door, in order to save
steps, eliminate to walk back across the floor after
vacuumed, prevent footprints on the carpet.
G) Final Check
1. take a look at the room form the guest’s perspective, start at
one point in the room, and look in a circular fashion
2. smell the room for any unusual odors
3. close the door, check that it is locked
4. note the status of the room on the assignment sheet
Guestroom Inspection
either done spot-checked randomly or every room is
checked daily.
 conducted by floor, shift or section supervisors
 check-out rooms are inspected soon after they have
been cleaned by the room attendants
 important to identify problems and if deep cleaning or
maintenance is necessary
Ex. 5, pg 266 - Sample Room Inspection Report

Deep Cleaning




resembles the spring cleaning done in private homes
removes the dust and dirt that accumulates from
everyday wear and tear
includes dusting in high and hard-to-reach areas,
cleaning vent fans and filters, vacuuming under beds
and heavy furniture, shampooing carpets, turning
mattresses, wiping down walls and baseboards,
cleaning and vacuuming draperies, cleaning carpet
edges, washing windows
requires special scheduling, and takes longer (twice
as long as routine cleaning)





schedule depends on the quality of the routine
cleaning, occupancy, age of furniture, general wear
and tear on the room
can be scheduled by giving room attendants one
extra cleaning task per room per day
can be scheduled by giving each room attendant one
room to deep clean as part of their daily assignment
generally scheduled during low occupancy periods
deep cleaning by block is perfect time for
housekeeping and maintenance to work together
Turndown Service and Special Request



involves turning down the guest bed and freshening the
guestroom for the evening
a second shift serviced by less room attendants but
more rooms per hour.
Procedures include; cleaning the bathroom and
restocking it, tidying the guestroom, emptying
wastebaskets, folding back the bedspread, blanket and
top sheet, fluffing the pillow, drawing the drapes, and
leaving a chocolate mint.