COURSE TITLE: HOUSEKEEPING AND LAUNDRY OPERATIONS

COURSE CODE: BHHM 215

INTRODUCTION TO HOUSEKEEPING
Housekeeping involves provision of a clean, comfortable and safe environment and should not
be confined to the housekeeping department only. Every member of staff should be concerned
with the provision of a clean and safe environment within their departments.
In any residential establishment the basic requirements of guests are food, drinks and
accommodation.
Accommodation means: the space and facilities needed for sleeping and/or for living.
Most establishments strive to meet the standards of the establishment and provide customer
satisfaction and the housekeeping department plays a major role in this through maintenance of
the various public areas, rooms, entrance halls, lifts, stair cases, corridors, lounge areas, guest
rooms, conference rooms, restaurants, banqueting rooms, administrative offices, maids’ service
rooms, the linen rooms, accommodation for living-in staff, patient areas in hospitals etc. In
addition to provision of accommodation, housekeeping earns most money for establishments and
should therefore be taken seriously and handled with care.
The housekeeping is the department of a hotel charged with cleaning and maintaining rooms and
public spaces. From the time a guest checks-in in a hotel till he checks out, it is the housekeeping
department which takes care of the guest by making his / her stay pleasant and comfortable.
In general, the housekeeping crew is responsible for the daily cleaning of public rooms (lobbies,
corridors, meeting rooms), private bedrooms and public washrooms. In addition, it handles the
laundering of linens and in some instances, guest laundry. Housekeeping also performs a minor
security function by providing a “first alert” to potential guest problems while staff undertake
daily guest bedroom cleaning.
There are three (3) major departments/sections concerned with the provision of accommodation:
 Housekeeping: Planning, providing and servicing the accommodation

 Front Office/ Reception: selling and allocation of rooms

 Maintenance: maintaining and repairing the various items and areas concerned with
accommodation provision e.g. heating, lighting, ventilation, sanitation etc.

IMPORTANCE OF HOUSEKEEPING
1. Comfort: Achieve the maximum efficiency possible in the care and comfort of the guests and
in providing support services for the smooth running of the hotel. Every hotel spends a lot of
effort in ensuring the quality of beds, mattresses, channel music, TV, air conditioner if
applicable, attached bar etc. The comforts must be regularly maintained and should be properly
functioning. It is the duty of the housekeeping department to ensure comfort and a welcoming
atmosphere to the guests as well as strive to extend courteous, reliable and satisfactory service
from staffs of all departments.
2. Cleanliness and Hygiene: Ensure a high standard of cleanliness and general upkeep in all
areas. Clean and well maintained areas and equipment create a favorable impression on the
guest. Hygiene is maintained especially in the wash rooms, toilets, pool changing room, health
club, etc.
3. Privacy: The prime concern of any guest, irrespective of whether rich or poor, common man or
celebrity, is privacy. Room windows are provided with curtains. Windows could normally
overlook good scenic view, away from the prying eyes of others in the hotel or outside public.
Housekeeping staffs ensure the privacy of the guests and they should be trained with proper
procedures to enter the room.
4. Safety and Security: Security is one of the prime concerns of a hotel guest. The housekeeping
department staffs should ensure the safety and security of the guests with the help of security
services. They should also make sure that fire fighting equipments and emergency alarms are
functional at all times. They should also ensure peace, quiet and noise free atmosphere in the
area.
5. Décor: Creating a pleasant and classy ambience is also one of the major concerns for a guest.
This is not easy and requires a good eye for detail. This work is an art and the housekeeping staff
is mainly responsible for creating a pleasant atmosphere.
FUNCTIONS OF HOUSEKEEPING
Housekeeping department holds the responsibility of cleaning, maintenance and admirable
upkeep of the hotel. The main functions of housekeeping are overall cleanliness, bed making,
ensuring maintenance of the building and its infrastructure, laundry, linen management, key
control, pest control, safety and security of the guests as well as the infrastructure and interior
decoration. All this ensure the ambience and promotes a congenial environment. The basic
function of the housekeeping is explained briefly:
1. Cleaning Rooms And Public Areas
Housekeeping department cleans the rooms and toilets and wash basins in the room. Apart from
cleaning the guest rooms, housekeeping department is also responsible for cleaning floor,
terraces, elevators, elevator lobbies, corridors of guest floors, floor linen closets, mop and
janitor’s closets, service lobbies and service stairways, function rooms, shopping arcade,
cabanas, bars, dining rooms, offices, uniform rooms, tailor rooms, upholstery, shops, store rooms
and swimming pools. To be concise, the housekeeping department is responsible for the total
cleanliness of a hotel.
2. Bed Making A guest requires a comfortable bed to take rest, relax and enjoy. A bed that is
well- made will provide the required comfort. Bed making is a skill that requires to be developed
by the housekeeper, as it not only provides comfort to the guest, but also adds to the pleasant
ambience of a guest’s room. Guests should not be able to tell if anyone has slept in the room, so a
clean environment and perfect bedmaking is major consideration of this department.
3. Linen Management
One of the important jobs of the Housekeeping Department is clothes and linen management.
This involves all functions from purchase of linen to laundering, storage, supplies and to
condemnation. In a hotel different types of clothes and linen are used such as the bed sheets,
pillow covers, napkins, towels, hand towels, table covers, curtains, cushion covers etc. All of
these require regular maintenance.
4. Laundry Services
It is the job of the Housekeeping Department to ensure clean and hygienic washing of all the
linen items, and then distributing them to different areas of the hotel. The relationship between
the housekeeping and laundry is significant for the smooth functioning of housekeeping services.
One of the supporting roles of the laundry is to provide valet services to house guests.
5. Pest Control Pest Control is another major job of the Housekeeping Department. No matter
how clean one keeps the surroundings, one cannot avoid the “uninvited guests” – the pests. It is
not only embarrassing but also speaks badly of a hotel where one sees rats, cockroaches, and
lizards running around. Therefore, pest control is one of the primary responsibility of the
housekeeping department.
6. Key Control Key control is one of the major jobs of the housekeeping department. The room
keys has to be handled efficiently and safely before and after letting the room.
7. Safety and Security
The Housekeeping Department is responsible for maintaining a peaceful atmosphere in the hotel.
If the guests and staff always fear for their safety and the safety of their belongings, the
atmosphere will be very tense. Hence the housekeeping department staff should be aware of
ways to protect himself and others, especially the guests around him and the property of the hotel
from accidents and theft. Several accidents could occur at the place of work. These include fire
accidents, falls, wounds, injuries, negligence in handling electrical equipment etc. It is important
for all housekeeping personnel to know about first aid as they could be the first ones on the spot
to give immediate attention to a guest and also an employee in trouble.
8. Interior Decoration
Interior decoration is the art of creating a pleasant atmosphere in the living room with the
addition of a complex of furnishings, art, and crafts, appropriately combined to achieve a
planned result or design. These arts and crafts have to be well maintained by the housekeeping
department. Decorating flowers is a creative and stimulating art which often carries a message or
theme. Flowers and indoor plants add colour and beauty to a room.

9. Room Maintenance
Good housekeeping department is just as responsible for the hotel's maintenance as an
engineering department. In an ideal environment, the housekeeping staff and managers should
act as the eyes and ears of the engineering department. If damaged or broken items are not
reported, they can't be fixed. Proper maintenance will make the perception of cleanliness easier
to maintain and reduce guest complaints.

Management of the Housekeeping Department

The Housekeeping Department/ Accommodation department is influenced by factors such as the
size, type and location of the establishment etc. In addition to the other functions of management
(planning, organizing, controlling, directing, coordinating, leading and forecasting);
 The housekeeper should ensure a clean, safe and comfortable environment.

 The housekeeper should also ensure that the standards set are maintained.

 Efficiency within the standards set.

 Plan areas and services so as to put the establishment to the best possible use in the
regard to appearance and earning power

 Ensure the image and reputation of the organization is maintained.

 Ensure cost efficiency in the department ( costs of labour, cleaning materials and
equipment, furnishings etc.)

It is the responsibility of the housekeeper to plan, forecast, organize, lead, control, direct, staff
and coordinate the accommodation area. This should be done with compliance with the various
legal requirements pertaining to the accommodation provision.
Effective management by the housekeeper should lead to:
 Cleanliness of the establishment

 Comfortable and safe environment for the guests and staff

 Consideration for the welfare and motivation of the staff

 Economic running of the department

 Contribution to the profitability, reputation and smooth running of the establishment

A housekeeper who has the ability and personality to:

Make guests feel welcome

Inspire confidence
 Smooth over difficulties

Train her staff is and asset in any establishment and should save management many
headaches.

The aims of the housekeeper are to:

 Achieve the maximum efficiency possible in the care and comfort of guests and in the
smooth running of the department

 Establish a welcoming atmosphere and a courteous, reliable service from all staff of the
department

 Ensure a high standard of cleanliness and general up keeping in all areas from which
he/she is responsible

 Train, control and supervise all staff attached to the department

 Establish a good working relationship with other departments

 Ensure that safety and security regulations are made known to all staff of the department

 Keep the general manager or administrator informed of all matters requiring attention.

Planning and Forecasting

The housekeeper looks ahead and predicts future happenings e.g. staffing for low and high
occupancy, annual cleaning, maintenance, redecoration etc. The housekeeping plans what,
when, how, to what standard, how long and who will do something. The housekeeping sets
standards e.g. the time taken to clean a room. Factors to consider in planning and forecasting:
type of establishment

Age

Architectural design

Function of the area to be cleaned

Amount of traffic and interruptions

Habits of the occupants

Accessibility of the working areas.

Availability of the type of equipment and supplies

Quality of supervision
 Motivation and type of employees etc.

Staffing Requirements depend on:

Amount of work to be done

Time/ hours available to do the work

Taking into account the particular circumstances staffing requirements can be adequately
calculated when there is sound knowledge of average standard time needed for any job
procedures or sequence. This may be done by totalling all the times needed for the job to give the
gross man hours/ minutes per week or day. This figure is then divided by the number of hours or
minutes to be worked by each member of staff to give the total number of staff required. Take
into account time for lunch and tea breaks and 10% allowance for holidays, sick leaves and off
days.
Co-ordination and Control
Coordination of all activities of the department including dealing with problems and challenges.
Liaising with other departments that relate with the housekeeping department. Ensure there is
clear and proper communication within the department and with other departments.
Controlling: Checks the performance and results against set standards. Controls the expenses of
the department, the keys, and movement of various furniture, equipment, supplies, linen and
uniforms
Involved in record keeping: recruitment details, staff records (employment dates, next of kin,
staff training records, working hours etc.) articles moved, VIPs and their individual tastes and
preferences, stock books for linen, furniture and other supplies, redecoration and purchase of
new furniture, accident books, records on finances, contracts, lost and found property, records of
room occupancy (out of order, vacant, under repair, occupied), record of guest history etc.
The housekeeper’s work in any establishment may consist of some or all of the following:
 Cooperation with other departments

 Engagement, dismissal, and welfare of staff

 Deployment, supervision, control and training of staff

 Compilation of duty rosters, holiday lists and wage sheets

 Checking the cleanliness of all areas for which he/she is responsible

 Completion and/or checking of room occupancy lists

 Dealing with guests’ complaints and requests

 Reporting and checking of all maintenance works

  Control and supervision of the work of the linen room and possibly an in-house laundry

 Dealing with lost property

 Control of all keys in the department

 Care of the sick and the provision of first aid services

 Ordering and control of stores, equipment etc. in the department

 Offering advice on interior design of rooms, cleaning and associated contracts, and pest
control

 Keeping inventories and records of equipment, redecoration and any other relevant
details of the department

 Floral decorations

 Management of staff residents

 Housekeeping and ward orderly services

 Refuse control

 Management of guests, patients’ clothes etc.

Attributes of a Good Housekeeper

 An interest in people and tact in handling them

 A pleasant personality and the ability to converse with all types of people

 Ability to hide personal likes and dislikes and to be conscious, fair and just

 Strictness regarding punctuality and the keeping of necessary rules, loyalty to the
establishment and to staff

 Critical power of observation

 Adaptability and wiliness to experiment with new ideas use initiative and take
responsibility

 Have a cool head to deal with emergencies etc.

When considering a housekeeping department, it must be realized that guests may stay in an
establishment for convenience, for pleasure or from necessity, and that there are different types
of establishments, that many variations within one type exists and that, however similar, no two
places will be run in exactly the same way.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOUSEKEEPING AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS
The Housekeeping Department should co-ordinate and ensure maximum co-operation with other
departments to provide high quality service. To be successful, a well-planned work schedule
should be prepared so as to ensure minimum disruption to the guests and work flow of other
departments. The senior housekeeper is responsible for ensuring this by supervising a group of
staff or working closely with staff from other departments.

1. Front Office Co-ordination with the Front Office is one of the crucial features of
housekeeping operations. As soon as there are guest departures, t h e Front
Office rings the Housekeeping Desk and reports the room numbers of vacated rooms so that
Housekeeping can take them over to clean and prepare for sale. Once a room is clean, the
Housekeeping Floor Supervisor rings the Front Office directly or through the Housekeeping
Desk and hands over the room to front office for sale.
Rooms received by Housekeeping for cleaning are called “departure rooms” while cleaned
rooms handed over to the Front Office for sale are called “Clear rooms”. The promptness with
which the above duty is performed enables the Front Office to have rooms ready to sell to a
waiting customer. This is especially critical in hotels with high occupancies.

2. Personnel Housekeeping co-ordinates with the Personnel

Department for the recruitment of housekeeping staff, salary administration, indiscipline,
grievance procedures, identity cards for staff, induction, transfers, promotions and exit
formalities.

3. Purchase The Purchase Department procures out-of-stock items for Housekeeping such as
guest supplies kept in rooms, stationery, linen of various types, detergents, etc.

4. Engineering The Housekeeping Department and the Engineering Department literally control
about 90% of the energy consumed in a hotel. The two departments can create a synergetic effect
to increase operational efficiency and better control of energy consumption. A close co-
ordination is necessary with Engineering which actually carries out the task of fixing out-of-
order furniture and fixtures. As Housekeeping personnel are constantly spread throughout the
hotel, checking on various things, they originate maintenance orders for the Engineering
Department to attend to. The maintenance orders could cover a number of duties such as fused
bulbs, broken furniture, plumbing not functioning in guest rooms or public bathrooms, air-
conditioning not working, broken fixtures, etc. To be able to ‘clear’ a room for sale to the Front
Office, it is necessary that all malfunctioning items in a guest room are attended to promptly by
Engineering. Hence close co-ordination / co-operation is necessary.
Housekeeping would also hand over rooms to Engineering for major repairs or renovation. The
latest trend among both large and small hotels is to have one manager in charge of both
engineering and housekeeping.
5. Laundry This is a department that can enhance the quality of housekeeping services. The
responsibility of laundry to housekeeping is two-fold:
To wash and dry clean linen and staff uniforms to a very high standard of cleanliness.
To supply clean uniforms and linen to Housekeeping on time.
Housekeeping has to ensure that clean linen is issued to guest rooms, restaurants, health clubs,
etc. as this directly reflects the quality and image of the establishment. If these are not received
on time from the laundry, rooms would not be ready or restaurants would not open, etc. The co-
ordination becomes crucial in view of the large volume of linen and uniforms that is involved.

6. Food and Beverage

The restaurants and banquets constantly require clean table clothes, napkins, etc. Their staff, as
well as those in the kitchen, require clean uniforms- the former because they are in guest contact
and the latter due to strict standards of hygiene required in the kitchens by most governments.

7. Security The guest room is the most private place and a hotel goes to great lengths to ensure
guest privacy and security. However, a guest can take advantage of this privacy by gambling,
smuggling, etc. Housekeeping has to be alert to these goings-on, and seek the security
department’s intervention, if necessary.

8. Stores Larger hotels have a House-keeping Store that stocks housekeeping linen and supplies
independently. Smaller hotels may stock them in the general store except for linen which should
be issued to the housekeeping department. The co-ordination with the stores would ensure the
availability of day-to-day requirements for housekeeping.