LESSON 5

HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT

TOPICS
T1: Function of the department
T2: Principles and types of cleaning
T3: Cleaning tools and equipment
T4: Cleaning procedures by area
T5: Methods and procedures of cleanings including linen, and laundry
service
T6: Safety and sanitation in housekeeping operations
T7: Management of operations
T8: Record keeping
T9: Actual exposure in the housekeeping operations
T10: Guest safety

LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
1. Identify and perform the structure, roles and responsibilities of
the housekeeping department of a hotel and lodging
organization.
2. Explain the types of cleaning
3. Use the proper tools, supplies and equipment in doing the

TOPIC 1: FUNCTION OF HOUSEKEEPING

The primary function of the housekeeping department is keeping the venue

clean and sanitary as part of customer service. Maids and cleaners vacuum rugs and
furniture in hallways, rooms and public areas. They collect trash and empty
wastebaskets, change the sheets and make the beds.

Basic Functions
The primary function of the housekeeping department is keeping the venue
clean and sanitary as part of customer service. Maids and cleaners vacuum rugs and
furniture in hallways, rooms and public areas. They collect trash and empty
wastebaskets, change the sheets and make the beds. They refill soap and toilet paper
dispensers in public restrooms and put toiletries and supplies in guest rooms. They dust
and polish furniture. In some hotels, they bring requested items, such as infant cribs, to
guest rooms. These hands-on tasks fall to the actual cleaning staff.

Supervisory Functions
The work of organizing and coordinating the cleaning falls to the first-line
supervisors and housekeeping managers in a hospitality business. They determine which
rooms or areas must be cleaned, make the job schedule, assign tasks and check the
work. Scheduling often requires coordinating tasks with other hotel departments and
activities to avoid disrupting other services. Supervisors also make sure housekeeping
equipment, such as vacuum cleaners and floor polishers, is properly maintained. When
they receive complaints, they investigate the issues and see that problems are taken
care of.

Management Functions
Housekeeping management functions belong to higher-level supervisors or
managers, depending on the size of the hotel or operation. Workers fulfilling this role
need skills in supervision, procurement, budgeting and problem-solving. For example,
managers set the housekeeping standards and oversee the training of new hires.
Conducting in-service sessions, they teach company policies and the correct use of
equipment. Managers track the inventory of supplies, keep payroll records, maintain the
department budget and prepare expense and occupancy reports. They help keep
worker morale high and ensure that safety procedures are obeyed.

TOPIC 2: PRINCIPLES AND TYPES OF CLEANING

Basic Principles of cleaning in Hotel Housekeeping Department

Regardless of the type of the hotel or size of the hotel,

the housekeeping department should follow the certain basic principles in cleaning or
basic cleaning rules to follow in any kind of cleaning activity, whatever the nature of the
surface, material or the soil.

The room attendants or room maids must follow these cleaning principles or
cleaning rules in order to consistently produce spotless cleaning of the guest rooms
and public area without damaging the surface or the area in which they are cleaning.

Below is the list of Housekeeping Basic Principles of Cleaning:

1. All soils should be removed without harming the surface being cleaned or the
surrounding surfaces.
2. The surface should be restored to its original state after the cleaning processes.
3. The cleaning process should be efficient, using a minimum of equipment,
cleaning agents, labor, and time.
4. The simplest cleaning method should be tried first, along with using the mildest
cleaning agent.
5. Always use the cleaning methods least harmful to the surface should be used.
6. The cleaning should proceed from high area to low wherever possible.
7. Always start with the cleaner surfaces and then go on to clean the more heavily
soiled ones, so as to prevent the spread of soil from dirty to cleaner surfaces.
8. While wet cleaning an area or polishing the floor, the cleaner should walk
backwards while cleaning in front of him.
9. Use of the suction/vacuum cleaning should be preferred over sweeping
wherever possible.
10. Sweeping should be done before dusting, and dusting before suction cleaning.
11. The noise levels while cleaning should be kept as low as possible.
12. Try to remove stains as soon as they occur using the correct methods.
13. The cleaner should take all safety precautions while cleaning.
14. The cleaning agents and equipment should be stacked neatly to one side after
each use.
15. The cleaner should start cleaning from the farthest end of an area, working
towards the exit.
 16. After the cleaning process is over, all equipment should be washed or wiped as
applicable, dried, and stored properly.
17. Cleaning agents should be replenished and stored properly.
18. All waste need to be discarded & the working area should be always left neat
and tidy.

Types of Cleaning

Figure 2.0
MANUAL CLEANING METHOD
1. Sweeping:
a. Sweeping is done to collect dust when the floor surface is too rough for a dust
mop.
b. Push brooms are used for large areas and corn brooms are best for corners and
tight spaces.
c. A broom with a long handle is most suitable ergonomically.
d. Start the sweeping process in the back corner of the room or area and away
from the door or exit.
e. Use short, smooth strokes and sweep directly into a long-handled dustpan
without dissipating the dust.
f. Keep the head of the broom flat on the floor at all times.
g. When using a long-handled broom, use smooth strokes to sweep away from
yourself.
h. It is important in sweeping to develop a rhythm and ‘bounce’ the push broom to
avoid rolling the bristles under.
i. Use the broom to sweep dirt into a small pile.
j. Pick up the dirt using dustpan before sweeping further.
k. Empty the dirt from the dustpan into the trash bag on your cart.
What are the cons of sweeping?
• Sweeping is not the most efficient, hygienic, or advanced way of removing dust,
as so much of it becomes airborne.
• Sweeping has in many cases been replaced by the use of suction cleaners now.
What is the equipment required for sweeping?
• A broom, a dustpan, a trash bag and a stocked pubic-space cleaning cart.

2. Dusting:
a. This task requires a systematic and orderly approach for efficiency and ease.
b. Room attendants should start dusting articles at the door & work clockwise
around the room.
c. This minimizes the chances of overlooking a spot.
 d. Always fold the duster three times and then thrice again, with this method you
can get eighteen clean folds and thus making the duster more effective.
e. No corners of the duster should be left hanging.
f. A soft, lint-free cloth should be used as a duster.
g. Avoid using old rags, which leave behind their own dust and lint.
h. In all cases, begin dusting from the highest surfaces so that dust does not fall on
items already cleaned.
i. In case a dusting solution is used, spray a small amount onto the cloth.
j. Never spray dusting solution directly onto the surface being cleaned as it can
stain or cause stickiness.
k. The duster should not be unfolded in the room after dusting, nor be shaken
outside the window.
l. Carry the duster away carefully to such a place where it can be washed & dried.
What are the cons or disadvantages of dusting?
• Dusting can strip the dust particles and the dust might settle down in other
areas.
• Dust, allergens, and other particles will be floating through Air when dusting
with a dry cloth.
• Never spray dusting solutions directly to the surface as it might create stain or
stickiness.
What are the equipment and agents required for dusting?
• Cloth duster, Micro Fiber Cloths, Feather duster & dusting solution if necessary.

3) Damp dusting:
a. This is the most preferred way of cleaning in hotels as surfaces can be wiped as
well as dusted, removing any sticky or dirty marks at the same time.
b. A suitable lint-free cloth at the correct level of dampness should be used so as to
avoid leaving any smears.
c. A dusting solution can be also used by spraying a small amount into the dust
cloth.
d. Damp dusting should be avoided on all electrical and electronic equipment.
What are the equipment and agents required for damp dusting?
• Cloth duster, water, plastic bowl, and a neutral detergent if necessary.

4) Dust mopping / Dry mopping/ Mop sweeping:

a. This is the preferred way to remove dust, sand or grit from the floor.
b. If the dust and other substances are not removed from the floor on a daily basis,
they will continually scratch the surface finish, diminishing its luster, and will
eventually penetrate down to the floor itself.
c. Dust- mopping is done with a dust control –mop, may or may not be
impregnated with cleaning solution.
d. Using such a solution stops the dust from rising.
e. While dust- mopping, use figure of eight strokes and keep the mop head on the
floor at all times.
f. Do not drag the mop straight backwards.
g. On finishing each figure of eight, swivel the mop around and, on the return, pass
and overlap the areas that have been wiped by about eight inches.
h. When sweeping in open spaces, clean in long straight lanes, covering the whole
area by moving up and down.
i. Use a dustpan to sweep up accumulated thrash.
j. Always carry the mop head upwards very carefully after you are done and then
shake into a bag to clean.
 What are the cons or disadvantages of dry mopping the floor?
• Dust mopping removes gross soil but also redistributes and/or leaves behind
large amounts of fine particulates.
What are the equipment and agents required for dry mopping the floor?
• Dust control mop, dust pan, dust- collecting bag, and dustbin.

5) Spot mopping:
a. Spot mopping is essential to the preservation of floor surface.
b. Liquids and solids that are spilt on the floor, if left for any length of time, may
penetrate the finish and stain the floor.
c. Even acids from fruit juices may wreak havoc on a floor if they are not
immediately cleaned up.
d. Clean, cold water should be used so that the finish on a floor is not softened.
e. Setup caution signs before starting the mopping.
f. Detergents should be avoided unless necessary- that is, unless the substance has
been allowed to dry on the floor.
g. Mop the floor with a damp cloth.
h. Let the floor air dry.
What are the equipment and agents required for spot mopping the floor?
• Mop & bucket or a mop- wringer trolley, cold water, & a very dilute solution of
neutral detergent if necessary.

6) Wet mopping / Damp mopping:

a. A damp mop is used to remove spills and adhered soil that was not removed
during the dry removal process.
b. Wet-mopping will remove light to heavy soil from the floor surface, which could
otherwise become embedded in the surface or encapsulated in the seal or finish.
c. Before the floor can be wet- mopped it must be dust mopped.
d. Add neutral or mild alkaline detergent to mop water for wet-mopping.
e. The detergent used must be of the variety that needs no rinsing or else spray
diluted from spray bottle and mop with a damp mop.
f. Mix the appropriate cleaner with water in the mop bucket and apply it to the
floor.
g. If using mop water, immerse the mop in the bucket and wring it out until it is
only damp.
h. First, finish mopping near baseboards in smooth strokes.
i. Then mop the entire area with the figure- eight strokes.
j. The water in the bucket should be changed when it becomes dirty.
k. A brush may be used for stubborn spots and a squeegee should be used to help
speed the drying of the floor.
l. Empty the mop bucket, rinse it with clean water and hand it to dry.
What are the equipment and agents required for damp mopping?
• Caution signs, floor cleaner, wet mop and bucket or mop- wringer trolley,
squeegee, and detergent solution.

7) Manual scrubbing:
a. For modern surfaces, very little hand -scrubbing is required.
b. Scrub gently in straight lines away from yourself, working backwards.
c. Rinse well in order to remove any detergent from the surface.
d. Use a squeegee to clear away excess rinse water. Follow up with mopping.
What are the equipment and agents required for manual scrubbing?
• Long-handled scrubbing brush, mild detergent, bucket, squeegee, water, and
mop.
8) Manual polishing:
a. Apply the polish sparingly.
b. Use cotton rags to apply polish and a cloth for buffing.
c. Use a soft brush for carved articles to get the polish into crevices.
d. Always use the polish appropriate for a particular surface. For example use
proprietary polishes for metals like Brass, Silver, and so on- should be used on
these surfaces.
What are the equipment and agents required for manual polishing?
• Use proprietary polish for each type of floor or surface, clean cotton rags.

9) Spot cleaning:
a. This refers to the removal of stains from different kinds of hard and soft surfaces.
b. To remove a localized stain, the whole surface need not be treated with stain-
removal reagents.
c. Just the area where the stain discolors the surface is treated and cleaned in the
process of spot cleaning.
d. Spot cleaning may be used as a cleaning method on walls, fabric, carpets or
flooring.
What are the equipment and agents required for spot cleaning?
• Cleaning Cloths, solvents, cleaning agents, brushes, etc.

MECHANIZED CLEANING METHODS

1) Suction cleaning or vacuum cleaning:
a. This is the basic and preparatory step to all other mechanized procedures and
should be performed regularly.
b. It must also be repeated very often at end of these processes.
c. The goal is to remove as much dry soil as possible so that it does not spread,
scratch the finish, or damage the surface.
d. Remove dirt from room corners and carpet edges.
e. Plugin the vacuum cleaning to an appropriate power point.
f. Vacuum from one side of the room to the other.
g. Vacuuming with high filtration machines is the most complete method of dry soil
removal as it picks up, packages, and removes soil without spreading it around.
h. Wet vacuum cleaners are now available, which help to mop water from floors as
well.
i. These are usually dual- function machines that can be used for both wet and dry
work.
j. Extraction machines for cleaning carpets also work on the principle of suction.
What are the equipment and agents required for cleaning or vacuum cleaning?
• Caution signs, a stiff broom, wet/dry vacuum cleaner with attachments and a
mild detergent for wet cleaning if necessary.

2) Spray buffing:
a. This process uses a 175- or 300-rpm (revolutions per minute) floor machine and
a soft pad or brush.
b. The operator sprays a light mist of a commercial cleaning preparation or
detergent and a finishing solution in front of the machine.
c. As the machine goes over the area, soil, scuffs, light scratches, and marks are
removed & the shine is restored to the surface.
d. Vacuuming or dust-mopping is a follow-up step to remove loosened dirt.
What are the equipment and agents required for spray buffing?
• The equipment and agents required are a 175 –or 300-rpm buffing machine with
beige pad, spray bottle, detergent, and finishing solution.
3) Polishing:
 a. This process uses a 175- 1500-rpm floor machine and a soft pad or brush to
remove some soil and brush to remove some soil and put the shine back in the
finish.
b. Vacuuming or dust- mopping should be carried out as a follow- up step to
remove loosened dirt.
What are the equipment and agents required for spot cleaning?
• A 1500 – 2500 rpm floor machine.

4) Scrubbing:
a. This process removes embedded dirt, marks, deeper scuffs, and scratches from
the floor along with some of the finish.
b. The pad or brush, the type of detergent, the water temperature, and the weight
and speed of the machine all determine whether the process is considered light
or heavy scrubbing.
c. For instance, aggressive pads, higher- pH detergents solutions and fast, heavy
machines perform the deepest scrubbing.
d. Light scrubbing removes just one or two coats of finish. Heavy scrubbing
removes all or most of the finish, down to the protective sealing coat.
What are the equipment and agents required for scrubbing?
• Floor- maintenance machines with a green pad.

5) Stripping:
a. This is a very aggressive process that requires removing all of the floor finish and
sealer, leaving a bare floor ready for refinishing.
b. A strong stripping agent, a coarse pad or brush, hot water, and intensive labor
make stripping a costly, time – consuming, and sometimes an even hazardous
process, which should be used only when no other process will achieve the
desired results.
c. Diligent use of other maintenance procedures delays the need for stripping.
What are the equipment and agents required for stripping?
• A floor-maintenance machine with a black pad.

6) Laundering:
a. This is the cleaning method used for washable fabrics.
b. It is a process in which soil and stains are removed from textiles in an aqueous
medium.
c. It involves the subroutines of washing, bleaching, drying and pressing, all carried
out using specialized laundry equipment and cleaning agents.
d. Other sub-processes such as spot cleaning, starching, and softening may also be
involved.
What are the equipment and agents required for laundering?
• Washing machines, drying machines, steam cabinets and tunnels, flatwork irons,
folding machine, washing chemicals and detergents.

7) Dry cleaning:
a. This is the method in which soil and stains are removed from textiles in a non-
aqueous medium.
b. Dry cleaning is any cleaning process for clothing and textiles using a chemical
solvent other than water.
c. It is used to clean fabrics that degrade in water, and delicate fabrics that cannot
withstand the rough and tumble of a washing machine and clothes dryer.
What are the equipment and agents required for dry cleaning?
• Chemical solvents, dry cleaning machine
 TOPIC 3: CLEANING TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

Classification of Cleaning Equipment

Equipment may be classified as manual cleaning equipment that needs no

electricity to function and electric cleaning equipment which, based on the term itself,
requires electricity.

A. Manual Cleaning Equipment

1. Chambermaid’s Trolley/
Housekeeping Trolley

This trolley is large enough to keep all the guestroom

and guest bathroom supplies such as clean linens in an
organized manner. This is used to stock a given
number of linen, equipment and supplies to service an
allotted number of guestrooms.

2. Janitor’s Trolley

A highly mobile trolley fitted with shelves and waste

receptacles that stores cleaning supplies such as
detergents, spray bottle, dust bin, mop, and dusting
cloths, all in a compact manner. It can be moved
around easily.

3. Mop and Mop Wringer

Mops can be made of cotton for high absorbing ability

or synthetic. Mops have different kinds such as a string
mop, flat mop, dust mop and synthetic. A mop wringer
is a wheeled bucket that squeezes out the water from
the mop without getting the hands dirty.

4. Carpet Sweeper

Used to pick up dirt in carpeted floors

B. Electric Cleaning Equipment
1. Vacuum Cleaner

Most commonly used cleaning equipment in

housekeeping. It comes with a suction motor fit in a
case, a hose and various attachments for different
cleaning requirements. It can be an upright vacuum
cleaner, used to clean dust particles in carpeted floors
or use for cleaning dry surfaces.

2. Hydro-Vacuum Cleaner

Hydro Vacuum Cleaner reduces the number of

allergens, mites, dust and other residues from all
surfaces. Cleaner with function of water cleaning. It
allows wet cleaning of your carpet.

3. Carpet Extractor

A carpet extractor is an electric-powered carpet

cleaning machine that uses hot water, detergent, a
powered scrub brush and strong suction to extract
deeply embedded dirt from wall-to-wall carpeting.

4. Polishing Machine

It is used to add shine to the floors of frequent visited

areas of the hotel.

5. Scrubber

Equipment that is used when mopping doesn’t suffice.

It is used for scrubbing stubborn and sticky stains on
the floors of the hotel.

6. Dry Foam Machine Machine with pressure tank filled with waters solution
 and shampoo to clean water-sensitive carpets, needle-
felt and other carpet types whose construction inhibits
sufficient water extraction.

C. Materials and Supplies

1. Scouring pads

A scouring pad or scourer is a small pad of metal or

plastic mesh used for scouring a surface. Some
scouring pads have one side made of a soft sponge-
like material and the other is the aforementioned
mesh.

2. Dusting Clothes

a piece of cloth that is used for removing dust from

furniture, books, surfaces, etc.

3. Cleaning Towels

It dramatically reduce the amount of cleaning

products you use, which can save you a lot of money
in the long run. You can use for a lot of different
cleaning tasks, like dusting surfaces, cleaning
windows and mirrors, and shining stainless steel

4. Polishing Clothes

It will remove tarnish from sterling silver jewelry and

flatware. The cloth is impregnated with jeweler's
rouge (an extremely fine polishing compound) on one
side. The other side is used to buff the silver or gold
once the tarnish removal and polishing has been
completed.
5. Hand Brushes

Cleaning hand brushes are used for cleaning and

come in various sizes, including very small brushes for
cleaning a fine instrument, toothbrushes, the
household version that typically comes with a
dustpan, or the broomstick.

6. Toilet bowl brush

A toilet brush is a tool for cleaning the upper area of

the toilet and around the bowl. Along with any toilet
cleaner or bleach, it is used to keep the toilet
disinfect and after using it should get dried and
hidden in a secure place

7. Floor and window

squeegees

A squeegee is a tool with a flat, smooth rubber blade,

used to remove or control the flow of liquid on a flat
surface. It is used for cleaning and in printing.

8. Dusters

A duster is a cloth which you use for removing dust

from furniture, ornaments, or other objects.

9. Sponges
A sponge is a tool or cleaning aid made of soft,
porous material. Typically used for cleaning
impervious surfaces, sponges are especially good at
absorbing water and water-based solutions

10. Oilers It is use to apply small amount of oil in the hinges of

 the door to prevent from squeaking.

11. Sprayers

A sprayer is a device used to spray a liquid, where

sprayers are commonly used for projection of water,
weed killers, crop performance materials, pest
maintenance chemicals, as well as manufacturing and
production line ingredients.

12. Plastic garbage bag

Plastic garbage bags are fairly lightweight and are

particularly useful for messy or wet rubbish, as is
commonly the case with food waste, and are also
useful for wrapping up garbage to minimize odor.
Plastic bags are often used for lining litter or waste
containers or bins.

13. Cleaning Tongs

Tongs are a type of tool used to grip and lift objects

instead of holding them directly with hands.

14. Plungers

A plunger, force cup, plumber's friend, or plumber's

helper is a tool used to clear blockages in drains and
pipes. It consists of a rubber suction cup with an
attached stick (shaft), usually made of wood or
plastic.

15. Dust Bins A waste container is a container for temporarily

 storing waste, and is usually made out of metal or
plastic. Some common terms are dustbin, garbage
can, and trash can.

16. Water Dipper

The dipper is kept mainly in the bathroom and is used

as a water dipper for various functions. The emphasis
is on properly utilizing the dipper or else a mess will
be made in the toilet. Its primary purpose is to clean.

17. Bucket

A water bucket is used to carry, water. Household

and garden buckets are used for carrying liquids and
granular products.

18. Ceiling Broom

It is used for cleaning dust and soot from ceiling tiles

before applying cleaning solutions and ceiling
coatings.

19. Soft and hard Broom

Soft brooms are for sweeping walls of cobwebs and

spiders, like a "feather duster". Hard brooms are for
rougher tasks like sweeping dirt off sidewalks or
concrete floors, or even smoothing and texturing wet
concrete.
20. Dustpan
The dustpan is commonly used in combination with a
broom or long brush. The small dustpan may appear
to be a type of flat scoop. Though often hand-held for
home use, industrial and commercial enterprises use
a hinged variety on the end of a stick to allow the
user to stand instead of stoop while using it.

21. Ladder

A ladder is designed to support one person only.

Ladders should be used for access on reaching high
areas especially when cleaning.

22. Utility box and items

A box (also called toolkit, tool chest or workbox) is a

box to organize, carry, and protect the owner's tools
that are used in simple repairs in housekeeping
operation.

23. Warning signs

A warning sign is a type of sign which indicates a

potential hazard, obstacle or condition requiring
special attention.

D. Cleaning Chemicals
1.Detergents

Detergents may made from a base of either pure soap or

organic chemicals.
2. Acid Cleaner
Acids used as cleaning agents may vary from mild acid e.g.
acetic acid or strong concentrated hydrochloric acid. Acids
should be used in solutions followed by thorough rinsing.
All, except citric and acetic acid should be used under
supervision with extreme caution and with the protection
of rubber gloves. Strong acids are poisonous and
corrosive.

3. Alkaline Cleaners

Alkaline based cleaning agents are used in laundry and are

particularly good for removing grease. Very strong alkali
materials are known as caustic materials and are
extremely corrosive and poisonous. They must be used
under strict supervision.

4. Solvent Cleaner
These cleaning agents are used extensively for dry
cleaning and for stain removal. They all have strong fumes
and should be used in well ventilated room. Solvents are
useful for cleaning grease or polish from surfaces. Solvents
will evaporate and so they are ideal for cleaning windows,
mirrors and picture frames.

5. Disinfectant
Disinfectants should only be used in the areas where
harmful germs are likely to exist. Disinfectants kill the
harmful bacteria. Most disinfectants have strong smell
and therefore should be used in recommended amounts
in areas where germ control is required.

6. Deodorants

These are agents for disguising bad smells. They counter

act stale odors and sometimes introduce fragrance in the
area. They are used in guest rooms, bathrooms, and in
public areas. They are available in liquids, powders and
crystalline blocks.

7. Laundry aids Laundry aids which are used as cleaning materials contain
stiffening agents and fabric conditioners.
8. Polishes

Polish is an effective cleaning agent that can remove

prints and maintain the surfaces shiny. It also serves
as protective coating for wood, metals and floor.

9. Floor Seal
A floor seal can be either solvent or water based. It is
applied to a floor surface to form a semi-permanent
protective barrier which will prevent the entry of dirt,
liquids, grease stains and bacteria. Depending on the
traffic they receive, they may last for up to five years
before replacement is necessary.

10. Abrasive

Abrasives are substances or chemicals that depend on

their rubbing or scratching action to clean dirt from hard
surfaces. They are used to remove very stubborn stains
from various surfaces.

TOPIC 4: CLEANING PROCEDURES BY AREA

GUEST ROOM
Check-in-Room- During the check-in-room cleaning, the guestroom attendant must
perform the following:
1. Leave the door of the room being serviced open.
2. Switch on the lights, air-conditioning unit, television and other electronic appliances
to check the condition.
3. Open the draperies and curtains to let the sunshine in, checking for stains and
replacing if needed and closing after the cleaning has finished.
4. Make the bed with fresh linens, soiled and fresh alike must not be placed on the floor
for sanity reason.
5. Clean ashtrays and dustbins, putting fresh garbage liners if needed.
6. Remove room service items, if there is any.
7. Refiling stationary and vanity supplies if needed.
8. Dusting the furniture, fixtures available.
9. Sanitizing the telephone and washing soiled utensils, glasses and cups and saucers.
10. Vacuuming the floor.
11. Cleaning the bathroom from walls to the floors, including the toilet, shower area and
the tub.
12. Replacing the bathroom supplies with new ones.
13. Throw the used guest supplies.
14. Spraying air freshener before leaving the room.
15. Report any damage to the supervisor.

Occupied Room- When cleaning an occupied room, the following has to be observed:
1. Enter the room in a standard way.
2. Clear all dust bins.
3. Collect used linens and place it in the linen bag.
4. Make up the bed.
5. Dust the furniture and fixtures.
6. Vacuum the carpets and bedside matts.
7. Clean the bathroom and replenish the bathroom supplies.
8. Check the condition of all the electric devices such as light bulbs, television, electric
kettle, and intercom device.

Check-out-Room – Cleaning a check-out-room is considered as the most tedious as it is

requires thorough cleaning and involves the following activities:
1. Open the draperies and curtains to let the sunshine in.
2. Check the condition and completeness of all furniture, fixture and linens.
3. Check under beds, chairs, and in the cabinet for any article the guest left behind. For
any article found inside the room, deposit it to lost and found desk.
4. Make up bed and assemble chairs, sofa, and other furniture and placing them
appropriately.
5. Clean all electric appliances such as microwave, coffee maker and refrigerator.
Sanitize the telephone unit.
6. Wash and sanitize mugs, cups, saucer, and teaspoon. Allow to soak in water with
cleaning solution.
7. If applicable, clean the guest room floor with a sanitized damp mop.
8. Clean the writing tables, replacing the stationary if necessary.
9. Clean the bathroom, including walls and floors.
10. Keep heaters/air conditioners at lowest power.
11. Close the draperies and curtains.
12. Switch off room light.
13. Lock the guest room.
14. Report any damage to the Floor Supervisor.
15. Mattresses must be turned side to side on succeeding days followed by end-to end
turning.

FRONT OFFICE, LOBBY AND CORRIDORS

1. Clear ashtrays. Ensure no cigarette is burning. Place it back in their proper places after
cleaning.
2. Clear all dustbins in the front office. Change the liner if needed. Separate recyclable
items from the trash.
3. Remove spider webs and dust deposit on walls, windows, furniture, and ceiling.
4. Clean all artefacts using soft, damp cloth.
5. Dust and polish furniture such as paintings, vases, and art pieces.
6. Wipe with cleaning cloth telephone devices, fax machine, and computers.
7. Remove stains on the carpet and furniture.
8. Sweep and mop the flooring of the lobby and front office desk area.
9. Spray the air clean with signature aroma.

DINING AREA
1. Prepare all cleaning materials and equipment that will be used in cleaning.
2. Check condition of lights, lamps, and air-conditioning units.
3. Open drapes and blinds to allow the sunshine in.
4. Align the chairs and tables to make the room for cleaning.
5. Dust and polish all the furniture, if necessary.
6. Dust paintings, artworks, and pictures.
7. Clean and polish metal frames, woods and glasses. Mirrors and windows are cleaned
using the appropriate cleaner.
8. Clean and sanitized telephone devices and Point of Sale machines.
9. Sweep, mop and polish the floor. If floor is carpeted, vacuum the floor using vacuum
cleaner.
10. Inform the engineering department if maintenance requirement is spotted.
11. Replace dirty table linens with fresh ones.
12. Return the keys to the security department.
ELEVATORS
1. Clean the elevators using the appropriate cleaning agent according to its wall
material.
2. Work from top to bottom while cleaning an elevator cabin.
3. Wipe the ceiling and lights using soft, damp cloth. Use a dry cloth after.
4. Clean and polish the mirrors using the appropriate cleaner.
5. Wipe clean elevator buttons and sanitize.
6. Dust around edges of the elevator.
7. Mop the floor. If carpeted, use a vacuum cleaner.
8. Notify the Engineering department for any repair needed.
9. Wipe and polish the elevator doors.
10. Spray clean air freshener.

SWIMMING POOL
1. Check the pool water for contamination daily. Remove leaves using leaf catcher.
2. Add adequate amount of chlorine in the pool.
3. Check any broken tiles/pipes inside the swimming pool.
4. Apply and maintain the anti-spill mats near the pool. Scrub and clean the bottom of
the pool regularly.
5. Ensure all life-saving and floating apparatus are ready and available at all times.
6. Keep an appropriate and noticeable signage showing the depth of the swimming pool.
Ensure rules and regulations are posted.
7. Keep poolside area and reclining chairs clean.
8. Keep the door of the changing room open when not occupied, maintaining its
cleanliness and quality at all times.
9. A general safety check for swimming pool must be provided by the lifeguards once a
day during the operation hours.

HOTEL GARDEN
1. Remove the weeds and the fallen leaves daily.
2. Keep the lawn grass in healthy condition by periodic cutting.
3. Fertilize and manure the plants as per schedule.
4. Water the plants regularly depending on the requirements and season. Normally,
plants are watered every morning and afternoon, when the sun is not too high
anymore.
5. Keep the garden tools clean and safe.
6. Keep any artificial water falls or artificial water body clean.
7. If possible, recycle the food wastage in the hotel to prepare organic fertilizer.
8. Report any damages requirement of tools or plants to the public are supervisor.

PARKING AREA
1. Clean area near the lift.
2. Remove fine-grained sediment particles on the parking floor.
3. Remove oil in parking ground by letting a clay cat-litter sit for as long as possible in
the spot where there is oil. Saturate the stain with a cleaning solution and scrub using
a brush.
4. Hard-sweep the parking floor using hard bristled brooms.
5. Collect and dispose the debris appropriately.
6. Inform the engineering department of any broken drainage of water system of the
hotel.

TOPIC 5: METHODS AND PROCEDURES OF CLEANING INCLUDING

LINEN AND LAUNDRY SERVICES

SORTING OF UNIFORM

Before the Laundry process, it is a must to sort uniforms particularly linens

according to their uses and functions. During sorting, hand gloves are worn to avoid
accidental cuts from any broken glasses in dinning linens.

The following are the procedures when sorting laundry linens:

1. Remove unwanted items from the soiled linens and uniforms during sorting.
a. Remove items such as pens, pencil, badges, bottle openers, coins, cork crew,
nameplate and promotion pins.
b. Remove food craps, cutleries, wine cork, and broken glasses and china ware
pieces from linens before sending it for washing.

2. Sort the linens according to:

a. Types of stain
 Heavily stained requires strong detergents
 More time required during washing process
 Look for greasy/oiled stained cloth
 Special cleaning treatment required according to the type of stains

b. Use and Type

Pillow cases Bath linens (bath towel, face towels, hand towels)
Bed sheet Duvet
Bed spread Bath robes
Beach towels Shower curtain
Chef’s aprons Tray liners
Housekeeping cleaning clothes
Kitchen stewarding cleaning cloth
Table cloths and napkins (white, dark colored and light colored)

3. Soiled linens received from different outlets must be checked for stains and tears

4. Linens with tears must be repaired prior to washing

5. Uniforms must be sorted out according to department and by the following:

a. for dry cleaning
b. for washing

6. For off-premise laundry service, all must be countered and recording prior to pick up
for laundry.
7. Sorted laundry must be labeled or placed in the correct color-coded laundry bin for
further washing/dry cleaning.

LAUNDRY CYCLE

Figure 3.0

Hotel Laundry Operation and Laundry Flow chart

In figure 3.0, the laundry department has a basic cycle of operation with the below
steps:
1. Collecting Soiled Linen
House maid and room boy should strip linens from beds areas and put them on
to the linen chute or on to the soiled linen carts stored on each floor pantry. Staff
should never use any guest linen for any cleaning purpose.

The house boys should go for frequent rounds on each floor to collect the soiled
linen from the linen chute or on to each floor pantry.

Supervisors should make sure that the soiled linens do not pileup on floor pantry
which may cause further soil or damage as there are chances that people may walk
on them.

2. Transport Soiled Linen to Laundry department

The linens from the Laundry chutes and floor pantry are carried to the laundry
department by trolley. The housemen should make sure that the laundry items are
not dragged on the floor this may further damage or soil the laundry.

3. Sorting of Linen and Uniforms

The laundry sorting area of the hotel should be large enough to buffer one day
worth of laundry and these sorting of laundry should not cause interfere with other
laundry activities. Note: SOP for sorting of uniforms and linens. Sort linen and
uniforms according to their stains, size, type, color, etc.
4. Washing and Dry cleaning
After the linens and uniforms are sorted properly, the laundry staff collects the
batches of laundry and load them to the washers. It is also a good process to always
weigh the laundry items before loading them to the washers, this will ensure
that the washers are not overloaded and help to run them in the optimum
operation condition.

If required the soiled linens are treated to remove stains before the washing
process. To reduce operational cost, nowadays, hotels use chemicals (bleaches,
detergents, softeners etc.) while washing process to remove stains instead of treating
laundry items separately before washing.

5. Drying
After the washing cycle is completed the washed items are dried on the dryer.
The drying times and temperature vary considerable according to the type of linen /
cloths.

Also, the drying should always be followed by a gradual cool down process to
prevent the hot linens from being damaged or wrinkled by rapid cooling and healing
process.

6. Folding of Linen and Uniforms

Even though a lot of flooding of linens is now automated, the hotels still do a lot
of folding by hand. While folding the linens the laundry attendants should also look
for any damages occurred to them while the laundry process.

The folded items are then stored and stacked properly according to batches. The
finished laundry items should latest rest for 24hours as this will increase their life.

DRY CLEANING
1. Place your items of clothing inside the dry cleaning bag. Every kit comes with a bag
that fits three or four pieces of clothing. Make sure they are similar colors, to prevent
the chance of bleeding dye ruining an article of clothing. When you load the bag, also
pay attention to the weight and bulk of the items. The bag should not be more than
halfway full. The key is that the items need to have room to rotate inside the bag. If
you are cleaning a throw, for example, you may not be able to add three additional
items.
 Don't overcrowd the bag. If you're dry cleaning dresses, place only two dresses
inside a large bag. You should be able to fit up to four tops inside a large dry
cleaning bag. Again, only fill the bag halfway full to allow adequate rotation of the
garments inside the bag.

2. Completely unfold the dry cleaning sheet and place it inside the dry cleaning bag. Zip
the bag closed.
 The dry cleaning sheet contains a small amount of water, an emulsifier to keep it
dispersed, and a perfume to freshen the smell of your clothes.
 As the dryer heats the sheet, it will create steam that infuses your clothes with
fragrance and straightens out wrinkles.

3. Put the dry cleaning bag inside the dryer. Make sure the lint filter is clean. Set the
dryer on medium heat for thirty minutes. Use the timed setting, not the automatic
setting. If your dryer does not have a medium setting, turn to the side of caution and
use low heat. If you are using a laundry mate dryer, make sure the heat setting is
 adjustable and use low heat. As soon as the timer goes off, retrieve the clothes from
the dryer.
 The longer you allow the clothes to sit in the dryer, the more wrinkled they will be
when you remove them from the bag.

4. Remove the clothes from the dry cleaning bag. Hang them on hangers and allow the
wrinkles to fall out. If the clothes look satisfactory to you, store them in your closet or
wear them immediately.

TOPIC 6: SAFETY AND SANITATION IN HOUSEKEEPING OPERATIONS

SANITATION DEFINED
Sanitation is the absence of dirt as well as harmful organisms that cannot be
seen by the naked eyes. It is important for the housekeeping department to provide not
just a clean surrounding but a sanitized one as well. Without sanitizing, the guests and
employees are prone to sickness that may cause damage to the hotel’s performance
and image. The following discussion will give you an idea as to how housekeeping
department ensure safety and sanitation in the housekeeping operations.

PEST CONTROL
One of the responsibilities of the housekeeping department is the control of
pests. It is the Hotel’s policy to ensure that the hotel has minimal or if not no pests at all.
Pest control must be carried out on a regular basis.

Three (3) basic treatments in controlling pests

a. Rodenticide Treatment – laying of rat bait
b. Insecticide Treatment – spraying of insecticide
c. Flying Insect Control – Fumigation

Once there is pest manifestation, it should be recorded immediately by

housekeeping staff. The details to be recorded in the Pest Control Log Book are the
following:
a. Date
b. Time
c. Description of pest problem
d. Location of pest
e. Date of pest treatment appointment
f. Job completed on
g. Staff accompanied
h. Signature

To keep pest under control, the following must be observed:

a. Keep the area clean.
b. Remove and dispose all trash frequently and completely.
c. Use screens in areas where insects are prevalent.
d. Keep facilities in a good state of repair.
e. Have a program of chemical pest control to rid all the property of all insects.

WASTE DISPOSAL AND CONTROL

Wastes are items that are considered useless, unused, unwanted or discarded.
These may be paper, food waste, solids wastes, ashes, biologic wastes, liquid by-product
wastes and solid by-product wastes. Lodging establishments must develop its own
procedures in handling and disposing of waste to avoid diseases. Easiest and most
practical method the establishments employ is the segregation of waste thru color-
coded bins. In addition, the property must coordinate with Waste Management Office
of the area regarding waste disposal, segregation and schedule of garbage collection.

PERSONAL HYGIENE IN THE WORKPLACE

1. Practice personal cleanliness
a. Shower, bath or wash thoroughly everyday
b. Keep hair and nails clean and neat
c. Brush teeth at least twice daily and use mouth wash as needed
d. Always wear clean clothes
2. Wear prescribed uniform at the right place and time
a. Dust, dirt and bacteria attached to our clothes and body during traveling. So
when going to work, we must never wear out work uniforms.
b. Low-heeled shoes are preferred when working in the housekeeping
department
c. Clean sock must be worn if required. Never re-use unlaundered socks.

3. Wash Hands. Hands must be washed after doing the following activities:
a. after using toilet
b. alter blowing of nose, coughing or sneezing
c. after smoking
d. after touching one’s body part, hair, face, handkerchief, and tissue
e. after handling garbage
f. after handling food
g. after having been in contact with any possibility contaminated items or areas
such as syringe, comfort rooms, etc.

4. Avoid mannerisms. The following habits must be avoided.

a. Scratching head, skin or any body parts
b. Picking pimples, wounds, and sores
c. Wiping hands in clothes

WORK HAZARDS AND PREVENTION

Housekeeping in a hotel is a very physically demanding job. The personnel are on
their feet for a full shift of eight hours during which they perform various tasks that are
demanding for the body. Housekeeping has the largest workforce in the hotel. It is
therefore, imperative for the Housekeeper to ensure safe conditions and practices in the
department.

Managers must train employees to recognize potentially hazardous conditions

and take corrective actions before they cause injuries like sprains, strains, falls, and
others.
- Wet floors and slippery walkways
- Messy floors
- Equipment left out in the way
- Improper lifting techniques

Best practices for handling chemicals, proper personal protective equipment

selection, material handling, and slip, trip, and fall prevention are discussed. Readers
will gain an understanding how to identify at-risk situations and how to avoid serious
injury or illness.
 Housekeepers are exposed to a variety of hazards while on the job and perform
a variety of tasks throughout their work shift. Proper training to identify hazards and
risks associated with these tasks will help prevent employee injury
Occupational Hazard
1. Walking
2. Standing
3. Stooping
4. Squatting
5. Kneeling
6. Stretching
7. Twisting
8. Crouching
9. Lifting
10. Pushing

The above are only sample situations where the body is under pressure. There
are countless number of other situations that truly challenge housekeeping personnel.

Reducing the Physical Stress

The question then arises, how we reduce the physical stress on housekeeping
personnel. The following suggestions are useful to keep in mind.
1. Lighter equipment can reduce work. Heavy equipment must be on castors.
Portability helps greatly in work management.
2. Modern Detergents help in cleaning with a swipe that may eliminate tedious
scrubbing.
3. Job Rotation
4. Team Work.
5. Education and Training in safe work practices must be part of ongoing agenda.

Let us examine the areas in housekeeping operation when accidents take place:

Falls from slippery floors make shift ladders: Put the sign “Wet Floor” this protects both
the guest and staff. Ladders must be stable and strong, use aluminum ladders with
rubber footing to prevent slippage. It is preferable to have someone holding the ladder
from below. Employees must be prevented from using make shift ladders like packing
crates and chairs.

Cuts from broken glass in linen bundles and garbage: Any heap of linen or garbage is a
potential hazard for broken glass or exposed syringes. The cleaners must not put their
hands in garbage heaps. Room dustbins must be emptied enmass into the garbage
hamper. Room attendant shake the soiled linen for guest belongings, which is a good
precaution as it ensures that broken glass or other sharp objects are not hidden in folds.

Back Pains from improper working postures: Back pains are a common complaint due
to the pressure on their backs while doing their daily chores. The secret is to keep the
correct posture. Correct posture balances the neck, chest and lower back. Back pains are
caused due to lifting, bend at the knees and not at the waist. Use both hands while
lifting and hold the items closer to the body.

Breathing problems and burns from the use of hazardous chemicals and detergents:
Housekeepers normally use mild detergents for daily use. However potent chemicals
like acids and potent detergents are unavoidable. Exposure to these chemicals cause
nausea, allergy, burns vomiting breathing problems, skin rashes etc. Cleaners must be
trained in the safe use of these chemicals. Suppliers often provide the training and
safety manual in the use of these chemicals. Cleaners must be provided with goggles,
gloves and masks for operations that involve the use of hazardous chemicals.

Electrocution from live electric wires and improper maintenance and use of
equipment: Housekeeper must ensure the equipment she buys has the ISI stamp of
safety. Employees are properly trained in the use of the equipment. The manufactures
are the best people to provide the training. Machines with loose/ open wires/ broken
plugs should not be used. When not in use the wires of the vacuum cleaner should be
neatly rolled and placed with the machine.

 Never operate electrical equipment with wet hands or cloths

 Do not operate near flammable liquids, chemicals or vapors
 Turn off them when sparks, smokes or flames are seen
 Check the wires and connections periodically
 Never unplug them by pulling the cord
 Keep the cords out of traffic areas

When cleaning guestrooms, room attendants should check for frayed wires, loose
connections, loose plugs, and broken switches.

Injuries due to improper work habit: Smoke only in designated area, never in the
elevator. Ensure elevators are never overloaded. Use the correct equipment and
accessories for cleaning. Use accessories like gloves, goggles, masks when dealing with
toxic material. Look for broken glass when cleaning. Do not put bare hands into
trashcans for they might get cuts by glass pieces or razor blades. Use handrails while
climbing steps. Untangle cords of equipment before use and keep them away from
pathways. Report on safety hazards if you cannot rectify. Rely on maintenance to
complete fixing jobs. Check equipment for their serviceability.

Working at height: Any work which is carried above 5ft height requires a ladder. The
ladder should be an A line ladder with the rubber shoes of the ladder intact and the
center support in working condition. Always use safety helmet and safety belt while
working at height. The area should be cordoned off.

 Inspect the condition, height, and footing of the ladder.

 Do not use broken or defective ladder.
 Do not use aluminum or metal ladder when working near or on electrical
equipment.
 Use rubber footing on tile floors and in kitchen.
 Floor must be dried and cleaned.
 Ladder should be high enough.
 Never stand on the top step of the ladder.
 Never place a ladder against a window or uneven surfaces
 Ladder should be well-balanced.
 When climbing, face the ladder and have clean and dry hands and feet.
 Mark the area underneath the ladder with caution signs

Housekeepers Responsibilities towards well safety are:

1. Prepare a safety manual that is read and understood at the time of induction of
new employees.
2. Paste safety rules on walls and at strategic points in the work area.
3. Reinforce safety rules in daily briefings.
4. Organize continuous safety training. Involve experts like the equipment
manufacturers, Engineering to take classes on fire safety etc.
 5. Have a Preventive maintenance programmed for all equipment.
6. Include safety inspection in the supervisor’s checklist.
7. Ensure that toxic chemicals are stored in closed cupboards and properly labeled.
8. Ensure that all waste disposal containers are leak proof and maintained in
sanitary conditions. Waste disposal external to the building must be in
designated municipal area and with concern for public health. The recycled items
are put in their appropriate containers.
9. Make sure that locker rooms have proper washing and shower facilities. Locker
rooms must be kept clean and dry at all times. Water closets must be sanitized
frequently.
10. Ensure that housekeeping employees consume food and beverage in the staff
canteens and not in public areas.
11. Ensure rest breaks for employees during their shift vigil.
12. Keep appropriate signs like “Wet Floor”, “Engineering at Work”, labels for
detergents and toxic material, and safety instructions on equipment“.
13. Do not stack anything in the corridors.
14. Fire exit staircase should always be clear, and do not stack items which will
obstruct the movement.
15. Ensure hot and cold indicators on the tap faucets.
16. In the rooms and corridors, few lights should be connected to UPS.
17. Swimming pool pH and chlorine levels have to be maintained.
18. In pool area, no diving signage must be painted.
19. Bed corner to be covered.
20. Non - smoking zone signage.
21. Safety shoes for engineering and kitchen and gum boots for kitchen stewarding.
22. Smoke detectors indicator light to blink at all the times.

FIRST AID
It is a must that all hotel employees are trained to provide first aid as they could
be the one on the spot who can give immediate attention to A GUEST OR CO-
EMPLOYEE. In coordination with the Red Cross, HR Department schedule a regular
training for first aid as part of property’s safety program. The preliminary step is to have
medical supplies and basic first aid equipment at the property. Medical personnel such
as nurse and doctors must be present at all times. It is also advisable to have first aid
cupboard or box in all the departments.

The cupboard should contain the following items:

 Clinical thermometer
 Cotton wool
 Bandage roll
 Band aids
 Sterilized gauze
 Rubber sheeting
 Tincture iodine
 Dettol
 Burn-ol
 Croc in tablets
 Aspirins
 Mercurochrome
 Antiseptic cream

SAFETY AND SECURITY PRINCIPLES

In cleaning, the housekeeping staff must follow the principles of safety and
security as follows:
1. Protect their body from harmful chemicals by wearing thick gloves.
2. Protect their eyes by wearing masks or goggles if required.
3. Use caution sign to mark wet floors.
4. Clean spilled liquids immediately to reduce chances of slipping.
5. Handle cleaning chemicals carefully while transporting. Disposing or refilling the
containers.
6. Mix any chemicals required in the presence of proper ventilation.
7. Must not open unlabelled chemical containers.
8. Use swivel head mops to avoid inappropriate body posture.
9. Wear close toe-non slip footwear while working.
10. Use appropriate body postures while working to avoid cramps.
11. Request for peer assistance while moving heavy loads such as furniture.
12. Report to the supervisor in case of any accident due to mishandling of flammable
liquids or otherwise.
13. Keep guests safe with the help of security department.
14. Keep guests’ documents, ornamentals or other articles safe.

TOPIC 7: MANAGEMENT OF OPERATION

RELATIONSHIP OF HOUSEKEEPING WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS

1. HOUSEKEEPING WITH FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
a. The front office is not allowed to assign guestrooms until the rooms have been
cleaned, inspected, and released by the housekeeping department
b. Knowing whether a room is occupied, vacant, on change, out of order (000),
under repair, or similar, is important for proper room management
c. Sharing of guests ’information as well as their activities such as check in, stay
over, and check outs.
d. The housekeeping department also receives other important information from
the front office, which require special attention VIPs
e. This requirement of flower arrangements for certain guests is conveyed to
housekeeping by the front office on a daily basis.
f. Promptly informing the front office of the housekeeping status of rooms is a
tremendous aid in getting guests who arrive early registered, especially during
high- occupancy or sold-out periods.
g. Cleaning of Front Office Areas and public areas of hotel premises.
h. Collection of soiled uniforms and provision of clean and freshly laundered
uniforms of FO staff

2. HOUSEKEEPING WITH FOOD AND BEVERAGE DEPARTMENT

a. Mainly concerned with the provision of linen and uniforms
b. Besides extra/special linen, housekeeping may also have to arrange for flower
decorations for banquets
c. Waiters not collecting trays from guestrooms or room service staff leaving soiled
trays in the corridors or causing extra work through careless spills on the carpet
d. Number of in-house guests with breakfast requirements
e. Placement of special guest amenities in guest rooms such as VIP amenities or
welcome drinks.

3. HOUSEKEEPING WITH SECURITY DEPARTMENT

a. Mainly concerned with the prevention of fire and thefts and the safekeeping of
keys and lost property
 b. Housekeeping personnel should also report anything of a suspicious nature
immediately to the security staff
c. Housekeeping personnel have to be alert to this risk and seek the security
department's intervention if necessary.
4. HOUSEKEEPING WITH LAUNDRY DEPARTMENT
a. Housekeeper needs a fast turnaround of linen from the laundry
b. Housekeeping also needs to coordinate with the laundry with regard to
housekeeping employees' uniforms and those of other departments as well.

5. HOUSEKEEPING WITH MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT

a. The housekeeping department depends on maintenance to keep things in order
b. Deficiencies and faults should be immediately reported to maintenance by
housekeeping department
c. Proper care of many surfaces and materials by housekeeping personnel is the
first step in the overall maintenance program
d. Housekeeping should also have maintenance rooms already stripped when
redecoration is to take place and should have furniture to be removed for repair
appropriately labelled.
e. Maintains the good working condition of all the housekeeping equipment,
electrical appliances in the guestroom and pipes among others.

TOPIC 8: RECORD KEEPING

IMPORTANT FORMS MAINTAINED BY HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT

There are lot of documents used for the daily activities of the hotel. These forms
help the hotel run a smooth operation. In housekeeping department, these forms
served as a good tool in communicating with the other shifts and other department
since Housekeeping runs in 24hour basis. Some of the forms used by the housekeeping
department are as follows:

1. Departure Record- This tracks the changes of guestroom status after the guest has
checked out. Room status may be V (vacant), VD (vacant dirty), VC (vacant clean). It
also tracks the amount of mini bar items consumption in the guest room.
2. Expected Arrival Record- Identifies all pre-registered guests who will be arriving in a
particular day. Information includes profile such as VIP/regular, marital status,
nationality, expected check in time and special request, if there is any.
3. Room Status Record- This lists all rooms and their current status such as OOO (Out of
Order), OCC (Occupied) and V (vacant) among others.
4. Guest Call Register- This form tracks the activities of the guests and their durations.
GUEST CALL REGISTER
Call/ Time
Room Forwarded FF up
Sr. No. Date Guest Name to Status
No. Request to by
deliver

5. Guest Loan Record- This is used to record movement of items borrowed by the guest.
GUEST LOAN REGISTER
 Room Guest Call/ Time to Time to Delivered Recovered
Sr. No. Date Status
No. Name Request deliver Recover by by

6. Missing Article Record- This form records items owned by the hotel that has been lost
or found missing in a check-out room. These items do not include the consumables.

7. Guests Supplies Control Record- This form is used to record movement of guest
supplies.
GUEST SUPPLIES CONTROL RECORD
Beverage/
Floor Pens/ Shower Toothbrush Vanity
Sr. No. sugar/ Creamer slipper description
Item pencil caps /Toothpaste sets
sachet

8. Damage Breakage Record- Lists all the items in the guestroom that have been
damaged or broken.
DAMAGE BREKAGE RECORD
Sr. No. Date Damaged item Room no. Found by Description/ status

9. Lost/Found Register- This form lists all guest-owned items that have been found
either inside the checked out rooms or within the hotel premises.
LOST AND FOUND REGISTER
Sr. Contact
Date Item. Description Found by Found at Picked up by Address Signatures
No. Number

10. Key Register- This record includes movement of the keys of the guest rooms (master
keys, floor keys, etc.)
KEY REGISTER
 Status at the end of shift
Sr. No. Date Key ID Floor no. Room no. Time of issue
(Returned/Missing)

11. Linen Control Register- This document records the movement of linen from the
laundry to the different departments or sections of the hotel. This makes tracking of
the linens easier for the housekeeping staff.

CHECKLIST AND REPORTS IN HOUSEKEEPING

Aside from the registers mentioned earlier, checklists and reports are also very
essential in the daily operation of the housekeeping department. Checklist helps to
ensure nothing is left unturned when cleaning or no item is forgotten. Reports, on the
other hand, are very helpful in studying past data of occupancy and guest history. These
help the department in forecasting. Some of the reports may be generated from the
hotel management software.

Some of the important checklists are as follows:

1. Guest supplies checklist
2. Guest room cleaning check list
3. Guest bathroom cleaning checklist
4. Swimming pool checklist
5. Garden keeping checklist

Some of the reports are as follows:

a. Housekeeping Report – reports the status of all the guestrooms in the hotel.
HOUSEKEEPING REPORT
Room Room Check out Room Housekeeping
Turnover Housekeeper
no. type date occupancy status

b. Housekeeping Assignment Report – a report that informs the schedule of the room
attendants as well as the recording of room inspections done.
HOUSEKEEPING REPORT
Turn House
Rm. Rm Guest Check No. of Check Room HK
Adult Child over
No.. type name in nights out occupancy status keeper
rate

c. Housekeeping Occupancy Report – This report helps identify what room status must
be prioritized for cleaning. This report includes the room type, number of nights the
guest/s will stay in the room and the rom status.
 HOUSEKEEPING REPORT
Room Room Guest No. of
Adult Child Turnover date HK status
no. type name nights

TOPIC 9: ACTUAL EXPOSURE IN THE HOUSEKEEPING OPERATIONS

As stipulated in the syllabus, actual exposure in the housekeeping operation is

required. The students are able to experience the activity by having a local hotel
visitation. After the exposure, the students will use the school hostel for them to apply
the knowledge they acquired during the local visitation and practice procedures they
have learned thru this module.

This activity will be reflected on their Laboratory grade.

As the world experiencing covid-19 pandemic, general community quarrantine

(GCQ) still prevails around the town of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. In this manner,
local hotel visitation is not possible. However, one of the outputs of previous 2 nd years
students of Hospitality Management were provided as references of the actual
experience of local hotel visitation held last October 16, 2019. (Read Annex A to Annex
J)

In addition to this, an application of learning from the actual hotel visitation and
Housekeeping reports was provided thru a student’s journal. This may serve as a guide
in creating reaction paper after discussing the entire housekeeping lesson. (Read Annex
K and Annex L).

ANNEX A

Almaelyn I. Domingo November 14, 2019

BSHM 2A Rating:

Local Hotel Visitation

Narrative Repor

The local hotel visitation was conducted by our loving teachers Ms. Shirley D. Ulan
and Ms. Shandie G. Galindo, for us to be able to experience and expose in workplaces where
hospitality is the main business. This one day activity helped us to see such situations in a hotel,
to be familiarized in every station or rooms in a hotel like standard rooms, luxury rooms, delux
rooms and others. This was also for us to see what the staff of the hotel do with or without guests.
We, the students of BSHM2A, 2E and batch 1 of 2D cooperated well to be able to learn about
real life situations in hospitality industry.

Our local hotel visitation started in the Administration Building of OMSC. We

arrived at 7:30 in the morning and started trevelling with our service which was a huge bus that
accommodates 64 students and three tachers. Our first stop was Villa Paulina Resort. The
accommodating and smiling face of the manager warmly welcomed us. She toured us around the
villa and after that, we made a vlog for the resort. We took group pictures with tha manager and
gave certificate of appreciation.

We continued our tour and proceeded to our next stop, the Parisian Belleview Hotel.
We observed that the staff of the hotel are wearing proper uniform. We went around while taking
pictures. Just like in Villa Paulina, we made a vlog for the Parisian and awarded the certificate of
appreciation.

Our third destination is Seasons Hotel and Convention Center. The staff were very
accommodating and well-groomed in their uniform. Seasons Hotel was the first to offer a huge
convention hall in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro that has a capacity of 500 persons. We went to
their lounge where reception, FNB, and bar area were located. We were amazed by the wonderful
ambiance of the hotel. We made another vlog and awarded the manager the certificate of
appreciation.

ANNEX B
 We proceeded to our next stop which was the White House Beach Garden Resort.
The most attractive part of the resort was the balcony. Few steps away from the rooms are the
“lanai” facing the popular Aroma Beach. We took some pictures and stayed a while in their
refreshing garden. Again, we made a vlog and went back to our service to continue the hotel
visitation.

Our next destination was the Sikatuna Beach Hotel, 5 meters away from White
House. We had the chance to witness an actual making of bed and cleaning of room executed by
the housekeeping supervisor. Vloging took place then we decided to make the visit faster because
is was already lunch time.

For one hour and 30 minutes, we stayed at Mang Inasal for lunch. Everyone was
happy and satisfied with the unlimited rice meal.

We continued the local hotel visitation. Our next stop was Mindoro Plaza Hotel. It
was fascinating with its grand stairway to second floor and chandelier. They have friendly and
limited staff . We went to their VIP rooms, took pictures, and enjoy the view for a while.

Next is SJ Mansion along Bonifacio Street. Unluckily, they were fully booked and we
were unable to see their rooms. We stayed a little in their coffee shop, made vlog then proceeded
to our last destination.

Le Sophia Hostel and Hoan Hao Spa was our finale. Two students were chosen to
experience half body massage while others were exploring the spot. We made vlog and returned
to our service so we can go back to school.

After that, awarding of certificates for the participants took place. With the presence
of our Program Head, Dr. Dixie C. Corpuz and the three teachers who guided us through out the
visit, the local hotel visitation has ended very well.

All of us enjoyed the tour. As we went home, we have smile in our hearts. Thank you
so much to our loving teachers who organized this unforgetable activity that taught us a lot.
Thank you for this memory.

ANNEX C

Almaelyn I. Domingo November 14, 2019

BSHM 2A Rating:
 Local Hotel Visitation
Villa Paulina Resort

Villa Paulina is our first stop. It has touch of modern nature ambiance. It is a good place
for a relaxing and luxurious vacation or an adventurous and active retreat. It offers holiday
gateaways perfect for the family.

This private villa sa exclusive bedrooms for two with a main dinning area, a living area
and spacious attic room that could comfortably accommodate six guests. You can enjoy family
bonding at the beach with a child-friendly kayaks and island hopping boatrips if you want to visit
the pristine White Island nearby. They also have SPA facilities like tranquil massage areas, sauna,
steam bath and jacuzzi.

Their bedrooms are equipped with a cable television and guests could enjoy an all-day
personalized service from their friendly staff. The guests in the villa may have cooked food by
their chef or they may choose from a vareity of menu from their restaurant. The restaurant is open
to serve walk-in guests. You can view the beautiful sunset while lounging or enjoying al fresco
dinning in the view deck. Their conference area is fully air-conditioned and could accommodate
up to 50 people. Their garden venue can accommodate up to 200 guests. They have a tropical feel
and lush landscape perfect for weddings, birthdays and other special events. Villa Paulina Resort
is managed by Emely Ordaz.

Villa Paulina Resort has three tulip rooms with twin bed and one delux room with twin
bed size good for two persons with hot and cold bathroom for Php 2,750.00 per night. Five queen
rooms with queen size bed and one delux room, queen size bed with hot and cold bathroom for
Php 2,750.00 per night. One family room with two queen size bed with hot and cold bathroom for
Php 3,850.00 per night. One family room with two queen size bed good for six persons with hot
and cold bathroom with tub for Php 5,500.00 per night. One mason room with two queen bed
capacity of four person with hot and cold bathroom for Php 4,400.00 per night. And, one delux
room with queen beds and jacuzzi good for two persons for Php 3,300.00 per night.

ANNEX D
Almaelyn I. Domingo November 14, 2019
BSHM 2A Rating:

Local Hotel Visitation

Parisian Belleview Hotel

Our second destination is Parisian Belleview Hotel. This is ordinary hotel or very
common hotel. They have 40 rooms which includes six VIP rooms and twenty seven single
rooms and five family rooms good for 5 persons for Php 1,800.00 per night. The air conditioned
room rate is Php 800.00 per night while short time rate is Php 300.00 good for 3 hours only. The
ordinary room rate is Php 400.00 per night while short time rate is Php 200.00 good for 3 hours
only. Extra bed is Php 150.00 and excess time is Php 100.00 per hour.

The have overlooking restaurant up stairs where you can view the sunrise in the
morning and sunset in the afternoon.. If you want to eat, they have package promo good for seven
persons for only Php 2,000.00. They also have Hot and Spicy Barbeque every afternoon.

Parisian Belleview Hotel is located at San Roque I, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro in
front of Aroma Beach. Owned by AGING, a famous businessman in San Jose.

ANNEX E
Almaelyn I. Domingo November 14, 2019
BSHM 2A Rating:

Local Hotel Visitation

Seasons Hotel

Season Hotel is our third destination. Owned by Mr. Wilson Sy, located at
Airport Road, Barangay San Roque, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. They have convenient store
along the highway and a restaurant beside the entrance gate. They offer red ribbon cakes worth
Php 100.00 per slice and different kinds of beverages like wines, beer, etc. They have a bar
counter and souvenirs for sale. All staff are wearing proper uniforms.

They have delux room for Php 2,588.00 per night with complementary breakfast
for two persons. They have standard room rate of Php 888.00 per night with complimentary
breakfast for two persons. They also have triple sharing rooms for Php 2,388.00 per night with
complimentary breakfast for three persons. Lasty, they have quad sharing rooms for Php 3,588.00
per night with complimentary breakfast for four persons. Guests with rooms have free airport
shuttle service.

Seasons Convention Hall has a capacity of five hundren persons with a rate of
Php 70,000.00. It is perfect for all occasions like weddings, anniversary, birthdays, etc.

ANNEX F
Almaelyn I. Domingo November 14, 2019
BSHM 2A Rating:

Local Hotel Visitation

White House Beach & Garden Resort

White House is our fourth destination. I can say that this beach resort is a home away
from home. Because of its super natural beauty, the ambiance is very relaxing. The trees and
flowers are so fantastic and the beach is right in the doorsteps of lanai. What catched most of our
attention is the balcony, the most attractive part of the resort. It is surrounded by lush tropical
ornamental plants and trees. The rooms are very well maintained with the large and clean
bathrooms. Their receiving area is simple but elegant.

They have five rooms including delux bed room good for two persons for
Php 2,500.00 per night. They have also family suite room good for three persons for Php 3,500.00
per night. Three hundred pesos for extra person and five hundred pesos for extra bed.

White House is located in San Roque I, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, just a minute
away from the airport. Owned and managed by Mrs. Parkinson.

ANNEX G
Almaelyn I. Domingo November 14, 2019
BSHM 2A Rating:

Local Hotel Visitation

Sikatuna Beach Hotel and Restaurant

The fifth destination is Sikatuna Beach Hotel situated at Barangay San Roque I, San
Jose, Occidental Mindoro and is owned and operated by Hicaro Pacific Hotels, Inc.

This big, rambling place on Aroma Beach has a mix of rooms (some windowless)
around a central courtyard that’s popular for local weddings. The main draw is its proximity to
the ocean, otherwise it’s spectacular. The restaurant (mains from P175 to P400) specialties are
seafood.

The hotel offers guests a range of services and amenities designed to provide comfort
and convenience. All the necessary facilities, including free Wi-Fi in all rooms, 24-hour front
desk, Wi-Fi in public areas, car park, room service, are at hand. Guestrooms are designed to
provide an optimal level of comfort with welcoming decor and some offering convenient
amenities like air conditioning, desk, balcony/terrace, internet access – wireless (charges apply),
television. The hotel offers various recreational opportunities. Friendly staff, great facilities and
close proximity to all that San Jose (Mindoro Occidental) has to offer are three great reasons you
should stay at Sikatuna Beach Hotel.

Rooms are air conditioned with hot and cold bath. Room rates are Php 1,500.00 good
for two persons and Family rooms ranges Php 2, 400.00 to Php 2,850.00 per night. Extra bed is
Php 300.00 and extra pillow is Php. 50.00 only.

ANNEX H
Almaelyn I. Domingo November 14, 2019
BSHM 2A Rating:

Local Hotel Visitation

Mindoro Plaza Hotel and Restaurant

Mindoro plaza hotel is our sixth destination, located at Zamora Street, San Jose,
Occidental Mindoro. It is managed by Michael Tan. This hotel is the first in San Jose that has an
elevator. They have 44 rooms with two VIP and delux rooms.

They have special matrimonial room with fully air condition and television good for four
persons with the rate of Php 2,150.00 per night. Delux room is good for two persons forPhp
1,200.00 per night. Matrimonial room with television is Php 950.00 per night. Orninary rooms
with television cost Php 650.00 per night. And lastly, single room cost Php 550.00 per night.

Other charges are extra bed for Php 200.00, extra hour rate is Php 100.00 and lost key is
Php 500.00.

ANNEX I
Almaelyn I. Domingo November 14, 2019
BSHM 2A Rating:

Local Hotel Visitation

SJ Mansion

SJ Mansion is our seventh destination. It is located at Bonifacio Street, San Jose,

Occidental Mindoro. A beautiful three storey structure offers a cozy and affordable hotel rooms
and relaxing amenities. They have “Hugs & Beans Coffee Shop” that offers authentic coffee with
a unique blend and rich aroma. They also have art coffee machine for making best coffee with
fabulous flavors. Coffee manager is Mr. Jen Justine Asilo.

They have superior room good for two person which cost Php 1,300.00 per night.
Budget room good for two persons for only Php 1,100.00 per night. Premium room good for two
persons for Php 1,500.00 per night. Deluxe room good for four persons cost Php 1,400.00 per
night. And, Grand room good for four persosns for only Php 1,900.00 per night.

They have conference room and rooftop for event venue or gatherings. The hotel is
managed by Mr. Jade Asilo.

ANNEX J
Almaelyn I. Domingo November 14, 2019
BSHM 2A Rating:

Local Hotel Visitation

Le Sophia Hostel & Hoan Hao Spa

Le Sophia is our last destination and located at Main Road, Pag-asa, San Jose,
Occidental Mindoro . Their Spa section has a touch of modern native curtains and bamboo. Hoan
Hao Spa offers body massage, body scrub, body whitening and smoothening mask, facial scub,
manicure, pedicure, foot reflex, traditional hilot, kids hilot, and traditional hilot with ventosa.

They offer special promo package including facial + classic manicure + pedicure with
a rate of Php 300.00. Diamond peel + regular massage is Php830.00. Facial (whitening, collagen,
oil control) + hand paraffin + classic manicure and pedecure for only Php 400.00. Diamond peel
+ classic manicure and pedicure for Php 700.00. Deep facial + sophisticated footh spa + classic
pedicure for only Php 550.00 only.

They also have 10 hotel rooms. Their standard room is good for two persons with free
massage and breakfast which cost Php 1,500.00. Le Sophia gives 20% discount for senior citizen.
Hoan Hao Spa is open from 10:00am to 11:00pm. Owned by Jenn Fernandez and Sally
Fernandez.

ANNEX K
Valdevieso, Joshua Lance G. November 14, 2019
BSHM 2A

The Lesson I acquired in Housekeeping

Housekeeping is one of the most important parts in hotel industry but, it is also one of
the most neglected part in an establishment. Housekeeping is a very busy job. They need to look
for every station to maintain the cleanliness of every institution. I had a lot of learning from
different reports of my classmates about housekeeping. They are the management of household
affairs who ensure the needs, preferences to comfort, and security of the guests and also the
employees.

I learned that housekeeping is not just in charge of cleaning rooms but also in bed
making, laundry services, pest control, key control, safety and security of the guests and staff,
taking care of interior design of the establishment, gardens and room maintenance.
Housekeeping Department do not focused in one service because they need to communicate to
the Front Desk on how to determine the rooms which are ready for selling.

Housekeeping Department deals with many situations. Housekeeper has a principle in

cleaning and techniques in different types of cleaning. Housekeepers may use manual cleaning
method which do not require macines or electronic equipments. They can also use mechanized
cleaning method which allow them to clean faster and easier by the use of electronic equipment.
In addition to this, housekeepers have knowledge in different kinds of cleaning materials and
cleaning agents. They are very particular with the standard operating procedure (SOP) and very
careful in using proper cleaning agents and chemicals. They also use personal protective
equipment (PPE) especially in using chemicals while cleaning to prevent them from skin hamful
effects such as skin and eye irritation, burns, etc. In following SOP, they efficiently and
effectively do their task while keeping themselves away from danger.

Housekeeping is very important because it is considered as the backbone of the hotel.

Housekeepers are reflected as the most industrious personnel in hotel because they continue
doing their job like provision of nice ambiance and safety environment with or without guests.
This department contributes a lot to the revenue of the hotel because of the services they offer. In
our previous lesson about housekeeping, safety and security are being highligted because of its
role to the impression of the establishment. It is very important that the guests feel safe while they
are relaxing in a hotel.

ANNEX L
 BED MAKING DEMONSTRATION DURING LOCAL HOTEL VISITATION

APPLICATION OF LEARNING FROM LOCAL HOTEL VISITATION AND

GROUP REPORTS ABOUT HOUSEKEEPING

TOPIC 10: GUEST SAFETY

 When guests are at risk, it’s every employee’s problem. Training should
underscore this. Security officers must double check that people evicted do not return.
Employing communication devices enables prompt sharing among employees of
information about developing threats.

“Instant and discreet communication among security and staff gives you
the upper hand in creating an environment that is safe and welcoming”.

When emergencies occur, security must communicate quickly and quietly,

coordinate a response across the property – whether small or sprawling – and feel
confident guests and staff are out of harm’s way. By giving employees and emergency
personnel the right devices and information, they can guide guests to safety and provide
real-time updates.

Hotels and all kinds of accommodation are not excused in the occurrence of
emergencies. The following are examples of emergency that normally occur in lodging
establishment.
a. Weather Emergency
b. Earthquake
c. Fire
d. Bomb threats
e. Medical

Hotels must be ready whatever emergency will happen. All accommodation facilities
must have life safety loads which include:
 Illumination of exits from a hotel building leading to an assembly point
 Emergency exit signs
 Alarm and alerting systems such as the fire alarm system
 Controlled emergency communication systems
 Emergency generator-set room lighting
 Fire suppression systems
 Smoke management systems
 Occupational Safety and Health Program

The following tips must be shared by informing the guest upon checking in or it can be
posted inside the guestroom.
a. Don’t answer the door to your guestroom without verifying who it is. If a person
claims to be an employee, call the front desk and ask if someone from their staff
is supposed to have access to your room and for what purpose.
b. Keep your room key with you at all times and do not needlessly display it in
public. Should you misplace it, please notify the front desk immediately.
c. Close the door securely whenever you are in your room and use all of the locking
devices provided.
d. Check to see that any sliding glass doors or windows and any connecting room
doors are locked.
e. Do not invite strangers to your room.
f. Be aware of potential phone scams and prank calls to your guestroom. Hotel
employees will never request credit card or personal information over the
phone, nor will they advise a guest to damage hotel property.
g. Place all valuables in the hotel or motel’s safe deposit box.
h. When returning to your hotel or motel late in the evening, be aware of your
surroundings, stay in well-lighted areas, and use the main entrance.
i. Take a few moments and locate the nearest exit that may be used in the event of
an emergency.
 j. If you see any suspicious activity, notify the hotel operator or a staff member.

Task/Activity

1. In a short bond paper, write or type your reaction about the learnings you acquired
through vicarious experience. Minimum of 200 words, with 1 inch margin all sides.
References are available in Lesson 9, Annex A, B, C and D.

For this activity, rubric is provided as a guide to evaluate the quality of student’s
constructed responses. Rubric for essay is available on page 100.