HOUSEKEEPING NC II CORE 2 CLEAN AND PREPARE ROOMS FOR INCOMING GUESTS

NOTES

1. Clean and prepare rooms for incoming guest

2. Caddy or Trolley a container with divisions used in housekeeping to hold cleaning tools and chemicals.

3. Infestations the state of being invaded by pests and insects.

4. Loofah It is derived from fibrous material found in gourd-like tropical fruits and is used as bath sponge.

5. Linens garments used as household articles such as bedspread, towels, pillows and bed sheets.

6. Occupational Health hazard a risk associated with work that could lead to injury, illness, or worst, even death.

7. Par Stock the minimum level of supplies required in meeting the daily demands.

8. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) refer to all protective equipment used while working such as gloves, safety glasses, and shoes.

9. The Maid’s Cart or HOUSEKEEPING Trolley Maid’s cart is very important in housekeeping. It is like a giant tool box where all the supplies needed are placed during room service. It should have enough space to carry all the supplies needed by a room attendant in a specific shift. Then wheels should also be easy to move and maneuver as the cart contains large amount of supplies.

10. Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) in Hotel Housekeeping Housekeeping is a physically demanding job. It is called such because it is classified as “moderately heavy” to “heavy” work. Most of the time, a housekeeper carries out varies tasks like sweeping, scrubbing, vacuuming, mopping, dusting, cleaning, and lifting. In addition to these, they are also responsible for delivering beds to guest rooms and replenishing toiletry supplies.

11. Evaluates Hazards and Risks Slips and Trips Falls Lifting Injury Knee and Back Injury

12. Tips on How to Reduce Physical Stress Use lighter equipment as much as possible. Those heavy ones much have wheels. Use motorized operated equipment to lighten the workload. This includes the use of vacuum cleaners and portable bathroom scrubbers. Use long handle mops and brooms to reduce stooping, crouching, and kneeling. Use modern cleaning agents like all-purpose cleaner, disinfectant, and liquid detergents. Modern cleaning agents’ injuries to the body, allowing the body to rest for a while. Proper lifting techniques should be employed ( i.e ; keep objects as close to the body as possible and lift objects that are too heavy or awkward for one person. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Eliminate potential tripping or slipping hazards before beginning to lift.

13. Safety Practices in the Workplace Always wear personal protective equipment (PPE). Make sure all spills are immediately cleaned up to avoid slipping. Replace worn, ripped, and damaged flooring, and place anti-slip flooring in areas that cannot continually be cleaned such as an entrance. Maintain clean light fixtures to improve lightning efficiency. Keep aisles and stairways clear. Place warning signs and mirrors to help improve sight lines in blind corners. Regularly inspect, clean, and repair all tools. Do not use damaged tools.

14. Safety in Handling Cleaning Chemicals Use the appropriate protective equipment when handling concentrated cleaning products. There should be complete list of all cleaning chemicals used in the facility. Details like how many gallons are stored, where they are stored, potential hazards, and precautionary measures for each chemical should be included in the list. There should be safety data sheets for each chemical used or stored. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions of using the chemicals. If nit used the right way, these cleaning chemicals may not effectively work and can be harmful. All cleaning chemicals should be kept in their original containers .

15. Never mix chemicals, even if they are of the same type. Combining ammonia and chlorine bleach for example can produce the fatal, chlorine gas. Do not use different cleaners as an alternative, unless the intended use is the same. Install safety signage that quickly conveys possible dangers and precautions related to the chemicals. It is important that you know exactly what the following “signal words” mean: Caution: the product should be used carefully but is relatively safe. Warning: the product is moderately toxic. Danger: the product is highly toxic and may cause permanent damage to skin and eyes.

16. Room status terminologies are used by both housekeeping department and front desk in communicating with each other regarding room occupancy. It is very important that these two departments continuously communicate with each other, not only to maximize sales and revenue but to avoid problems like room status discrepancy- a situation wherein the housekeeping department’s description of a room status is different from the room status information being used by the front desk to assign guest rooms. This situation will create big problems if not resolved. This is why close coordination between these two departments is extremely important.

17. IMPORTANT TERMINOLOGIES FOR ROOM STATUS Pre- Register A guest has booked a room earlier for early morning arrival. Occupied (OCC) A guest is currently occupying the room. Occupied Clean (OC) There is a guest occupying the room and it has already been cleaned by the room attendant. Occupied Dirty (OD) There is a guest occupying the room and it has not been cleaned by the room attendant yet. Extra Bed (XB) There is an extra bed being used in the guest room. Light Baggage (LB) The guest occupying the room does not have a large baggage.

18. No Baggage (NB) The guest occupying the room does not have a baggage. No Need Service (NNS) A guest requested a “no service” for the room. Stay-over The guest is not expected to check out today and will remain at least one more night. On-change The guest has departed, but the room has not yet been cleaned and not ready for new occupants. Do Not Disturb (DND) The guest has requested not to be disturbed. Cleaning in Progress Room attendant is currently cleaning the room. Sleep-out A guest is registered to the room, but the bed has not been used.

19. Skipper The guest has left the hotel without making arrangements to settle his or her account. Vacant and ready or Vacant and clean (VC) The room has been cleaned and inspected and is ready for the arriving guest. Vacant Dirty (VD) The room is vacant but has not yet been changed. Out of Order (OOO) Rooms kept under out of order are not sellable and these rooms are deducted from the hotels inventory. A room may be out of order for a variety of reasons, including the need for maintenance, refurbishing and extensive cleaning etc. Out of Service (OOS) Rooms kept under out of service are not deducted from the hotel inventory. This is temporary blocking and reasons may be a malfunctioning bulb fuse, tv remote not working, kettle not functioning properly, etc. these rooms are assigned to the guest once these small maintenance issues are fixed. Lock-out The occupied room has been locked which disallows the guest to re-enter until he or she comes into contact with hotel staff to clarify his or her status.

20. Did not check out (DNCO) The guest made arrangements to settle his or her bills (and thus not a skipper), but has left without informing the front desk. Due Out The room is expected to become vacant after the guest checks out. Check out (C/O) The guest has settled his or her account, returned the room keys, and left the hotel. Late check out The guest has requested and is being allowed to check out later than the normal or standard departure time of the hotel. Expected departure (ED) It is the same as “due out” which means the guest would depart prior to the check-out time of the following day. Inspected Clean (I) The room is double checked by the floor supervisor after the cleaning of room attendant. Complimentary The room is occupied for free.

21. Types and Sizes of Linens, Pillows, and Bed Sheets Sheets, blankets, pillowcase, and bath items come in different sizes according to the sizes of the mattresses and their use. Other terms are chosen because of their appearance and price. Careful selection according to standard size and color is considered in purchasing these items because the labor cost to sort them will be high. The careful selection of standard size makes purchasing, counting, storing, and maintaining inventories easier. Sizes can be color coded for easier sorting. Sheets are usually available in different sizes and with color-colored hem threads.

22. Types of Linen Bathroom Linen Bath Rug 24”x 42” Bath Towel (25” x 45”) Pool Towel (36” x 80”) Staff Towel (36” x 62”) Hand Towel 6” x 71/2” Face Towel 9 ½” x 10 ½” Bed Linen Blanket Bedspread Mattress Protector Bed Sheets Pillow Case Standard (20” x 26”), Queen Size (20” x 30”), King Size (20” x 36”)

23. Bedding Sizes Bed Size Mattress Size Bedspread Size Comforter Size Blanket Size twin 39”x75” 80”x110” 68”x86” 66”x90” Twin XL 39”x80” N/A use Twin 68”x90 N/A use Twin Full or Double 54”x75” 96”x110” 78”x86” to 86”x86” 80”x90” Queen 60”x80” 102”x116” 86”x86” to 86” x 94” 90”x90” California or Western King 72”x84” 114”x120” 102”x86” to 102”x94” 108”x90” Dual or Eastern King 78”x80” 120”x120” 102”x86” to 102”x94” 108”x90” Daybed or Trundle 39”x75” 84”x117 66”x92” 66”x90” Waterbed Super Single 48”x84” N/A 68”x86” to 66”x92” 66”x90” Waterbed Queen 60”x84” 84”x108” 68”x86’to 86”x86” 80”x90” or 90”x90” Waterbed King 72”x84 84x108” 86”x86” to 102”x86” 90”x90” or 108”x90”

24. Procedures for Conducting Turndown A turndown service or evening service is one amenity that can be availed by a guest. Turndown service means the room of a guest is prepared ready for sleeping. It includes the following: cleaning the room, having one corner of the blanket folded for easy sliding, chocolate or fresh fruits placed on the bedside, the room lights dimmed, and heavy drapes or night curtain was closed. Below are the steps on how to conduct turndown service.

25. Preparation for Turndown Service 1. Take the status report of the floor from the desk. 2. Get the floor key or card and sign the logbook. 3. Check the floor corridor for tidiness. 4. Take out the trolley with linen and amenities. 5. Clean vacant rooms at 6:00 in the evening onwards. 6. Finished all turndown service by 10:00pm. 7. Clear departure rooms as per hotel requirements.

26. Entering into the Guest Room 1. Follow the two knock, three-announcement rule. Knock at the door and check if the guests inside the room. Say “housekeeping” before entering. 2. If the guest wants you to come back later, politely goes out and position the maid’s cart in front of the guest room.

27. Procedure for Turndown Service Greet the guest if the guest is inside the room and say “I am from housekeeping. Sorry to disturb you, may I turn down your bed?” Remove the bed cover, fold t neatly, and place it in the wardrobe cabinet either at the topmost shelves or in the lowermost shelf. Set aside the pillows. Smooth the top sheet blanket. Grasp the top sheet and second sheet blanket. Fold the corner back and pull them down to the center of the bed. Make a folded corner a neat 45-degree angle.

28. Tuck in the sides under the mattress. Straighten the pillow and place it neatly on the bed making sure that the pillow case opening is facing inwards. Following the hotel procedure, place the turn down amenities on top of the pillow. This is usually any of the following: flowers, a chocolate, candies, cookies and the like. Place the breakfast menu card on the folded quilt at an angle. Place the foot mat in front of the bed with a pair of slippers. Turn on the bedside lamp or night lamp.

29. Procedures in Making up beds and Cots 1. Preparing for Bed making Remove soiled bed linen from the bed. Look at the mattress pad or mattress protector to see if it is stained, torn or damaged. If it is not, straighten it and make sure the mattress and box spring are even. Always adjust the mattress with your leg and not with your back to avoid any injuries. If the mattress pad is stained, remove it. Get a clean mattress pad and place it on the mattress. Lay the fresh pad on the bed.

30. Unfold the pad right side up and spread it evenly over the center of the bed. Smooth out any wrinkles. Mattress pad or mattress protector comes in different sizes, be sure to use the correct size. Make sure you have the correct size of bed sheets. Do not use a stained or torn sheet. Place them immediately in your soiled linen bag. Take three fresh sheets and pillow cover or slips according to the size of the bed.

31. 2. Procedures in Making Up Beds Pull away the bed from the headboard. This is done by pulling the bed with quick forceful movement. All beds in hotels are designed, with wheels for easy maneuvering. Remove all soiled linen. Shake them for any articles that may be left behind by the guest. Place the soiled linen in the linen in the hamper of the maid’s cart. Check the mattress side-to-side and end-to-end to even it out. Adjust the skirting if there is a skirting. Shake the mattress protector and change it if soiled. Clean the headboard with a feather duster. Open and spread out a clean cover sheet and tuck it securely at the head, sides, and foot.

32. Miter the corners. Open a clean top sheet and spread it evenly on the cover sheet. Make sure that the laundry crease is in the same line as top sheet. The sheets hem must be evenly pulled up to the headboard. Tuck the top sheet to the footboard. Open the blanket and spread it out evenly on the top sheet. The blanket labels should be at the foot of the bed. Pull the blanket eight inches from the headboard and make a fold for the guest to slide in. Fold the top sheet at the head of the bed over the blanket and fold the blanket and top sheet once again. Ensure that the blanket and the top sheet are tucked uniformly under the mattress on both sides and the corners at the foot of the bed are mitered.

33. Fold the corner of the blanket and top sheet. Replace pillowcase with clean ones. Even out the pillowcases to look full, neat and tidy. The side of the pillow with a fold should be on the inside. For turndown service, the breakfast menu knob is placed on the pillow. Cover the bed with a bedspread. Make sure it falls evenly all around the bed. Tuck the bedspread under the pillows. Push the bed towards the headboard making sure that it is aligned.

34. 3. Before Leaving the Room Empty dustbin and ashtrays. Check all fixtures if it is working. Make sure to draw the heavy curtains. Guest clothes that are lying around should be hanged. Replace soiled glasses with clean ones and remove empty bottles. Replace soiled linens if necessary. Replenish supplies like shampoo, toilet paper, etc.

35. Tidy up the bathroom by folding used towels. Wipe the vanity area if required. Set the aircon temperature. Turn off the lights except for night lamp or passage light. Give a final look to make sure everything is done according to the hotel standard. Then lock the door. Update the status and report immediately any maintenance problem found while cleaning.

36. Cleaning Guest Room 1. Procedure in Cleaning a Hotel Guest Room Leave the door wide open as you enter the room.\ Position the maid’s cart. Turn on master switch to check whether the lights are functioning properly, then switch off after checking. Adjust or switch off air-conditioning unit depending upon hotel’s policy. Draw back curtains or draperies to allow light to come into the room. Empty all waste bins from bedroom and bath. Wipe trash bins, place trash bags in the trash bins, an put the bins back to where they are located. Place all the dirty glasses and ashtrays in the bathroom.

37. Place clean bed sheets on a clean desk. Start cleaning by removing or stripping the bed sheets off the bed. Use the bottom sheets as wrapper for dirty sheets. Do not forget to check for hair, debris, and stains. Remove the dirty linen from the room. Pour cleaning disinfectant solution into the toilet bowl to allow solution to work before proceeding to bedroom cleaning. Go back to the bedroom and make the bed. Wipe the lamp starting from the base using appropriate colored cloth for wiping lamp and a multi-purpose cleaner. Dust starting from the top of the highest piece of furniture, tops of picture frames, window frames, and fitted lights. Dusting procedures help in checking for missing or lacking items including defects in the room.

38. Wipe and sanitize surfaces. Use the allotted colored cloth for wiping surfaces to avoid cross contamination. Pay attention to the remote control, all knobs, locks, computer equipment, telephones, and other high contact areas. Vacuum the bedroom. Clean the bathroom. Thoroughly clean hand basin with disinfectant cleaning solution. Soak in hot water all dirty glasses. Wash and allow dirty glasses to drip-dry. Clean ashtrays and allow to dry. Wipe properly the ashtrays. Clean hand basin and wipe to dry. Clean the bathroom shower using appropriate cloth for wiping each surface area to avoid cross contamination. Make sure that showerheads, taps, and soap trays are thoroughly cleaned from soap scum and water marks. Buff it dry.

39. Clean toilet bowl from the inside out, finishing off by ensuring that seat and handles are thoroughly cleaned. Replace bath linen and amenities. Clean bathroom floor last, starting at the farthest end. Check the room at once to ensure all is set to hotel standards. Leave the room with a neutral odor and at a balanced temperature. Vacuum from the back of the room toward the door as you go out and then close the door.

40. 2. Procedure in Removing Room Service Equipment Collect all room service equipment and move them to the floor pantry. Position the room service cart or trolley to the floor pantry. Inform the room service department to clear the trays or trolleys from guest room or floor pantry. Do not place the room service trays or trolleys on the guest corridor or the service elevator.

41. 3. Procedure in Removing Garbage Gather first all recycle items such as newspaper, aluminum cans, glass bottles, etc. and place them either in the bag or on the floor pantry. Remove trash from the waste paper basket and ashtrays and place them on the garbage bag. Pick up all the trash that you will see and put it in the garbage bag. All trash removed from the room, upon leaving that room, should be placed in a garbage bag on trolley. Exercise extra care in removing broken glass, razor, etc. Remove all for disposal items like ash, cigarette buds, etc. into the dust bin.

42. Keep ashtrays and glassware under washbasin tap to wash. With lukewarm water and cleaning solution, clean the ashtrays and glassware with the help of sponge. wash liberally with water the ashtrays and glassware. Wipe with a lint free cloth. After dying, place back the ashtrays and glassware are spotless and clean. Use dry tissue to collect hair from the vanity. Toilet, bathtub, and floor. Do not throw away any guest property that may be wrapped in a tissue.

43. Getting Ready for Cleaning Toilet and Bathroom Always wear your personal protective equipment. This means wearing your working clothes, hair restraint, and rubber gloves. You can wear a mask if you are sanitizing the toilet bowl with chemical solutions.

44. General Techniques in the Cleaning of Toilet and Bathroom Follow the ceiling, wall, and floor cleaning techniques. Clean according to the different types of floor and surface texture or the floors and fixtures. Clean the window edge and sill as per standard operating procedure. Clean the bathtub, lavatory, toilet bowl, and urinal in accordance with standard operating procedures and techniques. Replenish bathroom and toilet supplies after the room has been cleaned and dried. Always take one last look at the room to see if everything is in its proper place.

45. Cleaning the toilet Materials needed: Bucket 5. Toilet gloves 2. Scouring pads 6 . Hand Brush 3. Cleaning towel 7. All-purpose cleaner 4. Rubber gloves 8 . Warm water

46. Procedure: Collect all used bath towels and hand towels in the bathroom and toilet. Place them in a bag for soiled linens. Empty the trash cans. Clean first the bathroom walls. Scrub them with an all-purpose cleaner then rinse. Clean the tiles on the remaining walls. Scrub with an all-purpose cleaning solution (dilute one part of cleaner to 50 parts water.) use a hand brush or scouring pad. Rinse well and wipe with a cleaning towel. Next, clean the shower, the bathtub, and the shower curtains with an all-purpose cleaner. Remove all dirt, spots, stains, and other accumulated dirt like hair strands, bits of soap, and soil. Rinse thoroughly using warm water. Wipe dry with cleaning cloth. Clean and sanitize the toilet bowl. To sanitize is to kill disease-causing bacteria. Pour toilet bowl cleaner all over the toilet bowl. Scrub the seat, seat cover, and sides and front of the toilet bowl. Clean the inside with a toilet bowl brush. Rinse thoroughly with warm water.

47. Disinfect the toilet bowl seat all over with disinfectant. Do this for both urinals and the toilet bowl as these already contain water. Disinfect the inside of the toilet bowl with pure disinfectant. Do this for both urinals and the toilet bowl as these areas already contain water. Clean the bathroom mirror. Apply an all-purpose cleaning solution on the mirror. Dilute one part of cleaner to 100 parts water. Spray or damp, wipe, rinse, and dry with a clean cloth. Using an all-purpose cleaner and a scrub pad, scrub the faucet, lavatory sink, and the stopper. Make a thoroughly scrubbing while paying attention to the corners, sides, and edges. See to it that all soap residues, sticking dirt’s, and soils are removed. Clean the remaining portion of the bathroom wall that has not been cleaned.

48. Wash the drinking glasses. Drain, cover, and put them back in to place. Clean the shelves and the cabinets. Wipe the inside with clean, damp cloth. If there are spots and stains inside out, scrub them with a cleaner solution and then wipe with a clean wet cloth. Do this twice or thrice until the shelves and cabinets are spotlessly clean. Polish all chromes fixtures. Use a clean cloth, a metal cleaner and a polisher if needed. Clean the flooring last. Dilute one-part of all-purpose cleaner to 50 parts water in a bucket. Dilute just enough for the flooring. Rinse and dry. Discard the remaining solution in the bucket. Take one last look all over the toilet and bathroom before leaving.

49. Standards in Cleaning the Toilet and Bathroom Bathroom and washroom The toilet bowls and urinals are sanitized. The toilet is clean inside and out. No refuse is present. The bathroom walls are properly scrubbed. The walls are free of marks, and spots. The walls are wiped dry. There is no soap residue or film remaining on lavatory sink, mirror, and other fixtures.

50. There are no marks or streaks on walls, fixtures, door, doorknobs, and other surfaces. The floor is well mopped, sanitized, and dried. The bathroom mirror is well polished and wiped dry. It is clear and spotless. Bathtub is brightly clean, spot-and mark free, and well dried. The shower curtains are brushed thoroughly and hanged dry. Bathroom supplies are replenished and installed.

51. Insects and Pests and their Control Measures It is recommended that the hotel works with a professional partner in implementing a pest control program to safeguard the hotel’s reputation. As America investor, industrialist, and philanthropist Warren Buffet said, “it takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.” Pest control is a program used to eradicates pests. Pesticide is a chemical used to kill and control pests.

52. Types of pesticides Insecticides are used to control ants, flies, moths, cockroaches, and termites. Herbicides are used to control weeds or other unwanted plants. Fungicides are used to control fungi that are pathogenic or disease-causing. Rodenticides are used to control rats and rodents .

53. Hotel Room Defects and Repair Housekeeping staff’s work is not limited to cleaning. They are also responsible in maintenance checking as they are the ones who see the situations of their assigned floor area. They check the room for maintenance and report their findings to the control desk. The control desk in charge will record it in the room checklist and the maintenanc3e department will take charge of the repair.

54. Defects that could occur in a guest room include: Missing or broken light bulb Breakages Malfunctioning equipment Carpet stains Deliberate damage caused by guest Broken tiles Broken socket.