Great housekeeping is the hallmark of an incredible hotel experience, and customer experience is everything in the hotel industry. What are the best practices to ensure all hotel rooms are fresh and clean for new customers and that the reviews of the establishment reflect its stellar housekeeping?
In this guide, we feature all the information necessary to maintain hotel cleanliness at a level that will impress guests and blow away industry standards.
What Should Be Included in Hotel Housekeeping?
A supervisor will oversee all shifts of housekeeping teams in the hotel to make sure standards are upheld across the board. The following list contains a few strategies to include in hotel housekeeping procedures:
All signs of previous guests should be removed by rearranging the room and cleaning it from top to bottom. Every guest should feel like the first person to occupy the space.
Depending on the hotel standards, housekeeping may require daily bed making and towel service, refilling the bar and other amenities and/or turndown service.
After a guest checks out, deep cleaning is required in the bathroom, bedroom, sitting area and, if applicable, kitchen areas.
Most hotel housekeeping managers are responsible for ordering supplies — everything from consumable items like shampoos and soaps to items that will need to be replaced over time due to wear and tear, such as sheets and towels.
Tips for Effective Housekeeping Managers:
It should take about 45 minutes for one housekeeper to clean a single hotel room. This can vary slightly depending on the size of the room. In any given eight-hour shift that includes a meal break, it is reasonable to expect a single housekeeper to clean 10 rooms. With that in mind, consider the following tips:
Maintain a checklist for each type of room, such as queen, king, kitchenette, on each shift to ensure staff members always know all job responsibilities and when to do them.
Not all rooms will be cleaned daily — it takes far less time to provide turn-down service, and not all rooms will be occupied each night and require cleaning the following day. Because of this fact, use the average rate of occupancy to schedule staff and calculate the supplies needed.
What Should Be Included on the Checklist for Each Post-Checkout Hotel Room Cleaning?
Make sure the following items are included on your post-checkout hotel room cleaning checklist:
Keep all doors open during the cleaning. This includes the balcony. Open the windows if possible, and run the fan to air out the room and avoid a buildup of fumes related to chemical disinfectants and other cleaning supplies.
Remove all bed linens, and remake the bed with a fresh set.
Remove all towels, and replace them with clean ones.
Empty all trash bins. Clean the inside of the bins as needed, putting in a new trash bag when the bin is dry.
Remove and replace all used disposable items. This includes cups, eye masks and other disposable items that have been used.
Wash any dirty dishes. Put away clean dishes that have gone through the dishwasher.
Wipe down all surfaces with chemical disinfectant. Take the time to reach tall windowsills and shelves and spend extra time on frequently handled items like the TV remote control. Allow surfaces to air dry.
Use an extended-handle cleaning tool. This will help to clean surfaces that are out of reach but tend to collect dust and cobwebs.
Vacuum carpets, curtains, couches and chairs. Make sure all dirt and allergens are removed. Spot treat any stains.
Note all items taken from the mini bar for billing purposes. Replace as needed.
Note if there are missing towels, pillows or kitchen supplies or utensils for billing purposes. Replace as needed.
Report any new or excessive wear and tear. Look for this on furniture, mattresses and appliances, and report this information to the shift manager or immediate supervisor.
Check inside drawers, under the bed and behind chairs for items that have been left behind. Make a note of which room they came from and put them on the housekeeping cart so they can be returned to the guest.
Clean the floors last. Sweep and vacuum from the innermost part of the room so you end by the door. Don’t forget to get in between appliances and counters, under beds and behind toilets.
Close windows and doors and conduct one final walkthrough. This will ensure everything was done well.
What Should Be Included on the Checklist for Turndown Service?
Turndown services take much less time than checkout cleaning. There are a few items to address that will make the final checkout cleaning faster and easier while serving guests well.
Remove any soiled linens or used towels and replace them with a fresh supply.
Empty the trash receptacles if they are full and put in new bags.
Sweep and vacuum as needed.
Wipe down surfaces if messy.
Leave a note letting the guest know how to contact guest services should they require any more towels, a full bed linen change or other consumable items.
What Should Be Included on a Deep Cleaning Checklist?
There may not be time for deep cleaning after every single guest, especially during the busy season or when guests require a late checkout or early check-in.
However, every quarter, each hotel room should undergo a thorough deep cleaning that involves the following tasks:
Steam clean all upholstered furniture, including the headboard if it is upholstered.
Polish hardwood floors. Use appropriate polishes on tile or marble floors and surfaces.
Vacuum the furniture, mattress and curtains.
Attend to the bed by washing any mattress and pillow protectors or pads under the bed linens and flip the mattress if needed. Replace pillows every year or two or when they lose their shape.
Treat granite or marble counters with the appropriate polish and replenishment cleaners.
Check all appliances thoroughly to make sure they work on all settings and have no broken parts or missing light bulbs. Change or clean filters as needed.
Steam clean the carpets last.
These tasks will likely be done in addition to the usual checkout cleaning, so it is important to ensure housekeeping staff members have enough time scheduled in their shift to do the job well.
What Housekeeping Supplies, Equipment and Other Products Should Be Replaced Regularly?
There are a number of supplies relevant to housekeeping that must be maintained at all times beyond the soaps and shampoos that go in each room. These include the following:
Housekeeping uniforms: If housekeeping uniforms don’t look clean and pressed, it sends a negative message. Convey the right message with bright and clean uniforms that make it clear housekeeping employees are hotel staff members.
Disposable gloves, hairnets, masks and/or aprons: Make sure housekeeping staff have all the supplies they need to keep them safe from exposure to cleaning chemicals and any toxins left behind by guests.
Chemical and nonchemical disinfectants: From toilet bowl cleaners to dishwashing liquid and a range of surface cleaners in between, several disinfectants must be maintained and replenished regularly.
Towels and bed linens: Towels and bed linens are the most frequently used items in a hotel room, and they say everything to a guest about the level of cleanliness and care they can expect from the establishment. It’s important to ensure towels are fluffy and clean and bed linens are bright white and free from stains or holes.
Cleaning cloths: Cleaning cloths must be cleaned frequently and thoroughly to kill all bacteria and ensure no dirt or germs are transferred from room to room. These must be replaced as needed.
Scrub brushes, sponges, mop heads and vacuum filters/bags: Similar to cleaning cloth procedures, mop heads; scrub brushes used in toilets; sponges used to scrub stuck-on messes; and filters in cleaning appliances like steam cleaners, floor polishers and vacuums must be replaced as needed to make sure no hard work goes to waste.
Paper towels, large trash bags and other disposable items: Disposable cleaning items such as large trash bags attached to the housekeeping cart, paper towels for cleaning mirrors and windows and other disposable cleaning items must remain stocked so housekeeping staff always have what they need to do their best work in any cleaning situation.
Alsco Can Help Keep All Housekeeping Supplies Filled
From cleaning towels to guest towels, housekeeping uniforms to hairnets and chemical disinfectants to air freshener sprays, Alsco can ensure all supplies in housekeeping are clean and available on an as-needed basis.
Hotel management can create orders tailored to the hotel’s needs, relieving the need to maintain huge storage areas full of chemicals and supplies to get the best bulk deal.
Alsco can also launder all linens and uniforms, replacing worn items as needed while topping off all cleaning supplies when they run low. Additionally, Alsco can manage soap and paper towel levels in shared spaces, clean lobby rugs and more.
To find out how Alsco can support your hotel, call now to get a personalized consultation and learn more about the options available.