When crafting the perfect hotel experience for your guests, part of the plan has to include top-notch housekeeping routines. Not only does this ensure that your hotel guests will enjoy a clean room, but it can also help make hotel furniture and fixtures last longer.
In the hospitality industry, creating the perfect experience for visitors and patrons is paramount. In this day and age, one or two bad reviews online can be the kiss of death for a business, and for better or for worse, business owners need to be aware of that possibility.
In order to help prevent the dreaded bad review, there are a number of things that business owners can do, but none more important, perhaps, than having a thorough and efficient cleaning and housekeeping plan in place.
Creating the most effective housekeeping checklist doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Check out this list of helpful housekeeping tips and tricks for hotels.
First things first: Open room windows, if applicable
This can take a few extra seconds of time in each room, but the difference it makes can be huge. Upon entering a room, before starting with cleaning anything, open up the windows and shades.
Getting some natural light and airflow in the room can be helpful. In addition to allowing the room to “breathe,” it also provides good ventilation (for when you’re working with cleaning chemicals) and lets you see the details of what needs to be cleaned better.
Next, clear out the clutter
Many housekeepers report that starting with a “blank slate” gives them the easiest job of cleaning a room.
With that in mind, here’s what to do: empty the trash, remove linens, towels, bathmats, bottles of shampoo and other shower products, and anything else laying around.
This removes the temptation to simply wipe around items, or to pick them up and replace them after cleaning onto a wet surface—this can cause ring marks.
Clean bedroom areas first
For minimal bacterial transfer, start cleaning in the bedroom and then clean the bathroom area. This helps improve sanitation and overall cleanliness.
Give cleaning products time to work
Save time scrubbing and let the products you use do the work for you. Spray the shower walls, toilet, and sink down, then clean things like the mirrors and windows while they work.
You’ll find that when you go back and clean everything else, you’ll need to use less elbow grease.
ALWAYS sweep or vacuum before mopping
Mopping should be your last task during the cleaning process. Vacuuming or sweeping ensures that you get the dust and debris off the floor before getting it wet.
Things like wet hair, for instance, can be extremely difficult to clean up off floors, and sweeping or vacuuming can help prevent that headache.
Use a toothbrush to get into nooks and crannies
For places like the screws on the bottom of a toilet, nothing works better or faster than a toothbrush.
Keep everything for cleaning in a cart
One thing that can waste a lot of time, all the time, is having to hunt down every product required for cleaning a hotel room. Housekeepers at their most efficient keep everything they need on a handy cart so that it can be brought from room to room very easily.
This is a basic tip, but it’s surprising how many hotels don’t do this!
Be sure to dust everything
Dusting is a quick and easy job, but it’s very easy to forget certain surfaces in hotel rooms. For instance, it’s easy to forget to dust off exposed light bulbs, which can gather dust quickly and look much dirtier than they are.
You should also shake out the curtains every few days to knock the dust off of them before vacuuming the floors.
Use mattress protectors to extend their lifespan
More of a design idea than a true housekeeping tip, one thing that can help save your hotel a lot of money is to use mattress protectors.
These can protect your mattresses from not only liquids and stains, but also dust mites and allergens. Pillow protectors can offer similar benefits.
Vacuum the furniture, too
Finally, vacuuming the furniture using an attachment to remove dust and dirt can make the room much cleaner. Neglected, these areas can quickly become very dingy and hotel guests will be sure to notice.
And, what’s worse, if guests feel one part of their room hasn’t been adequately cleaned, they may assume the rest of the room isn’t getting enough attention, either. It’s not a good situation, but thankfully, it’s one that is very easily avoided.
When you’re crafting a cleaning and housekeeping checklist for your hotel, be sure to keep these tips in mind. This will help ensure that all hotel guests enjoy their stay and feel comfortable that the rooms in your hotel are properly cared for.
About the author
Lauren Feeley is a freelance writer and consultant for The Champagne Lodge, a boutique hotel located in Willowbrook, IL, near Chicago.
