Clean and service a range of areas (2HK1)

INTRODUCTION

This unit is about daily cleaning routines. It covers cleaning the toilet and bathroom areas, floors, walls and mirrors. It also covers cleaning furnished areas and disposing of both hazardous and non hazardous waste.

When guests enter a room and find it spotless, they know that the housekeeping is second to none. You are right to feel proud.
If the room is spotless then the guest will not look any further for faults. However if they find that the room is dusty they will then take the time to look around for any other problems that may give them cause for concern.

It is not always easy to keep to a high standard all of the time as you will always be working to tight time schedules; there is also your safety to consider with regards to manual handling and the use of cleaning chemicals. A professional housekeeping department should always endeavor to overcome these challenges. Your role is vital in the department in achieving this as part of a team. 

In order in which a room is serviced is essential to effective cleaning. It does not make sense to clean something if a later task will create more dust or dirt. The cycle should be as follows:-

This booklet does not give specific and detailed steps for these tasks, many hotels will have their particular procedure and standard in place for the way of doing things and the use of equipment and chemicals. Cleaning and servicing has its dangers. You should be very aware of the risks and ensure that you work in a safe manner at all times.

Infections and diseases – Avoid direct contact with all bodily fluids as they may contain infectious viruses such as hepatitis, MRSA related infections, etc. To protect yourself, cover cuts and grazes with a waterproof dressing or plaster and wear gloves at all times. Look out for and avoid touching used sanitary products, condoms and tissues. Be careful when emptying waste bins so not to cut yourself on razors or syringes, etc.

Safety - Bending of the knees and keeping your back straight when moving heavy furniture is important to your physical health. Work in the way of which you have been trained, never try to lift and item that is too heavy for you. Chemicals can cause serious damage to health if not used properly. Always read the instructions before use and if you are still unsure seek advice and guidance from your supervisor. Check all equipment you are to use is in good clean safe working order, and if not report to your supervisor.
 
Safety - When servicing a room you will be around the guests belongings. Never pry or remove belongings and never leave a room unattended when open. Don’t lend your key to other staff and never open a room with your own key if a guest asks you to. They may not be a guest at all. Don’t be alone with a guest in a room for your own safety. This may put you at risk of improper suggestions and violence.

Guests’ property - If the room is a stay over then it is likely you will come across guests’ property such as clothes, jewellery, toiletries and personal items. Always treat them with respect. If you need to move them to clean then do so with as little disruption as possible. Refrain from tidying up or folding their clothes, etc.

CLEAN AND SERVICE THE TOILET AND BATHROOM

More often than not the bathroom is left untidy. As a professional you will deal with this. You get on with the job of turning chaos into order quickly and safely, leaving everything clean and hygienic.

Combating and controlling bacteria
The dirt from people’s bodies such as faeces, urine and other bodily fluids are a rich source of bacteria. Bathrooms are an ideal condition for bacteria to breed.
The correct cleaning of bathrooms using the correct chemicals will reduce bacteria levels and get rid of smells. The equipment you use will help control the spread of bacteria and the use of chemicals harmful to other surfaces. Protective clothing, especially gloves should be worn at all times to prevent contamination. If you have to clean up blood, faeces, urine, vomit, semen or any other bodily fluids then take particular care. All of this waste should be disposed of in the correct way for incineration if appropriate.

Chemicals
Make sure you use the correct chemicals to avoid damage to bathroom surfaces and fixtures. Don’t be careless with the cleaning process by sloshing chemicals about. Keep vulnerable areas protected.

Stages of Cleaning the Bathroom

When entering the room, never assume that it is empty. Always knock twice to give the guest time to reply. If the guest re-enters the room, be polite and ask them if they would like you to come back later.
Always report faulty fixtures or appliances to maintenance, such as toilet handles or seats, taps, showers heads and curtains and most importantly light bulbs.
Keep a well-stocked trolley so as not to fall short of supplies. It will slow you down if you have to go to the stores in the middle of a job.

KEY POINTS

• Make sure the room is empty
• Work in a methodical manner
• Always wear protective clothing
• Be careful with chemicals

CLEAN AND SERVICE FURNISHED AREAS

Guest rooms usually contain other furnishings apart from beds such as chairs, sofas, tables etc…As part of the room cleaning procedure these should be serviced regularly. Working in a pattern is essential to prevent cleaned fixtures and fittings being covered in dust again by another activity.

Soft Furnishings - Chairs and sofas should be pulled out and dusted down then hovered using attachments. They should be checked for wear and tear and stains. If there are any faults then these should be reported on the checklist so they can be rectified. Curtains should be pulled back and dusted down or even hovered. The folds in them should be neat and regular.

Fixtures and Fittings - These should be checked to see if they are in good working order. They should be dusted down and polished. If any faults are found they should be reported for action.

Tables and Desks - Should be polished and the equipment on them rearranged.

Waste Bins - All waste bins should be emptied and the waste disposed of appropriately. Take care with sharp objects and always wear glove. The bin should be sanitised after emptying.

Supplies - Supplies should be replenished daily such as paper, pens, tea and coffee facilities, etc.

Electrical Equipment - Such as irons, hairdryers, trouser press, lamps, kettles and TV should be checked to ensure they are in good working order, if these items are not they should be reported to maintenance, so guests are protected against injury or accidents and nothing is left in a dangerous condition.
The correct chemicals, materials and equipment should be used for various surfaces to prevent damage. For instance an abrasive cleaner or material should be never used on a polished surface or it would damage it.

KEY POINTS

• Work in a pattern
• Always use the correct chemicals and equipment for the job
• Report and damage to fixtures or fittings
• Respect guest property

DISPOSE OF WASTE

All types of waste should be disposed of with the utmost care. It may be hazardous to health. It this is the case then it should be disposed of in special receptacles, i.e. a sharps box. Usually waste is disposed of in colour-coded bags.

Red for High Risk

Yellow for General Non-Hazardous

Green for Recycling

Your company may have a scheme for recycling things such as soap, paper, bottles, etc. this is an environmental issue of public concern that all businesses should consider.

Disposing of waste can be made less hazardous by following these suggestions:

• Always wear gloves and any other protective clothing so as to avoid direct contact with waste. Remember even tissues can be hazardous.
• Decide what type of waste you are disposing of then do so correctly in line with your company policy
  - Hazardous – All waste that may contain bodily fluids
  - Broken glass, Needles - Use a sharps box and marked bin bags to dispose of this. Hazardous waste should be incinerated.

Non hazardous – Paper, Food, General - This should be recycled if possible

• If the bin is lined, lift out the liner by its sides. Tie it and put it in the appropriate bin bag. If it’s not lined, empty it directly into the bin bag.
• Clean and sanitise the inside and outside of the bin and put a new liner in.
• Prepare the waste for dispatch at the end of your shift. This may need to be Incinerated, recycling or for external collection by waste companies. Should you come into direct contact with hazardous waste, report it your supervisor immediately who will decide the best course of action to take.

KEY POINTS

• Be Careful – Always wear protective clothing
• Dispose of Waste Correctly
• Report any Unusual Events

RECORD KEEPING WHILST CLEANING AND SERVICING ROOMS

When you are going about your duties as a housekeeper you should always ensure all you do is documented. So for instance you will have a list of rooms that need to be cleaned from your supervisor. This list will include such information as which room is a departure, which is a staying guest and also vacant rooms. You should mark off on this sheet when rooms have been completed, so you know which room you are up to and your supervisor can look and also identify what you have done and what you have to complete. You should also carry with you such documents as a room check list, so you can check against what each room requires, e.g.:- normal day to day activities and extra deep clean duties that may have been assigned. A lost property record, so if you find an item in a guest room that has been a departure this can be documented and passed to your supervisor and returned to the guest. Information that should be recorded on this is the room number, item description, time found and by whom it was found. Any maintenance requests should either by recorded on your room list or a maintenance request so all information is passed over and items can be fixed or replaced before your next guest arrives.