Table of Contents
Q.1. List step by step procedure of cleaning a check-out room.
Making up of a Checkout Room/Departure Room:
PROCEDURE FOLLOWED IN ENTERING THE GUEST ROOM:
- During Hotel Guest Room Cleaning always knock the door announcing Housekeeping.
- If there is no answer, after 15 seconds knock the door again the second time announcing Housekeeping.
- If there is still no answer, use the master key to open the door announcing Housekeeping and enter the room while knocking.
Departure Guest Room and Bathroom Cleaning:
When a guest releases a room and leaves the hotel that particular room is known as ‘departure room or check-out room.’ The housekeeping department has to clean the room, get the room ready so that the hotel can sell that particular room to some other guest also.
The following are the steps how to clean a departure room for guest room cleaning;
- Switch off the room air- conditioner or heating. Remove all the curtains and open the windows for airing the room
- Remove soiled linens from bed and bath. Shake out the linen to ensure that guest articles are lost in the folds of the linens.
- Check for maintenance requirements and report the same to the control desk and enter in the room checklist.
- Contact room service to remove extra trays and glasses.
- Turn the mattress side –to side on succeeding days followed by end –to end turning. Smooth out the mattress and air it.
- Clean the carpet with the help of vacuum cleaner or carpet brush.
- Empty all the ashtrays and waste paper baskets.
- Clean the bathroom and replenish all the required supplies is also a part of guest room cleaning.
- Collect all the old newspaper and magazines which the guest has left over and keep in chamber maid’s trolley.
- Use stiff upholstery brush or vacuum cleaner on upholstered furniture arms backs and seats.
- Replace all the stationery as prescribed by the management. The number of items must exactly be as per standard.
- Dust and replace each item on the dresser and desk. Special attention must be given to the display of publicity materials as prescribed by the management.
- Clean lamp shades with a clean duster. Lift lamp and clean under the base. Replace lamp if damaged and adjust the shade.
- Disinfect the telephone in the room and bathroom with the Dettol Wipe balance of the telephone with a damp cloth. Then check for dial tone.
- Clean mirrors with a dry cloth first then with a damp newspaper, to make it sparkling.
- Dust all the closet, shelves hangers and rods. Brush the closet floor. Supply new laundry bags and replace the missing hangers
- Dust both sides of the room doors, head boards, window sills inside and outside the window rails air conditioning unit.
- Close all the windows.
- Change the bed linens and bath linens.
- Arrange the furniture if necessary.
- Have a final look at the room.
- Inform the desk control the room is ready and guest room cleaning is done.
OR Draw the format of a guest room inspection report and explain its use.
Every guest room must be checked on daily basis by housekeeping supervisor, this will help the hotel to attain high guest satisfaction in terms of room comfort and also for safety reasons.
If the floor supervisor is not being able to check the room by the end of shift, the Asst. Executive housekeeper must do it before releasing the room for guest occupancy.
Use of a pre-printed room inspection check-list form will prove effective for the hotel management. It will establish a set procedure ensuring that will remind both Housekeeping Supervisor / Executive and Room maids of any defects and missing amenities for the guest.
Guest Room Inspection Report is Very Useful; it helps to –
- Maintain housekeeping standards
- Keep guest safe & secure
- Keep good working order of facilities
- Remind housekeepers of any missing items.
Q.2. Write the procedure of bed making for morning service of a room in a five-star hotel.
Preparing for Bed Making:
- Remove soiled bed linen from the bed.
- Look at the mattress pad / mattress protector to see if it is stained, torn or damaged. If it is not straightening 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, then remove it.
- Get a clean mattress pad and place it on the mattress:
- Lay the fresh pad on the bed.
- Unfold the pad right-side up and spread it evenly over the centre of the bed.
- Smooth out any wrinkles.
- Mattress pads / mattress protector comes in different size, be sure to use the correct size.
- Make sure you have the correct size sheets.
- Do not use a stained or torn sheet. Place them immediately in your solid linen bag.
- Take three fresh sheets and 04 pillow cover / slips as per the bed size.
Making the Bed:
- Pull the bed a little away from the headboard.
- Spread the 1st bed sheet and tuck the bottom side of the bed except for the four corners.
- Take the loose end of the sheet, about a foot from the corner at the head of the bed and pull it straight out, foaming a flap. Pull up the flap so it is flat.
- Tuck in the free part of the corner.
- Pull the flap out toward you and down over the side of the bed. Tuck the flap in.
- Move to the corner at the foot of the bed on the same side of the bed and repeat the procedure.
- Spread the second sheet the wrong side up, from the edge of mattress.
- Put Quilt 6” lower than the 2nd sheet.
- Spread the third sheet over the quilt.
- Fold the second sheet above the quilt and the third sheet and make a fold approximately 6” to 8”.
- Tightly tuck the sheets under the mattress.
- Go towards the foot of the bed and tightly tuck the second sheet, quilt and third sheet together.
- Maître the corners.
- Inset the pillows into the new pillowcase and tuck in the loose ends.
- Repeat this process for the other pillows.
- Place the pillow on the bed with the tucked edges facing the centre and the tucked flaps on the other side of the pillows.
- Position the bedspread on the bed with equal amounts hanging over both sides and the foot of the bed.
- Report to the supervisor if you notice stains or tears in the bedspread.
- Smooth the bedspread over the pillows to the head of the bed.
- Tuck the remaining of the bedspread under the front edge of the pillows.
- Smooth the surface of the bed.
- Check the bedspread for evenness on both sides.
- Push back bed towards the side of headboard in the exact position.
- All the four corners of the bed is mitered properly. Bed linen is stain free and properly pressed. Bed has to be firm.
- Distance of the pillow from Headboard to the fold of the bed is approximately 20”
OR Elaborate in detail on guest’s special requests.
Handling Guest Special Requests
As a service to the guests, hotels provide a variety of items that the travelers need but are not kept in the rooms as a standard. The HK department takes care of the special requests of the guest and these items are loaned to the guest at no charge. Such items are generally placed with the HK control desk. These are also known as ‘Guest Loan Items’. Some of the items which may be requested by the guest are:
- Voltage/International Adaptors,
- Scissors
- Hot water bag
- Nail cutter
- Iron & Iron board(in case if not already placed in the room)
- Furniture items, like extra chair
- Hard bed, Piece of wood placed under the mattress to make a bed firm and reduce back pain
- Extra beds, Chargeable
- All out Machines
- Torch
- Special Pillows(cotton, hard pillow, etc) many people request for foam pillows since they are allergic to feather pillows
- Baby Cot
- In door games
- Umbrella
- Cane Stick
- Wheel Chair
- Hair Dryer
- Thermometer, etc.
In most of the hotel desk supervisor maintains Extra Item/Loan Item cupboard in which these special items are placed.
NOTE: An extra blanket, pillow or towels are very normal requests. Some guests may request for a bathrobe, more shampoo, floral arrangements etc.
NOTE: Not all requests by the guest are for additional / extra items, some are for service e.g. the room to be serviced, shoe shine, laundry to be picked up etc.
- Once the guest requests for special items it is recorded in the guest’s special request register/ guest call register/ message register by the control desk supervisor.
- The concerned GRA/ floor supervisor is informed so that the particular request is attended to at the earliest.
- The time of receiving the request from the guest & the time request being forwarded to the Floor Supervisor is recorded in the Message Register.
- The GRA / Floor Supervisor accordingly take appropriate action i.e. Guest request is fulfilled
- Once the requirement of the guest is full filled; floor supervisor gives a follow up call to the control desk.
- The items given on special request are recorded in the floor register / floor log book
- The entries are also made on the occupancy board and the log book. This gives information to the subsequent shift’s desk supervisor.
- In case the guest is checking out the request items are removed from the room and the information is erased from the board.
- The special request items are handed over by one shift to another shift. After every shift items are counted and handed over to the next shift
Q.3. How would you clean the following? (any two)
(a) Swimming Pool
The daily cleaning of the swimming pool usually comes under the purview of the housekeeping department.
The primary concerns in cleaning swimming pools are:
- Water Clarity: Swimming pool water is filtered regularly to remove all particulate matter. When filters are not effective, use a backwash cycle, in which a reversed water flow is created through the valves. This forces the discharge of debris into the sewer system.
- Water Chemistry Control: pH of the water is maintained so as to suit the human body and also to control the growth of harmful bacteria in the pool water.
- If the water is too alkaline, the sides and bottom of the pool will become slippery and prone to black algae.
- If the water is too acidic, it may deteriorate the pool finish and damage the pump.
- Chlorine or bromine were earlier used for this purpose, but now are discouraged because of certain health hazards such as eye irritation, hair loss, and skin rashes resulting from exposure to these.
- Nowadays ozone treatment is done.
Ozone is injected into the water supply at the point where it enters the pool. Ozone treatment also makes the pool water clear, sparkling, and attractive. It does not affect the neutral pH of water. Moreover, ozone is odor-less and does not pose any health hazard to swimmers.
(b) Chandelier
MANUAL METHOD:
It is used when the area has least/zero traffic
CLEANING EQUIPMENT REQUIRED: Lint free rags and dusters, buckets
CLEANING AGENTS REQUIRED: Methylated Spirit (solvent based solution) or Ammonia
PROCEDURE:
- Switch off power supply
- Lower down the chandelier
- Dismantle each piece of the chandelier very carefully including the bulbs/ CFLs
- Wash each piece in methylated spirit or ammonia solution
- Dry and Buff each piece (rinsing is not required)
- Mantle up the chandelier and set it back into position
MECHANICAL METHOD:
CLEANING EQUIPMENTS REQUIRED: Plastic sheet or canvass to protect the floor, spray machine
CLEANING AGENTS REQUIRED: Methylated Spirit (solvent based solution)
PROCEDURE:
- Switch off the power supply
- Remove the bulbs/ CFLs
- Cover the lower part of the chandelier with a plastic/ canvas sheet so that no solution falls on the floor during the cleaning process (it can have a hole in the centre with a pipe attached to drain off the solution otherwise the sheet may become unstable due to heavy weight)
- Lower the chandelier till a manageable height (do not bring it to floor level)
- Spray clean the chandelier with a solvent based solution (no need to buff)
- Put the bulbs/ CFLs, check the functioning and raise it back to position
(c) Guest Elevator
Elevator surfaces may consist of carpet, vinyl, mirrors, glass, steel, wood or a combination of materials. Each surface will require a specific method for cleaning. Mostly one finds elevator doors made of steel and these show grease marks from fingers easily hence wiped many times a day.
Elevators should be cleaned daily and a more thorough cleaning may be done on a periodic basis. The tasks here are as follows:
- Damp dust the steel doors, inside and out, using a neutral detergent solution and then wipe clean using water. Dry with a clean duster.
- Damp dust the inside wall panels, door panels, and control panel. A neutral detergent may be used for the purpose and the residue removed with a duster dampened with clean water.
- Clean glass and mirrors
- Vacuum Clean the elevator floor if carpeted. If it is hard floor, mop the floor.
- Vacuum Clean the door tracks on all the floors using a crevice—cleaner attachment on the vacuum cleaner.
- Lightly damp dust the ceiling and light fixtures. These may be thoroughly cleaned periodically.
Clean any A/C or ventilation ducts using a vacuum cleaner.
Q.4. What are pests? Name five pests encountered in hotels. Enumerate the importance of pest control.
A pest is any animal or plant which has a harmful effect on humans, their food or their living conditions. Pests include animals which: carry disease-causing micro-organisms and parasites.
TYPES OF PESTS-
- INSECTS-COCKROACH, TERMITE, BEETLE, FLEAS
- ANTHROPODS-SPIDER, ANTS. TICKS
- RODENTS-RAT, MICE
- MICROBIAL ORGANISMS – BACTERIA
NAME OF SOME PESTS ENCOUNTERED IN HOTELS ARE-
- Cockroach (Insect)
- Flies (Insect)
- Silver Fish (Insect)
- Fleas (insect Parasite)
- Bed Bugs (Insect Parasite)
- Lice (Insect Parasite)
- Ant (Insect)
- Wood Worm (Insect)
- Carpet Beetle (Insect)
- Rats (Rodents)
Importance of Pest Control– Beyond its use in homes, pest management is very important for us for a number of reasons. Here are some of those reasons:
- One of the most important reasons why pest control is needed is because of health. Pests can bring diseases that can be quite serious. One of the most serious epidemics, the bubonic plague which caused millions of death in the World in Medieval times came from rats and other rodent pests. Cockroaches and other pests can also carry germs into their body. That should be your main concern when it comes to having pests in your home.
- Pests can have an impact on production and resources. This is the main reason why pest control is vital to in agriculture and other industries. Sometimes pests can be such a huge problem that they will seriously affect the production of one industry. They can wipe out production and bring it down to zero if they are not controlled.
- Aside from the damage that they can do to resources and production, they can also cause some serious damage to the existing structure and things. Sometimes the damage can be so severe that a whole structure would be rendered useless because of it, like in cases where termites have eaten away at a wooden structure.
- Then there is also the fact that pest control is needed in order to keep appearances. Whether it is a home or an office, having pests running around is never going to be a good thing. It would have to be taken care of.
Q.5. List any ten precautions you would take as a GRA on the guest floor.
Some Precautions are –
- The GRA should be calm and polite to the guest, greeting them according to the time of the day.
- A GRA should not knock on the door or try to access a guestroom when the DND card is displayed on the door knob. If the card has been displayed for a long time, the matter should be referred to the supervisor.
- GRA’s should follow the standard procedure for entering a guestroom. A GRA should knock softly on the door with the knuckles and announce in a steady, soft voice ‘housekeeping’. If there is no answer, the GRA should wait for a few moments and knock again. He/she should announce housekeeping again. If there is no answer, the door should be held slightly ajar and the announcement housekeeping repeated. If the guest does not respond, it can be assumed that the room is empty and the GRA can enter and proceed to clean it.
- In case the guest answers the knock, the GRA should introduce himself/herself and ask if they would like their room serviced. If yes, the GRA should proceed to clean the room. Alternatively, the guest might not want service immediately. In this case ask for their convenient time
- GRA should keep the door wide open when doing the cleaning.
- GRA should keep their trolley parked in such a way that the guest corridor is free for movement. The room service tray should not be kept in the guest corridor. The staff should not leave any kind of notes to the guest.
- GRA should not throw any paper or item found in check out rooms. All the items found should be reported to the supervisor and handed over to the lost and found section.
- The GRA should always remain calm in front of the guest- running about in haste or due to panic must be avoided.
- The GRA should keep an eye open for any suspicious and untoward activity being indulged in by a guest on the guest floor. They should remain alert at all times and display presence of mind.
- When a GRA enters the guestroom to service it, he/she should cast a keen eye around to check whether there is any damage to any guestroom fixtures or fittings or if any standard items are missing.
Q.6. Differentiate between (any five):
(a) Bath sheet and bath towel
| S.no. | BATH SHEET | BATH TOWEL |
| 1. | Bath Sheet is expensive | · Bath towels are less expensive than bath sheets.
|
| 2. | Bath sheets are larger in size. | Bath towels are shorter than bath sheet. |
| 3. | · Bath sheets are perfect for wrapping around your body, but are too big to wrap around your hair.
|
Bath towels are highly versatile, and can be used to dry off and wrap around your hair. |
| 4. | Bath sheets can be used in standard sized towel bars and racks, but because of their size are more likely to be found hanging from a hook on the back of your bathroom door. | Bath towels easily fit on all towel bars and racks |
(b) Shower curtain and sheer curtain
Shower Curtain – The shower curtain has two main purposes: to provide privacy and to prevent water from flooding or spraying outside the shower area. Shower curtains usually surround the bath inside the tub or shower area and are held up with railings or curtain rods high on the wall or ceiling.
Sheer Curtain – A sheer curtain is the type that allows the lightest through the fabric, which also means it offers the least privacy. If held up to your face, it’s possible to see completely through the fabric. Sheer curtains are sometimes paired with opaque drapes for a more formal look, as well as additional privacy after dark.
(c) Guest expendables and Guest essentials
| No. | Guest essentials | Guest expendables |
| 1. | Guest essentials are regarded as those items which are certainly for meeting the guest requirements and to improve the service. | Unlike guest essentials, guest expendables are planned to be used up by the guest. |
| 2. | Some guest essentials are –
Clothes hangers, ashtray, DND signs, bins, shower mats, etc. |
Some guest expendables are –
Stationary, toilet tissue, bath soap, laundry tickets, disposal slipper, etc. |
(d) Maid’s report and housekeeper’s report
| No. | Maid’s Report | Housekeeper’s Report |
| 1. | It is prepared by the maid/ GRA while cleaning / service / checking rooms of a section on the floor. | It is prepared by the desk housekeeper/right supervisor after receiving various GRA’s/maid’s report from different floors. |
| 2. | Same report is handed over to desk housekeeper/night supervisor by them at the end of the shift. | They are required to consolidate them and prepare a common housekeeper’s report for all rooms of the hotel. |
| 3. | For format refer to journal | For format refer to journal. |
(e) Spring mattress and foam mattress
| No. | Spring Mattress | Foam mattress |
| 1. | Spring coil mattresses were invented in the late 19th century. They are made of steel coil springs to support the body and give the mattress a bouncing effect. There are many varieties of coils used for manufacturing spring coil mattresses | Foam mattresses appeared in 1996, just after NASA had invented a material called “Memory Foam” — polyurethane with additional chemical ingredients — to make the material more viscous and dense. The life story of mattresses changed after this. |
| 2. | Spring coil mattresses don’t provide as much relief to the body’s vital pressure points as foam mattresses do. | Foam mattresses are incredibly comfortable and distribute body weight evenly. |
(f) Silver fish and cockroaches
| No. | Silver Fish | Cockroaches |
| 1. | a silvery bristletail that lives in houses and other buildings, chiefly nocturnal and feeding on starchy materials. | a beetle-like scavenging insect with long antennae and legs. Several tropical kinds have become established worldwide as household pests |
| 2. | It is small in size | It is large in size as compare to silverfish |
Q.7. (a) Explain the types of keys used in hotels.
Types of Keys
Emergency Key:
- Opens all doors in the property, even double locked
- E Key overrides the catch or deadbolt put on by the guest
- Should be well protected
- Stored in a secure place such as hotel safe, or metal cabinet
- GM or Security Officer have the access
- Used in case of emergency such as fire
Master Keys:
Grand Master Key:
- Opens all the guest rooms and often all HK Storage room
- Can be used in Emergency situation when it is vital for a manager to enter some area
- It is kept under lock & key at front desk
- Can open Double Lock
Master Key/ Pass Key;
- Kept with the Asst. Housekeeper/ Deputy Housekeeper
- Open all the guest rooms except Double Lock
Floor Master Key:
- Open the rooms in a floor
- Cannot open Double Lock
- Floor keys are carried by the supervisor assigned to a floor
Section/ Sub Floor Master Key
- Open rooms in one Work Section
- Cannot open Double Lock
- Assigned to HK attendant cleaning one section
Guest Room Keys:
- Issued to guest upon their registration
- Opens single guest room
- Cannot open Double Lock
- Guest are asked to hand in their keys at the time of check out
- Keys are stored at the front desk in the key rack (away from the view of passerby)
Supply Key:
- Used within the service sector of the hotel
(b) Discuss the procedure to handle lost and found articles in hotels.
Handling Lost Articles:
- Any Lost article found anywhere in the hotel is sent to the HK Control Desk
- The details of the lost article: where it was found, who found it is informed to the desk supervisor
- Once article is received LOST &FOUNF SLIP is filled in triplicate: first copy is attached with the article; second copy is sent to the front office (for updating the profile of the guest, so that the article can be handed over to the guest in case guest checks in again) and third copy is retained in the book.
- Each article is given a serial number, which makes it easy to locate in the storage.
- All details are properly noted e.g.
- Where found means – room number usually or public area or location where the article found.
- Article and description should be clear
- Finder’s name is important to record for possible distribution later.
- Disposal must also be recorded
- Article is packed and kept in the Lost &Found Cupboard (to store the current week’s articles, as they are likely to be traced for within a week) and then transferred to the lost and found room)
- LOST & FOUND REGISTER is updated with all the details
- Letter to the guest is also sent to inform the guest about the Lost & Found article kept in hotel.
Q.8. Write the full form of the following:
(a) FF&E: Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment
(b) DND: DO NOT DISTURB
(c) SPLAT: Self- Propelled Loader and Trailer
(d) SB: SCANTY BAGGAGE
(e) HWC: HANDLE WITH CARE
(f) OOO: OUT OF ORDER
(g) NC: NOT CLEANED
(h) c/o: CHECK OUT
(i) V: VACANT
(j) DL: DOUBLE LOCK
Q.9. Define the following terms briefly:
(a) Sauna: A small room used as a hot-air or steam bath for cleaning and refreshing the body.
(b) Loofah: The fibrous matter of the fluid-transport system of a marrow-like fruit, which is dried and used as a bath sponge.
(c) Shoe Horn: Shoe horn(sometimes called a shoe spooner or shoe tongue) is a tool that enables the user to insert the foot more easily into a shoe.
(d) Bidet: It is type of WC, a low oval basin used for washing.
(e) Seersucker: Seersucker is a thin, puckered, all-cotton fabric, commonly striped or chequered, used as a curtain.
(f) Vanity Unit: A unit comprising a wash basin and mirror, surrounded by flat area where soap, dental kits, saving kits, and tooth glasses are kept.
(g) SICO Bed: This is a kind of multipurpose Bed, which can be used as a Sofa for meeting room during the day and as a bed during the night.
(h) e–Key: The emergency key opens all guestroom doors, even when they are double locked.
(i) Jacuzzi: A large bath with a system of underwater jets of water to massage the body.
(j) Sani Bin: Metal bin with a lit kept in wash room for throwing of disposed toilet rolls.
Q.10. Fill in the blanks:
(a) Guest rooms that room attendants usually clean first are VACANT ROOM.
(b) CONTROL DESK is known as the nerve centre of housekeeping.
(c) A crinkle sheet is also known as THIRD SHEET.
(d) Thin curtains hung in the guest room window is called SHEER CURTAIN.
(e) TURN DOWN SERVICE is preparing the bed for the guest in the evening to go to sleep.
(f) When not in use, Maid’s trolley, cleaning machines are generally kept in the FLOOR PANTRY on guest floors.
(g) FLOOR KEY opens a section of rooms on one floor and is used by the room attendant.
(h) Publicity cards placed in the guest room are called TENT CARD.
(i) JACUZZIS are whirlpools in which alternative jets of warm water bring about therapeutic effect.
(j) Quilts filled with down feathers or synthetic fiber is DUVET.