Areas that are generally assigned to the housekeeping department for the daily upkeep in lodging facilities in an urban area

Areas that are generally assigned to the housekeeping department for the daily upkeep in lodging facilities in an urban area

Abstract
When it comes to what areas are generally assigned to the housekeeping department for the daily maintenance in the lodging facilities it really depends on its size and product offerings as well as what type of facility and who’s the company in charge because everyone has a different standards and ways of maintaining and monitoring their facility. As you’ll see in this paper a facility like a hotel or hospitals use different chemicals, techniques and even the people they employ to maintain their facility.
Keywords: Maintain, Monitor, Lodging, Standard

The importance of guestroom cleanliness is vital to a lodging facility. Public spaces, however, are equally important because they form the basis for a guest 's initial impression of the property and it’s estimated that guests form impressions in seconds and these impressions last forever. For example, a guest that arrives at the hotel and enters through a lobby where the ashtrays are full, the furniture is a mess and the flowers are dying, will have formed negative impressions before they even check-in or might not check in at all. Positive first impressions can be undermined when guests arrive in a room that has not been adequately prepared or maintained. Dirty restaurants can impair the most delicious meal experience. The Housekeeping management aims to deliver high standards in generally challenging conditions, working with limited resources in a pressurized environment. That’s why it’s essential for all public space areas include excellent appearance and impeccable cleanliness. Each facility will have its own requirements for public space cleaning based on its size and product offerings as well as what type of facility it is and who’s the company in charge. Even though all lodging facilities have a general upkeep i.e., keeping the lobby area, the public bathroom and the elevators and stairs clean each of those facilities like Hospitals, Hotels, Nursing Homes, and Country Clubs have specific ways that housekeeping monitors and maintains their daily upkeep. The 1st step in planning the upkeep of the different areas assigned to the HK dept is to establish a list of the items that need to be regularly cleaned, maintained and how frequent they are to be cleaned. After that The Ex. Housekeeper will assign who will be doing what area and making sure it’s getting done.
In the Hotel sector the areas that are generally assigned to the housekeeping department for the daily upkeep are the front hall, front desk area, public rest rooms, stair cases, function rooms and meeting rooms, ballroom, lobby, offices and service areas. If a facility has a restaurant the cleaning of food and beverage areas is mostly a partnership between housekeeping and food service personnel, with the managers of each section agreeing on their cleaning responsibilities. For example, perhaps within a lounge bar the food and beverage personnel would be responsible for maintaining the lounge tables, cushions, sofas and bar area, whereby the housekeeping personnel would vacuum, polish brass fixtures, clean windows and maintain plants. The importance is not who does what as long as one department is given responsibility. Although, some responsibility may be given to food and beverage personnel the executive housekeeper is still responsible overall, and will carry out routine checks to ensure the areas are being cleaned appropriately. When it comes to the lobby area some daily duties may include vacuuming, polishing floors, organizing cushions, wiping tables, polishing mirrors, cleaning plants, emptying bins and polishing brass fittings. The front entrance is the first impression and the last impression for most visitors and so it is the most important that it’s clean and presentable at all times. The appearance of the approach and entrance is also important and so wiping hand smudges from doors, sweeping leaves and removing debris are some of the tasks required to be carried out. Poor weather conditions require additional monitoring and cleaning throughout the day. Another important area that must be kept clean is the public restrooms customers can have a lovely meal in the restaurant but if the toilet they have to use is unclean it can have a negative impact on the whole visit. Refilling toilet rolls, paper hand towels and soap dispensers, emptying bins, cleaning of toilets, hand basins and mirrors and regular mopping are just some of the checks required throughout the day. One very important factor for cleaning public areas is the guests are in and around them at all times, so it’s very important to watch out for safety hazards when cleaning or just finished cleaning. Floors should have non-slip qualities when wet or dry to avoid slips and falls and must put up caution signs during and after cleaning. Remember correct cleaning and maintenance helps improve safety.
In the Hospital sector the need for maintaining bacteria, as well as visual and cleanliness in hospitals has been super important throughout the years. However, in recent years, the need to maintain exceptionally high-levels of environmental sanitation has become even more critical. This increasing awareness of the need to maintain a safe and sanitary environment for hospital patients, staff and visitors, culminated in the issuance by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAH) of new and demanding standards of excellence in hospital sanitation. Additionally, new and more requirements for effective occupational safety and health have created increased demands for controlling the physical facilities and the actions of individuals so as to minimize patient, employee or visitor injury and exposure to infectious disease. All work is performed under close supervision, with detailed instructions provided for specific assignments, and additional guidance given during the course of assignments as necessary. Work is evaluated both for technical accuracy and as an indicator of ability to grasp and successfully apply basic hospital housekeeping principles and practices, ability to exercise initiative and assume responsibility, and potential for successfully performing more responsible hospital housekeeping. Almost everything in the hospital must be cleaned and disinfected especially in the public areas like the lobbies, waiting areas, bathrooms, break/lunch room, cafeteria, patient rooms, railings, machines and anything else that comes in human contact. Again as I stated earlier each facility has a certain way of cleaning and maintaining the daily upkeep for example the Baptist Emergency Center has a day & night shift and during each shift they have certain duties they must perform. For the Day shift Housekeepers must 1) monitor the restrooms and check dispensers every half hour, and polish stainless steel, 2) maintain the 2 lobbies, 3) clean coffee station every half hour, 4) clean the lounges and break rooms, 5) change garbage bags, 6) clean the hallways (picture frames, door frames, high & low dust), 7) keep janitors room/closet clean, 8) clean the MRI and the electricity room (as requested), etc….. For the Night shift housekeepers must 1) keep the center clean, 2) vacuum all rugs, 3) regularly monitor all the rooms, 4) dust and disinfect the base of gurneys, 5) clean and polish water fountain, 6) stock paper dispenser, 7) clean all glass, 8) check and maintain coffee station, etc….. The night shift also has a contractor that comes in and does more of a deep cleaning.
Another important issue when dealing with the daily upkeep and maintenance of a lodging facility is many housekeeping employees are exposed to dangerous chemicals in their daily work routines. These chemicals are powerful cleaners, and, when used properly with proper protective gear, are relatively harmless. However, when used improperly, these same helpful chemicals can cause nausea, vomiting, skin rashes, cancer, blindness, and even death. Chemicals are used to clean all areas of a lodging property including bathrooms, kitchens and floors. Potentially hazardous chemicals are also used to kill insects and rodents. Some housekeeping situations require employees to handle toxic substances to unstop clogs in toilets and other plumbing fixtures. Often the use of such hazardous and toxic chemicals cannot be avoided so continual training in chemical safety is necessary for two reasons, first, misused chemicals can cause serious injury in a short period and second, new employees especially in properties with high employee turnover need to be trained immediately. Not only can this be hazardous to employees but it can also be hazardous to customers and the fixtures as well. For example if a housekeeper uses a wrong chemical to clean a surface and the customer comes in contact with that chemical it can burn and cause damage to the customer and the same goes for the surface and fixtures in the facility. Make sure to label the bottles and rags correctly, never mix chemicals, the result can be potentially deadly like fumes created by mixing bleach with ammonia. Use the right amount of chemicals because an excessive amount may damage surfaces, which now cost money to replace. That’s why it’s very important that your housekeeping staff is aware of all the necessary chemicals and ways to use those chemicals for the safety of themselves, the guests and the facility.
All in all when it comes to what areas are generally assigned to the housekeeping department for the daily upkeep in the lodging facilities it really depends on its size and product offerings as well as what type of facility it is and who’s the company in charge because everyone has a different standard and way of maintaining their facility. Some lodging facilities like hotels are for more aesthetics, while hospitals are aesthetic and health reasons but no matter what all maintain and upkeep their facility for safety among their employees and customers.

Work Cited
"Housekeeping and Accommodation Operations." Student_and_teacher_resources_files/Housekeeping_and_Accomodation_Operations. Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality, June 2010. Web. .

"Position Classification Standard for Hospital Housekeeping Management Series." Hospital Housekeeping Management Series. N.p., Nov. 1998. Web. .

Cited: "Housekeeping and Accommodation Operations." Student_and_teacher_resources_files/Housekeeping_and_Accomodation_Operations. Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality, June 2010. Web. . "Position Classification Standard for Hospital Housekeeping Management Series." Hospital Housekeeping Management Series. N.p., Nov. 1998. Web. .