Principles of Cleaning

Principles of Cleaning

There are basic rules to follow in any kind of cleaning activity, whatever the nature of the surface or the soil:-

1.     All loose dust and litter should be removed before dealing with any stubborn stains/dirt.

2.     Loose dust and litter should be removed without harming the surface being cleaned or the surrounding surfaces.

3.     The surface should be restored to its original state after the cleaning process.

4.     Abrasives should be used as a last resort as they can damage the surface.

5.     Use an agent that is least offensive in smell if alternatives are available.

6.     Use methods that are least convenient to guests.

7.     When cleaning an area, start with the cleaner surfaces and articles and then go on to clean the more heavily soiled ones, so as to prevent the spread of soil from dirty to cleaner surfaces.

8.     The cleaning process should be efficient, using a minimum of equipment, cleaning agents, labour, and time.

9.     The simplest method should be tried first, using the mildest cleaning agent.

10.  The cleaning methods least harmful for the surface should be used.

11.  The cleaning process should be efficient, using a minimum of equipment, cleaning agents, labour, and time.

12.  The simplest method should be tried first, using the mildest cleaning agent.

13.  The cleaning methods least harmful for the surface should be used.

14.  Stains should be removed as soon as they occur.

15.  The cleaner should take all safety precautions while cleaning e.g.

16.  Cleaning agents and equipment should be stacked neatly to one side.

17.  Be sure that during the process of cleaning, areas do not become accident prone e.g. wet, slippery floors, etc.

18.  The cleaner should start cleaning from the farthest end of an area, working towards the exit.

19.  After the cleaning process is over, all equipment should be washed or wiped as applicable, dried, and stored properly; cleaning agents should be replenished and stored; waste discarded; and the area left neat and tidy

frequency of Cleaning

Cleaning tasks may be divided according to the frequency of their scheduling, which depends upon :

1.     The level of soiling,

2.     The type of surface,

3.     The amount of traffic,

4.     The type of hotel, and

5.     The cleaning standards set.

6.     The greater the amount of soiling, the greater will be

7.     Frequency of cleaning carried out.

Cleaning tasks are carried out as per one of the following frequency:-

1.     Daily Tasks

2.     Weekly Tasks

3.     Periodic Tasks

Daily Tasks:

These are routine operations carried out on a day-to-day basis by the staff of the housekeeping department.

These include the regular servicing of guestrooms, cleaning of bathrooms and toilets, suction-cleaning of floors and floor coverings, and so on.

Weekly Tasks:

These, as the term implies, are routine tasks carried out on a weekly basis. These may include the polishing of metal surfaces, dusting of hard-to-reach areas, and so on.

Periodic Tasks:

These are carried out on a monthly, quarterly (every three months), half yearly or annual basis.

Spring-cleaning is a special type of periodic cleaning.

Some of the usual periodic tasks in a hotel include the shampooing of carpets, washing of walls, cleaning of chandeliers, and stripping and polishing of floors.

The higher the standards required, the greater is the task carried out daily and greater the amount of soiling, the greater will be frequency which is carried out.

Different ways of organizing the cleaning of various areas are outlined below:-

1.     Orthodox/conventional/traditional cleaning

2.     Block Cleaning

3.     Team Cleaning

4.     Deep Cleaning and special projects

5.     Spring Cleaning

Orthodox/Conventional/Traditional Cleaning

In this way of cleaning, a GRA completes all the tasks in one guestroom before going on to the next room in the section allotted to him/her.

On an average, a GRA may be required to clean 12-20 rooms in an 8-hour workday.

Block Cleaning

In this way of cleaning, the GRA moves from room to room and completes the same task in every room, before returning to begin the cycle again for the next task on the list.

This involves ‘blocking’ several rooms at a time to form a ‘room section’ and usually more than one GRA will be at work in the section.

For instance, one GRA might take all the beds in that particular room section, while another GRA cleans the toilets, and the third GRA dusts and cleans the area, replenishing supplies that are low.

Team Cleaning

In this method, two or more people work together in the same area, either on the same task or on different tasks.

To organize the team cleaning of guestrooms, two GRAs may be scheduled to clean 30-35 guestrooms a day.

Deep Cleaning & Special Projects

1.     Deep cleaning refers to the intensive cleaning schedule in which periodic cleaning tasks are scheduled for monthly, quarterly, half yearly or annual frequencies.

2.     Deep cleaning involves some tasks that require the housekeeping department to work in coordination with the maintenance department.

3.     Many tasks involved in deep cleaning are complicated and time consuming ones, requiring special equipment, techniques, expertise, and group effort.

4.     These tasks are usually scheduled as special projects.

Deep cleaning tasks include the following:

1.     Shampooing carpets

2.     Vacuum-cleaning upholstery, mattresses, and bed bases.

3.     Rotating and turning mattresses

4.     Thoroughly cleaning of furniture and polishing of wooden furniture.

5.     Stripping, re-sealing, re-polishing, and buffing of floors.

6.     Cleaning hard-to-reach areas such as ceilings, top edges of doors, fans, air-conditioning vents, and so on

7.     Cleaning ornate lighting fixtures such as chandeliers.

8.     Thorough cleaning of walls, windows, and curtain tracks.

9.     Cleaning signage boards.

10.  Thorough washing of bathroom floors, walls, fixtures, fittings, and shower curtains.

11.  Laundering of washable soft furnishings.

Spring Cleaning (Special Cleaning)

It involves periodic annual cleaning of hotel guestrooms or other areas, carried out in off-season periods.

1.     The term is often used synonymously with deep cleaning.

2.     Spring cleaning may involve a complete overhaul of the rooms and is, therefore, scheduled for the off-season or very low-occupancy periods.

3.     Spring-cleaning involves many tasks on which the housekeeping department works in close coordination with the maintenance department.

Intensive cleaning tasks may have to be carried out, for which an entire floor of rooms will have to be taken off sale at a time.

Spring-cleaning tasks may include the following:

1.     Removal of all guest supplies, soft furnishing, and carpets from the rooms.

2.     Sending launderable articles to the laundry.

3.     Polishing wooden furniture, shampooing upholstery, and covering them with dust sheets.

4.     Shampooing carpets.

5.     Stripping and polishing floors.

6.     Cleaning accessories such as lamps, lamp shades, and picture frames.

7.     Stripping any wall covering such as paint or wallpaper and re-painting the walls.

8.     Washing ceilings and walls.

9.     Thoroughly cleaning lighting fixtures, air-conditioning vents, and windows.

10.  Thoroughly cleaning bathrooms, including walls, floor tiles, fixtures and fittings, and shower curtains.

11.  Vacuum-cleaning the mattresses.

12.  Airing the room.

13.  Restocking guest supplies.

14.  Restoring soft furnishing and carpets.

15.  Clearing the rooms to the front desk for sale at the end of a thorough clean

Cleaning Procedures/Cleaning Processes

Cleaning processes may be either mechanical or manual.

Manual Methods

These do not call for mechanized or electronic equipment.

These include:

1.     Sweeping

2.     Dusting

3.     Damp-dusting

4.     Dust-Mopping/Dry-Mopping/Mop-Sweeping

5.     Spot Mopping

6.     Wet-Mopping/Damp-Mopping

7.     Spot Cleaning

Sweeping

1.     This is done to collect dust when the floor surface is too rough for a dust mop.

2.     Push brooms are used large areas and corn brooms are best for corners and tight spaces.

3.     A broom with a long handle is most suitable ergonomically.

4.     Keep the head of the broom flat on the floor at all times.

5.     When using a long-handled broom, use smooth strokes to sweep away from yourself.

6.     Sweeping is not the most efficient, hygienic, or advanced way of removing dust, as so much of it becomes airborne.

7.     Sweeping has in many cases been replaced by the use of suction cleaners now.

8.     Sweeping with a dry mop is called ‘mop-sweeping’.

Equipments required:

1.     Broom,

2.     Dust pan,

3.     Dust bin for collection of dust.

Dusting

1.     This task requires a systematic and orderly approach for efficiency and ease.

2.     Room attendants should start dusting articles at the door and work clockwise around the room.

3.     This minimizes the chances of overlooking a spot.

4.     Fold the duster three times and then thrice again.

5.     This gives you 18 clean folds, making the duster more effective.

6.     No corners of the duster should be left hanging.

7.     A soft, lint free cloth should be used as a duster.

8.     Avoid using old rags, which leave behind their own dust and lint.

9.     In all cases, begin dusting from the highest surfaces so that dust does not fall on items cleaned.

10.  In case you are using a dusting solution, spray a small amount onto the cloth.

11.  Never spray dusting solution directly onto the surface being cleaned as it can stain or cause stickiness.

12.  The duster should not be unfolded in the room after dusting, nor be shaken outside the window.

13.  Carry the duster away carefully to such a place where it can be washed and dried.

Equipments and agents required:

1.     Cloth duster,

2.     feather duster, and

3.     dusting solution if necessary.

Damp-Dusting

This is the most preferred way of cleaning in hotels as surfaces can be wiped as well as dusted, removing any stick or dirty mark at the same time.

A suitable lint-free cloth at the correct level of dampness should be used so as to avoid leaving any smears.

Equipments and agents required:

Cloth duster

Water

Plastic bowl, and

a neutral detergent if necessary.

Dust-Mopping/Dry-Mopping/Mop-Sweeping

1.     This is the preferred way of removing the dust, sand or grit from a floor.

2.     If these substances are not removed from the floor on a daily basis, they will continually scratch the surface finish, diminishing its luster, and will eventually penetrate down to the floor itself.

3.     Dust-mopping is done with a dust-control mop that may or may not be impregnated with a cleaning solution.

4.     Using such a solution stops the dust from rising.

5.     Always carry the mop head upwards very carefully after you are done, and then shake into a bag to clean.

6.     Dust-mopping removes gross soil but also redistributes/or leaves behind amounts of fine particulates.

Equipment required:

1.     Dust-control mop

2.     Dust pan

3.     Dust-collection bag, and

4.     Dust bin.

Spot-Mopping

1.     Spot mopping is essential to the preservation of a floor surface.

2.     Liquids and solids that are spilled on the floor, if left for any length of time, may penetrate the finish and stain the floor.

3.     Clean, cold water should be used so that the finish on the floor is not softened.

Equipments and agents required:

1.     Mop and bucket or a mop-wringer trolley.

2.     Cold water, and

3.     A very dilute solution of neutral detergent if necessary.

Wet-Mopping/Damp-Mopping

1.     A damp mop is used to remove spills and adhered soil that were not removed during the dry removal process.

2.     Wet-mopping will remove light to heavy soil, which could otherwise become embedded in the surface.

3.     Before the floor can be wet-mopped, it must first be dust-mopped.

4.     Add neutral detergent to the mop water for wet-mopping.

5.     The detergent used must be of the variety that needs no rinsing, or else spray diluted detergent from a spray bottle and mop with a damp mop.

6.     If using mop water, immerse the mop in the bucket and wring it out until it is only damp.

7.     The water in the bucket should be changed when it becomes dirty.

8.     A brush may be used for stubborn spots and a squeegee should be used to help speed the drying of the floor.

Equipments and agents required:

1.     Wet mop and bucket or mop-wringer trolley

2.     Squeegee, and

3.     Detergent solution.

Spot Cleaning

1.     This refers to the removal of stains from various kinds of hard and soft surfaces.

2.     To remove a stain, the whole surface need not to be treated with stain-removal reagents.

3.     Just the area where the stain discolours the surface is treated and cleaned in the process of spot cleaning.

4.     Spot cleaning may be used as a cleaning method on walls, fabrics, carpets, or flooring.

Mechanized Methods

These utilize equipment powered by electricity as well as mechanical gadgets.

These include:

1.     Suction Cleaning

2.     Spray Buffing

3.     Polishing

4.     Burnishing

5.     Scrubbing

Suction Cleaning

1.     This is the basic and preparatory step to all other mechanized procedures and should be performed regularly.

2.     Very often it must also be repeated as the end of these processes.

3.     The goal is to remove as much dry soil as possible so that it does not spread, scratch the finish, or damage the surface.

4.     Vacuuming with high-filtration machines is the most complete method of dry-soil removal as it picks up, packages, and removes soil without spreading it around.

5.     Wet-vacuum cleaners are now available, which help to mop up water from floors as well.

6.     These are usually dual-function machines that can be used for both wet and dry work.

7.     Extraction machines for cleaning carpets also work on the principle of suction.

Equipments and agents required:

1.     Wet/dry vacuum cleaner with attachments ,and

2.     A mild detergent for wet-cleaning if necessary.

Spray Buffing

1.     This process uses a 175 or 300-rpm (revolutions per minute) floor machine and a soft pad or brush.

2.     The operator sprays a light mist of a commercial cleaning preparation or detergent and a finishing solution in front of the machine.

3.     As the machine goes over the area, soil, scuffs, light scratches, and marks are removed and the shine is restored to the surface.

Equipments and agents required:

1.     175- or 300-rpm buffing machine with beige pad,

2.     spray bottle,

3.     detergent, and

4.     finishing solution.

Polishing

1.     This process uses a 175-1500-rpm floor machine and a soft pad or brush to remove some soil and put the shine back in the finish.

2.     Equipment required: 175-1500-rpm floor machine and soft pad or brush.

3.     Burnishing

4.     This process uses an ultra high-speed floor machine (1500-2500 rpm) to restore a deep gloss to the floor finish.

5.     Since the finish is ’tempered’ by the friction and heat produced by the burnishing machine, the floor looks better for a longer time.

6.     Vacuuming or dust-mopping and damp-mopping are preparatory steps, and should also be used as follow-up procedures to remove loosened dirt.

Equipment required:

1500-2500 rpm floor machine.

Scrubbing

1.     This process removes embedded dirt, marks, deeper scuffs, and scratches from the floor along with some of the finish.

2.     The type of pad or brush, the type of detergent, the water temperature, and the weight and speed of the machine all determine whether the process is considered light or heavy scrubbing.

3.     For instance, aggressive pads, higher-pH detergent solutions, and fast, heavy machines perform the deepest scrubbing.

4.     Light scrubbing removes just one or two coats of finish.

5.     Heavy scrubbing removes all or most of the finish, down to the protective sealing coat.

Equipments required: Floor maintenance machines with a green pad.

Design Features that simplify Cleaning

1.     Smooth textures; straight, neat, and smooth lines; and medium toned colours are some of the design features in a surface that make for easier cleaning.

2.     Surfaces with these features collect less dust compared to surfaces with rough textures, intricate raised patterns, and grooves.

3.     Medium-toned colours show less dirt than surfaces of darker or lighter shades.

4.     Furniture should be so designed that cleaning under and behind them is easy.

5.     Furniture on castor wheels and glides are easily movable, making cleaning under and behind them easier.

6.     Bed frames should not have a raised edge. Though raised edges help to keep the mattress sunk in place, they may graze the hands of GRAs badly during bed-making.

7.     With regard to carpets, the shorter the carpet pile, the easier the cleaning.

8.     Upholstery too should have the minimum of decorative features such as buttons, gathers, etc.

9.     Surfaces such as solid wood are now being substituted by laminates wherever possible.

10.  While solid wood requires regular buffing and polishing, laminates are low-maintenance surfaces.

11.  A regular damp-dusting is usually sufficient for laminates. The drawback of laminates is that they lack the richness and elegance of solid wood.

12.  Wood-polishes are stain-resistant and long-lasting, are a boon to housekeepers as wooden surfaces become fairly easy to maintain with the use of these polishes.

13.  Another high-maintenance surface that requires constant polishing is brass.

14.  Brass becomes easily tarnished, and more so in coastal climates.

15.  Laminated brass surfaces are easier to maintain as they do not require regular polishing, and should be preferred in hotels.