Functional Area in Housekeeping.

Functional Area

Restaurants, Banquet halls, Bar, Waiting Rooms.

• Restaurants: Most of the stars hotel has more than one restaurant and each restaurant has its own food concept and the ambiance is related to the concept. The housekeeping department has to meet proper sanitation standards and may be responsible for maintaining the dining areas with the help of restaurant staff. The service staff help in the task of cleaning:

1. When the restaurant carpet is vacuumed the service staff helps them to move the chair and table for smooth works.
2. Dusting the entire dining room, furniture’s, spot-cleaning the walls, and wiping the entire glass surface with proper glass cleaner.
3. One in a month the furniture’s should be polished.
4. Checking and cleaning the lighting fixtures.
5. Pest controlling as and when required.
6. The door of the restaurant should be cleaned daily from both sides.
7. If any trash found in the dining area then pick them up immediately. Not only the housekeeping staff but, service staff is also responsible to do the same.

• Banquet hall: Banquet halls are used for conferences, dinners, conferences, conventions, exhibitions, mini parties, etc. when banquets hall is booked then on that day proper cleaning, sanitizing, vacuumed (if carpet) or cleaning the floor take place. For that movement, a large force is required a few hours before and after to set up the banquet hall. The cleaning process includes daily and weekly cleaning tasks.

1. Flower arrangement, notepad, the pencil should be provided and arranged.
2. In case another event is scheduled back to back then bottles, glasses, replenish stationery if needed, rearrange the furniture, replace the flower if spoiled, vacuumed the carpet with the help of service staff.
3. Dusting the entire dining room, furniture’s, spot-cleaning the walls, and wiping the entire glass surface with proper glass cleaner.
4. If any trash found in the dining area then pick them up immediately.
5. Checking and cleaning the lighting fixtures.
6. Assembled and arrange the audio-video equipment. In many hotels, this comes under the purview of the maintenance department.

• Bar: A place where beverages are served and can serve food. Most of the Restaurants have a bar attached to the restaurant or near to the restaurant. The housekeeping department has to meet proper sanitation standards and may be responsible for maintaining the bar counter with the help of service staff. The service staff help in the task of cleaning:

1. Dusting the entire bar counter, furniture, chairs, spot-cleaning the glass, and wiping the entire glass surface with proper glass cleaner.
2. One in a month the furniture’s should be polished.
3. Checking and cleaning the lighting fixtures.
4. Pest controlling as and when required.
5. If any trash found on the bar counter area then pick them up immediately. Service staff is also responsible to do the same.

Leisure Area

Swimming Pools and Spa, Saunas and solariums, Health Club.

•  Swimming pool, spas, and changing rooms: As far as hygiene is concerned the swimming pool is the most sensitive place. Regular cleaning and disinfecting should be done. After the use throughout the day, the swimming pools become most contaminated and become the carrier of waterborne infections. Body fats, oils, sweat, saliva, urine, cosmetic and air-bone particles are the key source of creating an infection. Mostly maintenance and engineering works of a swimming pool are done by the maintenance department and daily cleaning comes under the purview of the housekeeping department. Chemistry is involved to control the water clarity, any hazard, and control the bacteria. It is important to maintain the pH level of water if the water has too much alkaline then it may create algae at the side and the bottom of the pool and become slippery and if the water has too much of acidic then it may damage the whole pump system. Earlier chlorine or bromine was used but now it has stopped because of health hazards like eye irritation, hair loss, and skin rashes. But, now a day ozone treatment is done in the swimming pool which keeps the swimming pool clear, sparkling, and attractive. It does not affect the neutral pH of water. Ozone is odorless unlike chlorine and does not pose a health hazard.
• Spa or Jacuzzi: It is a small pool bath with warm water at 39 degree Celsius is maintained. Before Hot tubs were used which was made of a wooden tub, the trade name is Jacuzzi, it gives a therapeutic effect with the help of whirlpool and hot water. If you are talking about a swirly, acrylic finish with molded seats and a million jets, that’s a spa. Spas and changing rooms are cleaned in the same way as swimming pools.  Like skimming the surface of the pool water for floating debris, using a skimmer net attached to a long pole, Cleaning glass surface, emptying wastepaper baskets, damp-dusting any furniture, sweeping and mopping floor surfaces, suction cleaning any carpeted area, removing soiled lined and replacing with fresh ones. Replenishing toiletries, etc. 

• Saunas and Solariums: Saunas are steam baths, mostly are cubicles shape made of wood or can be glass and Solariums are enclosed glass areas, mostly made for therapeutic of sunrays. Sauna, when used for a period of time contains lots of moisture as they are warm and due to the hot steam it creates moss from outside. To clean the sauna use a cleaning agent with a nylon scrubber probably bleach that can be used in a badly affected area. After all, the cleaning process washes with cold water, keep it open for dry, and can add deodorizer to counteract bleach and other odor. Solarium glass can be clean with a cleaning solution or with vinegar and water. Wipe with a dry cloth.
• Health Club: Health club can be defined as a part of activities to achieve well being physically, mentally, and socially. Most of the guests are health conscious and they select the hotel only due to the availability of a health club or Gym. The Gym is well equipped with treadmills, bench press, rowing machines, cycling machines, dumbbells, all the weight lifting items, Elliptical, scot, rowing machine, and so on. The floor of the health club should be non-slippery and should avoid tiles for any breakage and falling down. The walls are maximum covered with mirrors panel. They can also have a shower, lockers along with toilets and urinals. The housekeeping department works on dusting all the gym types of equipment and lighting fixtures, cleaning the glass surface, remove stains from the wall and floor, sweeping and moping, remove or replace linen such as bath and hand towels.