Clean sweep

Cleaning a hotel is a round-the-clock job, but what can hoteliers do to make the task more manageable? The region's hands-on housekeeping experts tell Hotelier Middle East about cost management, design challenges and environmental pressures.

Controlling costs is more important than ever, so how do you minimise expenditure when cleaning?

Johnson Paul Raj: Our motto is to never compromise on quality when reducing costs, but to use cost management.

We are vigilant to ensure optimum use of chemicals to avoid water and time wastage. With modern cleaning agents available in different forms, which are environmentally friendly and more effective, proper training ensures minimum wastage.

Since chemicals are a lot more efficient these days, we use just a few squirts of chemical on the sponge, then smear the sponge all over the floor and tiles and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then we just rinse out with a bit of water. Before, chemicals were sprayed all over, which was taking lots of time and water to rinse off. When cleaning bathrooms we don't let the water run freely.

We also don't use glass cleaner any more. We clean our mirrors and glass surfaces with plain water. We have brainstorming sessions too with our executive housekeeper to improve all processes and procedures in every area within the team's activities on a continuous basis. This offers an insight to everyone's activities and paves the way for improvement possibilities and idea sharing within the team to manage costs effectively.

Furthermore, all our staff receives continuous product updates and training, and we ensure continuous monitoring and quality management.

Rolan Tigo: We usually use chemicals that we can dilute with water as well as micro-fibre products that help reduce costs at the end of the month.

Screedhar Suresh: The team is educated on the features of all cleaning agents, knowing what works best for different scenarios. We encourage usage of a substantial quantity without being excessive. In most instances, it works best to apply the cleaning agent on the stained surface and allow 10 minutes for the chemical to react with the stain before actual cleaning takes place.

Masud Hossain: We at Marriott follow a ‘clean as you go' rule, which helps us minimise costs.

Saman Korathota: Thorough knowledge of chemical usage and regular training to the new associates on correct usage of chemicals also helps us a lot on having less waste and cost control.

What is the most challenging area of a hotel to clean and why?

Suresh: Entertainment outlets such as bars and night clubs present a challenge. Furnishings may be subjected to burn marks from cigarettes or drinks such as red wine. The smell of tobacco may also linger within the premises even without the physical presence of smokers.

Korathota: The most difficult are the busiest areas like the reception, which needs to be spotless all the time and the gym, which requires regular cleaning with sanitisers.

Fahmy: The public area is the most challenging. Cleaning the areas requires a combination of skill, machines, cleaning solution, equipment (i.e. hydraulic lift) and patience.

Hossain: The most challenging areas for us are the guest cloak rooms and wash rooms in public areas, as it requires maximum attention to maintain the highest standards of hygiene and cleanliness.

Raj: In my experience, the most challenging areas are guest elevators and the lobby carpet. Elevators are made of high gloss stainless steel, with a mirror effect. As we are a beach resort, guests use suntan lotions which can leave greasy marks on the doors and elevator buttons. I think I wipe those surfaces at least 50 times per shift, so they are always shiny and look clean.

In terms of the lobby carpet, right underneath our lobby is our Views Brasserie where food is dropped on the floor during busy meal times, and is then carried up by guests, where it stains the carpet. Throughout the day, different spots appear and I have to constantly check the carpet and do spot removal.

Generally, the first impression guests get about the hotel is the public areas and those kinds of stains and spots on elevators and carpet don't leave a nice impression. They have to be taken care of immediately.

Tigo: There are no difficult areas, it is more a question of footfall; we will spend more time on certain areas due to the number of people who come across it, rather than because of the area by itself. I would therefore say that banqueting areas and restaurants are probably more challenging than the other areas.

How does the design of a hotel impact your work?

Korathota: The hotel's design definitely has an impact in our strategy of cleaning the whole hotel. The more complicated the design, the more we are inspired to think out of the box to find the safest, smoothest and quickest way of cleaning the area.

Fahmy: The hotel is very spacious, with high ceilings in public areas, lots of glass and windows. There are multiple materials used in the interiors, i.e. several kinds of marble, a variety of wood materials, steel, brass, glass, crystals, etc. These designs demand longer hours of cleaning.

The Arabic elements infused in the design like the intricate wood works/carvings are tedious to clean, while the crystal rain feature in the lobby requires a special machine to reach the top and clean each of the crystals individually.

Hossain: Our work schedule is designed to match the cleaning requirements as per the hotel design. We are able to achieve this through sufficient resources and having the required equipment, such as scaffolding ladders and safety belts.

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