I would like first to introduce and define the housekeeping department and then discuss the main topics of cleaning technologies that revolutionize housekeeping.

What is the housekeeping department?

The housekeeping department is responsible for maintaining the hotel's cleanliness, tidiness, and maintenance, including public areas spaces, guest rooms, staff areas, and the immediate surroundings. As a department, it is concerned with providing guests and employees with a safe, clean, comfortable, and appealing environment.

This includes overall hotel upkeep, cleaning surfaces, vacuuming floors, ensuring pleasant public spaces, removing possible hazards, and eliminating health risks. 

It may also include utilizing the right housekeeping technology to carry out necessary tasks, and track progress.

Housekeeping technologies you should know about

One of the ways the burden on housekeeping employees can be reduced is through strategically adopting the right housekeeping technology. There are many different technology solutions that can help hotels such as:

1- Improving the effectiveness of processes

2- Boosting housekeeping efficiency

3- Identifying specific customer needs.

Housekeeping Software

Housekeeping software is one of the most important examples of hotel housekeeping technology. Usually, this will form part of a property management system (PMS) In general, this software can be used to manage housekeeping activities and monitor the overall progress of the housekeeping team for preventive maintenance and Ken fix program to maintain the hotel rooms. Also, housekeeping managers can create a list of tasks that need to be completed on a given day or allocate the responsibility for cleaning specific rooms to individual employees, and this allows for real-time updating of progress.

Housekeeping SOPs 

SOPs help to prevent misunderstandings about what good housekeeping looks like. Without guidance, each staff member will complete cleaning practices differently, and it may not be to a standard that you're happy with. Quality control is essential in hospitality as hotels strive to meet guest demands for cleanliness.

The most important of SOPs:

1-The way employees must enter the guest rooms depends on the situation.

2-How to treat guests’ personal belongings.

3-The optimal cleaning method for each space.

4-Steps to be followed while cleaning the room so that it is cleaned in the most efficient way and in the shortest time possible.

Housekeeping technology for training

Providing housekeeping training ensures your employees know when, where, and how to use different cleaning methods and equipment to keep the facility in tip-top shape. Training also keeps employees from developing bad habits that might make the problem worse.

Electric cleaning equipment

Cleaning Equipment reduces work fatigue and increases productivity. It saves the time of the hotel housekeeping staff. In addition to this, they show high maneuverability. They can reach any corner or height of the room, which is otherwise difficult to reach.

Some important electric equipment:

• Polishing machines
• Twintic machines
• Single desk machines
• Steam machines
• High-pressure machine.
• Scrubber machines
• Vacuum cleaner

About the author

Ibrahim William is an experienced housekeeper who leads a big team of Executive housekeepers in Orascom Hotels Management - Red Sea Hurghada El Gouna (14 Hotels).