There are dozens of tips and tricks for getting a room or hotel public space clean. Here are a few suggestions from insiders across the hotel, cleaning and tech industries.
1. Pay attention to the little things...
Adam Crossling, marketing manager at Zenzero, said that if guests consistently complain about shower cleanliness, it may be time to update the tiling or grouting in the shower.
2. ...But don’t forget the big areas
Deni Ivanov, the digital marketing director at Royal Cleaning in the U.K., said dirt and stains will be very noticeable on bigger things that take up lots of space, like the bed, curtain and walls.
3. Take advantage of technology
Hotel maintenance software can keep track of numerous tasks, Crossling said. Some programs can gather information so that hoteliers can identify problem sources in a property or on a team.
4. Take care of the mattresses
Kate Henderson, duty manager at the Daffodil Hotel in England’s Lake District, recommends flipping mattresses regularly, at least every two weeks, and letting the mattress air without any sheets on it for at least half an hour.
5. Remember the lights
Light bulbs and lampshades collect “huge amounts of dust,” Ivanov said. “They also become the main source of guests' allergies, which opens the hotel and/or the cleaning service company to litigation.”
6. Relax wrinkles with water
Tara Rothberg, hotel manager at the Kimpton Marlowe Hotel in Cambridge, Mass., suggests spritzing a little water over a duvet or sheet and smoothing the fabric by hand to get rid of wrinkles. “Always ensure your hands are clean when touching fresh linens,” she said.
7. Clean the toilets first
Nazan Pamir, head of housekeeping at Ciragan Palace Kempinski in Istanbul, advised spraying the toilet cleanser inside of the toilet and bidet first and letting it sit until the rest of the bathroom is finished to make it easier to clean.
8. Make sure the pillows fit the cases
Many pillowcases will be too big for the pillows, Henderson said, so housekeepers should push the excess material inside the pillowcase from the opening to create an envelope shape.
9. Don’t leave streaks when vacuuming the carpet
Henderson advised vacuuming in specific lines like mowing a lawn. Beyond the carpet, a room’s sofa, chairs, cushions, rugs and blinds can also be cleaned by a vacuum.
10. Vacuum key areas twice
Rather than starting at the furthest corner of the room and vacuuming on the way out, Henderson recommends vacuuming while entering the room and then vacuuming again upon exiting in order to get high-traffic areas extra clean.
11. Be gentle with the plumbing
Rothberg recommends avoiding hard chemicals when clearing drains. “Pour hot water down the drain, then pour one cup of baking soda down into the drain. Mix one cup of water and one cup of white vinegar down the drain. Cover the drain and allow it sit for 10 minutes, then pour hot water down and the drain will be clear.”
12. Find the right cleaning solution
Henderson suggests using watered-down vinegar or lemon spray on mirrors and tiles and then washing the surface down with water before wiping away.
13. Think outside the box
Alessandro Gazzo of Dallas-based Emily’s Maids recommends considering all options when selecting cleaning products. “Do the math and see which one lasts longer.” For example, concentrated soap might be more expensive but it can also last longer, he said.
14. Keep up with preventative care
Lacey King, GM at Staypineapple The Maxwell Hotel in Seattle, encourages hotel teams to keep careful track of preventative cleaning projects. “Our housekeeping team works daily to clean rooms but keeping up with preventative projects makes everything so much easier to maintain,” she said.
15. Use the right materials
When wiping surfaces down, Henderson recommends using a cotton or microfiber cloth and buffing in a circular motion to avoid streaks.
16. Clean hard-water stains
To clean hard-water stains, Rothberg suggests soaking a towel in vinegar and placing it over the stain for 24 hours before scrubbing and rinsing. “This is also a great way to clean shower heads and around your bathroom faucets,” she said.
17. Don’t forget to sanitize
“A quick wipe isn't enough—you have to make sure to read your disinfectants' labels so you may properly sanitize respective surfaces and guarantee effectiveness,” Ivanov said.
18. Repair wood damage in-house
To fix a scratch in wood furniture, Rothberg recommends using a wax crayon that is the same color of the wood or a walnut and coloring off the scratch in the same direction. Use mayonnaise to fix cracks in wood. “Fill the crack with the mayo and wipe [the] excess,” she said. “Let it sit for a day or so, then wipe away [any] excess and shine.”
19. Wipe down the faucets after cleaning them
Henderson suggests wiping down freshly cleaned taps and shower heads with rubbing alcohol for an extra polish and to prevent future fingerprints and other marks.
20. Keep the housekeeping team happy
Michael Grotton, owner of Germicidal Maids, said that hoteliers should keep their housekeeping teams happy. “I have hired a lot of ex-hotel cleaners who have stayed with me for years because I provided a great work environment and paid $20-25 an hour rather than $14 per hour like the hotels here in California,” he said. “Keep your staff happy and you won’t have to deal with keeping everything clean during a shortage.