Housekeepers , although little recognised in hospitality, are essential to the smooth running of a hotel stay.
The tools of the "Kellys" (as housekeepers are known in Spain) are cleaning trolleys, access cards for opening the rooms' electronic locks , and their skill and speed at work.
Housekeepers' duties
A housekeeper's duties are many and varied, all related to keeping rooms and floors tidy and clean:
- Housekeepers must keep all floors, rooms, common areas and other parts of the hotels, apartment buildings or residential institutions where they work perfectly tidy and clean .
- Change the bed linen in every room.
- Supply rooms with everything they should contain ( soap, towels, restocking minibars, useful phone numbers, safe combination, hotel documents, bathrobes...)
- Direct guest service related to the service provided.
- Laundry service.
- Preparing, collecting and transporting the necessary cleaning products .
- Preparing rooms set up for meetings, conventions, conferences and other similar events.
- Filling in the daily report form on tasks and incidents.
- They must be in contact with the maintenance department to report any damage.
It is therefore work that is as hard as it is necessary to keep accommodation in the best possible condition for guests' needs and demands.
Housekeepers are indispensable in times of COVID in one of the most touristic countries in the world
A housekeeper's work is essential to the smooth running of a hotel, as she is responsible for the cleanliness and hygiene of the spaces guests share.
At a time when the coronavirus has hit hospitality and catering in our country so hard, hygiene and safety measures are essential.
Ozone generators for disinfecting rooms
Hygiene measures must be stepped up, thoroughly disinfecting both bathrooms and rooms, with special attention to linen and contact surfaces where the virus can currently cling.
In addition, the use of ozone generators is becoming widespread as an extra aid for disinfection and certifying the elimination of SARS-CoV-2
Thorough bathroom sanitisation
All individual bathroom items (soaps, toothpaste, towels, etc.) are replaced by housekeepers in an orderly, systematic way.
In addition, sensitive areas such as the toilet, bathtubs or showers must be left completely sanitised and sealed.
As a safety measure, rooms and bathrooms are also often supplied with hand sanitiser gels, which are replaced or refilled as needed so that hands can always be disinfected.
Housekeepers hit hard by the pandemic
It's worth reflecting on this. Housekeepers, despite being essential staff in hotels, are also workers for whom the demands of their job make it extremely difficult to complete their daily tasks.
The time they spend on each room and the number of rooms they can cover depending on hotel size show just how effective and necessary they are in the hospitality world.
Let's look at approximate time and room-count tables…
Sanitisation time per room
-
Single room
- Between 16 and 24 minutes in high season
- Between 15 and 23 in mid and low season.
-
Double room
- Between 19 and 29 minutes in high season
- Between 20 and 30 in mid season
- Between 17 and 27 in low season
-
Triple room
- Between 20 and 31 minutes in high season
- Between 18 and 28 in mid season
- Between 19 and 29 in low season
-
Quadruple room
- Between 19 and 29 minutes in high season
- Between 18 and 28 in mid season
- Between 17 and 27 in low season
Number of rooms to cover
-
High season
- 18 rooms in a small hotel
- 20 in a medium-sized hotel
- 24 in a large one.
-
Mid season
- 17 rooms in a small hotel
- 21 in a medium-sized hotel
- 25 in a large one
-
Low season
- Same figures as in mid season.
More and more is demanded of them, and now, in times of COVID-19, they must complete their usual workload while also disinfecting every surface far more thoroughly.
At todoparatuhotel we want to recognise the work of these fighters who, despite their low wages, have been in direct contact with the coronavirus and continue to be so every day, ensuring the cleanliness and therefore the health of the guests at the hotels where they work.
