Kiran Bhadauria, Housekeeping Manager, Hyatt Regency, Ludhiana
Kiran Bhadauria, Housekeeping Manager, Hyatt Regency, Ludhiana shares helpful tips and tricks to get the most resistant dust out of various hotel areas.
Dust is omnipresent in the air, all it needs is a surface to settle on. In hotels, we think that since the building is closed from all sides and has centralised air conditioning, dust won’t be an issue. We forget that dust grows faster in a closed space, where ventilation is less and/or scarce. Dust is prone to accumulate near air conditioning vents, the tops of doors, any window pane (even if enclosed), cabinets etc.
Daily buffing of floor surfaces in public areas, thorough dusting of corridors once a day and then top dusting (artefacts, corners, ledges if any) is essential. If your hotel corridor is carpeted, thorough vacuuming twice a day is also essential.
Spotting of carpet with an appropriate chemical reduces chances of stains becoming permanent. Steam cleaning of carpet also works wonders. It refreshes the piles, adds softness and does not spoil the weave.
If your hotel has mattresses that need turning every quarter of the year, it is highly recommended to follow that. There are mattresses that don’t need turning as well, but it is still recommended to turn your mattress every six months, so that the balance on the mattress surface is maintained. When the room is out of service or out of order, it is imperative that the mattress is removed from the room.
Vertical cleaning is a very simple way of maintaining vertical surfaces which can be scheduled twice or thrice a week for wooden/marble/stone vertical walls. Follow their respective polishing schedules, and add a sealant once cleaning is done; this prevents dust from settling.
Basic upholstery care includes dry dusting with a microfibre cloth and thorough vacuuming. Periodic shampooing of upholstery should be followed. Steam cleaning of upholstery adds to its shelf life.
Anti Dust is one of the smartest technologies developed for a hygienic setting. With its own special content, it prevents dry staining and maintains dust repellency. By removing dust from the fabric surface, it prevents upholstery from having a dirty or dusty look.
We conduct periodic training for our housekeeping squad on dusting. This covers basic and detailed information about dust, the various surfaces on which it accumulates and how to tackle dust in different seasons. We focus on rooms and public areas that are super cleaned.
Periodic maintenance of rooms is scheduled in line with the maintenance team. We focus on air conditioner servicing and canvas changing.
Tips to avoid dust
- Declutter your guest room. Do not make your guest room look heavy in its ambience.
- Stop dry dusting. Once dry dusting is done, use an appropriate chemical with a microfibre. duster for dusting so that the dust does not resettle on surfaces.
- Keep plants in your guest rooms and public areas.
- Avoid carpets and rugs wherever possible.
- Use blinds instead of drapes.