Housekeeping in hospitality:Contributing to the bottom line

One main challenge faced by the housekeepers is the floor maintenance. It is about controlling soil. Dirt, clay and sand can contain sharp edges that will scratch the surface of any floor resulting in erosion. Regardless of what the flooring is made of, the effect is the same. High-traffic areas can be found in any facility or building. The floor maintenance programs selected for these areas should take into consideration the floor covering and texture of the floor surface. This information helps in the selection of chemicals, equipment and service procedures required to maintain the area.

The entrances of most hotels are considered high-traffic areas and to reduce the amount of soil that makes it to the entrance, parking lots and sidewalks adjacent to the facility should be serviced on a regular basis. These services include sweeping, blowing or vacuuming those exterior areas. In some cases this may be a responsibility of the floor maintenance technician, but more often than not it is sub contracted by the facility manager to a building service provider who specializes in that type of service.

The next line of defense is a good matting program. Matting placed at all the entrances will help to capture some more of the exterior soil as well as moisture before it has a chance to be deposited on the floor surface. Soils produced inside the environment can also be reduced using the same methodology as maintaining external soil. First, identify where the soil is being produced and remove the soil being generated on a regular basis. This will reduce the amount of soil introduced into the rest of the building. Then, institute a matting program just as you would at an entrance to the facility. This will capture residual soil that might get by the removal process. The initial maintenance performed on a floor before it is exposed to high-traffic conditions can improve the floors performance considerably. The manufacturer’s recommended maintenance methods have to be followed. Applications of polish or additional coats at pivot points or hot spots can improve the ability to resist damage due to high traffic.

Regular removal of soil is critical to the high-traffic area maintenance program. Dry soil can be removed using dry service methods such as sweeping, dusting and vacuuming. The dry service procedures should be performed multiple times per day in high-traffic areas.

To avoid slip and fall, liquid should be removed from the floor as soon as detected. This can be accomplished using spot, damp or wet mopping service procedures. When introducing any mopping procedures, be sure to cordon off the area that is impacted using wet floor signs, placards, and safety tape to prevent people from coming in contact with the wet floor. From time to time, periodic maintenance will be required to restore the gloss and/or replenish the protective polish that has been worn off. These service procedures will vary depending on the floor covering in the area, but in most cases will involve more intensive service procedures.

Enhancing the appearance of the floor may include diamond abrasives or polishing procedures for stone, spray buffing for wood, machine scrubbing with a fresh water rinse for clay and concrete or scrubbing with or without applications of floor finish for resilient flooring. Regardless of how developed the floor maintenance plan is, there will be when restorative maintenance needs to be performed. This may incorporate scraping, grinding, shot or sand blasting, sanding, diamond honing/polishing or stripping and refinishing procedures depending on the category and classification of the floor covering.

Managing traffic areas

Advicing about maintenace treatment in high traffic areas, Sonia Mital says, “It is advisable to go for vinyls and fabrics with high double rub counts while deciding on the upholstery. Also adding an acrylic backing to the fabrics can help increase the double rubs and make the fabric more dimensionally stable and durable.

• Consider adding Stain Treatments to the fabric, or use inherently stain resistant products.

• Tempered glass or granite tops for tables and case pieces. This increases the life of the piece and cuts down on watermarks and scratches. Tempered glass and granite tops are easier to clean and to wipe down.

• For carpets make sure that there is adequate “coverage” of the pattern and very light colors are minimal. Smaller patterns on the carpet help hide stains and any dirt that might show. Having a dark colour used on the carpet will help eliminate the exposure of any spots. If Axminster carpet is used, a higher row counts specifically in areas with higher foot traffic (i.e. corridors and stairs). This increases the durability of the space. This same concept applies to tufted carpet; review the gauge and stitch count, generally the higher the better.

• Carpets should be maintained by turning them 2-4 times year to promote even wear on the border which receives most of the traffic.

• Consider using a hardwired light fixture in the space rather than a portable plug in one. This cuts down on the risk of the light fixture breaking or getting knocked over.

• Any artwork in the High Traffic Area should have a protective glass to help maintain it, if possible.

• For window treatment fabrics, make sure a durable fabric is used. Consider using synthetic fibers instead of any silks or more delicate fabrics. Stain Treatment can also be added to prolong the life of the drapery.

Hotel lobby floors require extra effort to hold up under demanding conditions. Hard and soft surface flooring require different processes.

For hard surfaces, a light scrub be done on a nightly, weekly, or monthly basis, depending on such factors as the weather and the number of people walking through the area.”