OSHA hotel regulations: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is an agency under the U.S.

Department of Labor which oversees and regulates public and private workplace safety and health. Hotels are included in these compliance standards. Regulations for hotel room attendants/housekeepers are of particular importance because of the constant exposure to possible infectious bodily fluids found while cleaning hotel rooms.

1. Standards for Carpet Cleaning

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As hotels may host thousands of guests a year, it is a known fact that certain materials will no doubt be spilled on the carpets. Many times, bodily fluids will be present in the rooms. According to OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens standard, contaminated carpets may carry blood or other infectious materials. As such, when these infectious materials are spilled onto carpets, Robert L. Anderson, Ph.D of the National Center for Infectious Diseases states that, "Blood or other body fluids spilled on carpets should be promptly and carefully cleaned, and disinfected. If such fluids are allowed to stand for a period of time and harden or "set up," the removal of these dried fluid materials will be difficult. Concerning the treatment of carpets, the highest grade of antimicrobial activity possible is "sanitizing," which simply reduces the total number of bacteria present." While there is no set standard for what type of disinfectants are to be used, they must be present when cleaning contaminated carpets.

Housekeepers
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Housekeepers in a hotel may be at the most risk for coming into contact with infectious bodily fluids. Included in OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens standard mentioned above, an employer must implement a written schedule located within the facility which states the types of surfaces to be cleaned, the type of soil present and other tasks needed to be performed in this area. Another OSHA concern for housekeepers is exposure to sharps and containers. OSHA recommends in one of its regulations that sharps "be properly disposed of immediately or as soon as feasible into appropriate containers."

Hazardous Chemicals
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With the amount of cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces and linens occurring in hotels, employee exposure to hazardous chemicals is of great concern. OSHA recommends having a written program located in the facility and containing such things outlined in the Hazard Communication Standard. Such a program should state where first aid services can located on the premise. Additionally, written procedures for the appropriate gloves and eyewear to be used in order to protect the body against harmful chemicals should be in place.

Slips and Falls

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Possibly most pertinent to kitchens and bathrooms, slips and fall accidents due to spilling of liquids is also a big concern in the hotel industry. OSHA recommends and states in the Walking/Working Surfaces Standard, that employers, "maintain floors in a clean and, so far as possible, dry condition, and mats provided where practicable." OSHA recommends such things as handrails, good housekeeping procedures, and immediate floor clean-up of spills to prevent such accidents.

Contaminated Laundry
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With hotel linens being changed on a daily basis, proper disinfection is important in keeping safe conditions. Bloodborne and other infectious fluids may often be present in hotel sheets and towels. According to OSHA, "contaminated laundry shall not be sorted or rinsed in the location of use , and must be transported to the laundry for decontamination in bags or containers labeled or color-coded in accordance with 1910.1030(g)(1)(i)." OSHA recommends melt away bags which can be thrown directly into washers without having to unload the contaminated laundry, therefore reducing the risk of coming into contact with contaminates.

Housekeeping-room attendant (standard operating procedure):

Housekeeping room attendants are responsible for cleaning a hotel room during a guest's stay and immediately after his departure. They are also responsible for services such as laundry dropoff and pickup. In some cases, they are required to run errands. The average annual salary for housekeeping room attendants ranges from $15,000 to $17,000. They also receive tips from guests, depending on the level of service provided.

1. Trash removal
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Housekeeping attendants are responsible for removing all trash from the hotel rooms, whether in waste baskets or on floors and countertops. A new bag should be placed in all waste baskets every time the room is cleaned.

Dusting
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The attendant dusts all areas of the hotel room. This includes dressers, counters, desks and TVs. This requires that any books or magazines on tables be moved for dusting.

Bedding
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All bedding is changed daily. This includes sheets, pillowcases, covers and blankets. Some hotels require housekeeping room attendants to replace sheets and top sheets using military corners. This means that the sides and foot portion of the sheets are tucked neatly and tightly under the edges of the mattress.

Scrubbing and mopping

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Housekeeping room attendants clean all countertops in the bathroom and vanity areas with disinfectant. This also includes scrubbing the toilets and the showers inside and out with disinfectants. They must also mop the bathroom and any other tiled areas of the hotel room. They remove used washcloths and towels. Clean ones should be neatly stacked on the shelving.

Vacuuming
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Housekeeping attendants vacuum the entire carpeted area of the hotel room. In some hotels, they are required to move furniture to vacuum underneath. They also vacuum the upholstered furniture, such as couches and chairs.

Customer Service
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Housekeeping room attendants must fulfill any request made by the guest. This may involve laundry requests, room service orders to be filled and even special favors such as ordering from the hotel gift shop. This ensures a better level of customer service for the guest.

Role of a Housekeeping Attendant in an Hotel Operation: Hotel housekeeping attendants have diversified duties and responsibilities that help make guests feel special and welcome. Their work influences the appearance and reputation of the hotel on a daily basis.

1. Maintain Guestrooms
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Housekeeping attendants clean and stock guestrooms so that guests are assured of a comfortable stay. They also supply clean towels.

Clean Common Areas

The overall cleanliness of common areas is just as important as keeping guestrooms clean. Guests oven see and evaluate the common areas before they are shown to their rooms. Furthermore, dining areas, stores and other common areas may bring hotels additional revenue.

Supplies
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Sometimes housekeepers assist guests with special requests or supplies. Housekeeping attendants may loan guests irons, sewing kits and other items that will assist them. They also stock carts and closets with supplies.

Ensure Privacy
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Sometimes housekeeping attendants monitor guests' needs for privacy. Often hotels have cards guests can leave on their doors to alert cleaning staff that they do not want to be interrupted.

Turndown Service
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At some hotels, housekeeping staff is responsible for turning down bed linens and providing mints or candy. In a resort hotel, a list of resort activities may be provided as well.

Report Repairs
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Housekeeping attendants alert appropriate hotel personnel about any needed repairs or problems. .

Housekeeping procedures for Hotel Guest Room: When you check into a hotel room, remember you were not the first person to sleep there. There are rules when it comes to keeping the place where you stay neat and tidy.

1. Significance
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It might surprise you to know there are no "blanket" rules regarding the cleanliness of hotel guest rooms. That said, some states have guidelines regarding lighting or heating.

Bed
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Bedsheets are changed between guests at most hotels. If you are staying for an extended period of time, expect your sheets to be changed about once every three

days. There are no rules regarding how often the comforter should be changed and/or washed.

Bathroom
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The housekeeping staff will change towels each day if guests leave them on the floor. Housekeepers will also clean the toilet and mirrors, and wipe around the sink. They might also run a cloth over the floor if necessary and wipe the inside of the shower.

Sleeping Area
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Housekeepers might not clean this area daily. If there is something on the floor, they might run the vacuum as they see fit.

Replacement Practices
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While rules vary from one property to the next, housekeepers will generally replace plastic cups, ice bucket liners and soaps if guests have used them.

How to clean a Hotel Room: y1 Remove dirty linens, towels, and trash from the room and the bathroom. Remove the comforter/blanket. If items are scheduled to be be laundered, remove them from the room. Otherwise, set them aside while changing the bed linens. y2 Put clean sheets on the bed (one fitted sheet, one flat sheet) and clean pillowcases on the pillows. Replace the blanket and comforter. Fold approximately 1/4 of the comforter down from the top of the bed, and set the pillows on the crease. Then pull the comforter up over the pillows back toward the top of the bed. This is the standard way to make the bed in many hotels. y3 Clean the bathroom. Use several rags to prevent cross contamination. Spray the bathtub and shower walls with bathroom cleaner, and wipe them down with a rag. Rinse with water if the chemical you use requires rinsing. Change the shower curtain if it is dirty. Spray the toilet and seat with bathroom cleaner, and wipe it down with a different rag. Spray bathroom cleaner in the sink bowl and on the vanity surface. Use a new rag to wipe the vanity surface first and then wipe the sink bowl. Spray glass cleaner on the mirrors and wipe

with a new rag. Replace trash bags, toilet paper, towels, and other amenities provided by the hotel such as soap, shampoo and shower cap. y4 Clean the mirrors, windows, TV, and phone in the guest room with the glass cleaner. Wipe down any hard surfaces of furniture such as the desk, dresser, nightstand, lamps, headboard and inside of drawers. Remove stains from the carpeting or upholstery with a cleaning product made specifically for carpeting and upholstery. y5 Replace trash bags in the room. Make sure all other items provided by the hotel are replaced, such as laundry bags, laundry slips, do-not-disturb signs, in-room guest guides, and chocolate for the pillows. Remove all rags and cleaning products from the room. Vacuum the carpet, and spray the room with air freshener. How to Properly Clean the Hotel Room: 1.
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1 Clean the bathroom first. Start by washing the walls of the shower and bathtub. Scrub the inside of the toilet using cleaner and the brush. Clean the toilet rim, seat, and seat back as well. Use the glass cleaner to spray the mirror and wipe it down. Clean the the inside of the sink and the cabinetry. Wipe down the walls and scrub off any spots. Sweep and mop the bathroom floor.

2 Wipe down the furniture in the main room. Use a clean, damp rag and wipe dust and other grime off of the dresser, nightstands and headboard. If there is additional furniture in the room, wipe them off as well.

3 Change the bed linens. Pull off the bedsheets, pillowcases and comforters. Place a clean fitted and flat sheet on the bed. Put the pillows into clean pillow cases and replace the comforter with a clean one.

4 Remove trash. Inspect the room for any debris that might have been left on the floor or in drawers or cabinets. Empty the trashcans by removing the trash bags from the room and replacing them with fresh trash bags.

5 Dust the corners and walls of the hotel room. Move on to items that collect dust or cobwebs such as lampshades, curtains and televisions.

6 Vacuum the carpet in the hotel room, starting at the back of the room and working your way out the door. Pay special attention to high traffic areas such as around the door and the bed.

How to quickly clean the hotel Room: 1.

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1 Prepare a printed checklist for each hotel room that you clean. Develop a cleaning routine that is repeated throughout the day. A routine will help you to work quickly.

2 Strip the bed and, while the bed coverings are off, dust the headboard and vacuum under the bed. Spray a small amount of furniture polish on the feather duster to catch the dust.

3 Spray the cleaning cloth and not the furniture when polishing. Use the smallest amount of furniture polish on a clean rag that will get the job done. Less polish means less time wiping the furniture.

4 Tie an old T-shirt or large rag to a broom and spray with furniture polish. Run the covered broom across the top of the window frame and then along the baseboards. This saves time from climbing up and down a ladder every few feet.

5 Run a small lint roller inside tubs, showers and bathroom sinks to quickly pick up stray hairs and lint. You can also use a lint roller under the vanity, cabinets and other hard-to-reach areas.

Clean chrome fixtures and shower doors with a 50/50 mixture of water and rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle to kill germs and give a brilliant shine to chrome. Use a dry clean rag to polish chrome sinks and faucets quickly.
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7 Clean grout quickly using vinegar in a spray bottle. Use straight vinegar for mold that has set in or a 50/50 vinegar-water mixture for slightly discolored grout. If the vinegar treatment does not work, then use a bleach pen to whiten the grout.

8 Wipe down the bathtub and clean all mirrors using the same vinegar mixture. An art eraser will remove hard water stains.

9 Mop the floors with a cleaner that does not need rinsing and that dries without streaking. The kind of cleaner that you choose will depend on the type of floor, for example ceramic tile, terrazzo, parquet, hardwood or linoleum.

10 Wash your hands to remove all residue from cleaning solutions and wipe the sink dry. Then put clean linens on the bed and set out clean towels in the bathroom.

11 Vacuum the room from the farthest point and working toward the door. This will leave a brushed carpet without footprints that will enhance the clean look of the hotel room.

Hotel Housekeeping operating procedures:

Tidying
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Most day-to-day housekeeping at a hotel involves procedures for tidying the room. When a guest has not yet checked out, housekeepers are usually required to follow a shorter list of procedures. These include making the beds, replacing used towels with clean ones, vacuuming the floor, removing trash and emptying ash trays. Daily housekeeping may also include replacing certain items in the room, such as toilet paper, tissues and bath products. In rooms that have a minibar, housekeepers may restock the bar on a daily basis as well.

Cleaning Linens
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Many of a hotel's housekeeping procedures take place outside the guest rooms. This includes washing bedding and towels. Hotel housekeepers use high-temperature washers that disinfect as they wash, along with strong soaps and whitening agents. Because of the high cost of washing linens, along with the large amount of water the procedure uses, some hotels offer guests the option of not having their linens washed daily. Bedding may be left on the bed unless a guest removes it or specifically asks for it to be laundered. Some hotels also follow a policy of only replacing towels left in designated areas so that guests can choose to reuse towels.

Disinfecting
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Between guests, hotels follow a more stringent housekeeping procedure to prepare a room. This usually involves all the tasks of daily housekeeping, along with a thorough vacuuming and the replacement of sheets and pillowcases. This is also when housekeepers disinfect a room using powerful cleansers. Besides keeping the toilet, sink and shower free of germs, housekeepers also clean other surfaces such as tabletops, remote controls and doorknobs. Housekeepers will also remove anything left behind by the previous guests and restock the room with stationary, comment cards and other paperwork.

SOP for housekeeping:

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Whether performing professional or personal housekeeping duties, certain standard procedures ensure housekeeping work is done in a timely and orderly fashion. A general housekeeping checklist minimizes time and waste of equipment and cleaning supplies. Use protective gloves when cleaning areas highly exposed to germs.

Restroom Cleaning
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Keep restrooms clean and odor-free at all times. Hot water and germicidal disinfectant are the key cleaning elements. Restrooms should be cleaned each day. Clean commodes, urinals and sinks---including chrome---with germicidal disinfectant. Empty trash receptacles each day and dust vents, window sills and ledges. Sweep bathroom floors and replenish towels and toilet tissue and refill soap dispensers. Spray mirrors with window wash and dry wipe fluid from mirrors. Mop floors as needed.

Floors

Clean floors. Floor care in general or heavy-traffic areas is important for a polished clean look. Floors in the general area should be swept or vacuumed each day. After sweeping floors, apply germicidal fluid and use a wet mop to complete the cleaning.

Dusting
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Dust on a weekly basis. Dust high areas by removing dust or cobwebs from corners of walls and vents. Dust wood fixtures, shelves and other furniture with a duster or dust rag and dusting polish. Also dust general areas that have window sills and ledges.

Walls and Doors

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Check walls and doors daily for spots or smudges. Use cleansers that will not strip the wall of paint or finishes. Apply cleanser and scrub spots lightly in a circular motion with a sponge or damp cloth until spots are gone. In general wash walls at least once a month and doors at least once a week.

Kitchen Cleaning
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Wash kitchen dishes daily. Clean sinks with disinfectant cleaner, and wash countertops with clean hot water and disinfectant cleaner. Sweep kitchen floors each day. Mop kitchen floors at least once a week. Clean cabinets once a month, and perform a spot check in the refrigerator each week, disposing of food that will not be eaten. Clean refrigerators and freezers each month. Empty trash receptacles each day as needed.