Hotel room cleaning checklist

[summary]

Which areas belong to hotel cleaning?

All areas that are accessible to guests and belong to the hotel must be cleaned. These are

• Guest room

• Restaurant, kitchen and dining areas

• Meeting rooms, lounge areas, for example the lobby or hotel bar

• Wellness areas

• Outdoor areas

Well-maintained hotel rooms are the be-all and end-all

Whether on holiday or a business trip: The hotel room is the place where your guests can recover from the experiences of the day or simply retreat. They therefore expect a quiet, tidy and clean room - and of course you shouldn 't disappoint them.

For the cleaning staff, this means making beds, changing towels, checking consumables - for example the shampoo in the shower - to make sure they are full and refilling them if they are empty. In order for your staff to clean all hotel rooms, all of this often has to be done in a short space of time .

Checklists not onlyhelp to keep an overview , but also to keep to the cleaning schedule - without compromising the quality of the work.

By the way, clean rooms also prevent negative hotel reviews. An investment in cleaning is therefore also an investment in your recommendations.

When are hotel rooms cleaned?

Hotel rooms are normally cleaned after check-out and daily during the stay.

After the check-out

Once a guest has checked out, the room must be prepared for the next guest. In contrast to daily cleaning, final cleaning takes more time. After all, the beds need to be made up, the towels and bathrobes replaced and the toiletries renewed. To ensure that the room is hygienically clean, thorough disinfection is also carried out during check-out cleaning.

During the stay

In the case of a "stayover", i.e. when a guest continues their stay, the room is usually cleaned daily. The good thing is that it takes on average 40 per cent less time than a full clean at check-out. Instead of making the beds, they only need to be made. Care products also often only need to be checked instead of replaced.

Your staff will only clean the rooms during the stay if the guest is not present.

A cleaning plan creates order

So that your staff can clean the rooms according to plan, the housekeeping management usually provides the in-house staff with a checklist showing the order and urgency of the rooms. If cleaning is outsourced to an external service provider, their staff will also receive a cleaning schedule.

This cleaning plan and schedule divides up the responsibilities and also sets out the cleaning times and the appropriate cleaning products.

A personal checklist pays off

• Increased efficiency, as every cleaner adheres to the defined procedure

• Reduced risk of areas being overlooked or omitted - similar to a detailed cleaning concept

• Consistent quality, as everyone works to the same standard

Your staff need the right cleaning materials

To ensure that your staff can work smoothly, the right materials - i.e. cleaning equipment and agents - should be available at all times.

It is often worth introducing a colour system that shows your team which cleaning agents are suitable for which area.

Checklist for daily hotel room cleaning

Before room cleaning

• Check whether the cleaning trolley is complete (according to standards)

• Check the hoover

• Startthe autonomous robot hoover to clean the floor efficiently and thoroughly - particularly useful during busy periods as it works independently, giving your cleaning staff more time for other tasks.

• Knock before entering the room, wait and only open the door if no guest is present

• Check door locking system

[product product_handle="vacuum robot trolley"]

During cleaning

• Open windows and curtains, remove odours if necessary

• Move the doormat to the side

• Empty the rubbish bin and wastepaper basket

• Make beds

• Provide new towels

• Take used towels with you

• Clean all surfaces, including furniture and lamps

• Disinfect surfaces and areas with intensive use

• Dust mopping, even in hard-to-reach and hidden places

• Vacuum and mop the floor

• Bathroom cleaning, including toilets, washbasins and showers

• If available: Clean balcony and patio area

Checklist for cleaning hotel bathrooms

• Empty the hygiene waste bin

• Clean the toilet with a separate cloth and an all-purpose cleaner. Empty the residual water in the toilet brush holder.

• Clean the washbasin, shower and/or bathtub including the fittings

• Cleaning mirrors

• Remove stains

• Mop the floor

• Cleaning and refilling guest supplies

• Change towels

• Refill toilet paper

Regular cleaning checklist

Your cleaning staff should also clean the windows at longer but regular intervals to give your guests a streak-free view outside.

If carpet is laid, it also needs deep cleaning at intervals. This allows you to remove coarse soiling and ensure that the carpet is hygienic even when walked on barefoot.

After room cleaning

Once the rooms are clean and tidy, the cleaning is almost done. To ensure that everything runs just as smoothly the next day, your team should make a few preparations. These include

• Fill up cleaning log

• Empty hoover

• Take dirty laundry to the dry cleaner

• Dispose of rubbish

• Fill up cleaning trolleys, clean cleaning materials (cleaning cloths etc.)

• Inform housekeeping management about completion of cleaning

Download our template for your hotel cleaning plan

Our template makes it easy to create your own checklist and your hotel's own guide.

Checklist for download

Quality assurance for hotel room cleaning

Housekeeping management is responsible for ensuring the quality of cleaning - ideally through room inspections. The purpose of such inspections is to check the condition of the guest rooms: Is everything done according to the checklist?

Management should also pay attention to the following points:

• Do the cleaning staff wear appropriate work clothing and protective equipment?

• Are the tools in good working order?

• Are the cleaning agents being used properly?

Such inspections must not take up too much time in order to keep the entire cleaning process efficient. The good news is that cleaning schedules and checklists are also helpful for this.

Why room checks are so important

The room checks ensure that the rooms meet the hotel's standards. This ensures good service and prevents your guests from becoming dissatisfied due to poor cleaning.

Support your team and keep them up to date

Those who are well trained and receive ongoing training generally do a good job. Therefore, regularly bring your internal cleaning staff up to date - for the satisfaction of your staff and happier guests.

Conclusion: Careful cleaning ensures better ratings

Carefully planned and executed hotel room cleaning ensures that your guests feel comfortable, are more likely to leave a good review, perhaps recommend your hotel to others or come back themselves.

Cleaning schedules and checklists make both planning and execution easier. They prevent out-of-order rooms, ensure that everyone adheres to the standards and make the entire process more efficient.