While the COVID-19 pandemic still has the globe in its grip, many countries plan to ease stay-at-home orders and travel restrictions and as a result, hotel owners and managers must keep guest and staff health a top priority.
To ensure the safety of everyone on your property, discover how to enhance housekeeping and cleaning.
Focus on Public Areas
You likely have a daily routine to clean common areas around your hotel, including the entrance, dining rooms and business center. During the coronavirus crisis, you should increase the frequency of cleaning. Use germ-killing products on spots guests are likely to touch, such as the front desk, door handles and elevator buttons. You may also need to temporarily close certain areas, such as fitness centers and pools.
You'll need to thoroughly sanitize public bathrooms multiple times per day, as well. Flushing the toilet sends contaminants flying around the entire room. One study found germs on the floor and back of the commode more than 80% of the time, as well as on the walls, flush handle and toilet paper dispenser.
Get Rid of Unneeded Extras
Experts recommend wiping down and sanitizing any surfaces or items people come into contact with. While you may have filled your rooms with lovely decor, these pieces put more burden on your cleaning staff. Guests will prefer a space that's sanitary over the frill of throw pillows and art pieces.
Beyond decor, you should also take away pens, notepads and paper directories. You don't need to toss any items — you'll probably want to reincorporate them in the future. Instead, take all extraneous pieces that could hold onto virus particles and place them in storage.
Pause Cleaning Opt-Outs
Is your hotel one that offers opt-out cleaning programs to promote sustainability and green initiatives? These efforts can save resources and reduce the use of chemicals, but they may encourage the spread of germs and increase infection risk. You may need to put these programs on hold amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to housekeepers, rooms that forgo cleaning services are dirtier than those serviced daily, plus they take more time, effort and products to clean. During these uncertain times, it's essential to clean rooms every day to ensure maximum sanitation.
Invest in New Technology
With more cleaning required to maintain guest health, housekeeping staff may have difficulties keeping up with demand. To meet this new challenge, many hotels — such as the RLH Corp. — plan to invest in robotics technology.
These bots can work alongside housekeepers and supplement efforts. They can clean toilets, collect linens and sweep floors. Once preprogrammed with the rooms' layouts, they can navigate around the bed, dresser and other obstacles. In addition to improving efficiency, these machines allow staff to focus on tasks that require a human touch.
Keep Guests and Staff Safe Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
With countries slowly lifting quarantine orders, hoteliers should prepare for an influx of guests. Unfortunately, the threat of COVID-19 is still real, and it will be necessary to implement new cleaning techniques to reduce the risk of infection and keep everyone healthy.
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Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations and cultures, all while portraying her love for the world around her through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Ruffled, and more!
www.driftercollective.com
