HOUSEKEEPING IN OTHER INSTITUTIONS

HOUSEKEEPING IN OTHER INSTITUTIONS

Housekeeping is a domestic administration, essential in all kinds of establishment be the hotels, clubs,
hospitals, or hostels in the order that there shall be comfort cleanliness and service and all these should
be the concern of every member of the establishment.

A) Various types of institutions other than hotels and the services they can offer:-
It is necessary to start by giving you some general information about welfare sectors and the various
types that exist and some idea of the services they can offer.

1. Hospitals

A hospital is an institution in which the sick, injured, or infirm are received and treated; a public
or private institution founded for reception and cure, or for the refuge, of persons diseased in body
or mind, or disabled, infirm, or dependent, and in which they are treated either at their own
expense, or more often by charity in whole or in part.

2. Hostels

A hostel is a budget-oriented, shared-room (“dormitory”) accommodation that accepts individual
travelers (typically backpackers) or groups for short-term stays, and that provides common areas
and communal facilities.

3. Malls

A mall is a large, often enclosed shopping complex containing various stores, businesses, and
restaurants usually accessible by common passageways.

4. Offices

An office is a location, usually a building or portion of a building, where a company conducts its
business. It is a place in which business, clerical or professional activities are conducted.

5. Universities

A University is an educational institution designed for instruction, examination, or both, of
students in many branches of advanced learning, conferring degrees in various faculties, and often
embodying colleges and similar institutions.

6. Residential Homes

A residential home is a living arrangement in which people with special needs, especially older
people with disabilities, reside in a facility that provides help with everyday tasks such as bathing,
dressing, and taking medication.

7. Other Commercial Areas

The term commercial organization is general and applies to any group(s) with a particular set of
skills, priorities, strategies, and resources that organizes to collectively achieve the “specific aim”
of making a profit. For Example, nightclubs, sport activities, live music venues, movie theaters,
broadcasting, and banking sector.

B) Role of Housekeeping in welfare institutions

The mark of excellence of any establishment or an institution is quality housekeeping. The
management of the housekeeping department will be influenced by such factors as size, type and
location of the establishment and no two housekeepers will manage their department in exactly he
same way. However, whether the department is large or small, luxury or medium class, for long or
short stays, from the commercial or welfare field, Management expects the department to be run
with the highest degree of efficiency and at lowest cost.

1. HOSPITAL HOUSEKEEPING

Hospital housekeeping involves cleaning and maintaining a medical institution or facility. Because
they are governed by strict regulations and codes requiring sanitary conditions, hospitals rely upon
housekeepers diligently performing their assigned duties which include:

Linens
Hospital housekeepers gather, wash and iron dirty bed linens, scrubs and gowns on a daily basis.
Housekeepers are also responsible for inspecting linens for wear and tear, mending them when
possible and discarding them when they can’t be mended.
Facilities Covered
Hospital housekeepers clean all parts of the hospital, including waiting areas, staff areas, examination
rooms, wards, diagnostic testing rooms and operating rooms. Housekeepers are responsible for
mopping floors, sterilizing surfaces and cleaning windows.
Patient Rooms
In patient rooms, hospital housekeepers clean bathrooms, change bed linens, clean floors, dust surfaces
and wash windows. When a patient is moved from the room, the hospital housekeeping staff sanitizes
the room with specialized cleaning agents and prepares it for the next patient.
Waste
Hospital housekeeper empty garbage cans and dispose of trash in Dumpsters. They are responsible for
attending to recyclables according to the hospital’s regulations and properly disposing medical waste.
Other Duties
Managers in hospital housekeeping may be responsible for scheduling routine maintenance to the
facility’s heating, cooling, water and sewage systems.
Equipments
Include Vacuum cleaners, Floor polishers, Soil Extractor, Wall washing machines, Housekeeper’s
Carts, Trash collection containers, Mop buckets, Tool Handles and signs.

2. HOSTEL HOUSEKEEPING

Traditionally hostels were only popular with budget conscious travelers due to low price and no other
reason. Recently however thousands of new luxury youth hostels have been opening worldwide
offering much improved environmental factors to lure guests, but still at competitive prices. As such
maintaining cleanliness has become an ever important factor for hostels.

A) Structure and Staffing
Each Hostel has a Warden who is the Administrative Head and supervises the Hostel Staff.
The Warden also sees to the smooth running of the Hostels. The Hostel unit has the following
categories of staff:
Hall Wardens
Assistant Chief Housekeeper
Housekeeper
Supervisors
Chief Porters
Senior Porters
Porters

B) Steps in cleaning a room
Make a Bed
Straighten the sheets and blankets will make a big difference in the look of dorm room. Small one
room living usually makes the bed a focal point.
Grab a trash
Whether it’s crumpled up drafts of a history essay, or empty pizza boxes from breakfast, grabbing all
of the trash out of a room will make a big difference. Grab a trash bag, and dump it all.
Contain the laundry
Stuff all of the dirty laundry into hampers or dirty clothes baskets. If hampers are overflowing it may
be time to schedule a laundry date.
Use a basket to grab lost items
Put anything in the basket that needs to be filed, put away, returned to its owner, etc. Since dorm room
is small, this probably won’t be a lot of stuff.
Wipe down surfaces
Use an all purpose cleaner and wipe down all of the washable surfaces with a paper towel or all
purpose wipe. Don’t worry about tough stuck on stuff, just quickly wipe down the entire surface
Tackle the floor
Sweep or vacuum the floor, focusing only on the visible part of the floor. Put away the cleaning
C) Requirements
All Purpose Cleaner
Basket
Trash Bags
Laundry Hamper
Broom and Dustpan or Vacuum Cleaner

3. MALL HOUSEKEEPING

Consumers are attracted to clean shopping malls and tenants are attracted to consumers. Good
housekeeping improves the ambience of shopping centre and reduces the opportunity for placing
suspicious items or bags and helps to deal with false alarms and hoaxes. In order to reduce the
numbers of places where devices may be left following points are considered:
 avoid the use of litter bins around the shopping centre if possible, (but ensure that there is
additional and prompt cleaning)
 the use of clear bags for waste disposal is a further alternative as it provides an easier
opportunity for staff to conduct an initial examination for suspicious items
 review the use and security of compactors, wheelie bins and metal bins to store rubbish within
service areas and goods entrances
 keep public and communal areas – exits, entrances, reception areas, stairs, halls, lavatories,
washrooms – clean and tidy, as well as service corridors and yards
 ensure that everything has a place and that things are returned to that place
 keep external areas as clean and tidy as possible
 all shopping centres have in place an agreed procedure for the management of contractors, their
vehicles and waste collection services.
 pruning all vegetation and trees, especially near entrances, will assist in surveillance and
prevent concealment of any packages.
From private suite to public area cleaning, Housekeeping Executive supervises and manages:
Services – housekeeping, restrooms, storefronts, kitchens, trash collection, administrative offices,
parking garages
Daily Cleaning – vacuuming, dusting, wiping, sweeping, mopping, buffing, polishing
Deep Cleaning – low moisture carpet extraction, deep scrubbing of floors, floor surface stripping,
waxing/sealing of floors, furniture movement to clean perimeters, exterior pressure washing

4. OFFICE HOUSEKEEPING

Housekeeping Procedures
 Provide sufficient safe clearances and access to any and all work stations and work areas,
fire aisles, fire extinguishers, fire blankets, electrical disconnects, safety showers, other
emergency aids, doors, and access to stairways.
 Clearly mark to distinguish walkways from areas not for pedestrian traffic.
 Keep aisles and walkways free of physical obstructions that would prevent access, including
path-blocking objects, liquid or solid spills, and other obstructions.
 Keep aisles at least 3 feet wide where necessary for reasons of access to doors, windows, or
stand pipe connections.
 Keep stairs clean, dry, and free of waste, well-lit, and provided with adequate hand rails and
treads that are in good condition.
 Keep floors clean; dry (dry as possible); slip-resistant; and free of waste, unnecessary material,
oil and grease, protruding nails, splinters, holes, or loose boards.

 Provide an adequate number of waste receptacles at accessible locations throughout all work
areas.

5. UNIVERSITY HOUSEKEEPING

Housekeeping encompasses all activities related to the cleanliness of University facilities, materials,
and equipment and the elimination of nonessential materials and hazardous conditions. The following
general housekeeping practices must be applied to all areas within the University and all areas where
employees perform maintenance, construction, or other activities:
 Garbage, scrap, and other trash materials are to be disposed of in containers constructed of
noncombustible materials or approved nonmetallic materials (e.g., UL approved plastic).
Containers exceeding 40 gallons in size and containers in all industrial areas must be covered
at all times.
 Material and equipment will be stored only in appropriate storage locations.
 Liquid spills are to be cleaned up immediately.
 Equipment is to be kept clean and in good working condition.
 Individual work areas are to be kept clean to insure that work activities may proceed in an
orderly and efficient manner.
 Tools, supplies, parts, and equipment will not be used in a manner that would be hazardous or
adversely affect the work quality. Control should be used to insure that the work area is
maintained in an acceptable manner.
 Trenches, pits, or sumps are to be covered or barricaded at all times.
 Welding splatter and slag should be contained with the use of high temperature protective
screens or shields. Welding splatter or slag should be cleaned up before leaving the work site.

6. RESIDENTIAL HOUSEKEEPING

Nursing Home Housekeeper
 Cleans movable and stationary furnishings and fixtures: Dusts, spot cleans or washes,
disinfects when necessary, polishes where required. This includes the cleaning of ledges,
shelves, vents, etc. Empties and cleans ashtrays.
 Empties, cleans and relines wastebaskets. Straightens or rearranges furniture as directed.
 Inspects furnishings for wear and defects and reports to Director of Housekeeping.
 Cleans bathroom (resident, private): Cleans and disinfects all fixtures, floors, and walls as
directed. Washes windows and mirrors. Replenishes bathroom supplies.
 Cleans walls, windows, doors, and ceilings: Spot cleans between washings, washes, disinfects
when necessary. Walls and ceilings and ceiling fixtures are cleaned as scheduled.
 Cleans entrances and exits: Cleans as directed above for floors and walls.
 Cleans all horizontal surfaces daily or as required, removing dust, dirt, or greasy film using
disinfectants where necessary such as in resident care areas. Performs cleaning duties in
isolation units when resident is transferred, according to established procedure.
 Removes for cleaning and re-hangs curtains, drapes, and dividers. Changes light bulbs.
 Removes waste and disposes of waste and trash. Sends soiled linens to laundry.
 Reports observations concerning structural and equipment wear, defects and malfunctioning to
supervisor.
 Reports supply and equipment needs to Director of Housekeeping for replenishing.

7. Commercial Housekeeping

Theatre Cleaning Policy

Definition of Daily Clean
Theatres must be cleaned with detergent and water at the end of each day and used waste
bags removed and replenished.
It is the responsibility of Theatre Domestics/Supervisors to carry out the daily clean and for
the Theater Teams to monitor the efficacy of the clean.

Definition of Deep Clean
This is a 6 monthly programmed clean of the clinical areas of the theatre departments which
will be undertaken by a dedicated deep cleaning team. The clean includes all patient areas and
ancillary rooms such as sluices and preparation rooms. Additionally walls, ceilings, ducting
and air vents will be cleaned.
Non clinical areas such as store rooms and offices will receive a yearly deep clean.
The Deep Clean programme will be drawn up in consultation with Cleaning managers,
Facilities staff, Infection Control Team, and the Theatre Manager.