Housekeeping Operations
Housekeeping keeps the property clean, safe and saleable. This domain tests cleaning agents, equipment, the room-cleaning sequence, linen and laundry control, and safety rules - often as a sequencing question.
Structure and areas
Executive housekeeper → floor supervisor → room attendant; supported by the linen room, laundry, public-area and horticulture teams. Areas: guest rooms, corridors, lobby, banquet, back areas.
Agents and equipment
- Neutral (general cleaning), alkaline (grease), acidic (scale and mineral deposits), abrasive (stubborn stains but scratches), solvent (ink, grease), disinfectant.
- Manual: broom, mop, duster, squeegee. Mechanical: vacuum cleaner, scrubbing machine, floor polisher.
Checkout room sequence
Announce entry → strip linen and clear garbage → dust from top to bottom → clean the bathroom → vacuum → make the bed → replenish supplies → final inspection → report the room as VD.
Worked example
Room 305 has just checked out. Reasoning: strip first so dust and hair fall onto the floor before vacuuming; never vacuum before dusting; clean the bathroom before the final floor mop; report VD to front office at once, because every delayed minute is a room that cannot be sold.
Traps that cost marks
- Mixing acid with hypochlorite bleach - this releases chlorine gas.
- Wet-mopping before dusting and vacuuming.
- Forgetting to log lost property.
- Using an abrasive on marble or glass.