Housekeeping Terminologies

Acute Hazard

Something that could cause immediate harm. For example, a chemical that could cause burns on contact with the skin is an acute hazard

Amenity

A service or item offered to guests or placed in guestrooms for convenience and comfort, and that at no extra cost.

Chronic Hazard

Something that could cause harm over along period; for example, a chemical that could cause cancer or organ damage with repeated use over a long period.

Deep Cleaning

Intensive or specialized cleaning undertaken in guestrooms or public areas. Often conducted according to a special schedule or on a special project basis. Involves moving heavy furniture, high dusting, turning mattresses, vacuuming draperies and curtains, and other cleaning functions not normally performed in the day-to-day servicing of a guestroom. Synonymously with general cleaning.

Double - Locked

An occupied room for which the guest has refused housekeeping service by locking the room from the inside with a dead bolt. Double-locked rooms cannot be accessed by room attendant using a standard pass key.

Early Makeup

A room status term indicating that the guest has reserved an early check-in time or has requested his/her room to be cleaned as soon as possible.

Emergency Key

A key which opens all guestroom doors, even when they are double-locked.

Face Fibers

Yarns which form the pile of the carpet.

Face Weight

The measure of a carpet’s pile. Equal to the weight of the face fibers in one square yard of a carpet.

Finish

A liquid applied to floors that dries to a protective coating and enhances the appearance of the floor. Finishes come in wax-based or polymer types.

Floor Par

The quantity of each type of linen that is required to out-fit all rooms serviced from a particular floor linen closet.

Guestroom Key

A key which opens a single guestroom door if it is not double-locked.

Hand Caddy

A portable container for storing, holding, and transporting cleaning supplies Typically located on the top shelf of the room attendant’s cart.

Hard Floor

Floors made from natural stone or clay. These floors are among the most durable of all floor surfaces, but also the least resilient. Types of hard floors include concrete, marble, and terrazzo, ceramic tile, and other natural stone.

HAZCOMM Standard

Hazard Communication Standard; OSHA’s regulation requiring all employers to inform employees about possible hazards related to chemicals they use on the job.

House Rule

Any published company-wide rule for which violation can result in immediate discharge.

House Setup

The total number of each type of linen that is needed to outfit all guestrooms one time. Also referred to as one par of linen.

Housekeeping Status Report

A report prepared by the housekeeping department which indicates the current housekeeping status of each room, based on a physical check.

Linen Room

Area in a hospitality operation which is often considered the headquarters of the housekeeping department. This is the area where the employee typically reports to work, receives room assignments, room status reports, and keys; assembles and organizes cleaning supplies; and checks out at the end of his/her shift.

Master Key

A key which opens all guestroom doors which are not double-locked.

Mitering

A method for contouring a sheet or blanket to fit the corner of a mattress in a smooth and neat manner. The results are sometimes referred to as “square corners” or “hospital corners”.

MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet)

A form containing information about a chemical that is supplied by the chemical’s manufacturer.

Occupancy Report

A report prepared each night by a front desk agent which lists rooms occupied that night and indicates those guests expected to check out the following day.

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Act)

A broad set of rules that projects workers in all trades and professions from a variety of unsafe working conditions.

pH Scale

A scale that measures the acidity or alkalinity of a substance to the scale, a pH of 7 is neutral, acids have values of less than 7 to 0, and alkalies have values of more than 7 to 14.

Pile

The surface of a carpet; consists of fibers or yarns that form raised loops that can be ut or sheared.

Pile Distortion

Face fiber condition such as twisting, pilling, flaring, or matting caused by heavy traffic or improper cleaning methods.

Preventive Maintenance

A systematic approach to maintenance in which situations are identified and corrected on a regular basis to control costs and keep larger problems from occurring. Preventive maintenance consists of inspection, minor corrections, and work order initiation.

Primary Backing

The part of the carpet to which face fibers are attached and which holds these fibers in place.

Resilient Floors

A type of floor that reduces noise and is considered easier to stand or walk on. Types of resilient floors include vinyl, asphalt, rubber, linoleum, and wood.

Room Attendant’s Cart

A lightweight, wheeled vehicle used by room attendants for transporting cleaning supplies, linen, and equipment needed to fulfill a block of cleaning assignments.

Room Inspection

A detailed process in which guestrooms are systematically checked for cleanliness and maintenance needs.

Room Status Discrepancy

A situation in which the housekeeping department’s description of a room status differs from the room status information at the front desk.

Room Status Report

A report which allows the housekeeping department to identify the occupancy condition of the property’s rooms. Generated daily through a two-way communication between housekeeping and the front desk.

Rotary Floor Machine

Floor care equipment that accommodates both brushes and pads to perform such carpet cleaning tasks as dry foaming cleaning, mist pad cleaning, rotary spin pad cleaning, or bonnet and brush shampoos. On hard floors, these machines can be used to buff, burnish, scrub, strip, and refinish.

Routine Maintenance

Activities related to the general upkeep of the property that occur on a regular (daily or weekly) basis, and require relatively minimal training or skills to perform. These activities occur outside of a formal work order system and include such tasks as sweeping carpets, washing floor, cleaning guestrooms, etc.

Scheduled Maintenance

Activities related to the upkeep of the property that are initiated through a formal work order or similar document.

Secondary Backing

The part of a carpet that is laminated to the primary backing to provide additional stability and more secure installation.

Turndown Service

A special service provided by the housekeeping department which a room attendant enters the guestroom in the early evening to restock supplies, tidy the room, and turn down the guest bed.

Area Responsibility Plan

A document that geographically defines physical areas of a facility and assigns responsibility for cleaning among the various departments of a hotel or hospitality organization, usually developed from the division of work document.

Bed and Bath Linen

Items such as sheets, pillowcases, hand towels, bath towels, washcloths, and cloth bath mats.

Bedding

All bed linens such as sheets and pillowcases, and all blankets, shams, dust ruffles, pillow quilts, comforters, coverlets, mattress pads, and bed spreads.

Buffing

The act of polishing the surface of a floor with a low-speed (175-350 rpm) floor machine.

Burnishing

The act of polishing the surface of a floor with a high-speed (350+ rpm) floor machine to achieve an extremely high gloss (wet look) surface.

Daily Work Assignment Sheet

Form that indicates special work tasks required for a given day and are assigned to a specific worker.

Damp Mopping

The use of a damp (not wet) mop for spot cleaning of spills and overall cleaning of light dirt from floors. This technique is not intended to remove heavily embedded dirt or old floor finish.

Dilution Ratio

Comparison of the amount of water that is, or must be, added to a specific cleaning agent that is recommended for a specific cleaning task. For example, a 20:1 dilution ratio means 20 parts water to a 1 part cleaning agent.

Guest Essentials

Guest supplies that are essential in guestrooms but that the guest would not normally be expected to use up or remove upon departure. Examples include water glasses, ice buckets, and cloth hangers.

Guest Expendables

Guest supplies that guests would normally be expected to use up or take away upon departure. Examples include stationery, toilet tissue and soap.

Guest Loan Items

Guest supplies not normally found in a guestroom but available upon request. Examples include hair dryers, razors, ironing boards, and irons. Guest signs a receipt and specify a time that the item may be picked up by the housekeeping department.

Guest Request

Any special request not normally included in the regular servicing of a guestroom, such as for extra towels, hair dryers, razors roll-away bed or baby crib.

Guest Supplies

Supplies specifically needed because guests are staying in a hotel.

Housekeeper’s Report

A report made daily to the front desk by the housekeeping department and signed by a manager indicating the correct status of all guestrooms. Compilation of all results obtained from afternoon room checks conducted on the entire guestroom. Specifies what rooms are ready for occupancy, occupied by guests, and/or on-change, etc.

Maintenance Checklist

Document used as a guide in the performance of a maintenance inspection.

Maintenance Work Request Form

A three-part document used for repairs; is transmitted to the engineering department. Form allows for the control and processing of work and the recording of man-hours and materials involved in the repairs performed.

Padding

A layer of material placed under carpet to increase resiliency. It can be made from a number of natural and synthetic materials.

Room Inspections

Periodic inspections of guestrooms to ensure that standards of cleanliness and servicing are being maintained.

Spray Buffing

The application of a finish solution while polishing a floor’s surface to retouch worn spots and to restore a glossy look to the floor’s surface.

The End