Servicing guestrooms can sometimes involve more than 100 individual tasks. However, some of these tasks only need to be completed on a weekly or monthly basis. This is where the Daily Special comes in. At each morning’s housekeeping standup briefing, managers should share a single Daily Special task to be completed in each guestroom. The task will typically take only two to three minutes to complete, but is necessary to meet guest cleanliness expectations and to ensure that the hotel maintains a high quality-assurance inspection score. Here are some Daily Special cleaning tasks that can be scheduled on a rotational basis:
WEEKLY
Dust ceiling lines and corners, as well as cornice moldings, mirrors, pictures, and lamp fixtures in guestrooms and hallways. Vacuum behind and around credenzas, nightstands, refrigerators, floor lamps, sofas/sitting chairs, and bed platforms and headboards. Also vacuum the inside of safes, closets, and credenza drawers (for on-change rooms only). Dust the screen grille behind in-room refrigerators, the exhaust grate of PTAC units, and the back of televisions to ensure proper airflow and to save electricity. Hand dust the shower curtain rod and any towel bars in the bathroom. Wipe down the inside of windows with glass cleaner and a polishing rag. Dust the closet shelf and every hanger. Replace or refasten stained or loose ironing board covers as appropriate. Wipe down doorknobs, window latches, and drapery pull rods with disinfectant cloths. Clean the interior and the touchpad of microwave ovens with a disinfectant cloth.
MONTHLY
Dust any accessible plumbing pipes under bathroom sinks and countertops. Dust the grille cover for the bathroom’s exhaust fan. Examine shower curtain rings for dirt or soap buildup and clean/replace as needed. Check the interior of toilet tanks for water levels, debris, and anomalies. Defrost freezer compartments in refrigerators, if needed. Vacuum inside the exhaust grilles of PTAC units to eliminate dust and unsightly debris. Vacuum or wipe down privacy drape liners to eliminate dust buildup. Similarly, wipe down the inside of connector doors between adjoining guestrooms.
