LO 1

INFORMATION SHEET NO. 1.1-1
MAJOR FUNCTIONS OF HOUSEKEEPING

Learning Objective:
After reading this Information Sheet, the trainee is expected to

1. Identify their functions in housekeeping and the areas it covers.
2. Describe the role of housekeeping department in hotel operations.
3. Describe housekeeping responsibilities in relation to cleaning administrative

offices, employee areas and housekeeping department area.
Introduction:

The housekeeping staffs should be aware of the primary function of
Housekeeping Department for them to perform their job properly and
accordingly. In this topic you will learn the definition and primary functions of
housekeeping in the hotel.

Housekeeping
- the upkeep and maintenance of cleanliness and order in a house or a
lodging establishment
Lodging establishment:
 Hotel
 Motel
 Inn
 Apartel
 Condominium
 Resort
 Dormitory
 Hospital
 Hostel

Types of Housekeeping
1. Domestic Housekeeping
- refers to the housekeeping maintenance in the house. It covers all
parts of the house including bedrooms, kitchen, dining area, living room,
ground and the surrounding areas within the house.

2. Institutional Housekeeping
- applies to housekeeping maintenance in commercial lodging
establishments like resorts, hotels, inns and apartels

Scope of Housekeeping Maintenance
The responsibilities of the Housekeeping Department include the

following:
1. Guestroom Maintenance
 Maintaining cleanliness and orderliness in the guestroom
 Furnishing the room with necessary amenities and supplies such
as bed, linens and appliances.
 Attending to service request of house guests
 Keeping the area free of safety hazards
2. Maintenance of Public Areas
 Maintaining the cleanliness and orderliness in all public areas
which includes lobby, corridors, function rooms, grounds, etc.
 Maintaining the upkeep of the surroundings of the building by
keeping it clean and free of litters
 Maintaining an attractive landscape to enhance eye appeal
 Keeping the public areas free of safety hazards
 Undertaking minor repair like busted bulbs, broken furniture, etc.
3. Maintenance of Linen/Laundry Service
 Collecting and delivering laundry items for house guests or in
house occupants
 Washing, drying, ironing guest laundry as well as linens used in
banquet functions, food service and guestrooms
 Mending service
4. Washing, issuance, repair and inventory of employees’ uniforms
5. Installation, cleaning and maintenance of fixtures and facilities like
furniture and appliances
6. Provision of special services like babysitting and polishing of shoes.

Housekeeping is the one who kept organized, clean and attractive the hotel
premises like offices, conference centers, malls, movie theaters, etc. They are
the silent workforce, normally in large brigade wherever they are employed. They

are the largest workforce in hotels because they are responsible for the
cleanliness, maintenance and aesthetic upkeep of the entire premises, both
external and internal.

The concept of housekeeping is simplistic but when one considers
maintaining a house of several hundreds of rooms and numerous public areas,
the task becomes gigantic and more complex.

Three Major Functions of Housekeeping:
1. Cleaning

Cleaning requires a comprehensive understanding of different surfaces
and the best tools and solutions to clean them to preserve the long life of
those surfaces.
The different types of surfaces that challenge a housekeeper are:
 Tar – used in road surfaces and roof finishing
 Wood – of different types including cork found in furniture and floorings.
 Granite or marble – used extensively nowadays for wall and floor
finishing as well as counter tops for receptions and bathroom sinks.
 Ceramic tiles – used as alternative flooring to other expensive material.
They may be found in bathrooms, kitchens and receiving areas where a
lot of water may be used.
 Linoleum – used as cheaper flooring for back office facilities
 Rubber – used for sound-proofed rooms like studios and meeting rooms.
 Plastic, vinyl or fibre glass – used in various artifacts and office
equipment.
 Metal – including aluminum, chrome, galvanized iron, lead, oxidized
silver, pewter, stainless steel, zinc and tin used in varied applications.
 Cane and wicker – used in furniture and artifacts.
 Leather – used in furniture
 Cloth – used for upholstery and furnishing

1. Maintenance
The role of housekeeping in maintenance is to identify and follow-up on

those items that are malfunctioning or defective throughout the facility and
ensure that they are rectified with engineering support. Since housekeeping has
access to all parts of a facility in the execution of their cleaning role, they are the
right people to locate deficiencies and report them to the engineering for
rectification. Engineering support comes in the way of electrical, mechanical,
civil, carpentry, plumbing and any masonry work.

3. Aesthetic Upkeep

Aesthetic upkeep are those measures used to be beautify the property.
This includes landscaping around the premises, as well as providing the flower
arrangements and decorations in internal public areas and offices. The interior
designer plans the layout of the facility so that it serves the guests as well as
those that provide services to them. She will decide on the theme color
combinations, traffic flows, service stations etc. the housekeeping role is to
maintain the facility as conceived by the interior designer. She provides those
inputs that need daily replacement like floral arrangements. Some accomplished
housekeepers may even be qualified interior decorators. The housekeeping
department, therefore, is responsible to make the internal and external facilities
attractive on a daily basis with the help of qualified horticulturist and florist.