Clean room. Clear conscience.

Why the importance of hygiene best practice remains vital.

With the steady influx of international visitors arriving on our shores and the ongoing challenge of staffing requirements it can be easy to overlook the importance of meeting the everyday standards of customer care and clean rooms. However, with the potential for small cleaning molehills to become absurd online mountains, an exacting approach to hygiene has never been more important. 

Clickbait articles in the mainstream media still regularly appear, with headlines like “5 things to avoid in a hotel room – number 4 will shock you!”, breathlessly imploring readers to check how clean their room is. Such tales can be embellished, exaggerated or, outright fake, but these articles nevertheless capture the public’s attention. And, in today’s social media-driven world, small oversights in having a clean room can be blown up into major issues.

Unfortunately, these overinflated tales, whether they are based on legitimate fodder or fakery, can really put a damper on the reputation of an entire industry, or even a country. Ensuring the strength of New Zealand’s reputation internationally as a pleasant and safe place to stay is paramount to our ability to bounce back after the reset of international tourism. 

At a time where everyone is a potential reporter, with a potential viral video just a screen-swipe away, getting the details right in each and every room is vital. Here are some fool-proof tips for making sure every box is ticked…

Avoid landing in hot water.

It’s becoming increasingly well-known by the general public that the kettles in hotel and motel rooms are not always used for hot drinks.

Whether it belongs in the fictional horror or true crime section is unknown. However just the idea the jug could get used as a hot rinse for washing underwear and socks is enough to put most suspicious guests off a cuppa, even after a long day on the road.

Even if this isn’t true, it is easy to overlook the inside of a jug, which can become stained and scaly with use. This should be emptied, wiped out and dried between every guest’s stay, both to avoid any indication it’s been used in an unorthodox way and to remove any bacteria build-up. If the jug does become stained over time it should be replaced. Metal jugs will last longer than plastic in this regard.

A breath of clean, fresh air.

On entering a room to clean and change the bed, windows should be thrown open if possible. This will allow a change of air, removing any subtle scents, food smells or odours left behind by the last guests and adding to the impression of a clean room.

Often room changeover must be done quickly. Ventilation is the fastest way to make the room feel fresh, with no trace of any previous guests left behind in the air. It is also a Covid-savvy method of reducing any chance of the virus lingering behind when a guest checks out.

Maximise the mattress.

Protect the most important investment in the room with a good quality, waterproof mattress protector. This will allow an easy change of bedding, without the need to fuss with the mattress itself. It should always be changed between guests, however. If left on the bed between guests, perfumes (and worse) can linger behind and be noticed by the next guests, even if it is covered by crisp, clean sheets.

Meticulous guests may also pull back the sheets to check on the state of the mattress protector – so don’t be caught short with a used or stained one. It’s not a good look!

Lost and found.

Again, any hint of the last guest is going to become fodder for a fastidious guest (and might end up on social media too). Check under the bed, under the armchair, in the bathroom cabinet – anywhere that the last guest may have lost or left something.

Any items that have obviously been forgotten should be quickly placed in lost property to avoid another potential problem: being accused of failing to return property to guests.

Valuable items should be retained and returned. If an item is of no value (forgotten food items or a broken shoe, for example) then there is no obligation to keep hold of it. If in doubt leave it aside for a fair time or make contact directly with the guest. 

Hair today, gone today.

There is little worse than finding a hair belonging to someone else in your hotel room. Avoid this by ensuring that hair is removed from all areas of the bathroom, even behind the door and around the base of the toilet. The bedhead is another place to check for hairs, as these can attach to upholstered bedheads when guests are relaxing in bed watching TV.

Vacuuming can help to remove any shed hairs from soft furnishings, which may not be evident during clean up but are likely to be noticed when your guests are settled in. A good quality vacuum will remove hairs easily without too much elbow grease.

Clean Room Goals

Vendella stock a range of items to assist in maintaining levels of hygiene in your establishment. You can view the full range of cleaning items online or contact our friendly customer service team to assist you.