Executive Housekeeping Today - October 2008 - (Page 5)

Carpets are a key indicator of cleanliness in hotels, healthcare facilities, and other 24/7 properties, and keeping carpets looking their best can help increase the perception of clean for the entire facility. Through preventative measures and regular extractions, it is possible to keep carpets looking new and clean. According to the Carpet & Rug Institute, 28 percent of all commercial carpet installations are made in hospitality and healthcare facilities. Many of these facilities are open 24 hours per day, seven days per week, which means carpet maintenance must be done in the presence of guests. This can be difficult, but the results are well worth the effort. A well-maintained carpet can increase guest satisfaction in any facility for a number of reasons. First, carpet is a key indicator of cleanliness in a facility. Carpeting is also the part of the facility that tends to collect the most dirt, since other hard surfaces are cleaned nearly daily. Failure to remove this dirt can negatively affect the overall cleanliness of the facility, since the carpet accumulates all debris that settles from the air and gets tracked in by foot. And finally, carpets capture odor. Soft surfaces, like carpet, are where residual dirt and odors linger, and odor can have an enormous impact on a guest’s perception of “clean.” Despite the many reasons for thorough carpet care, maintaining hospitality and healthcare carpet is often difficult. The facility is rarely—if ever—empty, and guests can access common areas at any time of the day or night. When routine extraction takes place in guest rooms, for example, drying c Caring for Carpets in 24-Hour Facilities by Michael Kupneski time necessitates decreased occupancy. Unplanned, extended guest stays mean that even the most regimented carpet care team is unlikely to be able to stay on schedule. Beyond logistical difficulties, carpet care is made difficult because guests often don’t exercise the same level of care with a hotel’s carpet as they would with their own carpet. The housekeeping staff should make an effort to monitor high-soil areas and immediately remove any spills and spots with an effective line of spot removers. of seven spot removers in their product lines, choosing a line of products with only a few spot removers can minimize guesswork. Many quality lines include just three products, including a general use spot remover that can tackle a wide range of unidentified stains; tannin spot removers, which target common spills like coffee and tea; Focus on Prevention The housekeeping staff should make an effort to monitor highsoil areas such as meeting rooms, dining facilities, and entryways for spotting, and immediately remove any spills and spots with an (continued on page 10) effective line of spot removers. It’s important to use products designed for this purpose, as many cleaning chemicals not intended for carpet may be ineffective in removing spots and can actually harm carpet fibers. The manu- Durable Stainless Steel Carts and Fixtures facturers who - Factory Direct Pricing design spot - 10 Year Guarantee Against Breakage removers typically indicate an order of use for the products that make success in removing spots most likely. While some product manufacturers �� carry upward �� Royce �� Company October 2008/Executive Housekeeping Today 5 http://www.roycerolls.net http://www.roycerolls.net

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Executive Housekeeping Today - October 2008

Executive Housekeeping Today - October 2008� Contents Executive Corner An Easier, Greener, and Healthier Approach to Floor Care Caring for Carpets in 24-Hour Facilities Frugal Housekeeper Case Study: University of Miami My Experiences with High-Speed Machines vs. Spray Buffers Vacuum Floor Care Q&A with Andre Motta Is a Spray-and-Vac System Really Better at Cleaning and Reducing the Risk of Disease? CEU Article The IEHA/CRI Partnership The Green Scene USGBC Green Tip What's in YOUR Janitor Closet? Inside the Industry Product Highlights New Members Joint IEHA/ISSA Members REH/CEH Members Advertisers' Index Calendar of Events Inside IEHA What IEHA Has Done for Me

Executive Housekeeping Today - October 2008

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