Also, find more information on guidelines and recommendations for:

• The Management Team
• Reception and Concierge

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Cleaning and disinfection

Even in the absence of COVID-19 cases in the establishment, it is recommended that hygiene services be enhanced. Special consideration should be given to the application of cleaning and disinfection measures in common areas (restrooms, halls, corridors, lifts, etc.) as a general preventive measure during the entire COVID-19 epidemic. Extra attention should be given to objects that are frequently touched, such as handles, elevator buttons, handrails, switches, doorknobs, etc. Cleaning staff should be instructed accordingly.

As part of the tourism accommodation establishment action plan for COVID-19, there should be a special cleaning and disinfection plan for situations in which there are sick guests or employees staying at the establishment or identified with COVID-19 within a few days after leaving the establishment. Written recommendations for enhanced cleaning and disinfection should describe the additional operating procedures for cleaning, managing solid waste, and for wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

The following should be implemented for rooms or specific areas exposed to COVID-19 cases:

• Any surfaces that become soiled with respiratory secretions or other body fluids of the ill person(s), e.g. toilet, hand washing basins, and baths should be cleaned with a regular household disinfectant solution containing 0.1% sodium hypochlorite (that is, equivalent to 1000 ppm). Surfaces should be rinsed with clean water after sufficient contact time for chlorine.
• Service staff may require additional training in the preparation, handling, application, and storage of these products, mostly bleach, which may be at a higher concentration than usual. The cleaning staff should know how to make sure the bleach is not disintegrated and how to rinse it off after 10 minutes.
• When the use of bleach is not suitable, e.g. telephone, remote control equipment, door handles, buttons in the elevator, etc. then alcohol 70% could be used.
• Whenever possible, use only disposable cleaning materials. Discard any cleaning equipment made of cloths and absorbent materials, e.g. mop-head and wiping cloths. When pertinent, disinfect properly non-porous cleaning materials with 0.5% sodium hypochlorite solution or according to manufacturer’s instructions before usage in other rooms.
• Textiles, linens, and clothes should be put in special, marked laundry bags and handled carefully to prevent raising dust, with consequent potential contamination of surrounding surfaces or people. Instructions should be given for washing them in hot cycles (70ºC or more) with the usual detergents. All used items must be handled appropriately to mitigate the risk of potential transmission. Disposable items (hand towels, gloves, masks, tissues) should be placed in a container with a lid and disposed of according to the hotel action plan and national regulations for waste management.
• In general, public areas where a case has passed through or has spent minimal time in (corridors) do not need to be specially cleaned and disinfected.
• Cleaning crews should be trained on the use of PPE and hand hygiene immediately after removing the PPE, and when cleaning and disinfection work is completed.
• All rooms and common areas should be ventilated daily.

Monitoring of sick guests

Housekeeping and cleaning staff should inform the management or the reception desk of any pertinent incidents, including possibly sick guests in their rooms. They must treat all this information with discretion.

Availability of materials

Cleaning staff should be trained on the use of and provided with personal protection equipment as listed below:

• Gloves
• Disposable gowns
• Closed shoes
• If doing procedures that generate splashes (e.g. while washing surfaces), add facial protection with a face shield and impermeable aprons.

They should also have access to sufficient disinfectant solutions and other supplies.

Optional housekeeping programs
All programmes where guests can voluntarily forego housekeeping services should be suspended in the service of maximizing health and safety of hotel staff and guests alike.

The FCS Housekeeping system’s interaction with the hotel PMS allows the front desk to be kept abreast of the room status. This reduces the amount of movement around the hotel by staff chasing for updates with regards to which room is ready for the guest and which is not.

At a time when hotels are looking to scale back on some guest services and costs to help fund new cleaning regimes and practices, the installation of new software might not seem to be a priority. FCS Housekeeping has a proven ROI that helps to reduce manpower costs and boosts productivity while at the same time allowing the ability to set measurable standards and maintain accountability where needed.

Contact our team for more details and/or we’ll be happy to provide a demo of our solutions.