Cleaning Equipments

Main reference text Jones, T 2004, Professional Management of Housekeeping Operations, 4th edn, San Francisco, John Wiley (pages 120-133)

Chapter Focus Point Introduction Material Handling Equipment Manual Equipment Mechanical Equipment Selection of Equipment

Introduction Good workmen look after tools Aids that make work easier Tool is an aid that is used by hand Machine is a tool that works mechanical help 5% - 10% of the cost of cleaning is spent on cleaning equipment and agents

Material Handling Equipment Cleaning Trolleys Easy to transport cleaning equipment, agents and guest supplies Easy to carry out operations Avoid staffs from being forgetful and wasting time

Material Handling Equipment Caddy Box with a handle used by maids to carry working tools, safety tools and chemical spray bottles

Manual Equipment Carpet Sweeper Hand operated Have one/two revolving brush which throw the dirt and dust into the box Used on hard floors Have adjustable brushes which can be raised/lowered according to the floor surface

Manual Equipment Mop Sweeper/Dust Mop Made of cotton yarn hood and fitted on to a metal or plastic stock, with long/short handle Used instead of sweeping, because it reduces the amount of dust rising and then resettling Used in conjunction with a vacuum cleaner or on its own, before hard floor maintenance Can be removed from the mop itself, for cleaning or sterilising

Manual Equipment Wet Mop Made from long cotton yarn Round head known as ‘Dolly Mops’ Flat heads known as ‘Fantail Mops’ Fantail mops are more hygienic, as can be removed for washing Yarn will not break away from the mop head easily Dolly mops cannot be removed for cleaning and dirt is pushed deeper and deeper into the floor and re-distributed over the floor

Manual Equipment Wet Mop Buckets One bucket contains clean water, the other contains chemical solution and is fitted with a roller wringer/press wringer System forces the operator to change the water regularly

Manual Equipment Squeeze Mops Consists of a plastic foam head attached to a metal plate, which is hinged in the middle When the lever on the handle is depressed, the hinge operates a squeezing action, forcing the water out of the sponge Used for washing down certain types of wall, including tiles

Manual Equipment Brushes and Brooms Have bristles of hair, nylon/wire secured into a wooden, polypropylene or metal stock. Secured by wire, glue or by a combination of both Have long or short handles according to their purpose

Manual Equipment Cleaning Cloths Consists of either textile/wool fibre Man-made/synthetic fibres are non-absorbent and less suitable Many establishments rags such as written off sheets/towels are used for cleaning

Manual Equipment Rubber Gloves Supply cleaning staff with rubber gloves For hygiene purpose Comes in various sizes

Mechanical Equipment Upright Vacuum Cleaners Not suitable for modern floor covering/carpets that are stuck down to the floor/have a thick rubber backing Air is sucked into the head through the carpet and the beater bars dislodge the dust that can be sucked up into the bag

Mechanical Equipment Cylinder Vacuum Cleaners Advantages Flexible and clean under any furniture Used on hard as well as soft floors, because they have adjustable heads Come with attachments. Can be used to clean furniture, beds and soft furnishings Back pack models available for high dusting and the removal of cobwebs

Mechanical Equipment Cylinder Vacuum Cleaners Disadvantages Industrial design must be bought, as domestic variety is not suitable Dust bags need frequent changing. Expensive if they are not reusable Topple over easily, annoying for the operator Hoses break very easily, damaged by maids/room service trolleys running over them

Mechanical Equipment Central Vacuuming System Built in the fabric of the building like a plumbing/central heating system Basement a large motor and collection canister from which there are pipes leading to points all over the building to which different machines are connected Advantages quiet in operation and spread of bacteria is reduced Cleaner is simple and requires little maintenance Disadvantages installed during building, expensive Long length of hose is required to reach from the outlet points Can be dangerous, as people may trip/trolleys run over them

Mechanical Equipment Heavy duty vacuum cleaners Main use where there are floods/spillages Useful in floor maintenance or even carpet cleaning Help to speed up the drying process

Mechanical Equipment Scrubbing Machines Requirement when hard floors are installed in reasonably large areas Fitted with a variety of brush/pad, which are coloured/graded according to the type of job

Mechanical Equipment For floors that needs regular buffing/polishing High Speed Polishing Machines For floors that needs regular buffing/polishing Not versatile as regular scrubbing machines

Mechanical Equipment Backpack Vacuums Useful where ceilings, curtains and ledges are high Suitable for cleaning grand staircases of the hotel and hard to reach areas

Mechanical Equipment Pile brush machines Brush the pile back up to its original position in height Renew deep set fluff, grit/dust ensuring that the carpet enjoys a longer life

Selection of equipment Suitability Durability Budget (initial & operating) Frequency of use Ease of operation Availability of parts Service reliability Warranty Safety factors Work performance Save of time and labour Noise Storage Maintenance and servicing arrangements Reputation of the company