Ensuring Your Hotel Cleanliness Standards Are Up To Par in the Reopening Phases

The coronavirus has completely changed everything, and it goes without saying that reopening is going to be different – for everyone. Guests’ cleanliness expectations have drastically changed, which in turn will change the way you do things. Adaptability will need to play a major role in your reopening process. Nonetheless, in order to help your guests and the local economy, your hotel’s cleanliness standards need to be up to par with these as expectations adjust to the new normal.

Common area cleaning

As always, you’ll want to use cleaning products and follow protocols that meet the EPA guidelines and prove effective for viruses, bacteria, and airborne pathogens – making sure you’re following the manufacturer instructions to protect your employees and guests. Please note, if you’ve been closed for an extended time, please check your water system features to ensure they’re safe to use. Cleaning the common areas hasn’t changed too much, it’ll just need to be done more often with extra focus on the high-touch areas. Places to look out for are door handles, the check-in counter, elevator buttons, luggage caddy, and more.

Guest room cleaning

When cleaning guest rooms, follow the routine that’s already proven to be effective for you, but with minor tweaks. Pay special attention to high-touch items like the remote control, phone, faucet handles, door handles, light switches, thermostats, and other similar items. If applicable, all kitchen tools, utensils, and dishware needs to be thoroughly cleaned between each guest’s stay. If a guest has contracted the coronavirus, it’s required that the guests room be removed from service for extra deep cleaning.

Amenity cleaning

In regards to your hotel’s gym and pool, consider requiring reservation times so you can limit capacity, enforce social distancing, and ensure everything is properly disinfected between each use. As for hot tubs and steam rooms, these areas should remain closed. Keeping the pool and the surrounding area disinfected is going to be more of a process to combat the spread of the coronavirus. First, determine which disinfecting products are approved for use in this area and follow through with proper use and storage of these products. To accommodate your guests, create signs that explicitly say if particular furniture has or hasn’t been disinfected so they know what is safe to use. With that, add signs throughout the area to reinforce safety guidelines. When laundering guests towels, be sure your employees are using gloves and not shaking the towels. It’s also recommended to encourage guests to refrain from sharing items like goggles, kick boards, pool noodles, and other common amenities. In order to meet social distancing guidelines, you’ll need to rearrange the lounge furniture to make everything 6-ft apart.

Staff

For smooth, successful, and long-term cleanliness, your employees need to be aware of the new rules and protocols. Consistent hand washing and use of sanitizer is only the beginning. Staff members should be wearing personal protective equipment at all times, if applicable. Staff members who are in direct contact with guests, should always protect themselves and others with gloves and protective eye equipment. With this, employees should be trained on how to properly wear, dispose of, and clean PPE. The EEOC has recently allowed employers to check employees temperatures – this practice isn’t required but something employers should consider implementing to ensure the safety of the staff and guests. If an employee’s temperature is 100.4 degrees or higher, they should be instructed to return home and given directions to appropriate medical care.

Guests

Upon arrival, having numerous signs stating your cleanliness and social distancing efforts will help your guests know how to proceed and feel safe. You can encourage guests to take part by placing hand sanitizer stations along with reminder signs throughout high-touch areas, such as reception areas, restaurant entrances, amenity areas, and elevator landings. Per CDC guidelines, masks can aid in mitigating the spread of the coronavirus, consider offering your guests masks while also having signage that outlines proper use, such as covering both the mouth and nose.

Reopening your hotel to staff and guests is going to look much different than pre-COVID times. Understanding how best to control and disinfect common, guest, and staff areas will not only help keep your guests and employees safe, but it’ll help ensure that your hotel can continue to stay open.