Housekeeping

Maintaining the house

The housekeeping department will have to be on its toes to match the development of the Indian hotel industry. Sayoni Bhaduri tracks the trends in the segment.

Housekeeping is no more limited to cleaning rooms; it has gone beyond it. HospitalityWorld 2007 saw new trends emerge in the segment and among them is the birth of health-conscious guests who demand, among other things, eco-friendly products of international quality.

Natural products: Personal care products like soaps and other toiletries have moved from being chemical-based to natural and ayurvedic products. There is a growing popularity for eco-friendly products; even the packaging is eco-friendly. Virgin propylene is being used for the packaging and lead-free ink is being used for printing on the packages. Cold-crafted soap is the new product which is picking up in the hospitality market. This soap maintains the glycerine level in the soaps and is more skin-friendly.

Sensor-operated appliances: Apart from personal care products, hygiene maintenance has seen the evolution of products like soap dispensers, hand-dryers and tissue dispensers. They have been in the market for a long time now, the only development it has seen is the use of sensor-operated dispensers and dryers which run on battery or electricity. These options are the best when it comes to keeping up the sanitation of public washrooms. A product which is closely linked with hygiene and sanitation is the use of tissue papers. Innovation of these products is dependent on the technological advances.

Outsourcing: Hotels often outsource their laundry, but a more cost-effective method is using in-house washers and dryers. With the evolution of a single system which washes and dries clothes in the same machine, the washer extractor will definitely add to the cost effectiveness of the hotel. To reduce costs even further, use of disposable products like pillow covers and spa garments made of non-woven fabrics would be an economical option. This will also help maintain hygiene. Technological advances can also be relied upon so as to check unwanted and unchecked use of electronic appliances like television and air-conditioning by the housekeeping staff. The swipe card keys used by the guest and the staff are different and only with the use of the guest's swipe card can the appliances be used.

Décor: Upkeep of the look and décor of a property is also the responsibility of the housekeeping department. The look has also changed drastically with a number of companies coming in to provide complete renovation solutions to hotels. Adding to the look of a hotel room is the kind of upholstery used, colours, etc. Mattresses have developed from being made of cotton to vertical springs-LFK mattresses.

Even the linen used has undergone changes. The use of bed strips instead of entire bedcovers is an interesting change; the quality has become more skin friendly. The use of jacquard, where products can have colour prints on them, should also see a growth in the future. Hotels can customise their linen products, giving a greater brand recall. The only hindrance at the moment for these products is its cost of manufacturing.