AREAS OF HOUSEKEEPING

You must have understood by now how important good housekeeping is to your
own house. Similarly, it is equally important for any other kind of establishment, be
it a shop, a trading center, an office, club, guesthouse, hospital, hotel or a hostel.

Every area in the establishments mentioned above needs to be kept clean and tidy
and everything placed here has to be in a presentable and working condition.
Thus, housekeeping is an essential and regular feature in all types of establishments.
In commercial establishments, the housekeeping services are done by a team of
specialized people according to different areas. Here is a detailed list of areas
which need housekeeping. You can add to the list if you like.

i) Rooms and corridors: - ceiling and wall paint, wall paper, fans, air-conditioners,
electrical switches and sockets, wiring, windows, doors, glass panes, bed,
bed-making, carpets, locks, keys, etc.

ii) Toilets: - taps, sinks, water closet, geysers, water supply, electrical sockets
and switches, supply of towels, toilet paper, toiletries (soap, shampoo, etc.)

iii) Linen: - linen (table napkin, tablecloth) towels, bed sheets, bed covers,
blankets, garments of guests, staff uniforms, etc

iv) Furniture and furnishings: - furniture, curtains, table lamps, tube lights,
chandeliers, bulbs, sofas, dining tables and chairs, etc.

v) Gardens: - Plants, pots, lawn (grass), flowers, trees, bushes, hedges, etc.

 

vi) Public areas: - stair case, corridors, lobby, conference/ seminar room, waiting
halls, recreation room, parking area, clubs, swimming pool, offices, common
toilets etc.

IMPORTANCE OF HOUSEKEEPING

To know the importance of housekeeping, let us examine the following situation.
Rohan gets up with a backache as his mattress is lumpy.He has to catch a train; he
opens the tap for bathing but there is no water! He goes to the roof to check the
tanks, a leak in the pipe has drained out all the water!

He sits for his breakfast and manages to save himself from falling, as the chair is
broken. To his horror, he notices a tiny cockroach in his food.

Now, would you like to be in Rohan’s place? Would you like to use a dirty toilet?
or wear dirty, torn clothes? Would you like to work in a shabby, dirty place? If
eating out, would you like to go to a restaurant with broken furniture or pests
crawling all over? Would you like to sleep on a dirty and lumpy bed?

I am sure the answer to all the above is ‘No’. These are very small things but
can make a lot of difference in your daily life. These small things are the very
essence of a good housekeeping. Had Rohan attended to the leak in time, repaired
the dining chair when it had just started creaking, or unclogged the drain the first
time it showed minor blockage, regularly disinfested his house at periodic
intervals,— it would have ensured a clear, comfortable environment in which

Rohan would have been happy and relaxed. He would not have felt uncomfortable,
depressed and frustrated or suffered from an inferiority complex. A good
housekeeping would have ensured smooth functioning of all gadgets, no leaks, a
comfortable environment in which Rohan would have enjoyed a hassle free living.
Thus housekeeping means attending to the small tasks in time.

WHAT IS HOUSEKEEPING?

Housekeeping in simple words means maintaining a house on a daily or long term
basis or looking after its cleanliness, tidiness, upkeep and smooth running. When
you keep your house clean and well maintained, you would also like to make it as
beautiful as possible. How do you make sure that everything in the house is in
usable condition? None of the objects are broken or chipped and fabrics are not
torn. All the fixtures like taps, geysers, electric wiring, bulbs, tubes, fans, plugpoints,
are in good working condition, geysers are not leaking, electric wiring is
proper and there is no danger of fire due to short circuiting, and so on.

Thus, the different procedures followed to keep and maintain everything in the
house in a good and presentable order, are collectively known as good
housekeeping. In other words, we may also say that housekeeping is a process of
keeping a place clean, beautiful and well maintained so that it looks and feels
pleasant and inviting to all, either living, visiting or working there

INTRODUCTION TO HOUSEKEEPING

Every house, whether private, like yours, or commercial like offices, shops, hotels,
hospitals, clubs, etc., needs to be kept clean and tidy, so that it looks inviting to all.
This is where housekeeping comes in. Cleaning and maintenance services can be
spotted very easily anywhere.

The basic concept of housekeeping has started from keeping a domestic house
clean and has gradually come to maintaining high standards of cleanliness and
maintenance at commercial levels. Besides this , housekeeping should also contribute
to the saving in costs of labour, cleaning material and equipment, furnishings and
the like in every type of establishment.

But before we move into the actual working and detailed procedures of this
interesting and probably the most important activity of our daily life, it is important
to get introduced to the commercial concept of housekeeping, its role and
importance, the various functions of housekeeping and the responsibilities of
personnel involved in housekeeping services. Besides, it is also important to know
the grooming standards of these personnel.