We all lived through the Covid-19 period, and if you were working in a hotel during that time, you will remember the new cleaning protocols that were introduced. Disinfectant products were brought in, fumigation and spray guns were used after every guest departure — it was a very challenging period, doing all of this with a mask on your face.
During that period we had implemented strict cleaning and disinfecting procedures for room cleaning. As always, there are some people who find shortcuts in procedures, thinking their shortcut will not be discovered. Let me share a few examples of what I personally witnessed during that period and beyond.
We had set a procedure for disinfecting phone handsets, TV remote controls, and drawer handles by wiping them with a cloth sprayed with disinfectant liquid. We noticed that in every room a specific room attendant was cleaning, the windows were not very clean and neither was the TV screen. What we discovered was that she was using the disinfectant as a glass cleaning product — which, of course, it is not designed for.
That is one example of cutting corners. There are more.
In another property, we discovered a room attendant who was bringing chlorine from home and using it in combination with other cleaning products, because she was convinced that the bathroom basin cleaned more easily with this combination. What she did not realise — and this is a serious point — is that mixing chlorine with certain cleaning products can produce toxic fumes, putting not only her own health at risk but also that of the next guest entering the room. This is not just a procedural deviation; it is a health and safety hazard. Not to mention the surface damage that chlorine causes to sink taps, marble, and fabric.
And it does not stop there. Another common example of cutting corners is not using the correct labelled bottle for each specific cleaning product — and instead using any bottle with no label at all. The result is damaged surfaces from the wrong cleaning product being applied to the wrong area.
One last example — because the list is long — is not using the correct sponge colour for specific surfaces, leading to cross-contamination. For instance, using the wrong sponge in the wrong area entirely.
So why does all this continue to happen, despite the fact that hotel owners spend money on cleaning supplies? Because if there is no system in place that delivers everything the staff needs with zero effort on their part — labelled bottles with the correct nozzles, pre-set portions, clearly defined uses, and adequate supplies always available — then the personnel will improvise, with damaging consequences for room surfaces and guest health.
And yes, there are still properties out there buying 10 or 15 kg detergent containers that staff have to manually pour into small bottles using a hose. If you make the correct procedure harder than the shortcut, do not be surprised when staff take the shortcut.
If you want to learn more about cleaning product usage and set up a proper system, I would suggest reviewing the 05. Cleaning Supplies Toolkit + Stock Inventory Template – Complete Bundle — it covers exactly this.
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