Hotels and hospitality establishments worldwide have been scrambling to implement new cleaning and sanitation protocols since COVID-19 has been declared an outbreak last March 2020. 

The use of hospital-grade disinfectants and cleaning products has become the new standard when it comes to cleaning protocols. Hand-sanitizing stations and plexiglass barriers can now be seen at front desks. All hotel and restaurant staff are required to wear face masks, face shields, and in some cases, even donning full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) apparel.

Hotel safety for guests and employees has become much more important than ever before. With heightened awareness due to the pandemic, hotel and hospitality teams are now facing additional scrutiny on how they clean and sanitise their establishments. To meet those demands, hotels have introduced additional safety and sanitation protocols.

Ensuring the Safety of Guests and Staff

At the top of the list of any hotel and restaurant is ensuring the safety of everyone on the property—and that includes staff and guests. This can be achieved by maintaining guidelines for safe operations to ensure that your establishment meets the new cleanliness standards. 

These guidelines and recommendations include:

• Frequent antiviral cleaning of areas that involve a lot of touching and close contact between guests and staff;
• Masks should be readily available and offered to guests upon arrival. Strict enforcement in a civil and hospitable manner is required;
• Updating policies about employees calling in sick; and
• Placing markers on the floor to indicate social distancing between people congregating in certain areas.

Modified Cleaning SOPs

Water temperature standards for linen cleaning should be modified now that it may no longer be sufficient because of the higher standards brought by the pandemic. 

The same goes for cleaning solutions and preventative measures for sanitation. Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and Safe Work Australia have enumerated new standards in choosing the best sanitising and disinfectant cleaners to use.

External Communication of Cleanliness

Those in the hotel and hospitality industry know very well how they keep their facilities clean. But that may not always be the case with guests.!

As part of the new safety protocols, guests need to be informed about how extensive you are at keeping your hotels and restaurants clean and sanitised. This is especially important since not all hotels hold themselves to the same level of sanitation and hygiene standards! Regardless of how thorough you are with your cleaning and sanitation procedures, make sure you let your guests know what’s being done before, during, and after their stay.

Outfitting Housekeeping Staff With PPE

Housekeeping team members need to practice wearing appropriate PPE before entering a room to clean it. The hotel should be well-stocked with all the required supplies, equipment, and cleaning tools to ensure that you are equipped to deal with disinfecting your entire establishment. 

Remember, guests are far more vigilant about hotel operations now, and they are always observing their rooms are cleaned and sanitised. Seeing housekeeping teams wearing protective gear assures your guests that you’re doing everything you can to keep them safe.

Conclusion

Hotels and hospitality establishments need to step up to the new safety and sanitation standards as part of the “new normal.” Though the process of reopening these establishments have long begun, these safety measures will need to be observed for far longer than what we’re used to. Even after new cases have been reduced, guests will continue to be more cautious when it comes to visiting or checking in to your hotel.

Reliance Chemicals is at the forefront of formulating and manufacturing cleaning solutions for the automotive, industrial, hospitality, and other industries. We have everything you need to keep your building, office, facility, or establishment clean and up to the new standards. Contact us today to learn more about our products.