How to become A Housekeeper

The fact that cleaning for two hours burns 200 calories may be your incentive to take up housekeeping as a career or your inclination for organisation and service. A Housekeeper is in charge of maintaining the general cleanliness of a property so that its residents and visitors may enjoy neat and hygienic facilities. They regularly work as part of the support staff for hotels and other hospitality venues or institutions. However, they may also work in domestic settings, such as residential facilities or private homes.

• Housekeeping Cleaner
• Housekeeping Aide
• Housecleaner
• Hotel Housekeeper
• Domestic Housekeeper
• Domestic Worker
• Day Worker
• Cleaner

What do Housekeepers do?

A Housekeeper would typically need to:

• Coordinate and carry out the duties that keep a commercial or domestic property clean and orderly; maintain the establishment’s standards of sanitation, safety, upkeep, service, comfort and aesthetics for residents, guests and employees
• Coordinate and implement housekeeping programs, following prescribed policies concerning shift work, guests’ or residents’ possessions and privacy 
• Foster a welcoming and comfortable environment for guests; ensure that the housekeeping team treats them courteously and handles relevant matters promptly and efficiently
• Hire, train and manage employees; create shift schedules and assign room attendants their daily cleaning responsibilities; work with a team on each shift; motivate staff to focus on meeting guests’ needs and organisational goals
• Clean the living or working spaces, including the rooms and bathrooms, as well as public areas such as hallways, lounges, restaurants, cafes, dining or conference halls, spas, gyms and lifts; perform deep cleans when required
• Clean and rearrange rooms after guests check out, keeping in touch with the front desk to track bookings and check-in/check-out times
• Vacuum, mop, wax and polish floors using; vacuum, shampoo, and maintain rugs and carpets
• Dust surfaces; clean or polish the woodwork, windows and walls and furniture
• Make beds, change sheets and towels, and replenish room supplies and toiletries, such as laundry bags, tea, coffee, sugar, soap and toilet paper
• Ensure adequate stock of cleaning supplies, linen, uniforms and room amenities, including soap, shampoo, and coffee and tea
• Manage inventory and purchase in coordination with the purchasing department and distribute the items as needed
• Manage the laundry requirements of the establishment, including washing, drying, ironing and sorting bed, bath and table linen, staff uniforms, and guests’ or residents’ clothes
• Report and organise the return of any lost and found properties 
• Empty garbage cans and transport waste to recycling centres; systematically detect and eliminate fire hazards; remove waste materials from the floor, such as paper, debris, clutter and spillages, that can cause people to slip or trip
• Arrange for the provision of floral decorations where needed; organise the maintenance of the property’s landscaped areas
• Carry out inspections to ensure top-notch work by the housekeeping team and that there are no spots or unclean surfaces, no supplies missing for guests, and no malfunctioning equipment
• Maintain housekeeping equipment, such as vacuum cleaners and trolleys, in safe working order; sanitise and store them at the end of each shift
• Handle issues relating to health & safety, especially those involving dangerous cleaning materials
• Respond to calls for housekeeping issues, such as spills, and take care of them
• Note and report any flaws or damage and establish plans for repairs or replacement in collaboration with other departments; regularly update the general manager and heads of department
• Manage budgets and try to control expenditure on cleaning and other hotel supplies
• Manage paperwork and electronic databases, such as maintenance reports and room check sheets
• Supervise property renovation or refurnishing, collaborating with the management and interior designers

Housekeepers work in private residences, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, or nursing homes; they perform most of their jobs indoors. Since most jobs require you to handle cleaning products that may contain harsh chemicals, you must follow strict safety guidelines to protect yourself and others. You will likely need to wear gloves and other protective gear while carrying out certain tasks. You may also need to perform strenuous tasks and lift or carry large items. 

Many hotels, hospitals, other establishments and service-providing agencies prescribe a dress code or provide uniforms to the housekeeping personnel.

If you do not live on your employer's premises, you would need to commute to the hotel, household or establishment you work for. If you work for several homes, you must commute between them. 

A hotel job would require you to collaborate with the reception team, general manager and suppliers. You would work or supervise the housekeeping team in different parts of the hotel, such as the rooms, bathrooms, public use areas, such as lobbies, restaurants and bars. However, you may also have an office to carry out paperwork. 

Housekeeping at healthcare and hospitality facilities establishes stricter hygiene standards than the work environment in private houses. 

Working circumstances for Housekeepers vary widely across private households. Although they may feel isolated from their social life, those who live at their employers' houses typically have pleasant surroundings and private rooms. If you reside in your own home, you will likely have a key to your employer’s home to carry out housekeeping tasks independently during the day. You may also need to run errands for your employers, such as grocery shopping or taking care of their children or pets. 

Housekeepers employed by community service agencies frequently encounter challenging and unpleasant circumstances at work and may find it difficult to accept their employer’s philosophy if it differs from theirs. Those who operate alone shoulder heavy responsibilities, sometimes dealing with children.

While some jobs allow you to keep regular hours Monday to Friday, jobs at hotels or other hospitality venues may require you to work on a shift system and put in irregular hours, including early mornings and late nights or on weekends and holidays. Working in a full-time job, you would typically chalk up 40-50 hours a week. However, you may choose to work part-time or only during peak holiday seasons. Some positions may allow or require live-in employees. 

If you work in a commercial building, you may be required to come in for work after office hours.

Typically, Housekeepers who work in households keep regular hours and follow weekday schedules. However, hours vary according to whether you work for one home or several. You may work full-time or as a live-in Housekeeper for a single family, which may mean longer hours but some weekly time off. You may also choose to be a day worker, working for more than one household, allocating specific days of the week or a part of the day to each.

Finding a new job might seem challenging. Housekeepers can boost their job search by asking their network for referrals, contacting companies directly, using job search platforms, going to job fairs, leveraging social media, and inquiring at staffing agencies.

Housekeepers are generally employed by:

• Hotels & Hospitality Venues
• Restaurants
• Hospitals
• Nursing Homes
• Health Spas 
• Fitness Centres
• Cruise Ships
• Social Service Agencies
• Private Homes
• Residential Facilities
• Commercial Buildings
• Educational Institutions
• Senior Living Facilities
• Rehabilitation Facilities
• Apartment Buildings

Professional associations and organisations, such as the International Executive Housekeepers Association (IEHA), are crucial for Housekeepers interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications.

• The stringency of pandemic-generated cleaning stipulations and the need to document them
• Burnout from meeting the increasing expectations of employers and guests to sanitise all surfaces, equipment and facilities
• Extended or irregular working hours and the need to tackle unexpected demands of guests 
• Language barriers if housekeeping staff are from other countries and do not speak English or your language
• Refurbishing rooms each day for current guests or rearranging the rooms for incoming ones and ensuring that each room is spotlessly clean and not missing any supplies
• Repetitious and monotonous work that may not bring in high pay
• Tackling unpleasant jobs and demanding guests
• Ensuring thorough cleaning while simultaneously preventing injury to any children or pets in a residence
• Clients chit-chatting with Housekeepers and distracting them from work
• Physical injuries, muscular or tendon sprains, backaches or other health issues caused by tackling tricky or physically strenuous housekeeping tasks, such as  lifting heavy equipment or furniture
• Exposure to harsh cleaning agents
• Pre-cleaning by individuals of their homes, which makes it difficult for Housekeepers to distinguish between clean and dirty areas
• Inadequate equipment to clean and mop resulting in inconvenient methods of cleaning, such as going down on hands and knees to mop floors, if working in a household

While many housekeeping jobs require no experience, some employers prefer applicants to have worked in a customer-facing role, such as a cashier, sales associate or customer service representative. Supervisory or management experience or experience in the hospitality industry will give you a competitive edge in the job market.

Consider an apprenticeship if you would like to study in the classroom and acquire training in the workplace at the same time. By completing an advanced apprenticeship as a hospitality supervisor, you can become ready for a career as a Housekeeper.

Working as an assistant to an experienced Housekeeper helps aspiring Housekeepers hone their cooking, childcare, and cleaning abilities, depending on where they work. You also learn about organising, balancing schedules, ordering supplies, and managing paychecks and personnel.

You could volunteer to work with community or social service agencies to gain practical skills in food service, organisation, cleaning operations and childcare.

Housekeepers typically have no formal educational requirements, although some businesses favour candidates with a high school diploma or equivalent. While you may not find a degree program offering housekeeping as a major, some Housekeepers may hold diplomas or degrees in hospitality or hotel management, which may also be prerequisites for any relevant certification you wish to acquire. Or you may take courses in food service, child development, and consumer studies at community colleges, vocational schools and social service organisations or agencies. You may also pursue certificate courses at hospitality institutes and specialise in hospitality, leisure and tourism management.

To work in households, Housekeepers should be knowledgeable about domestic cleaning supplies, how to use machines, such as clothes washers, and the fundamentals of a healthy diet. In general, experience and aptitude in house maintenance are more significant than formal schooling. 

Aspiring Housekeepers would do well to take high school courses in family and consumer science, home science, chemistry, mathematics, English and one or more foreign languages.

Housekeepers typically do not require certification. However, it demonstrates their competence in certain skills, such as human resource and inventory management and sound judgment, typically through work experience, training, and passing an examination. Therefore, you may consider getting certified as a housekeeping manager or earning the credentials of a certified or registered executive housekeeper, as applicable in your location. You would need to learn and demonstrate your knowledge of the housekeeping and management essentials needed to supervise housekeeping at hotels, hospitals, casinos and other institutions and take on managerial roles. You would also need to be thorough with cleaning products and tools, how to clean surfaces of varying hardness or softness, liability issues, safe practices and time management to qualify for the relevant certification.

You may also seek training followed by house cleaning technician certification to specialise in housekeeping at private residences. Or you may certify as a guestroom attendant or a hospitality housekeeping executive. You must get a cleaning aide certification to work as a cleaning assistant in some locations. Aspiring Housekeepers must also fulfil the age requirements in their location.

If you wish to launch your agency that provides cleaning services or housekeeping staff, you will typically need to acquire the relevant registration and licences to run the business and validate them periodically. You will also need to inquire with local authorities what permits you may need to dispose of harsh cleaning supplies. Routine household cleaning does not typically need special licences or permits.

Performance, experience, and the acquisition of professional qualifications drive career progression. Employees with consistently high levels of performance may be eligible for promotion every two to three years. 

When working in private households, Housekeepers usually advance by getting a raise in salary or taking up jobs in homes with better work environments or those that demand greater skill, such as a cook or a companion for children or the elderly. In large households that employ several housekeeping staff members, you may become the Head Housekeeper in charge of the team.

Housekeeping jobs are common in the hotel and hospitality industry, with several advancement opportunities. You may begin as a Room Attendant. With experience, you may apply to become a Management Trainee and head to become Assistant or Floor Housekeeper or take on other specialised positions. As Laundry Managers, you would supervise the efficient and timely delivery of bed linen and towels. As Front Desk Managers, you would oversee the work of the hotel concierge, receptionists, and other front desk staff. As the Public Area Manager, you would ensure hygienic conditions in all public areas, including the lobby, conference rooms, pool, cafes, stairways, lifts, parking lots and hotel exteriors. You may take on the role of Training Manager to train new hires in the housekeeping department.

In a few years, you may progress to the position of Housekeeping Manager, heading the housekeeping department at smaller hotels with 150 rooms or less. You would oversee the hiring, training, scheduling and evaluation of housekeeping personnel, conduct quality checks of rooms, and liaise with other departments to ensure maintenance checks and repairs are carried out efficiently and promptly. You may also progress to the roles of Head Housekeeper or Accommodation Manager. Rising to the role of Director of Housekeeping at a luxury hotel with more than 500 rooms, you would be responsible for ensuring that housekeeping staff consistently provide top-notch customer service across the facility. 

Some Housekeepers advance by shifting to other facilities and fields, such as daycare centres or domestic services management. You may also become the Facilities Manager at healthcare facilities, educational institutions, corporate offices or factories. With adequate experience and a solid network, you may launch your own firm that provides housekeeping services and personnel.

Some Housekeepers could even go into allied professions, such as event planning or interior design.

Candidates with the necessary skills and experience in customer service, cleaning or portering, paired with a high school diploma or equivalent, have the best job prospects.

Continuing professional development (CPD) will help an active Housekeeper build personal skills and proficiency through work-based learning, a professional activity, formal education, or self-directed learning. It allows you to upskill continually, regardless of your age, job, or level of knowledge.

Housekeeping assistants typically receive on-the-job training from supervisors or seasoned Housekeepers to learn cleaning procedures, including how to handle and use cleaning products and safe trash disposal. They may also develop supervisory and managerial skills to step into leadership roles.

You may study at a further education college or acquire an associate or bachelor's degree in hotel/hospitality management if you aim for higher positions in the industry. Additionally, you may obtain credentials in tourism, hotel & lodging management, and mould detection.

As businesses search for ways to guarantee safer, cleaner and healthier workplaces to ensure their employees’ wellbeing, Housekeepers will do well by honing their abilities in first aid, fire safety, and emergency preparedness.

In most cases, supervisors rise through the ranks. They must complete the recommended in-service training to advance their housekeeping methods and practise and develop their managerial abilities at many establishments.

Some Housekeeping Skills

• Attention to detail to spot, clean and dust dirty nooks and crannies
• Persistence to complete all tasks, routinely assigned or exceptional
• Physical stamina to walk, stand, climb staircases and bend for extended periods 
• Physical strength to lift heavy items 
• Time management to adhere to their employer’s schedule or prepare rooms for guests to check into
• Uniformity to independently recreate identical settings day after day
• Friendly and polite to residents, employees and guests
• A professional attitude that does not infringe on anyone’s privacy even while you work in their living or working space
• Comfortable with cleaning up messes
• Eager to create an organized, clean and welcoming environment for their clients
• Tidy while cleaning and while winding up work

Sections in the Housekeeping Department of a Hotel

Typically, the housekeeping department of a hotel comprises the executive Housekeeper’s office, the desk control room, the linen room, the linen store, the uniform room, the tailor’s room, the lost-and-found section, the flower room, the laundry and any other units that a particular hotel needs.  

Calculating Housekeeping Staff Needs

The housekeeping department typically employs a large workforce, creating a significant operating expense for hotels. An efficient department, however, matches its workload with its number of staff. To do this, it must calculate its requirements based on the type, size, structure, occupancy rate and location of the hotel, the local culture, the organisational policies and standards, the quantity of work each room or area of the hotel requires and its frequency, and other factors. There are also standard guidelines available that the housekeeping department may use to generate estimates and adapt them to the establishment's individual needs.

Some Areas in a Hotel Looked After by Housekeeping Staff

Front-of-house areas in a hotel typically comprise the guest rooms, lobbies and corridors, public restrooms, meeting rooms and convention halls, bars, cafes and restaurants, banquet halls, shops, gyms, pool and patio, landscaping and gardens, lifts and the exterior of the building.

The back-of-house areas include the management and staff offices, storage rooms for supplies and linen, locker rooms, laundry, rest areas and staircases for staff use, cloakrooms and other parts of the hotel not meant for public use.

Potential Pros & Cons of Freelancing vs Full-Time Employment

Freelancing Housekeepers have more flexible work schedules and locations. They have full ownership of the business and can select their projects and clients. However, they experience inconsistent work and cash flow, which means more responsibility, effort and risk.

On the other hand, a full-time Housekeeper has company-sponsored health benefits, insurance, and retirement plans. They have job security with a fixed, reliable source of income and guidance from their bosses. Yet, they may experience boredom due to a lack of flexibility, ownership, and variety.

When deciding between freelancing or being a full-time employee, consider the pros and cons to see what works best for you.

Devices based on artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) can help schedule cleaning services by alerting housekeeping staff to vacant rooms so as not to disturb guests.

Entering a well-organised residential or commercial space gives off positive and welcoming vibes to inhabitants, employees and visitors. Furthermore, by maintaining clean, orderly and safe conditions in homes and business facilities, efficient and proactive Housekeepers contribute to keeping people healthy and injury-free.

Build a keen eye for detail and the capacity to handle last-minute assignments. A course in housekeeping at a reputable college is an excellent way to unlock your potential and secure employment in this competitive industry.