Housekeeping is notably one of the toughest jobs in any hotel – just ask one of our hospitality students at IHS who has covered housekeeping during their Work Integrated Learning component of their hospitality studies. It involves cleaning an average of 10-14 rooms per day, or public areas, or both…and it’s a shamefully thankless job. We even heard from IHS Brand Ambassador Momo Lehong about her experiences in the housekeeping department recently, and even though it’s hectic, it’s a wonderful job to be able to do. Here are a few housekeeping myths you may want to know about…

You don’t have to tip housekeepers/maids

No you don’t BUT, you may want to reconsider. After all, they are the ones who strip your bedding, remake your beds, vacuum, wash dishes (at resorts usually), dust, clean and remove the rubbish during your stay…quite a physical requirement. Yes, they do get paid a salary so tipping isn’t expected, however the work involved is far more physically demanding than what your average barman or waiter are likely to have to go through when they serve you, and yet they get tips fairly quickly. So next time you stay at a hotel or resort, perhaps leave a tip at the end of your stay to thank the housekeeper.

Housekeepers are more likely to get injured on duty           

Say what? That’s right, according to Strassel of Unite Here, housekeeping staff have a 50% higher risk of getting an injury on duty than any other hotel employee. The reason? Well, making up a king size bed for example requires some housekeepers to lift the corners of the bed to make it up – and that weight alone cause many back issues. There’s also moving furniture around during spring cleaning, as well as working with harmful chemicals used to clean various surfaces. So the moral of the story…make sure you take care when working in housekeeping. Be mindful of the correct way to lift and move furniture and use gloves and masks when using or storing strong chemicals.

You think your bed sheets are the dirtiest thing in your room, right?

Wrong!! It’s that TV remote. Urrgghh – it’s pretty disgusting.  Another thing in the room that can be pretty bleak are the glasses in the mini-bar (because there is usually little or no dish soap available to clean them correctly). However, getting back to the clean looking (but ultimately germ infested and filthy) remote control…you may wish to cover it with a clear plastic bag before you use it. Just because it looks clean and shiny, doesn’t mean to say that it is.

Are your credit card details stored on your room key?

Many, many people believe that this is true but in fact, it is a myth.  Data stored on your key card pertains to the time you will be using the room. Each card is manually coded and the key card is coded for a period of time only relating to your stay, linked to your reservation. So at no point if you leave your key card lying around in your room and your housekeeper removes it…does that mean that your housekeeper has access to your credit card. You may be chuckling at that last statement…but it’s more common than you think.

When guests leave valuables behind staff steal them

False! Most hotels have a policy whereby valuables are handed in by housekeeping staff and after a period of 6 months to one year (it can vary), if the items go unclaimed, they may be given to the staff member who handed them in. Other policies include giving away lost / left behind valuables to charities after 90 days to 12 months. So the moral of the story – the onus is on you the guest to look after your valuables. If you don’t follow up with the hotel where you left them behind, you could lose them forever.

If you’ve got some interesting housekeeping myths to share with us, drop us a line in the comments section below – we would love to hear from you.