The Executive Housekeeper 14_2

The ExecutiveHousEkEEpEr

Volume 14 No. 2PP 322210/00016

Front Cover:Wolgan Valley

Resort & Spa, NSW


3 Publishers’ Message

5 PEHN News

9 PHAN News

13 FNPHN News

14 SEQPHA News

17 Hotel Laundries

23 Keeping Quality Housekeeping Staff

27 Dealing with Urine and Vomit

32 Outsourcing Housekeeping of Hotels in the modern era

34 Sustainability and Global Population Growth

35 The Heart of Inspiration to Leadership

38 Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa

40 Interview with Brenda Olson, Executive Housekeeper – Wolgan Valley Resort

Volume 14 No. 2

Contents 42 Profiles

47 Ozone laundering in hospitality – Nothing but the truth

50 Keeping Up Appearances: How to Save Money on Floor Care While Maintaining Attractive Floors

52 Thinking Management – Taking Responsibility for Staff

55 Bed Bugs – the problem and the solution

59 Activeion Director Asserts Cleaning Chemicals Pose Significant OH & S Risk Exposure

65 The Secret Code of Pest Management

68 Burn, Broil or Bury? Environmentally responsible disposal of sharps and infectious waste

71 Are You Still Living in the 20th Century?

74 Product News

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The Executive Housekeeper | Vol 14 No. 2 | 3

Welcome to another edition of The Executive

Housekeeper. For those readers that have never joined their state or regional associations, such as PehN in Victoria, PhAN in NsW, FNPhN in northern Queensland, and seQPhA in the south east of the sunshine state. each of these associations can help you learn, and to socialise with other hotel housekeepers. There is much to be gained when joining your nearest network.

There are talks and hands-on displays of housekeeping, games, awards, trade shows and work shops. There is nothing to lose by attending any of their functions to meet and talk with other members and perhaps make new friends who are in the same business as you. You may phone or email us at any time if you need to be put in touch with your State body.

In this issue we have another article from Col Nation of WoolSafe providing readers with his expert advice on cleaning problem stains and smells.

Our front cover star is the remarkable Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa. We showcase this conservation-conscious property with a picture spread, and an interview with their Executive Housekeeper, Brenda Olson.

Finding it difficult to obtain good staff? Stuart Mullins of Executive Search International, gives you some helpful advice on this very subject. Then we have two articles on in-house laundries. The first from Paul Creek, well known

Publisher’s Messagelaundry services consultant, and the other by Shaun Petrie writing about the facts concerning ozone and its use in laundries. Shaun has advised and installed many systems concerning the topics he talks about in this issue.

We would like to think the problems of bed bugs have gone away – but they have not. Our thanks to Stephen Doggett for touching on the ongoing concerns again. Also thanks to Barbara Sargeant, Liz Lycette, Shirley Delaberbis Dean Minett and Brian Clark for their ongoing assistance and contributions.

Our next edition of your publication will be out in November. If you are keen to have us touch on any subject, then don’t hesitate to let us know. Perhaps you might also have something to contribute, then again don’t put off dropping us an email or a phone call. Until next time, good reading and good luck for you and your staff.


6 | Vol 14 No. 2 | The Executive Housekeeper

PehNNews2010 Awards Entries Now Open!2010 Housekeeping Industry Awards

The Professional housekeepers’ Network (Vic) (PehN) Committee is delighted to invite nominations for the PehN 2010 housekeeping industry Awards.

These awards are open to all housekeeping Personnel who are currently members of the PehN. This year we are also introducing a new award which is open to both members and non members of PehN (see below).

The award categories for 2010 are:

PehN excellence Award• (formerly “The Trophy for Excellence in Housekeeping”). This award is open to Executive Housekeepers and/or the person who is in charge of housekeeping within the hotel (i.e. Executive Housekeeper, Housekeeping Manager, Assistant Housekeeper, Housekeeping Supervisor (if there is no Executive Housekeeper). Open to members only.

PehN rising star Award• for up and coming Housekeeping Supervisors or Assistants Open to members only.

PehN outstanding Performance Award• (New Category). Open to both members and non members.

PehN Most respected Peer• . Open to members only.

In order to remain fair and totally impartial the PEHN committee has handed over the judging of the awards to an independent Judging Panel.

To simplify the awards entry process, this year’s finalists will not be required to be interviewed. The nominator of entrants may receive a phone call from at least one judge to verify the submission.

Winners will be judged on the submission entered by the nominator. There is no limit on nominations by any member i.e. a hotel can enter one or more people into the awards. All entrants will receive a letter congratulating them on being nominated.

If your Executive Housekeeper is not yet a member of the PEHN we ask you to encourage them to join so they can participate. For membership information and application forms visit www.pehn.org.

All winners, finalists and special commendations will receive a framed certificate. All winners will be acknowledged in the special Awards Edition of the PEHN Newsletter.

Nominators for all awards categories are required to complete the entry form below and submit to PEHN by last post on 6 August 2010. The submission(s) should be sent marked Attention “PEHN 2010 Housekeeping Industry Awards” to PO Box 6067, Point Cook VIC 3030.

PEHN Excellence Award nominations are to be submitted by the General Manager, Human Resources Department or Hotel Management Team of the property.

PEHN Rising Star Award nominations are to be submitted by the Executive Housekeeper, Human Resources Department or Hotel Management Team of the property

PEHN Outstanding Performance Award -Housekeeping staff nominations are open to both members and non members for nominees in work roles such as room attendant, public area cleaners, mini bar attendant, houseman. Nominations are submitted by the General Manager, Executive Housekeeper, Human Resources Department or Hotel Management Team of the property

PEHN Most Respected Peer Award is nominated and voted by the PEHN members only.

eNTeriNg The AWArds -All entries must include: 1. Name and address of property 2. Number of rooms 3. Star rating of property 4. Number of F&B outlets and other facilities 5. Housekeeping staff (both Hotel and agency staff) 6. Current challenges in overall operation 7. Current time the person has been in his/her position

In addition, PEHN Excellence Award nominations must include: 8. Public Areas – outsourced or in house 9. In house laundry 10. Previous experience

What can i include in my nomination? Achievements of the Nominee over the last year not restricted to but can include the following:

Development of staff, training and staff retention •Ability to engender trust, loyalty, passion and respect from the staff •Consistency of standards, guest comment scores •Technical knowledge and experience •Innovative ideas that the applicant has put into practise •Interdepartmental communications •Contribution to the leadership team and commitment to the Hotel •Personal standards of integrity and honesty

More suggestions for PEHN Excellence Award nominations:

Profitability, effective utilisation of resources and cost savings measures •Leadership qualities and drive in a changing environment •Self study undertaken •

More suggestions for PEHN Rising Star Award nominations:

Ability to handle delegation and projects •Leadership qualities and ability to lead the Department in the •absence of the Department Head Self development including participation in outside courses and training •

Submit your nomination on the form opposite and return by 6 August 2010 (this is the final cut off date for all submissions).

NoMiNATioN ForM

I NOMINATE: (insert name). .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... FOR THE AWARD CATEGORY OF:

Please tick:

❑ PEHN Excellence Award

❑ PEHN Rising Star Award

❑ PEHN Outstanding Performance Award

❑ PEHN Most Respected Peer

PROPERTY NAME:. .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... . .......................................................................................................................................................................................

NAME OF PERSON NOMINATING:. ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

NOMINATORS SIGNATURE:. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. DATE: . ......................... /. ......................... / 2010

Please attach a typed submission, of up to 1000 words, to this nomination form and forward to PEHN by last post on 6 August 2010. The submission should be sent marked Attention “PehN 2010 housekeeping industry Awards” to Po box 6067, Point Cook ViC 3030


PhANNewsRecent PHAN News and Events

2nd housekeeping olympics held on 26th June 2010 at the recreation Centre, king george Vth Centre in Cumberland street, The rocks, sydney.

The 2nd housekeeping olympics were a

great success as deemed by all those who attended. With 24 teams competing and over 400 attending the afternoon event, an exciting and competitive spirit was shared by all.

With 5 events, several heats were run before a final in each of the events of toilet paper throwing, mop relay, toilet paper mummy wrapping, scrubbing pad discus throwing and the final exciting event, the bed relay.

Winning teams were awarded with medals and a trophy, runner ups came away with certificates and ribbons. The prize for the Winners of the Bed Making Relay was $800.

Special thanks to the judges, officials and helpers. Also thanks go to the suppliers and Hotels who lent equipment.

The next Housekeeping Olympics will be held in the winter of 2010 (May/June next year) and with the great success of this event, we hope to attract more hotels and even welcome participation from interstate!

Final results all events:

eVeNT: MoP relAY

1st: Win Wind Wyndham – Wyndham Resort

2nd: The Incredibles – The Menzies

3rd: World Tower Bombers – Meriton World Tower

eVeNT: ToileT PAPer MuMMY WrAPPiNg

1st: Plaza Penguins – Radisson Plaza

2nd: Let’s Get Physical – Four Seasons Hotel

3rd: Win Wind Wyndham – Wyndham Resort

eVeNT: ToileT PAPer ThroWiNg relAY

1st: The Blues, Blue Hotel Sydney

2nd: Ibis Rocks – Ibis King Street Wharf

3rd: Mercure Eagles – Mercure Sydney Airport

eVeNT: sCrubbiNg PAd disCus ThroWiNg relAY

1st: Fraser Team – Fraser Suites

2nd: The Irresistibles – Mercure Sydney

3rd: Super Green – Holiday Inn Potts Point

eVeNT: bed MAkiNg relAY

1st: Plaza Penguins Radisson Plaza

2nd: Marriot Magic – Sydney Harbour Marriott

3rd: World Tower Bombers – Meriton World Tower

The First prize was $800!

eVeNT: besT dressed TeAMs

1st: Star City Superstars

2nd: Plaza Penguins Radisson Plaza

3rd: The Irresistibles – Mercure Sydney

A fantastic event, looking forward to next year! n

More PHAN news >

sealy Australia Factory Visit Thursday 27 May 2010

sealy Australia extended a very generous offer to the members of Professional housekeepers Association of NsW (PhAN). 24 executive housekeepers and

their managers were picked up at Menzies hotel in sydney at 12.00 noon by coach for transport to sealy factory in Wetherill Park. The factory was an hour drive from sydney.

The beds represent a huge asset to the hotel owners and they can contribute greatly to a guest positive experience when staying in our hotel. As Housekeeping managers we understand our responsibility, when it comes to hygiene and therefore prolonging the life of our beds. However when it comes to how beds are manufactured for most of us our knowledge is limited. But I think all executive housekeepers who attended this visit will admit that it was certainly knowledgeable and this changed our views when investing our next beds in the future.

At 1pm we are welcomed by Sealy Australia staffs at the door including Garry Hinton Sealy Australia state manager – business development. We are seated in the meeting room for an orientation. We were given our coloured Jackets for safety purposes and an audio equipment as the factory can be very noisy. We are addressed by Mr David Hoare Sealy Australia GM and the tour was conducted by Paul Mc Dounough, NSW Sales Manager, Each process was demonstrated

to us by the highly professional and experienced team of Sealy Australia from skeleton to the finished product. After the tour we are treated to a delicious lunch in the factory showroom and tried some of their beautiful beds in the showroom.

My takeaway for the day is the detailed work, process in place and passion that Sealy Australia put on their beds. All products used on their beds are made in Australia.

At 3pm it is time to reboard our coach for our return trip to the Menzies. n

PhAN Committee 2010 Back row: left to right: Liz Lycette, Zarife Melick, Tina Tian, Lalini de Silva, Rachel Bonham (invited guest), Maureen Jolowicz, Grace Esogon. Seated left to right : Nela Neves, Chona Ogilvie, Josselyne Henin, Kamila Smirski


FNPHN defies the odds in Far North Queensland

it was one of those superb tropical afternoons in Cairns when our FNPhN (Far North Professional housekeepers Network) held its 9th Annual

suppliers Trade show on the 27th May at Cairns premier venue, the sebel in Cairns and, do you mind, in the grand ballroom! The response from the suppliers was terrific despite the shadows of the gFC still looming about. This shows the resilience of hospitality in Cairns.

In total, 15 suppliers, mostly from out of town, were on show from as far away as Melbourne. Kerry Dowden from Concept Amenities was our proud major sponsor and, as always, supporting the interests of FNPHN as she does for our southern counterparts. Thank you again Kerry.

Thanks also to Frenkel Textiles, Forde Recruitment, Total Interiors, Cleantec Hygiene Systems, Scuttle Clothing, Australian Weaving Mills, Easylift Materials Handling, Cannon Hygiene, Weatherdon, Alsco, Thomas Textiles, Chef Link, Sew Roo and Amalgamated Pest Control all of whom put a great effort into attending and creating interesting displays which generated genuine interest from all those that visited.

Rae Read ( Exec Housekeeper, Cairns Colonial Club) and Bryanne Sandry ( a woman of extraordinary talent) manned the registration desk for so many hours so sincere thanks must also go to these two ladies. Their only reward was copious quantities of sumptuous cakes and the delicious savouries delivered from the chefs of the Sebel.

Traffic though was a little slow to start but gained momentum as the afternoon wore on, the opportunity to go “on air” with our Cairns equivalent to John Laws, gave us that extra boost of numbers to top the whole trade show off to a success. Of course, the word was out about the afternoon tea and nibblies later in the afternoon that also swelled the number of attendee’s for which thanks must go to Jean Lapthorne ( our Treasurer) also Exec Housekeeper for Sebel.... and. .. dare I say, Acting GM from time to time.

Overall, the exhibitors and suppliers were pleased with the Trade Show with all receiving positive enquiry for their products and even a few orders on the day, a good sign that Cairns is maybe seeing the light at the end of a dark tunnel of hospitality gloom.

Geez, we even had a couple of GM’s come and have a look.... things must be looking up!n

FNPhNNews By Mike TAYlor, Acting President


seQPhANewshello to all from the sunny gold Coast, which is probably

experiencing a very cold winter this year, but we will not complain as i am sure all our friends down south are shivering.

Since our last edition the members of the S.E.Q.P.H.A. have been having fun and having raffles to support our charities. I must at this time thank all the Suppliers who contribute gifts at all our functions to raise this money. We have some wonderful suppliers who support us so much and always turn up to all the functions.

We had a wonderful Easter Breakfast at Sea World Nara Resort, what a wonderful location and a great place to stay if you have children. There were Bunny ears bouncing around along with Easter eggs and some wonderful prizes, with a very good turnout of people, who all had a fantastic morning and a great breakfast from the buffet.

If you come up from down south this is the place to go with the kids. The Polar Bears are fantastic and along with the dolphins even the adults have a great time.

In May our favourite event Race Day at the Gold Coast Turf Club, what a great day we had the sun shone all day and there lots of winners. Gavin Lysaght from the Hyatt Regency was out MC this year and he done an excellent job with his charm and personality. Again lots of wonderful prizes, raffles and auctions. Our guest speaker was from Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and thanked us for the support we give them.

A big thank you to our wonderful secretary Melissa who did a marvellous job in organising this event and every other event we have.

June arrived and we had another Breakfast at the Sofitel Brisbane Central, with another great turnout. What a Magnifique property, their Breakfast buffet was to die for. Our guest speaker was Tony Chisholm the new General Manager of Sofitel who has just returned from working in Asia. Tony was very informative and made us all very welcome at his property.

Our next breakfast is at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, so we will be dining with all those lorikeets flying around, I certainly will be keeping my plate covered and it will be wonderful at this breakfast that all the members get to meet “Tallow” our adopted Koala and her new baby.

Till our next edition keep safe and warm. n

libbY shArP, President. SEQPHA


Hotel Laundries

Hotels come in many sizes from small boutique to large international organisations. Many seasoned travellers consider them a home away from home while others like to think that a hotel is something different from home where they can feel special and be literally spoilt.

The impact for the guest is usually the tangible front of house services – the

concierge on arrival, the reception greeting at check-in or the various wait and bar staff during the fine dining experiences. A hotel is made up of many departments at the front of house however none can operate if all the back of house departments were non-functioning. The quality of service is measured by the seamless levels of interaction between the front and back of house staff.

The “back of house” departments operate as the engine of the organisation performing many “taken for granted” services resulting in happy and content guests. The question is often asked what is the core business of a hotel? Is it the hotel service received? The answer is of course YES, however the core business could also be considered the engine of the hotel, the maintenance, the laundry, the cleaning, the kitchen because without these a hotel is just a block of rooms that has nothing to measure its performance against.

By PAul Creek


Could you imagine dirty linen, “grubby” towels, stained table linen, uncleaned bedrooms or lipstick on glasses?? How would the hotel appear then? It is with these points in mind that a hotel must consider the importance of the “back of house” services. Laundries are no different from the other departments and its quality will meet the high expectations of the guests such as the crisp ironed sheets, the fluffy bath robes and towelling and many other aspects of staying in the room. Quite often the core business is confused with the cost of running a department and therefore becomes a specialist area.

The laundry needs a specialist who is an expert in this field of dry cleaning, general production and a front line service attitude. Employee costs become an issue and result in outsourcing the services. It is often the lack of experience and established systems coupled with the high utility costs which are the real causes of poor performance.

A specialist manager would know how to operate a laundry, establish effective systems, keeping machines at capacity with little downtime and rostering the staff to ensure peak performance.

An on-site laundry will create flexibility and additional service opportunities. A well managed laundry can be more cost effective than outsourcing. Outsourcing services must still be MANAGED. Staff costs and performance can be managed. Critical to this is ensuring the correct machine selection occurs – washers, dryers, ironers and folders.

There are two ways to resolve the issue of laundry costs. Firstly, review the practices in place and ensure the machines are loaded to capacity which use the correct levels of water, gas, electricity, chemicals and staff time. In conjunction with this improve the systems and introduce environmental initiatives such as Ozone reduction in water and electricity consumption up to 40%. The second solution, which is less popular is to increase the hotel room rate and other service charges.

The laundry service to function well needs good linen supply, area to work, suitably appointed equipment, ozone and highly trained staff.

Linen can be supplied one of three ways to a hotel:

1. A hotel can have its own on site laundry staff operating its own laundry

2. It can have its own on site laundry with contract staff running the laundry

3. Outsourcing all dry cleaning and linen needs.

The least flexible is the last scenario.

LinenEnough linen, all white and of a high standard, is recommended which will allow the laundry to manage at its own pace and schedule rather than on a demand and supply basis. There is nothing worse than having phone calls from staff requesting short supplies to be delivered. An imprest or ordering system in advance would provide the suitable levels of sheet and towel replacement. The advantage is owned linen remains the hotel’s property and is not mixed up with linen going to many other hotels. This outsourced linen is subject to different levels of quality as it can be laundered along with the linen of many other hotels. Linen replacement programs may extend the life of the linen out to 3 to 5 years depending on the total laundering production completed.

Small corrective and quality issues can be addressed quickly and cheaply e.g. linen staining. White linen is selected due to clean appearance and failure to fade. Triple sheet supply is well established as even hygiene in hotels is now a serious factor. The room presentation and freshness should give the impression of the room being used for the first time.

Work areaThe required laundry work area is important and must allow a workflow exist that prevents cross-contamination of linen. All linen contained in linen bags will be received in the laundry via a chute or linen tubs. This area for sorting will be separate from the clean handling finishing area. All linen will be sorted into categories such as sheeting, towelling and table linen. The washing machines are loaded to capacity with one classification and set into operation. This process is continued until all washing is completed – if a full load is unable to be laundered, this will wait until there is additional linen available.

Once all wash loads are completed they are removed to the clean area for drying, ironing, folding and eventual return to the guest service areas. A variety of processes will occur in the finishing area. Bedding will be conditioned (part dried) in preparation for ironing. All the towelling will be fully dried and mechanically folded.

All completed linen will be packed onto storage trolleys for delivery to the guest areas. This will eliminate double handling that might occur if fixed shelving is used.

EquipmentThe selection of equipment is important. Outlined below are some of the key pieces usually selected and the most are designed to reduce manual labour as the laundry can be a physical environment.

Washing machines – selection is made to meet expected throughput. A variety of washing machine capacity is available starting as small as 7 kgs through to 200 kgs and beyond. Commercial laundries which provide services to many organisations use tunnel washers. Calculations on machine selection are based on the expected linen levels being laundered and number of guest activities occurring. The rate is between 7 – 10 kgs per person.

Dryers – a dryer is selected to match the capacity of each washing machine which will eliminate a back log of linen waiting to be dried. Sheeting and pillow cases are usually only part dried for later processing in the ironer.

The laundry needs a specialist who is an expert in this field of dry cleaning, general production and a front line service attitude.


Commercial 2-3 roll ironers – these machines have the capacity to iron 750 sheets an hour and depending on the complexity of the machine, they can feed, fold and stack allowing the operation to be undertaken by one person.

Towel folder – this is for the folding of all dried towels and will also stack.

Dry cleaning equipment - An important addition to some laundries in the large hotels is the dry cleaning units and this is a very lucrative process for a hotel to have where they can provide a service to the guests and be able to charge for the service. A same day service or inside 1 or 2 hours is a fantastic service for the guests.

StaffingStaffing is another key factor and the competency of the staff is important. It is a physical role and staff selection must ensure this consideration is made. Staggered staff hours are important to get the best results and performance level. It is not necessary for all staff to be at work at 6.00am or at the same time in the morning.

Staff may actually be employed in the cleaning section at one part of the day and finish off in the laundry in the second part of the day which enables flexibility on site. Cleaning and laundry departments often work closely together and have common staff throughout. It is suggested a nucleus of laundry staff are always in place to ensure the high quality is maintained.

OzoneThe last area is the utilities of the laundry. These are gas, chemicals, water and electricity. A laundry will use approximately 20 litres water/kg linen washed. An important inclusion for all commercial laundries is an Ozone system. Ozone is the generation of gas 0³ that can be utilized in the laundry process that allows a cold water wash and electricity/gas savings of between 30 and 40%.

There are two Ozone systems in the market place. There is Corona discharge and Ultra Violet. Corona discharge is generated by the passing of high voltages of electricity over air and then saturated into the water supply or directly to the machine. Ultra Violet is created when air is passed over an UV lamp causing the oxygen molecules to split into single atoms and attached to other oxygen molecules to form ozone. In both cases, it is the constant stabilising and non-stabilising effect that results in the effectiveness in the wash process.

Ozone is a cold water wash and pay back can be up to 18 months depending on overall activity.

The advantages of an On-Premise Laundry:

Cost control and management of quality •and stock levels are in-house

Linen deliveries will be more timely •without additional delivery cost

Problems will be addressed quickly•

Laundry staff will be part of the overall •team and will “live” the overall service experience

Staff are more likely to provide input into •quality improvement initiatives

Imprest systems can be well managed to •ensure shortages are eliminated

A well planned laundry with the correct •equipment and staffing attitude will be cost effective.

Paul Creek is the Managing Director of Creek Solutions Pty Ltd. He started out working as a Manager for International Hotels throughout Europe, Australia and New Zealand. He spent 11 years managing the daily operation and quality performance of the hotel support services at St Vincent Private Hospital. He undertook a similar role in large Aged Care Facilities in more recent times and for the last six years has been working as a consultant in Australia and New Zealand providing support to laundry, cleaning and kitchen services in the Hotel, Health and Aged Care Industries.

Paul CreekCreek Solutions Pty Ltd0425 356 [email protected] www.creeksolutions.netPO Box 60Croydon NSW 2132

Able to undertake special tasks – curtains, •mop heads, shower curtains, bedspreads without extra cost.

The disadvantages are:

Undertaking stock control will result in •additional staff costs.

Staff are often inexperienced and •management do not have time to provide appropriate training

Lack of laundry supervision/management •experience to ensure correct linen service procedures occur

High cost of setting up full laundry •department and subsequent operational costs

Labour costs if laundry is not managed •well could be high plus on-costs of 30%-40%

In summaryCreek Solutions Pty Ltd believes a well planned and staffed laundry is a positive step forward. Each hotel should give individual consideration for operating a laundry service and it is encouraged that contact with a consultancy service is received for advice. A commitment to building a laundry is positive and the process must be inclusive as “cherry-picking” processes may become costly. n

Hotel Laundries

fabric) and double singed (to prevent pilling). A coloured commercial quality sheet should also be vat dyed so as to be bleach and chlorine resistant. Sheeting fabric manufactured and finished to these standards should meet AS 3789.6, the Australian Standard for healthcare fabric, which is the most rigorous Standard for sheeting in Australia.

so what makes a towel commercial quality? A commercial quality towel should be made from 100% cotton terry toweling with a medium length pile (to reduce pulling), overlocked seams (to reduce fraying) and either no headers or 100% cotton headers (to retain shape). A coloured commercial quality towel should also be vat dyed so as to be bleach and chlorine resistant.

H Polesy & Co Pty Ltd import and stock commercial linen, bedding and towels to suit every level of accommodation and every budget. All products are designed for use in commercial applications and

for commercial laundering. They are manufactured to relevant Australian Standards and are easy care, durable and stylish.

To speak with someone regarding your linen, bedding and towel needs please contact your nearest office:

Sydney Felicity Gordon (02) 9311-4191

Melbourne Justin Bragg (03) 9362-0075

Brisbane Davina Moore (07) 3806-4100

Perth Debbie Wheeler (08) 9248-4515

Adelaide Ian Hopkinson (08) 8261-0211

or to receive your complimentary copy of h Polesy & Co Pty ltd’s Commercial Textiles and bedding Products catalogue call 1300 765 379 or email [email protected].

Good quality commercial linen, bedding and towels are an investment in guest comfort

and continued repeat business. bed linen and towels are the items with which your guests have the most direct contact. To create a great lasting impression, these items have to feel comfortable to the touch and be appealing to the eye.

Commercial quality bed linen, bedding and towels should retain their shape, colour, appearance and feel even after extensive use in high traffic environments and frequent commercial laundering.

so what makes a sheet commercial quality? A commercial quality sheet should be made from a minimum 155gsm weight fabric that has been woven from polyester / combed cotton yarn (to reduce creasing) that has been mercerized (to increase yarn strength and fabric lustre), Sanforized (to reduce shrinkage to 1.5% - as opposed to up to 6% for non-Sanforized

Commercial Quality Linen, Bedding and Towels


everyone wants quality housekeeping staff. hotels poach from hotels. Private

cleaning companies poach from hotels, hotels poach from private cleaning companies and overseas hotels and resorts love poaching quality Australian housekeeping staff. recruitment companies like poaching quality housekeeping staff. i personally would never do that…not.

Keeping Quality Housekeeping StaffBy sTuArT MulliNs Executive Search International

It is difficult when overseas Hotels and Resorts are offering tax-free salaries in an environment where the cost of living is far less than Australia, and let’s face it, you are up against it when Australia is now regarded as one of the most expensive countries on the planet with costs constantly rising. Candles never looked better.

You want to hold on to your quality Housekeeping staff?

I can tell you as a Headhunter/Recruiter it is easy to head hunt IF the individual:

1. Cannot see long term benefits of promotion and career enhancement/development.

You must offer a career not a job.



May the force be with you on this one, as it is damn difficult indeed.


Some hotel companies do this, some do not. Staff can pick up the BS to put it bluntly. If you offer career and a clear defined path of what the person needs to do to get to the next step, then the next step, they will stay more likely than not, and it is difficult to poach.

Its not all about money its about a career



Yes some are there short term. However, there are Staff, Managers that race around chasing after the $$’s, that’s life BUT many do not.

The ones that move for money only, eventually their careers crash and burn. I see their resumes every week. Job hoppers we call them with no clear defined steady career progression and I always wonder how much they really know or have learned. A housekeeping career can offer so much around the world. Work your way to the top, this profession can reward you accordingly. Both in Australia and OS.

Paint a clear picture, show vision, the companies vision, to your HK staff, enthusiasm about possibilities is amazing.

2. (It is easy to head hunt IF the individual:) Cannot develop within the hotel group or hotel, in which the company is not offering quality in house and extra outside training courses.

If the company is offering quality in house and other outside quality courses and training, it shows commitment, and quality HK staff will stay. Employers should put their money where their mouth is, it should not surprise then that the staff stay longer.

Invest in your staff or divest, the staff will.



3. ( It is easy to head hunt IF the individual:) Is Pi#@ed off that promises have been broken. Quality staff will leave if promises are broken and they will leave quickly and inform others quickly. If they have been informed that after X amount of time, and provided they do well in their quarterly reviews, they will go here, there, be promoted to this position or go to the next hotel in the chain. Do this they will stay, if not they will leave and most probably take other staff with them.

4. ( It is easy to head hunt IF the individual:)Feels they are not being fairly compenstated. There is an old saying that never ever goes out of fashion, Pay Peanuts…

Housekeeping at the entry level to mid level does not pay the best salaries and hotels and resorts do not make billions to pay large salaries. However, value add with meals included, free dry cleaning, free courses.You can come up a myriad of value added items that staff appreciate. One company offers Gold Movie Passes to HK staff and this goes a long way indeed.

5. ( It is easy to head hunt IF the individual: )Is not happy with the company or working environment. Hand in hand with your HR department, quarterly reviews are so important and the Manager to have open door policy. Listen to the staff concerns and ideas. Again, if the staff can work with a company that has vision for its staff and give a clear defined career path, they will stay.

6. (It is easy to head hunt IF the individual: )If the HK staff or individual feel they are not being appreciated and worked into the

ground, as you are short staffed. If they work longer hours, compenstate accordingly, don’t try and get something for nothing. You will end up with no staff. And, as mentioned, when a staff member is not happy they tell many, many others, some of those others are other hotels or recruiters.

Not all HK staff are wonderful, but then don’t hire, just to make up the numbers. Hire people that your intuition says yes and don’t hire where your intuition says no…

“The Computer says Nooooooooooooooo.”

I digress, but hire well and it will make your and HR Managers job easier.

I may be stating the bleeding obvious above but so many of us disregard and wonder why quality HK staff leave. If you follow the above you will keep staff much, much longer.

So may the force be with you, and if your staff are being approached, repeat these lines to the poacher:

“These are not the droids you are looking for”

Very Best Regards,

Stuart Mullins

Executive Search International Pty Ltd.

Web: www.esirecruit.com.au

Email: [email protected]

Ph: 61-403251411 or 61-7 55981516

Skype: StuartMullinsESI

Stuart Mullins is owner and manager of Executive Search International Pty Ltd based on the Gold Coast Queensland Australia and specializes in Executive Search for the hospitality industry from Australasia to the Sth Pacific to SE Asia, Maldives to Japan, China, India and to the Middle East. Stuart recruits for such Hotel companies as Hilton Hotels, Six Senses, Minornet/Anantara Resorts, Banyan Tree, Rydges Hotels and Resorts, Stella Resorts and Hotels, Panorama Hospitality ( Morgan Stanley’s Hotel arm ) Saudi Brothers, Oakwood Hotels, Rosewood Hotels, Meritus Hotels, Carlson Hotels World Wide and HPL Hotels and Resorts to name a few.

Keeping Quality Housekeeping Staff (continued)


Dealing with Urine and VomitBy Col NATioN

ever hopped into a lift only to be confronted by a stale urine smell? if you haven’t

yet, then welcome to your first days in this industry. in my travels with the Woolsafe organisation and the daniels Associates doing training and working in the cleaning industry, i have stayed in a wide variety of accommodation. From luxury hotels in the major capital cities to cheap motels in regional Australia. They all have a similar problem. urine and vomit odours, plus the occasional prawn shells left in a bin under a sink for a few days.

Footballers make headlines by urinating (or worse) in a public places. This includes hotel corridors or lifts because they couldn’t make it all the way to their rooms after a night of celebrations after a big win. Sozzled salespeople, tipsy teenagers on binge drinking holidays, gastronomically challenged guests, or even just the poor person with an occasional bladder weakness may be guilty of making a deposit in or on your valuable furnishings. Occasionally it is a pampered pet that has been smuggled into a room.

Fresh urine smells are bad enough, but if we do not find it immediately then we can be faced with an even bigger ongoing problem.

I hope you are not

intending to read this

while eating your

lunch. If you are then it

might be a good idea

to come back to this

article a bit later.


Vomit can also pose some real odour issues. It is not just odour that is the problem, because staining and fibre damage can also result from extended exposure to the chemicals in urine and vomit.

Consider for a moment the contents of vomit and urine. Urine is the result of burning fats in the body plus the expulsion of liquid wastes that don’t leave the body by other means. Vomit can contain a wonderful mixture of partially digested food from a few hours before, plus the remainder of beverages that have been consumed, plus some stomach acid, bile and of course the carrot chunks from last Wednesday’s dinner.

It could be an excess of alcohol or a dodgy prawn that has caused the vomiting, or it could be an infectious disease or a stomach virus that has been picked up from another country that has upset someone’s digestive system.

By the way how is your lunch going?

Urine and vomit is a fact of life. It’s now on the carpet or the lounge or in the bed. How do we deal with it? Fresh is best they say, and I would tend to agree. The sooner you can remove it the better.

First things first. Think of the safety aspects. In the healthcare industry they have a policy called “Standard Precautions.” This means they treat every patient as if they are infectious. This includes spills of bodily fluids including vomit and urine. Oh, and did I mention before the occasional blood spill. All of these spills can contain pathogenic organisms that can infect the poor cleaner whose job it is to fix the problem.

Using Standard Precautions means that we will protect ourselves from potential infection by wearing the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment, namely thick rubber gloves, eye protection, and a face mask to help prevent infectious material entering our own body and making us sick as well. You just never know what is in that spill.

Cleaning staff who deal with this sort of thing should also be immunised against Hepatitis and Tetanus and the flu virus as well is a good idea.

Cleaning and sanitising equipment after use on potentially infected materials is also a good practice to follow to prevent the spread of germs and odours throughout the facility.

So how do we deal with the odour? Once we have dealt with the safety issues, we then need to find the source of the odour. Vomit is usually fairly easy. There is usually plenty of colours to guide you to the spot, especially if they have been drinking coloured drinks such as red wine or brightly coloured cocktails and drinks. By the way, did you know that the artificial colours used in many beverages are acid dyes? These are the very same dyes that are used to dye both wool and nylon carpets. We use these very same dyes to repair bleached carpets.

This can create yet another problem for the cleaner. We might be able to remove the vomit chunks and other gooey components, but the dyes from the drinks will remain. This can be dealt with only by specialist stain removal operators who can de-colour and re-colour carpets. The WoolSafe Organisation may be able to help you locate operators who can help you fix these dye stains and save you having to replace valuable carpet.

Dealing with odour.

As I said before, to treat an odour we first have to locate the source. Urine is not always easy to see. It is sometimes quite clear, although it will still contain the chemistry that can cause odours and stains later on. Urine contains a number of chemicals such as Urea and Uric Acid produced by the body from the breakdown of protein, plus Urobilin (a brown pigment from oxidised bile, some times called Urochrome).

While they are wet or damp, we can simply use a battery operated moisture probe. When it lights up, we have found the spill.

When they are dry, they can be a bit more difficult to find. We can however use an Ultra Violet light to find the uric acid crystals. Darken the room and switch on the UV torch and simply look around for the yellow patches.

A solution of 3% hydrogen peroxide will also help pinpoint the exact location of older urine spots. The Peroxide reacts with chemicals in the urine and creates a white foam. Don’t worry, 3% Hydrogen Peroxide should not harm a wool or nylon carpet. It will actually help dissolve the urine residues which make them easier to extract. It also help to kill bacteria that cause some of the odour. Any residual Hydrogen Peroxide will

simply revert to normal water in a few hours and at 3 % is not usually strong enough to cause bleaching of carpet dyes.

Now that you have located the urine you can treat it by applying either a specialised urine treatment and extracting, or use more Hydrogen Peroxide and extracting until it stops foaming. We then apply some Acetic acid (white vinegar) or a specialised carpet acid rinse treatment to ensure the carpet dries to a slightly acid state. This helps reduce the probability of staining.

There are quite a few specialised urine treatments available from a number of chemical suppliers. Don’t buy one that won’t give you the active ingredients. From an OH&S perspective we need to know what safety precautions are required. Some urine treatments use enzymes. These can be quite dangerous if inhaled. Enzymes are produced by living micro-organisms and the less foreign organisms, or their by products, we put in our bodies the better.

I find the Peroxide treatment followed by the acid rinse treatment to be very effective in removing not only the odour, but also the staining, to a degree. This requires some professional skill but is usually fairly effective. If I do have to extend the treatment by heat processes, and it depletes the colour of the carpet, I can simply apply some acid dyes to match the original colour of the carpet.

This is not always effective on older urine spills because of yet another factor. While fresh urine is fairly sterile (unless someone has a bladder infection), and it is slightly acidic most of the time, it will soon pick up bacteria present in the carpet or the air and start to

There are quite a few specialised urine treatments available from a number of chemical suppliers. Don’t buy one that won’t give you the active ingredients.

go off. In the process it will oxidise and create alkaline salts which can eventually cause a chemical burn, especially on wool fibres. This is the reason that older urine stains turn a yellowy-orange colour. These are not always fully removable.

The next variable in all of this is volume.

A small pet spill is easy to deal with. Depending on the absorbency of the fibre, the spill may be on the surface of the carpet or lounge. The volume of urine from a drunken sailor can be quite a staggering amount. Spills of this volume will penetrate to the backing of the carpet, through the underlay and may even be absorbing into the flooring below.

Larger spills may require the removal of the carpet and underlay, as well as a sanitising treatment to the wood or concrete flooring, followed by a layer of special sealing compound applied to the floor to prevent re-infecting the carpet and underlay. We would normally replace the underlay and clean and treat the carpet from both sides to ensure thorough removal of urine contamination.

Fortunately, vomit and blood will also respond to similar treatments, although the residual staining may not be removable with normal cleaning procedures and chemicals.

Why don’t we just spray on a deodorant?

Spray deodorants are usually very superficial. They just don’t get down to where they are needed, especially with the larger volumes. Some deodorant sprays are just masking agents. These simply cover the malodour with a stronger, less offensive odour. Over use of a pretty perfumed deodorant can be just as offensive to guests as the urine or vomit smell.

An alternative is Ozone. Ozone generators work well for temporary relief. Ozone is a bit like a gas version of Hydrogen Peroxide. Close up the room and switch on the ozone generator and over the next few days the odour will dissipate. There are two problems here. No one can use the room for a few days as it needs to be closed tightly, and ozone is poisonous. It doesn’t remove the source of the problem so in the next spell of bad weather it will re-moisten from the humidity and will just come back to haunt you.

Col Nation is a 30 year veteran in the carpet maintenance industry. He operates ABBsolve Services, a specialty stain removal service on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Colin is also the Director of WoolSafe Australia, the Australasian arm of the worldwide WoolSafe Organisation that tests and certifies chemicals for use on wool carpet and trains and certifies the leading carpet cleaners around the world. As a Woolsafe registered Inspector, Colin helps carpet owners and manufacturers solve many types of issues relating to carpet. With this experience behind him he passes on this information and experience through the Daniels Associates of Australasia a Registered Training Organisation that specialises in the cleaning, healthcare and hospitality industries. Colin can be contacted through [email protected] or [email protected]

We take this opportunity to announce the release of an exciting range of Cleaning and degreasing products, incorporating the latest in Colloidal technologies.

in particular, we believe our premier MulTi-PurPose Cleaner will gain rapid acceptance throughout the hospitality industry.

We have chosen The Executive Housekeeper publication to launch with, for its wide industry coverage and readership support. The research that has gone into the development of our products has been exhaustive in conjunction with the global shift towards embracing change and greener solutions. We have invested time and effect to ensure our products meet the challenges facing the Accommodation Industry today, states H.O. director Brad Jones. Our range covers applications from Cleaning, Degreasing, Dishwashing, Dustmites allergen control and inhibiting various forms of Mould and Mildew growth. This range is organic based and excludes Solvents, Phosphates, Chlorines and Methyl Chlorides. They are non-caustic, non- toxic, non-abrasive, non-destructive and non-fuming.

The performance efficiency, reduction in stock inventory and the lowering of overall operating costs are all considerations. Brad understands the requirement for environmental and Operator product safety as he has worked as a master Chief in Fine dining in leading Restaurants, Hotels and Motel groups across Australia, USA and Europe for the past 25 years. He has witnessed the effects of cleaning products which have incorporated acids and heavy alkaline on the work place environment.

Our range services the Kitchen- Bar- Cellar- Front of House- Housekeeping- Alfresco areas and Maintenance.

Contact us regarding your interest in bottom line savings by calling brad Jones on 02 4751 8457 and we will be more than pleased to further discuss the benefits.

HOSPITALITY OZ Pty Ltd (H.O.)

HOSPITALITY OZ products are proudly manufactured by Colloidal Technologies

Sometimes it is just easier to call for some professional help. www.woolsafe.com.au has a search data base for professional carpet cleaners who can help you deal with these problems. Simply click on the map on the front page and then click on the state you are in on the next page. Scroll down the list until you find someone close to you.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, I’ll let you enjoy the rest of your lunch now.

Cheers, Col Nation. n

Dealing with Urine and Vomit (continued)


Outsourcing Housekeeping of Hotels in the modern eraBy shirleY delAberbis Executive Assistant Manager, International Hotel Services

outsourcing is proving to be a viable alternative as you obtain professionally

trained staff to do the day-to-day duties that are required, and without the responsibilities involved with the training and security checks and those other fiddly things that go into putting your own staff to these tasks.

It must be a relief for Hotel Managements not having to worry about sourcing your own staff down to the basic room attendants, which also takes in cleaning the public areas, the responsibility of duty of care, OH&S training, work cover and other important decisions that have to be made when doing it all within house.

I believe that outsourcing has become the most viable and productive way to operate a modern and advancing hotel in an era where staff maintenance and productivity is quintessential in the cost effectiveness of any business.

Sometimes it can be a problem to get Management to understand some things. When this occurs, it is difficult to try and sell ideas to Management. This is where it comes down to marketing of the product, which should never be difficult when the financials are done as the logistics will far out way the alternatives.

In today’s world where time is money, it should not ever be said how there is not a more viable alternative, as you worry about who might not turn up for work, or is home sick, or perhaps does not wish to work on some particular day. You have none of these worries with outsourcing.

When you do have a company doing all the housekeeping, you know it will be done by the necessary staff and at the time required,

Since the late 1980s,

outsourcing the

Housekeeping in

major hotels has

become a vibrant and

lucrative business with

the staffing of many

hotels in many ways

becoming a hindrance

to management.

all at the touch of a telephone key with an email or a fax, where all the problems will be taken care of instantly.

This also includes those payroll issues, sick leave, holiday pay etc etc. If some Hotel Management can still claim that outsourcing of housekeeping is not viable, this will give many of us a good laugh, as we have proven time and again how this is the way of the future for Hotel Housekeeping in major hotels.

All reputable outsourcing companies in this business do concentrate on integrity and quality, and this is what it comes down to in the end.

I have now been involved in the outsourcing of Hotel Housekeeping for some years and have been able to see how well this is advancing, with my main wish now being for more Hotel Managements to follow this lead so they too will benefit from the cost efficiency outsourcing can create for them with no loss in quality as proven staff are used. n

All reputable outsourcing companies in this business do concentrate on integrity and quality, and this is what it comes down to in the end.

www.ihservices.com.au


on April 20, 2010, the news media began showing footage of a catastrophic fire on an oil platform deep in the gulf of Mexico. Already, the oil well,

which is 5,000 feet below sea level, has spilled tens of millions of gallons of oil into the water and the cost of clean-up and impacts on communities and workers in the gulf region are already in the billions of dollars.

Regardless of one’s ideology or politics, this is now a time when we need to come to terms with the fact that this is no longer the world that our grandparents knew. So, for just one moment, please consider the world that our children will inherit in 40 years, circa 2050.

My grandparents immigrated to America around 1900 when there were approximately 1.7 billion people sharing our planet. Today, in 2010, there are approximately 6.4 billion people, and by 2050 there will be approximately 10 billion people sharing our planet — 10 BILLION!

While it took mankind thousands of years to get to 1.7 billion, we are now adding another billion people approximately every 15 years. And according to the United Nations and the World Resources Institute, the population of industrialized countries, such as the United States, Canada, Europe and Japan, will remain relatively constant with most of the global population growth coming from developing countries, such as India and China.

And here lays the challenge: 100 years ago when there were just 1.7 billion of us, there was plenty of resources. But, when global population climbs upwards to 10 billion people at the same time that these developing countries are becoming more affluent, we need to rethink how we do things.

As these developing countries work to provide better housing, schools, hospitals, etc. for their people, the global

Sustainability and Global Population Growthdemand for steel, concrete, and other minerals will increase. As their people become more affluent, they will want the same “stuff ” we take for granted such as indoor plumbing, hot water, and electricity to light, heat and cool their homes; as well as “stuff ” like cars, computers, cell phones, refrigerators, and cooking stoves. And with these come an increasing demand for energy, fuels, and materials to make and power it all.

Furthermore, as global population grows to 10 billion, the demand for food and water will increase, driving the demand for more food, and to do so using less water. This challenge for our grandchildren will be especially complicated because so much of the global population growth will be in places whose land is infertile and with limited access to fresh water.

Sustainability and Global Population GrowthBy sTePheN AshkiN

Again, this article is not about politics. Rather, it is simple Adam Smith economics about how supply and demand affects pricing, and how global population growth is going to affect our grandchildren’s future.

Just as our world in 2010 is different than in the world of my grandparents in 1900, the world we are leaving our children and grandchildren will be different compared to today because of global population growth. What has changed is not politics, ideology, or even an environmental catastrophe such as the oil spill. Rather, it is the simple fact that there will be more to feed, clothe, house, educate, and provide other basic needs that our children and grandchildren will have to address. And they simply cannot follow the same path for constructing buildings, manufacturing materials, and providing energy and food that previous generations did when there were so many less of us.

So let’s stop arguing about politics and trying to assign blame. Whether Republican or Democrat; Conservative or Liberal; Capitalist or Environmentalist; Sarah Palin or Al Gore; believer in climate change or doubter; CEO or executive housekeeper, we all care about our children and grandchildren.

And the good news is that there are many things that we can do and much of it is good business which we can do today! As executive housekeepers we must become “smarter” consumers/purchasers and smarter users of all kinds of “stuff,” including housekeeping supplies, energy, water, and more. And reducing waste of all kinds, such as turning off lights in an unoccupied room, eliminates wasted energy, saves money, and reduces unnecessary environmental impacts. Being smart about not wasting water, chemicals, and paper, as well as taking better care of our other “stuff,” from mop and buckets to powered equipment and vehicles, really are important and will make a difference.

While our impacts as executive housekeepers may not be on the scale as that facing President Obama, our impacts are no less important. As author and anthropologist Margaret Mead once said, “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.” And together we really can make an important difference that can positively change the world for our children and grandchildren. n

Steve Ashkin is President of The Ashkin Group, a consulting firm working to “green” the cleaning industry. Steve has been a leader in the Green Cleaning Movement since long before it was even recognized as a Movement. His efforts in pioneering many of the concepts that are now taken for granted has led to his being thought of as the “Father of Green Cleaning.” He can be reached at [email protected] or visit www.Ashkingroup.com.


To be inspired makes it a lot easier to inspire others! Passion is the heart of inspiration!

When i think back to what the heart of inspiration is, it takes me back to my

childhood years.

What were those driving forces to get an A on a report card from school, to come first in those swimming races, to be chosen to teach year 7 students to swim, to run cross country and cross the line feeling like I’d accomplished something because I didn’t come last? To stand on the podium and receive a medal for the wade relay even though all the competitors besides myself were boys.?

Is it because I am overly competitive? Is it because I enjoy the accolades of my family and friends? Is it because acceptance of achieving something great is vital to feeling great?

For me I recently recognized all of my achievements in life have been involving things I’m passionate about.

Inspiration comes in many differing formats and we will be inspired by different mentors, sporting greats, business executives, our parents, our children, whoever it may be that inspires you, the important message is to keep being inspired and dig deep to inspire others. Keep your passion alive!

I’ve been lucky enough to have had many great Managers and General Managers who have kept inspiring me; this leads me to inspire others.

The Heart of Inspiration to LeadershipBy diANNe Vidler Executive Housekeeper, Crowne Plaza Darling Harbour, Sydney

A great man, Marcus Tait, has led me further in my emotional intelligence than any other.

‘The way we learn from people whom we admire as leaders is mysterious. They kind of ‘imprint’ on us in ways we don’t even notice ourselves.

Leadership is viral, in a sense. We learn by ‘emulating’ those we want to be like. So, whatever you do and say, every day, be aware that you are ‘templating’ - laying down a pattern of speech and actions that others will follow, whether they know it or not. If you want people to behave a certain way, don’t tell them to do it. Model the way yourself.’

My brilliant leader projects all of the key points below. Taken from an extract from the book “The Right To Lead – Learning Leadership through Character and Courage”, he is a wildly successful person.

1. Let go of your ego.The truly great leaders are not in leadership for personal gain. They lead in order to serve other people. Perhaps that is why Lawrence D. Bell remarked, “Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things, and I’ll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big things.

2. Become a good follower firstRare is the effective leader who didn’t learn to become a good follower first. That is why a leadership institution such as the United States Military Academy teaches its officers to become effective followers first - and why West Point has produced more leaders than the Harvard Business School.

3. Build positive relationships.Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. That means it is by nature relational. Today’s generation of leaders seem particularly aware of this because title and position mean so little to them. They know intuitively that people go along with people they get along with.

4. Work with excellence.No one respects and follows mediocrity. Leaders who earn the right to lead give their all to what they do. They bring into play not only their skills and talents, but also great passion and hard work. They perform on the highest level of which they are capable.

5. Rely on discipline, not emotion.Leadership is often easy during the good times. It’s when everything seems to be against you - when you’re out of energy, and you don’t want to lead - that you earn your place as a leader. During every season of life, leaders face crucial moments when they must

< choose between gearing up or giving up. To make it through those times, rely on the rock of discipline, not the shifting sand of emotion.

6. Make adding value your goal.When you look at the leaders whose names are revered long after they have finished leading, you find that they were men and women who helped people to live better lives and reach their potential. That is the highest calling of leadership - and its highest value.

7. Give your power away.One of the ironies of leadership is that you become a better leader by sharing whatever power you have, not by saving it all for yourself. You’re meant to be a river, not a reservoir. If you use your power to empower others, your leadership will extend far beyond your grasp.

Remember that it takes time to become worthy of followers. Leadership isn’t learned or earned in a moment.

What many said to be impossible is becoming a commercial enterprise. How many times have we faced a barrier assumed impossible and allowed that to limit what’s actually possible?

The impossible just hasn’t been done yet.

Lead to be inspired, Inspire with passion, allow your team to have vision and input. Add value and make a difference. Don’t make empty promises to your mentors, peers or those who follow your in footsteps. n

The Heart of Inspiration to Leadership

Wolgan Valley Resort & SpaWorking in such a beautiful and unique

environment, and located 27 km offshore from Cairns, does present challenges

Wolgan Valley resort & spa

A scenic three-hour drive from Sydney, Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa is Australia’s first luxury conservation-based resort. Heralding a new era of luxury travel, this secluded resort features 40 individual suites surrounded by private verandahs, each with its own indoor / outdoor swimming pool.

Wolgan Valley offers guests a number of activities from mountain biking to horse riding and nature walks; and incorporates the ‘Timeless Spa’ branded relaxation facility, offering guests the finest in holistic treatments, all within a luxurious setting. It is also the first hotel in the world to achieve internationally accredited carbon neutral certification.

From its history and heritage to the finest personalised gourmet experiences and an indulgent spa, guests are invited to discover and immerse themselves in Wolgan Valley’s definitive luxury style and rare natural majestic beauty.

For more information, visit www.wolganvalley.com or call 02 9290 9733. n


A Q&A session with brenda olson, executive

housekeeper at Wolgan Valley resort & spa, conducted by liz lYCeTTe.

Where were you born and where did you grow up? Go to School?

I was born in Coos Bay, Oregon USA. My family stayed in USA until I was 3 and then we

moved to Australia. My mom is an Aussie and my dad American. My mom went off on an overseas adventure early in her life and ended up meeting my dad in Spain where they married, moved to the USA had 3 kids and thought Australia would be a great place to raise us. I have lived in Coober Pedy in Western Australia and later near Windsor in the Lower Blue Mountains. I went to school in Penrith west of Sydney.

What was your career path until your first Executive Housekeeper position?

I first worked in Hospitality at Australia’s Wonderland after a while I started working in Visual Merchandising. I did this for 12 years in the Sydney Metro area.

Where have you been Executive Housekeeper? Hotel? City? Country? Number of rooms? Challenges of each position?

Like my mom I took off on an overseas adventure to the USA, ended up in Alaska where it was more about the location and experience than the actual job. I applied to be a Housekeeper, and was accepted. Soon after I was promoted to a Supervisor and then asked back as an Assistant Manager the following season. I loved the job and the atmosphere so much I applied for the Executive Housekeeping Manager position and was successful! I have been in that position for the past 6 years.

The McKinley Chalet Resort is on the boarder of Denali National Park right in the middle of Alaska, USA. The Resort has 480 rooms, room set up of TW/DB mini suites, 2 x Queen rooms and King rooms.

Interview with Brenda Olson, Executive Housekeeper – Wolgan Valley Resort

On any given day there was at least 53 Housekeeping employees needed to operate the resort – Assistant Managers x 3, Supervisors x 12, HSK x 52, Housemen x 5, and PAC x 6.

Most of the seasonal employees were from eastern European countries like Russia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Poland also Dominica Republic and USA Students, they worked on a 4-month visa.

Challenges were staffing accordingly. Opening and closing the resort, motivating the staff and keeping morale high, check out time of 10am and new arrivals at noon meant a short turnover time between rooms, teamwork & organisation was key.

What was your last position in Alaska like? How long were you there and what made you come back to Australia?

My position as the Executive Housekeeping Manger was certainly challenging at times. Working a seasonal property, opening the property from being closed for 7 months to ensuring everyone was trained in enough time for our first guests, losing staff during the season, to closing down the property. I loved meeting new people every season from all over the globe.

I worked in Denali at the McKinley Chalet Resort for 6 years.

The decision to return back to Australia was certainly a hard one. I worked 10 months out of 12 so we came home to Australia every 2 years or so seeking a warmer climate for the winter. It got harder to leave family & friends each time, so we decided to see what opportunities opened up in Australia for us before our return tickets to Alaska were due.

Why did you choose Housekeeping?

I think Housekeeping choose me :) - I like to clean, I like things in order and I like an end result. Housekeeping appeared as a great opportunity in Alaska for me to live and work in such an unbelievable environment. Not many can say they clean rooms where moose and grizzly bears walk by…

What do you love most about it? And what is the hardest part of being a Housekeeper?

The hardest part of housekeeping is being the ‘unsung hero’s’ in a hotel, being unappreciated or under paid.

What I love most about Housekeeping – guest satisfaction, seeing an end result, the closeness within the team.

When did you join Wolgan Valley? What are your first impressions from the first 2 weeks?

I joined Wolgan Valley Resort in February 2010. My first impressions were surreal, everything was organised, policies and procedures were in place and the property was amazing

What are the biggest 3 challenges? Working in a remote property?

Staff retention, isolation, boredom etc. Dust is a huge challenge, it blows in from everywhere!

Communication with other departments. a sense of urgency or lack thereof.

Describe Wolgan Valley – setup – number of rooms? Physical layout? Housekeeping staffing and structure of setup of staff. Public areas? Room rates? What type of guests?

Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa is Australia’s first luxury conservation-based resort. Located on Australia’s Great Dividing Range, within the heart of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. The resort occupies only 2% of the 4,000 acres.

This secluded resort features 40 individual suites surrounded by private decks, each having it’s own indoor/outdoor swimming pool,

separate living and sleeping areas, luxurious en suite bathroom and double sided fireplace.

The Housekeeping Department has a staffing of 14 – breaks down to Executive Housekeeping Manager, Supervisor, 4 PAC and 8 Suite Attendants. Generally we have 2 am PAC and 2 pm they do our turndown service that all guests receive during their stay. Our suites are like being in your own home so the timeline of cleaning them is around 45 min - 1 hour, larger suites 11/2 hours.

Room rates vary from $1,660 up

Our guests come from all over Australia and the world. n

Links: www.emirateshotelsresorts.com/wolgan-valley/en

www.denaliparkresorts.com/accommodations/ mckinley-chalet-resort.aspx

www.denali.national-park.com


st Mary’s Cathedral house is the home of Cardinal george Pell and other Priests who work in the

sydney Archdiocese. it has 14 suites and provides accommodation for visiting Priests, bishops and Cardinals from interstate and around the world. helen’s role as house Manager encompasses the supervision of all areas of housekeeping, laundry, catering, provisions, accounts and staff management.

Besides the accommodation, the house has many meeting rooms - a formal dining room for 16 guests, a reception area which seats up to 120 guests, offices and a commercial kitchen. All catering is done in house. Functions include formal dinners for dignitaries, receptions after important Masses, Dinner and Breakfast meetings, fund raising events and many more. Helen supervises all menus, staffing and acts as hostess at some functions.

In 1995 Helen was responsible for all of the housekeeping requirements for the visit of His Holiness Pope John Paul II and again in 2008 for His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI’s visit for World Youth Day. Both visits the highlight’s of Helen’s work at the Cathedral. Usually, there is a staff of 1 full time and 3 permanent part time workers however, during the last Papal visit, the number of staff rose to 21. This included 5 chefs. It was a memorable occasion. His Holiness commented on the outstanding welcome and gracious hospitality he received.

Helen commenced her working life as a secretary. Her three daughters were her major concern for many years during which time voluntary work with the Girl Guide Association became a major focus. Helen undertook many roles, from Unit Leader to District Commissioner. From Guiding, Helen learnt to be self reliant and to always consider other people. It also gave her an understanding of young people which has gone a long way towards helping with understanding staff and the various problems which arise in people’s lives.

In 1991 Helen completed an Advanced Certificate in Business Catering Operations.

The following year she completed an Advanced Certificate in Hospitality and Catering (Supervision) – both completed with distinction. After applying at many hotels, Helen applied for a housekeeping assistant role at St. Mary’s Cathedral, however, soon after, the Dean of the Cathedral offered Helen the position of House Manager. Helen accepted this position and has been at the Cathedral now for over 16 years. In 1997 Helen undertook an Executive Certificate Course in Event Management at UTS. As a result of her extensive experience Helen was invited to teach a night time course at East Sydney TAFE for several years teaching Hospitality and Customer Service.

Helen’s three daughters and two grandchildren are her pride and joy. In her spare time she loves gardening, flower arranging and camping in the great outdoors. n

p r o f i l e

Helen Hofmanhouse Manager, st. Mary’s Cathedral house, sydney


suranga hewagamage was born in sri lanka and came to Australia in 1999 to complete a bachelor

of business Administration degree course after successfully completing an Advanced diploma in Marketing back in sri lanka. he is currently the housekeeping operations Manager for empire hospitality, a successful outsourcing company which operates the housekeeping departments at the oaks group of hotels, the Ascott international group, and soon the stamford Plaza (starting on 6th of september2010) in Melbourne. he is responsible for approximately 900 rooms and 150 staff covering 4 properties in the Cbd.

Suranga has been working in Housekeeping for over ten years and like many successful hospitality personnel started his career as a casual minibar attendant at the Metro Inn Melbourne whilst studying business administration at Victoria University. Suranga moved to the Ibis Little Bourke as a team leader after one year and then joined A.M Hospitality Services at the Somerset on Elizabeth which is part of the Ascott International group of Hotels, as Assistant Housekeeper in 2003. When the Executive Housekeeper left at the end of 2003 he was promoted to the position of Executive Housekeeper where he stayed until 2005 when he was transferred to the Somerset Gordon Place, also part of Ascott International. He joined Empire Hospitality at the end of 2005 to be part of the pre-opening team at the Oaks on Collins, the first Oaks apartment hotel in Melbourne and soon after opened the Oaks on Market in 2006 and Oaks on Lonsdale in 2007 and has just completed the opening of the new 380 room Citadines Melbourne on Bourke St ahead of schedule.

Suranga loves the everyday challenges Housekeeping presents and enjoys dealing with all guests and staff. He describes his learning experience at the Somerset properties as tough but rewarding. As with many outsourcing

companies, the Executive Housekeeper is “it” and must recruit and train staff, manage the budget, control stock and equipment without the assistance of others.

Being part of an outsourced company, he sees first hand the impact of the global financial recession both in his role and in that of the hotel, with an increased need for all to be financially prudent in rostering and training whilst still maintaining positive relationships with all departments so that service to the guest is not diminshed.

He loves the opportunities afforded to him by Empire Hospitality who support him by allowing all staff to be trained in Certificate III in Housekeeping. Suranga is himself currently studying for Certificate IV both in Housekeeping and Training and Assessment.

He is a member of The P.E.H.N. (Vic) and is looking forward to implementing some green initiatives into the workplace in the near future.

Suranga is an only child but tries to visit his parents in Sri Lanka every six months. He loves Australia and is deeply involved with the Sri Lankan community in Melbourne. He loves to drive around Australia in his free time discovering new places and also enjoys reading (all the lost property books!). He is planning further study for the future. n

p r o f i l e

Suranga Hewagamageopportunities for training at empire


dianne Vidler is the executive housekeeper at the Crowne Plaza darling harbour in sydney.

The hotel has 345 rooms situated over 10 levels, a renowned restaurant, 2 bars, and conference rooms. dianne started with Crowne Plaza darling harbour in January of 2010.

Dianne employs approximately 85 staff and when occupancy is high, she uses the services of IHS, a renowned outsourcing company. Public areas are serviced overnight by contract cleaners who also clean the kitchens and back of house areas within the hotel. All linen items guest laundry and dry cleaning are sent off site for processing with the exception of the microfibre cleaning rags.

The Crowne Plaza Darling Harbour will be rebranded to Park Royal on the 1st November 2010, Dianne is on the migration team which consists of 7 people, and the team will be working in conjunction with PPHotel Group to rebrand 2 Intercontinental Hotel Group properties at a simulated time. Dianne looks forward to the learning and development opportunities associated with rebranding. Dianne is thankful this experience has come her way, “it’s not something many people have the opportunity to be involved in and can only create further opportunities”

Dianne first entered the wonderful world of Hotel Housekeeping 17 years ago at the Sheraton on the Park in Sydney when she was accepted to participate in a 12 month hotel traineeship along with 8 others intending to work through all hotel departments. Within the first 2 months however, 6 people withdrew and she never got past Housekeeping working as a room attendant. Her long term fate was sealed!

After 2 years at the Sheraton on the Park, she decided to accept a position at the Pinetrees guest house on Lord Howe Island working primarily in Food and Beverage as a waitress whilst also servicing the guest rooms. She was soon promoted to Head Waitress. Dianne loved the island “beach” life and the serenity of the under developed Lord Howe Island but due to limited career opportunities, Dianne returned to the mainland after 2 years. Dianne applied for a position in Food and Beverage at the 204 room Novotel, North Beach in Wollongong and because of her previous Housekeeping experience was offered a position as a room attendant / minibar / houseperson which she accepted, working for the respected Del Wilcockson. After six months she was promoted to Housekeeping supervisor and 2 years later became Senior Supervisor being promoted once again after a further year to Assistant Housekeeper. During the 6 and a half years she worked at the Novotel, Dianne admits that she did an awful lot of growing up and learnt so much, crediting Del for being her teacher and mentor.

Dianne was then transferred to the Novotel, Brighton Beach in 2006 where she was the Executive Housekeeper for 4 years. She describes her 10 and a half years experience with Accor as a fantastic experience working with 2 great General Managers who allowed her to put her own stamp on the Housekeeping department through training and introduced motivational exercises.

Dianne has also taught the Housekeeping modules at Loftus TAFE in Sydney as a sessional teacher. She was able to give the students work experience with her team enabling them to get a well rounded view of Housekeeping and its’ workings. As do many Executive Housekeepers, Dianne finds it a challenge to retain and train good staff that will be able to “jump into our shoes”

Dianne believes the biggest change in the industry of latter years has been the need to change leadership styles “to let go of ego” become a great follower of great leaders, not to acccept that greatness ends with exceptional service to guests and staff, the need to dig deeper continuing to build positive relationships with all around you, learn from great leaders and build the network of support around you. She encourages all staff to interact with the guest as much as possible and to this end has introduced a “brag board “ in Housekeeping where guest comments are pinned and staff who receive the most positive comments in a month are rewarded with a gift voucher to use at Grace Bros. She allows her staff to hold bi monthly multi cultural lunches whereby each staff member brings a traditional cooked dish from their country to share. As a part of the Housekeeping morning briefing the staff talk about their guest interactions from the past day “ creating a sense of pride” it enables the team to recognise how much impact we the Housekeeping team can have on guests.

She is in awe of her current General Manager, Marcus Tait who she has been lucky enough to work with at two different properties and describes as inspirational with a dynamic vision in leadership values and thoughts. Marcus has a base of followers to which he inspires ‘every Friday, Marcus sends a Friday thought which encourages greatness’ “This is true leadership in my eyes”

Dianne has gained the Certificates IV in both Hospitality Management and Workplace training and Assessment and is a member of the PHAN in NSW.

Away from work, Dianne looks forward to Sunday breakfast overlooking the wonderful views of the Wollongong coast line with her partner, walking her dog along the beach and shopping for shoes (she admits to being a shoe- a –holic!!)

Talking to Dianne, her passion for Housekeeping is obvious and I am sure she in turn will become a mentor to others in the industry in the future, leading by example. n

p r o f i l e

Dianne Vidlerbuilding positive relationships


Ozone generator systems for

laundering first appeared in Australia

back in 2004/05. The first system to

be installed at an Australian hotel

was in January 2005 at what was

then called Eden on the Park Hotel

(now Bayview Hotel) Melbourne.

The hotel laundry consisted of one electrolux 80 kg and two 40 kg high speed spin washer

extractors, complimented with dryers and a feeding folding stacking ironer, and towel folder. The laundry catered for 180 4 ½ star rooms at eden on the Park as well as 200 rooms at their sister hotel bayview on the Park. The laundry processed approximately 11 tonne per week.

Today there are more than 500 Ozone Laundry Systems operating in laundries throughout Australia, it is estimated 400 of these are installed in healthcare laundries which include aged care and hospital facilities, however there are more than 50 in hotel laundries around the country. Some of these include Rydges, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and Marriot Hotels.

beNeFiTs oF ozoNe lAuNderiNg

Today there are several companies offering an ozone system for laundry, some have independently verified data on savings generated by installing their ozone system, others do not. Not all systems available deliver the utility savings suggested. Not all provide a level of wash quality deemed acceptable for hospitality linen. Like all new technology, there is good and bad. It’s also imperative that the company selling and commissioning these systems has extensive and intricate knowledge of the technology and the laundry process.

Ozone laundering in hospitalityNothing but the truth

Ozone is said to achieve:

10-40% water savings compared to •traditional laundering

Gas and electricity savings in water heating •for washers

Gas saving in tumble drying•

Production gains or labour saving•

Longer linen life•

Chemical saving•

A return on investment for Ozone laundering technology, depending on the throughput of the laundry can be as fast as 12 months. It is best to speak with the ozone supplier to ascertain exactly what their system can and will achieve, as this varies significantly from brand to brand.

One thing’s for sure, a good ozone system reduces operating costs significantly. If you outsource your linen, it may be time to revisit, as in house laundering with ozone could make the exercise much more viable than you think.

Following is a detailed report on why some ozone systems work better than others.

CoroNA disChArge Vs uV lighT

Corona discharge is the only type of ozone generation that delivers the required weight and ppm of ozone required for a good standard of laundering and to guarantee infection kill including bed bugs. The issue with Ultra Violet globes can be two fold. A UV

By shAuN PeTrie Ozone Laundry Systems


light may not deliver the weighted dosage required to produce beautiful white linen on an ongoing basis. Yes, the bacteria and viruses should be destroyed but the wash quality may not be guaranteed. The other issue with UV light is lumen depreciation which means ozone production can diminish each time the “lamp” is started. The initial depreciation could be high and may begin to level off until the lamp fails and needs to be replaced. UV light globes may last 12 months or longer until they fail, but in the meantime the ozone weight and ppm dosage can reduce from day one of operation.

Corona discharge on the other hand provides a constant weight and ppm dosage. Corona discharge is much more expensive to manufacture, but it’s the only method available that works with professional laundering to provide consistently high linen quality and effective, guaranteed disinfection.

There are several ozone distributors selling UV light systems in Australia. The systems generally work well for a month or two, then progressively the wash quality drops to a point where colored linen looks dull and whites turn a shade of grey. Some ozone

suppliers hide this problem by discretely adding hot water in the wash process and or organize the chemical supplier to add more bleach in an attempt to get the linen whiter. In the meantime the ozone system is not performing, and there is no guarantee the ozone dosage is high enough to kill all bacteria and virus on all wash programs.

UV light ozone systems are very very cheap to manufacture. So cheap in fact that they are generally used for aquariums, garden ponds, spas and other small applications. Due to the low cost of UV systems, if they worked so well for laundering, it would be reasonable to suggest that ozone would be commonplace in all new domestic washing machines used for home. This obviously is not the case. Corona discharge systems are the preferred method for professional laundering.

ozoNe sATurATioN and deliVerY

The most reliable and foolproof way to ensure ozone is dissolved into the wash water is by vacuum venturi injection. The

ozone dose is guaranteed. Some systems available today just push the ozone tubing into the breather of the washer which can result in ozone gas not being dissolved into the water. Others use a “bubbler” method which injects ozone into the sump of the washer by way of a tube with small holes. The holes tend to clog up with lint unless they are cleaned regularly, which creates extra maintenance and unreliable ozone dosage.

FAil sAFe deliVerY sYsTeM

Not all systems have an integrated fail safe device that disallows washing if the ozone dose cannot be guaranteed on a wash by wash basis. Unfortunately due to the varying dosages UV light provides, it is very costly to integrate a fail safe with a UV light ozone system. Corona discharge on the other hand is consistent with it’s dosage so a fail safe device can be fitted easily and economically. The Australian Standard AS4146-2000 suggests strongly that if chemical disinfection (I.e. Ozone) is to be used, the process must be validated, otherwise, how do we know if the bugs have been killed for every wash every day. You need to ask your ozone supplier how is the level of ozone dosage being monitored and what happens if it falls below the required level. Can the washer still be operated in this environment? Does the ozone system have control over the washer so if the dosage is too low or no ozone is delivered at all, the washer ceases it’s operation?

NiTrogeN AbsorPTioN

When generating ozone, a by product created is nitrogen. It is essential that nitrogen is removed from the mix as it can lead to nitric acid levels in the wash bath. A quality ozone system used for laundering must have nitrogen absorption (sieve beds) included. Many systems do not.

iNdePeNdeNT beNChMArkiNg

Some of the systems recently introduced to the Australian market have no independent benchmarking on aspects of ozone laundering. Water, gas, and electricity savings are unsubstantiated. Bacteria and virus kill has not been tested thoroughly, on going wash quality has not been monitored. Some companies may have data they have measured in-house, but this is should not be relied upon. Demand independent data on all

Corona discharge, the only way to create consistent quality ozone for professional laundering

uV light globes will not consistently deliver quality ozone for professional laundering

raw ozone gas being pumped into the washer, is this viable?

Vacuum venturi, simple, efficient and reliable ozone delivery to the washers

bubble method, ozone bubbles tend to go straight up above the water level in washer

Worklogic Consulting prevents and resolves employee disputes, complaints and dysfunction.We provide strategic organisational advice, workplace audits, employee surveys, policy review and sophisticated training. Where a workplace dispute does arise, Worklogic investigates and mediates professionally.

Engage Worklogic, so you can get on with business.

aspects for peace of mind. Do not take it for granted that it has been done.

lAuNdrY MANAgeMeNT sYsTeMs

Today, for a relatively small cost, consumption data on water, gas, and electricity usage can be captured. Production can be easily measured, all automatically by a digital monoring system. A regular report can be generated via modem if required, which allows you to view a “snapshot” of how well the laundry is operating. This monitoring is a perfect tool to measure how well the ozone system is delivering on it’s promises. It also allows you to measure staff efficiency and will immediately flag any equipment inefficiencies like leaking drain valves in washing machines and faulty thermostats or sticking gas valves in dryers.

siTe reFereNCes

Lastly, ask for site reference lists. Contact those references to ensure they are happy

with their ozone laundry system. If the company cannot provide a detailed reference list with contact names and phone numbers, then it probably means they don’t have one. Listen to independent people who have no reason to tell you anything but their honest opinions.

suMMArY

Ozone is a fantastic technology for use in professional laundering. It can save your hotel significant water and energy. It can also improve the production and extend linen life. However you must do your research, some systems available simply do not and cannot deliver.

A laundry must be managed and treated as a cost unit, just like all facets of hospitality. This can be easiliy achieved through technology (monitoring) and or by competent trained laundry staff. Ozone at the end of the day is a great tool, however it is not the sole answer to having a perfect laundry. n

A laundry must be managed and treated as a cost unit, just like all facets of hospitality. This can be easiliy achieved through technology (monitoring) and or by competent trained laundry staff.

Ozone laundering in hospitality

www.worklogic.com.auSuite 8.09/365 Little Collin Street, Melbourne VIC 3000Ph: 8676 0466


One of the first things people

notice upon entering a facility

is the floor, and if those

floors aren’t clean, it reflects

poorly on the facility. It can

be extremely challenging to

keep floors in high-traffic areas

looking shiny and attractive,

especially given shrinking

facility maintenance budgets.

After heating and cooling, facility maintenance is generally the second largest cost for building owners. Many housekeeping professionals have been tasked with saving money without sacrificing the appearance of the facility. It seems like a “Catch-22,” but managing floor maintenance budgets while meeting the expectations of customers and building occupants is fully possible. The following are eight tips to help reduce the cost of your floor maintenance program while still keeping up appearances.

1. explore new technologies in floor care: Advances in technology continue to improve and offer floor care professionals new options. New technology doesn’t necessarily connote expensive — rather, the latest technologies in floor care can actually save time and money. Identify coatings and finishes that will maximize your investment. This means not just considering the initial cost, but also taking into account the lifecycle and payback over the product’s lifetime.

High-performance floor finishes, such as ultra-durable floor finishes, are relatively new products that maximize value by reducing maintenance requirements and cutting out extra steps. Traditional acrylic floor finishes require daily dusting, damp mopping, and/or auto-scrubbing, in addition to weekly burnishing, quarterly scrubbing and re-coating, and annual stripping and re-finishing. However, ultra durable floor finishes eliminate the need for restorative types of maintenance, and one application can last for as long as two years. Ultra-durable floor

Keeping Up Appearances:How to Save Money on Floor Care While Maintaining Attractive Floors

finishes require only daily cleaning and damp mopping, and/or auto-scrubbing, significantly reducing maintenance time, material, chemical, and labor costs. This can reduce hard-floor maintenance costs by up to 50 percent, compared to traditional acrylic floor finishes, and still provide a stunning appearance.

The reduction in floor downtime is also beneficial because when an area is out of use, it’s not generating revenue for the facility. Look for systems with hydrophobic protective finishes that will resist water, stains, and dirt. Traditional hydrophilic floor finishes that contain wax particles and surfactants are affected by water and cleaning chemicals, causing dirt to be trapped in the finish surface.

2. reduce the frequency of maintenance activities: Look for products that reduce the frequency of maintenance activities, such as burnishing, scrubbing, re-coating, stripping, and refinishing. These tasks are the most expensive floor maintenance activities. In fact, by reducing or eliminating these tasks, a facility can save anywhere from 40 to 60 percent in floor maintenance costs.

3. utilize a matting system: It can cost more than $500 to remove one pound of dirt after it has been tracked into a building. Remarkably, up to 24 pounds of dirt can be tracked in by just 1,000 people coming through a facility’s entrance every day over a 20-day period. Placing effective walk-off matting near doorways and entrances will collect a large amount of this dirt, while prolonging the life of the floor finish. Without adequate matting, 42 percent of a floor’s finish can be removed within the first six feet of an entrance after only 1,500 people have walked through the door. Although the matting will require an up-front investment, it can save money in the long run by offsetting the frequency of stripping and refinishing.

4. Trade in string mops for microfibre mops: Throw those string mops away! Switching to microfibre mops with on-demand chemical systems can help reduce chemical usage in a facility by up to 80 percent compared to traditional mop and bucket cleaning. Reduction in chemical use results in immediate cost savings. Microfibre mopping systems are also more sanitary than traditional mops because the flat mop is changed when it becomes soiled, and the cleaning solution is dispensed directly onto the floor, eliminating mopping with dirty water. Compared to a traditional mop and bucket, this method improves the quality of cleaning, while also reducing labor time because the mop water doesn’t have to be changed.

By keViN McNulTY

5. use backpack applicators to apply floor finish: When applying a floor finish, use backpack applicators instead of a mop and bucket. Backpack applicators can reduce floor finish application time by up to 70 percent versus traditional mop and bucket and can actually reduce consumption of the finish by as much as 35 percent, leading to tangible savings by reducing the amount of floor finish needed.

6. implement a chemical management system: Chemical management systems that utilize dispensing systems to accurately mix and dilute cleaning concentrates are a great way to help avoid using too much cleaner due to human error. Accurately diluting chemicals not only saves money on cleaning supplies, it also reduces maintenance time spent fixing the results of over- or under-diluted cleaning solutions.

7. eliminate traditional acrylic floor finish on certain surfaces: Stone floors — such as terrazzo, marble, and polished concrete — may not require a floor finish at all. These surfaces can be cleaned and polished using diamond-coated floor pads in place of a finish. These floor pads maintain the surface’s shine and may be more cost-effective than other methods of stone floor maintenance. Additional shine and stain resistance can be achieved with new high-performance floor protectors.

8. invest in productive floor cleaning machines: Invest in the largest machine possible that is effective for your facility. The larger and wider the machine, the more productive it will be, reducing labor time and long-term cost-of-ownership. Some machines can even reduce the amount of cleaning products required. Also, consider the work force and facility needs. When purchasing, a ride-on machine may be the best choice.

With both guests and facility occupants judging a building’s appearance on cleanliness, it is important to maintain clean, shiny floors. On the other hand, budgets are shrinking and facility managers are being asked to cut costs wherever possible. Try implementing some of these tips to minimize the cost of the floor care program without sacrificing the appearance of your floors. n

Kevin McNulty is the business development manager for hard floor systems for 3M’s Building and Commercial Services Division. For more information, visit www.3m.com/floorfinish

Reprinted with kind permission from Executive Housekeeping Today, the official journal of the International Executive Housekeeping Association (IEHA).


some years ago, in an edition of boss magazine (part of the Financial review), there

were several articles that caught my eye. one of them touched on the modern approach for employee empowerment, and considered whether or not empowerment may be seen by some as a cop-out for management, ie we are leaving them to their own devices (sink or swim) rather than assisting them. Another pondered the role of management, and considered whether or not managers were misunderstanding their roles, forgetting they are meant to be managers (ie implementers and managers of process) rather than strategic thinkers, responsible for the creative direction.

Thinking Management

Taking Responsibility for StaffBy deAN MiNeTT

It is easy sometimes to abrogate our responsibility to employees and our employers by blaming staff for not being creative enough with solutions, rather than considering our own role in the equation. What is our role anyway? As a General Manager I guess I can say that I accept responsibility for everything…but should I? We ask Department Managers to be responsible for budgets, but how often do they control everything that affects them? We ask Sales and Marketing people to be responsible for selling, but how often do we train them effectively? We expect Guest Service staff to be really service-oriented, but often employ them because they look good rather than train them or see if they have the skills in the first place. Our expectations of staff are often not driven by rational thought, but by bias, political agendas or just personal preference.

I don’t know, maybe this is a sign of the “me” generation, where we want authority without the responsibility or accountability. “Looking after number one” was a common approach in the late 80’s and although I would have thought this should have died along with the selfish bastards that espoused it, there appears to be a renaissance occurring with it!

Empowerment to me means enabling staff to participate in decision making, rather than abandoning them to it. I know it may be patronising, but I see the role of the manager as very similar to parenting – we who have the greater experience use this to guide those with less to achieve a particular result. We manage and lead them through the application of our experience or aptitude rather than just telling them and expecting

them to follow blindly. My experience has been that self-directed work teams work well when they are guided, and that teams that are guided rather than bullied are often more motivated – the goals have to be well set and defined though, and the participants need to be reasonably mature. There is no doubt that a young team needs more guidance/counselling (pulling into line!) than older teams, although older teams are often more cunning and give the appearance that they are supportive! This is the mob that definitely has more worries about empowerment, as it presents a far greater threat to their position.

Managing people is all about people – it is not about technology, that’s merely a tool; it’s not about the latest techniques, they are also tools (and so are some of the people that espouse them!); people deal best with people. The e-mail menace is possibly a far greater threat to good management than any other development in recent years. Don’t talk to someone, e-mail them! There have been numerous stories about people learning of their retrenchment though e-mails, or inadvertently contributing to their demise though accidentally cc’ing an e-mail to the wrong person. Then there are those that use the blind cc to copy someone without letting the recipient know. Huh? Hello! We are dealing with people. How political have we become when we decide not to be honest or straightforward, in case the other person outmanoeuvres us or challenges our position? Sheesh!

The Canadian philosopher John Ralston Saul was also interviewed in BOSS magazine. He spoke about the impact of various technologies on our lives, and argues that

Dean Minett is Area General Manager Australia/NZ for Ascott International and has worked in, managed or consulted to hotels, motels, resorts restaurants and casinos for over 30 years. He is co-author of two hospitality & tourism textbooks. Email [email protected].

© Dean Minett 1998–2010

This article was first published in Hospitality magazine.

their effects are often short-lived and unguided. He has often railed against the way that societies are run as a management model rather than a social one, and notes that schools today are more concerned with preparing students for getting a job though use of machines (eg internet), rather than training in language, culture or philosophy that will equip them to compete in a global market. We are training them to be managers and employees rather than people prepared to take risks and explore. We are preparing people to be controlled rather than creative.

And so back to the original point.

We want it all – we want staff to be creative and empowered, yet we haven’t really prepared them for it. We want them to toe the line, and yet have the initiative to take risks and be pro-active.

Good management is all about people – guide them, instruct them, but for goodness sake take some responsibility for them! n

Cleaning Upholstery with Dry Steam

keeping upholstered furniture clean in hotel rooms, bar and restaurant areas can be a difficult task as it is inevitable that food or

drinks will be spilt by guests. When stains do occur it is not only the cleaning, but also the drying that creates a problem.

The use of dry steam vacuums, like the Duplex JetVac range, are ideal for regular dry cleaning, deep stain removal, deodorising and thermal disinfection of all types of upholstered textile furnishings including sofas, arm chairs, dining chairs and drapes

Unlike traditional water and detergent thirsty upholstery cleaning methods; JetVac steam vacuums use 94% dry steam at +155°C to emulsify soiling and a vacuum to simultaneously extract the grime. The result is hygienically clean and mostly dry furniture that can be used by guests in minutes.

In addition to cleaning upholstery steam vacuums are ideal for fast chemical free cleaning of hard floors, walls, windows, bathrooms, kitchens, equipment, mattresses, grout lines, chewing gum and even to treat bed bug infestations.

For more information on the JetVac steam vacuum range call Duplex Cleaning Machines on 1800 622 770 or visit www.duplexcleaning.com


A survey of Australian

professional pest managers

in 2006 revealed that bed

bug numbers had risen by an

unprecedented 4,500% since the

start of the new millennium.

Bed Bugs – the problem and the solutionBy sTePheN doggeTT | Department of Medical Entomology, ICPMR, Westmead Hospital, Westmead NSW 2145

unfortunately for the commercial accommodation sector, the vast majority of

these infestations had occurred within your industry. The big problem is that bed bugs are expensive and these nuisance insects have probably cost the Australian economy well over $100million during this period. Not only is bed bug control extremely pricey, but these insects bite with the result that guests often suffer considerable physical and mental trauma. in many parts of the world this had lead to an explosion in litigation, with one motel in the us being sued for $20million after a guest was horrendously attacked. Not surprisingly, the motel’s reputation (and balance sheets) will take years to recover.

Fortunately since the survey above was undertaken, bed bug infestations in Australia have not continued to increase in the exponential fashion that they did between the years 2000 and 2006. The Global Financial Crisis with the downturn in travel and tourism has probably been one contributing factor for this. Bed bugs are largely spread via luggage, and so the higher the guest turnover, the greater the risk of bed bugs. Despite the levelling out of bed bug numbers there has been a major change in patterns of activity over recent years in that infestations have spread into the wider community. Along with the accommodation industries, Doctors’ waiting rooms, hospitals, the transport system, cinema complexes, socially disadvantaged groups and even wheel chairs have not been immune. In other words, where a head lies or a bum sits, bed bugs can be awaiting! Clearly bed bugs have become a societal problem.

The implications of this for the accommodation industry is that there is now a greater reservoir of potential infestations and as the economy bounces back, we may see rates again rising rapidly…time will tell. However bed bugs are still problematic and infestations continue apace, and it is important to be prepared and know how to deal with bed bugs if they make an unwanted appearance, more of this later.

One positive consequence of resurgence, particularly over the last three years, is that research on bed bugs has flourished, particularly in the area of chemical and non-chemical means of control. This period has also seen many management devices coming onto the marketplace including mattress encasements, and a range of traps, monitors and barriers. But do these devices actually work?

There is no doubt that mattress encasements are an effective bed bug management tool and offer several advantages. For an infested bed, encasements can contain the infestation without the need to discard the mattress and the better quality encasements have an inbuilt membrane which bed bugs are unable to bite through. It is considerably cheaper to purchase an encasement than a new mattress! Encasements have no edge beading and so there are few areas for bed bugs to hide compared to the average mattress and ensemble, which make great bed bug motels. Being white, it is much easier to see bed bugs and their signs on an encasement than a mattress. The two better encasements on the market, which have been scientifically tested and shown to be effective, are the Protect-A-Bed (www.protectabed.com.


au) and the Mattress Safe (www.thebedprotector.com.au).

Broadly speaking we can define barriers as devices that aim to prevent bed bugs from climbing onto the bed and biting the sleeping victim, whereas traps (and monitors) aim to detect bed bugs and/or to reduce the overall bed bug population. Barriers work on the assumption that the bed has been cleared of any active infestation and the device will then inhibit access onto the bed for any bugs remaining in the room. One barrier, the ‘Climbup Insect Interceptor’ (CII, www.insect-interceptor.com) has been shown to be very effective. This device has several advantages: it is cheap, just a few dollars each; simple technology with little maintenance; and can act as a monitoring tool. However, the CII is quite obvious and almost screams out, “Yes folk, we have bed bugs!”, and is thus unlikely to be used in the commercial accommodation sector.

Bed bug traps are far more diverse in their nature and operation, but all act as monitoring devices mostly via trapping live bed bugs. Most have some sort of a lure to attract the insects, such as heat, carbon dioxide or various other chemicals. Some traps are disposable and only a few dollars each, while others are well over a thousands dollars and require daily replacement of consumables.

A number of traps have attributes that may limit their use either due to their physical size or perceived occupational health and safety issues. Regarding physical limitations, some traps are over 10cm tall, while most beds with casters in motels have a clearance to the floor of around 6-8cm, which makes placement of the trap problematic. The trap can not be placed in an obvious location within a hotel room while in use, as the guest would not want to stay in a facility where there may be a perceived risk of bed bugs.

The hotel certainly does not want to risk their reputation by announcing that they have an infestation. For some hotels whereby the bed frame consists of sheets of timber nailed together, there is no space available at all underneath. In motels with ensembles or solid bed bases, bed bug traps could only be employed while the room is closed during the treatment process.

A number of bed bug traps utilise mains power and power cords may not been seen as being desirable under the bed for risk of fire, or around the room for the tripping risk. Additionally, a few devices have a canister of compressed carbon dioxide and it may be probable that some hotels would not want a high pressure gas cylinder within their rooms. Such devices may even have insurance implications.

Now to the most important question; do bed bug traps work? It is highly probable that all the devices will trap bed bugs to some extent and are likely to assist in the early detection of these insects. How reliable and effective they are however, is presently unknown as to date no traps have been tested and demonstrated efficacious via independent scientific investigation. Thus presently, it is not possible to recommend any of the bed bug traps currently on the market.

Even though bed bug management is clearly the most rapidly evolving area of research for any pest in the world today, the reality is that there is no magical silver bullet on the horizon for bed bug control. So just what is the best way to rid your property of this nuisance pest?

The reality is that most pest managers consider that bed bugs are the most challenging of all insects to eradicate. The reason for this is that the current generation of bed bugs are highly resistance to most of the insecticides used today. This means that treatments must be very thorough and repeated, often on several occasions with heavy infestations. Multiple control methodologies should also be employed encompassing non-chemical means of control such as steam and vacuuming, as well as the use of insecticides. To ensure that ‘best practice’ is occurring, the ‘Code of Practice for the Control of Bed Bug Infestations in Australia’ should be consulted. This is a freely available document from www.bedbug.org.

au and aims to promote best practice in the eradication of active bed bug infestations and the management of potential infestations. On this site you will also find pest managers who have received specific training in bed bug control.

The Code of Practice is a living document and is updated regularly in order to maintain relevance and to keep up to date with the latest technological innovations in bed bug management. Since its first inception in 2006, there have been six versions; three drafts that have been open for public comment and three final editions. The 3rd Edition is now available for download and has seen many changes, including:

The need for Pest Managers to have a •Bed Bug Management Plan,

The need for those in the •accommodation industry to have a Pest Management Policy,

Updated information on control via heat,•

An enhanced section on pest •identification,

What to look for in a mattress •encasement,

Information on bed bug traps and •barriers,

A section on how to choose a Pest •Manager for bed bug control,

High risk factors in bed bug control,•

New information on insecticide efficacy •and resistance,

Bed bugs in rental properties,•

Control on aircraft, &•

Potential insecticides.•

In addition, the whole section on bed bug prevention has been totally revised to take in account the four key phases of a bed bug infestation (i.e. the Introduction, Establishment, Growth and eventual Spread of an infestation).

Unfortunately, with the resurgence of bed bugs, the hospitality industry is seen as a potential cash cow by some less scrupulous companies who are keen to make a fast buck. There all sorts of unsubstantiated reports of products claiming to control bed

Bed Bugs –the problem and the solution(continued)


bugs, when often there is little science (or questionable science) to back up the claims. If there is no scientific data produced by an independent body for a product then it will not be endorsed within the Bed Bug Code of Practice. Thus our advice is, if the product is not in the Code, use it at your own risk! n

To compliment the recent release of the

3rd Edition of the Bed Bug Code of Practice

and to assist the hospitality industry and

other accommodation provides in bed bug

management, a ‘Bed Bug Management Policy

for Accommodation Providers’ has been

released. Presently this policy is a draft and can

be downloaded from

www.bedbug.org.au. To ensure broad

acceptance of the Bed Bug Management Policy,

feedback is sought from industry stakeholders.

The draft policy is now open for public comment and all submissions should be sent

to Stephen Doggett, c/o Department of Medical Entomology, Westmead Hospital,

PO Box 533, Wentworthville NSW 2145, or email: [email protected]. Closing date is 31st September 2010 and all submissions will be

considered in the development of the final release of the policy, which is expected late

2010. It is important to realise that this policy has been developed to assist you and

your industry, and so please make it stronger by offering your comments.

Even though bed bug

management is clearly the

most rapidly evolving area

of research for any pest in

the world today, the reality

is that there is no magical

silver bullet on the horizon

for bed bug control.


For companies, clients and staff there are some interesting events happening globally which are likely to affect how we all clean in the future. The changes will see some people become genuine early adopters and lead the way; others will be fashionable adopters and follow because they see the way the wind blows; and others will follow because they are forced to by legislation or market pressure.

so how does legislation affect how a company attempts to provide clean and safe spaces?

The answer in many instances is oh&s: occupational health and safety.

The guiding edict of all OH&S is eliminating risk when reasonable and practicable. If risk cannot be practically eliminated, then measures must be adopted to minimise risk based on a hierarchy of control– these measures include:

Substitution – use something less risky to •do the same job.

Engineering / Isolation - physically build •something to put the risk behind a barrier or isolate the risk

Process Management - If a risk is •unavoidable, then processes must be implemented to manage it

PPE – Personal Protective Equipment •must be provided and used with the three measures listed above

However PPE (e.g wearing gloves, goggles or respiratory protection) by itself is never considered an adequate approach to manage risk – it must be used in conjunction with at least one of the other measures listed. The viewpoint of workplace authorities (the government bodies which drive legislative change, outline workplace standards and investigate harm in the workplace) is the preference to eliminate risk, which should make the need for PPE unnecessary.

A company which chooses to implement a limited risk management strategy based on the lower levels of the hierarchy of controls,

Activeion Director Asserts Cleaning Chemicals Pose Significant OH & S Risk Exposure

where a realistic (reasonable and practical) option to eliminate the risk exists, is running a high risk of prosecution or civil action if an avoidable incident occurs. When facing prosecution ignorance of a viable option to address a risk is not considered a defence. The research capacity, available today to all organisations, of the worldwide web means a defence based on ignorance of new cleaning developments would be limited at best.

With the above in mind, what are the interesting events which may impact in the contract cleaning arena?

Firstly, there is the recognition by most people that cleaning chemicals are potentially harmful to staff, clients and the general public. There have been numerous studies which reinforce this conclusion and the vast majority of cleaning chemicals carry health or poison warnings, as required by law. Here the risk to health and safety is recognized and communicated.

Secondly, the likely implementation of a new legal requirement in the US may set a world-wide precedent: All chemical ingredients in household cleaning fluids will be required to be listed. A recent US study, which examined thirty different chemical cleaners used in US schools, identified airborne traces of four hundred and fifty seven distinct chemicals. (http://www.ewg.org/schoolcleaningsupplies/pressrelease) Whilst there was no mention of these nasties on any labelling, formaldehyde, benzene and chloroform were all found. The report acknowledges that “green” cleaners generally released fewer toxins, but that some still contained chemicals linked to cancer or asthma.

By les Miles

Thirdly, increased awareness of the dangers associated with chemical exposure at legislative levels of government has lead to the development of new laws governing the sale of chemicals in some parts of the world. The proposed “Safe Chemical Act” currently before the US Congress with reported support from the Obama administration will force manufacturers to prove their chemistry is safe prior to sale.

Fourthly, new technologies are becoming readily available which reduce the need for many cleaning chemicals. In fact, many of the new technologies eliminate the need for most cleaning chemicals currently in daily use and are often more cost effective over the long term.

Some of the new technologies that can be considered to reduce or eliminate exposure to harmful chemicals include:

Steam •

Many options and sizes from a variety of manufacturers

Floors, walls, detail

Microfibre cloths •

General purpose and specific function cloths available

Activated water increases effectiveness and productivity

Ultrasound•

Clean your cloths, blinds, and equipment.

Electrolysed water •

‘Ewater’ systems provide plumbed in and stand-alone systems

Hard surfaces

Sanitize

Activated water•

On demand from the portable Activeion devices

Hard surfaces

Carpet spotting

To summarize; the elimination, where reasonable and practical, of the OH&S risks posed by chemicals is the desired outcome (and the only legally responsible approach) for all workplaces using chemicals to clean. There are significant risks present and universally recognized in the use of chemical cleaners. Alternatives often do exist to those chemicals the area of routine cleaning; particularly when many of the options are more cost effective. The defence of ‘reasonable and practical’ is quickly being lost with chemical based cleaning. n

Cleaning Chemicals Pose Significant OH & S Risk Exposure (continued)

© Les Miles – June 2010.

Learning about chemicals used in everyday life has been a real eye-opener for the author of this article. The effects on personal health, workplace safety, society and the environment are huge. A belief that everyone can – and should – make a difference is now a guiding edict. Every little bit helps! A personal goal is to see Australian schools eliminate harmful chemical cleaners.

www.activeion.com.au


FAGOr laundry

machinery is available

in Australia through

Laundry Machinery

Solutions (LMS).

lMs has great depth of knowledge of laundry processes, workflow, design, safety, and

servicing needs.

The managers of LMS are;

Kevin Moore, General Manager, who is very well known amongst hospitality and aged care facility operators and the laundry industry at large, having been in the laundry industry for over 20 years, designing, specifying, and installing and servicing hotel laundries in Australia and overseas.

Michael Christie, Technical Director, who has been involved in servicing, repairing, overhauling, and installing laundry processing machinery for 25 years. Michael has a very high regard for his customers and takes great pride in ensuring customers are completely satisfied.

Laundry Machinery Solutions (LMS) has in-depth knowledge of, and empathy with, the needs of Hotel, Motel, and Aged Care facility operators and Housekeepers, especially their need for quality, reliability, minimum downtime, suitability for the task, compliance with regulations and accreditation criteria.

LMS completely understands the frustrations experienced with other suppliers and the need for excellent communications and prompt and reliable service support and accordingly employs highly experienced and qualified service technicians who understand the needs of your establishment.

LMS provides you and your staff with comprehensive training in the use of the machinery and elimination of potential OH&S and/or cross infection risks, and backs this up with ongoing support and training on demand.

LMS enjoys constructive relationships with chemical suppliers and linen suppliers, and consultants, to ensure day to day operations are “seamless”, with potential problems sorted out before they become problems.

LMS has an affiliation with Qualitex Linen who is a highly regarded supplier of high quality bed and bath linen and towelling to the Hospitality industry.

laundry Machinery.

A full range of commercial/industrial laundry equipment to suit On-premises Laundries including: Washer Extractors from 8 kg

to 120kg capacity, Barrier Washers for the Health Care Industry, Flatwork Ironers and Dryers for the Hospitality Sector plus all the accessories needed for a professional laundry.

Washing machine controls are entirely flexible, (up to 100 programmes), and programmes can be created offsite, and then transferred to the washers via laptop computer or a Cyber card.

FAGOR Industrial is the largest manufacturer in Europe of high quality, commercial/industrial laundry and catering equipment.

linen

Qualitex Linen is a highly regarded and very well known supplier of premium quality commercial grade linen that has been extensively tested with proven results for longevity and retaining a high standard of appearance after numerous washes.

Qualitex Linen, supplies amongst its extensive collection has a quality range of towelling products – Australian made, sheeting, pillow cases, a wide range of table linen in white and an array of colours.

The majority of our products are Australian made and comply or exceed Australian standards for commercial and hospital usage. We supply to Hotels, Motels, Resorts, Aged care facilities as well as commercial laundries and restaurants.

For further information please call Laurie Tanner on 0416 002 099 or Michael on 02 9688 2711 or email [email protected]

A D V E R TO R I A L


One day not long from now, you

may find yourself face to face with

a roach. Disgusted, adrenaline

will start pumping through your

system; you will reach out to swat

it, but its reflexes, finely tuned to

avoid hungry predators, will allow

it to escape to a nearby crevice,

unharmed. Stepping back, you will

take a deep breath, and go look for

your exterminator’s number.

Now, it’s my turn to come in. Normally, i’d show up in person, but this is a

magazine, so we’ll have to do this a little differently. i’m a scientist who studies pests and their control, and i’m here to tell you about a “secret Code” in pest management—a different way of looking at pests.

Through understanding the the four tenets of the Secret Code, you will be able to control pests more effectively, whether on your own or in cooperation with an exterminator. You can also evaluate prospective exterminators to see if they follow some version of the Secret Code. If they don’t—be cautious—your money could be better spent elsewhere.

The First Tenet: know Your enemy and his habits

Had you actually crushed that roach, or if you had reached for a can of bug spray, you would have violated the First Tenet of the Secret Code. This is where so many people go astray.

A roach is just a roach, right? No. German roaches may be living in your facility, but if it is actually a Surinam roach, it was probably brought in on some plants and is living in the interiorscape. If you spray your facility for German roaches when you have a Surinam roach problem, you won’t get control.

The First Tenet requires us to answer six questions: What is it? (We’ll say a Surinam roach). Where does it come from? (The interiorscape). What damage does it do? (Primarily a nuisance). Where are they? (This

The Secret Code of Pest Management

will take an inspection of the interiorscape—you want to know how extensive the problem is). How many? (Similar to the last question, only now you want to see how bad it really is). Why is it here? (Well, our Surinam roach was most likely brought in by the people who supply the plants).

The second Tenet: Plan Control Measures

Now that you know your enemy and his habits, you’re ready to spray and kill him and all his unpleasant companions, right? No, that would violate the Second Tenet of the Secret Code.

This Secret Code doesn’t only work for roaches, so let’s move to another pest: odorous house ants. You may know them as small, black ants that invade your facility.

By Ted sNYder

Looks like we found a cockroach infestation! Pictured above is an adult and an egg case that just hatched. Without inspection, this infestation would have been overlooked until it was out of control. Now, due to the glue board that captured these insects, they can be stopped early on.


When the odorous house ant invades in large numbers, many pesticides can only reduce the number of ants, not fully get rid of them. The best way to control them is to go outside, find out how they are getting in—often a crack or structural joint—and seal it off. This is called mechanical control, a physical act that controls the pest. And yes, a fly swatter is mechanical control.

If you find that they are going after a spilled food product—perhaps crumbs in the carpeting of a hotel room—it’s also helpful to clean those areas in order to reduce your building’s attraction for the ants. This is another form of control, called sanitation.

While planning your control measures, you may look a little further and find that the landscaping is a little out of control—weeds are growing, shrubs haven’t been kept well, etc. These types of landscaping pitfalls can attract ants to the outside of the building, making them more likely to enter. In order to eliminate these problems, you should ask your groundskeeping department to take care of these pitfalls—called physical control—and then ask them to keep a better eye on

it—called cultural control; you’re trying to instill a common practice—a culture—that controls the pest.

When your exterminator comes to your facility, he or she is going to point some of these same problems out to you, if they follow the Secret Code, and then they are going to spray or put out a bait—called chemical control.

The Second Tenet calls for you to determine which out of the four control measures—mechanical, sanitation, cultural, and chemical—would be appropriate and to plan out how to get rid of the pests in your facility.

I know it can be difficult to resist the adrenaline rush of pulling out the can of spray. I’ve been there many times. And, I’ve learned the to follow the Second Tenet the hard way.

The Third Tenet: initiate Control Measures

This Third Tenet is what all of us want to do when we first see the pest—to control it.

The mistake most people make is to get started here. In the case of the Surinam roach, however, the control measure would have failed, and in the case of the odorous house ants, it would have only provided marginal and short term control.

The Fourth Tenet: evaluate the results

We’re done after the Third Tenet, aren’t we? The Surinam roaches are dead and the people who supplied the plants are embarrassed that they infested your facility. The odorous house ants don’t see any reason to return to your building, and if they did, they couldn’t find a way in. But, if we left it like this, we’d be violating the Fourth Tenet of the Secret Code.

You can’t be certain that everything worked unless you go re-examine the area. Your physician wouldn’t just give you a cancer treatment and never see you, right? This should be no different. Make sure the pest is completely gone and see what else needs to be done to control them if they are not. Pests are persistent. One thing is certain: they’ll be back. Either the same one, finding another way in, or another pest altogether.

The secret Code: Now and the Future

The Secret Code of Pest Management is something called Integrated Pest Management, or IPM. This four-step process—the Four Tenets—ensures the best control of pests. This is nothing new. Scientists, like myself, who study pests have been developing the process since the 1950s. It’s just that our human nature is to kill pests as soon as we see them, and we need to practice pausing and going through the process of the Four Tenets.

There’s nothing stopping you from applying the Secret Code yourself. To be truly effective, it does take knowledge of pests and their habits—the First Tenet. For that, there’s plenty of good Web sites and books on the topic.

If you are looking to outsource your pest management, use the Secret Code as a minimum requirement. Ask how they would approach a pest problem and see if they follow the Secret Code, or if they just jump to the Third Tenet.

And, as with any great Secret (I hope you’ll agree that this is one of the greatest Secrets ever), there’s a temptation to avoid it. If those roaches had been just German roaches, you might have been able to get control with a few shots of spray. Or if the odorous house ants hadn’t been too persistent, a couple of bait stations would have rid you of them, and then you’d potentially think, “What’s with this mad insect scientist and his Secret Code? It’s just bunk!” This, my friend, is the great temptation, because you can violate the Secret Code and get results. But not always, and the results will not be as long-term. Avoid those kinds of thoughts! You will pay the price of having pests longer than you should and be plagued by reinfestations.

Now that you are an initiate to the ways of the Secret Code, go out and control pests using the Four Tenets. And unlike other secrets, this secret is meant to be revealed. Share the knowledge and we will make the world a better place! n

Ted Snyder, entomologist and Training and Technical Services Manager at Batzner Pest Management, Inc., of New Berlin, Wisconsin, may be reached at [email protected].

Looks can be deceiving—this beetle infestation isn’t the real problem. They are larder beetles, and they indicate that a carcass is nearby. In this case, there was a hidden rodent infestation.

The Secret Code of Pest Management


Burn, Broil or Bury?Environmentally responsible disposal of sharps and infectious wasteBy briAN ClArk, Janitech Australasia

executive housekeepers are often responsible for contracts for the handling and disposal

of medical and hazardous wastes. The mix of materials collected may include human blood and body fluids and contaminated sharps. it is worthwhile to consider where they go after being collected from hotels, how they are treated and ultimately disposed of, especially in relation to long term environmental issues.

There are a number of methods used to dispose of clinical waste.

incineration: Commercial incinerators operate at temperature exceeding 1100C in the primary chamber1. Incineration not only decontaminates the waste, it completely destroys the waste and reduces it to ash with less than 10% of the volume of the original material. It is an approved disposal method for all waste streams with the exclusion of radioactive waste. There is an outdated stigma attached to high temperature incineration. Modern incineration facilities are computer-controlled, fuel efficient and output gases are filtered and strictly monitored by law. Depending on the type of waste, the waste itself becomes the fuel for the incineration process and newer plants are able to utilise the heat for co-generation of electricity or other purposes.

Autoclaving: industrial autoclaving is a relatively new process with the waste material being subjected to steam under heat and pressure for a set time. Autoclaving of medical waste is limited to sharps and clinical wastes and cannot be used to denature anatomical waste and body

In virtually every hotel you

will find small yellow, tamper

proof bins, designed for the

safe disposal of syringes.

What they represent is the

tip of the iceberg that is

the burgeoning Bio waste

industry, an industry that is

responsible for the removal,

decontamination and safe

disposal of infectious or

contaminated medical waste.

But at what cost to the

environment?

parts, pharmaceutical and cytotoxic waste.2 Given the volumes and complexity of waste streams and the difficulties of steam penetration into materials, it is difficult to accept that autoclaving produces consistently effective decontamination. It is energy intensive process and the output consists of compressed, shredded and predominately organic material, which goes to landfill.

Chemical disinfection: Chemical disinfection of shredded medical wastes, predominately with hypochlorite, is another commonly used method. sodium hypochlorite is a highly reactive and corrosive substance that is easily denatured by reaction with organic material and other chemicals. it has limited wetting ability, requires direct contact with all surfaces to be considered effective3 and is toxic to humans and to the environment. Mixing with ammonia based substances, such as urine, produces chloramines, which are toxic to the environment.4 Chemical disinfection of waste is limited to sharps and clinical wastes. Again, it is difficult to believe in an industrial situation that effective decontamination of waste can be consistently achieved and the resulting material is sent to landfill to decompose for the benefit of future generations.

Executive Housekeepers should be aware when awarding medical waste contracts that they are the owners of the waste, not the waste disposal service, and therefore have the responsibility for, and can ultimately chose, where it goes and how it is treated. It is not just the economic cost of the service but the longer term outcomes of the disposal method that have to be taken into account. All of these decontamination

and disposal practices have their advantages and disadvantages, but one of the biggest concerns to the environment is the massive amount of this material going to landfill. As well as possible long term contamination of the soil and the water table by chemicals in the material, organic material constitutes a possible health risk due to contamination by biological agents and ultimately, will decay and produce methane. Methane emission has approximately 25 times the impact on temperature of the same mass of carbon dioxide emission5. According to the US EPA, landfill accounts for 34 percent of all methane emissions.6

High temperature incineration stands out from all these methods in that it is suitable for all medical waste streams, other than radioactive wastes, and completely destroys the contaminated material. The resulting ash can be utilised for fill and concrete additives. Modern incineration plants are energy efficient and therefore more sustainable and the heat

output can be utilised for co-generation and substitution for other energy sources.

If you are responsible for waste management in a health related environment, have a closer look at where your medical waste goes and what it will become. Your decisions will make a tremendous impact on the lives of future generations. n

references1. Clinical or related waste treatment and

disposal – Fact Sheet EPA Qld. http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/register/p00783aa.pdf

2. Treatment and disposal methods (based on Schedule 5 of the Environmental Protection (Waste Management) Regulation 2000). Information sheet Waste Management. Clinical or related waste treatment and disposal Qld Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/register/p00783aa.pdf

3. Disinfection & Sterilisation. Infection control guidelines. Section 5. Thermal & Chemical disinfection http://www.health.qld.gov.au/chrisp/sterilising/section_5.pdf

4. http://www.ec.gc.ca/CEPARegistry/subs_list/Chloramines_BG.cfm

5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_methane

6. http://www.epa.gov/methane/sources.html


Although they may not be

consciously aware of it hotel

and motel guests expect

accommodation that is at least as

good as what they have at home.

So it follows that if you want a

satisfied clientele that comes back

again and stays longer you need to

provide not just minimal facilities

but also tasteful and comfortable

decor, functional lighting, and

sensible furniture placement. And

if you want to improve your AAA

Tourism Star rating you need to

pay close attention to their strict

guidelines.

When your rooms have passed their “use by” date they are costing

you money as the 21st Century businessman and holiday-maker expects a great deal more than previously. The basic accommodation of twenty years ago is no longer acceptable. Your existing furnishings might still be in reasonable condition but your image won’t be.

Many operators are in a Catch 22 situation. They know they have to refurbish to stay competitive but they are short of funds. In desperation they cut their room rates but the occupancy rate remains dismal, and the longer they put off doing something the further they slip behind their competitors. This is the time to consider a financial package. There are lenders who offer rental programs in which all the payments are 100% tax deductable and at the end of the rental period the furniture can be purchased for a token sum. Another advantage of this arrangement is that the rental commitment does not show on your balance sheet as a liability. The increased profits from higher occupancy rates and tariffs far outweigh the cost of renting. Some of our recent customers have been able to increase their room rates by $30 per night (and the renovated rooms are the first to go) while the daily rental payments are less than $6 – so you do the sums.

Whether you should buy Australian-made is purely an emotional consideration but from an economics point of view it doesn’t make much sense. In the USA whole towns grew up around the furniture manufacturing

Are You Still Living in the 20th Century?

industry, mainly in North Carolina and surrounding areas. For many years buyers from all over the US and the world have been visiting the twice a year High Point (N.C.) Furniture Exhibition, and I for one have salivated over the great diversity of products on offer. Due to their much larger population and consequent economy of scale American prices have always been a lot lower than ours and the styles a lot more imaginative. Now times have changed and the American furniture industry has suffered badly from globalization and their manufacturers, like ours, can’t compete with China. Many of them have gone out of business, while most others have either moved their factories to China, or are having their products made there under contract. Now, for the first time

By briAN hull


in my 45 years in the furniture industry, Australia can get internationally designed furniture at lower prices than what the Americans and Europeans are paying – all made in China. As a rough guide, a 4 Star motel guest-room of high quality Chinese made furniture need cost you no more than $5,000 including wardrobes.

There is a general misconception in Australia that China produces goods so cheaply because of ‘slave labour’. I have been dealing with China for over 30 years and have visited numerous factories. In the past decade I can honestly say that I have never seen one that has working conditions that were in any way inferior to what we have in Australia. Certainly comparatively low labour costs are an important factor but so too is the fact that Chinese factories invariably use state-of-the-art equipment and machinery from Germany, Italy, and Japan, follow strict international quality control standards, and use computers extensively, both in the factories and in their office systems.

Many inexperienced (or greedy) importers have burnt their fingers with inferior products from inferior factories but I am talking about well established factories that may have 500-1000 workers or more, which is the norm in China. As a professional buyer my first consideration is always the design, for regardless of any other factors if a product doesn’t have visual appeal nobody is going to buy it (but as Lush Life furniture is custom-made anything at all is possible). Then comes quality, and it doesn’t make any difference whether we are talking about an international hotel or a 3 star motel, there should really be only one non-negotiable standard of quality. After that, such things as ease of communication, willingness to cooperate, flexibility, and reliability need to be assessed. Only after I am satisfied that a manufacturer measures up on all these factors does price become a factor. When you have dealt with lots of suppliers you have a good idea of whether prices are reasonable or not.

But Australians need to understand that ours is a tiny market by world standards and the furniture you see in our retail stores is what a small number of importers have committed their money to. As they have to carry relatively big quantities of any one item they cannot afford to be too adventurous in their choices or they might get stuck with a lot of slow stock. So you are not necessarily seeing the latest styles or the best of what is on the world market. For everything you see there are a hundred factories in China that make it, or could make it. At the same time, for every item you’ve seen there are fifty alternatives that you won’t see.

Nowadays it is simply not economical for factories anywhere to gear up to supply small quantities. In any case, it is false economy to import small LCL quantities (Less than a Container Load) as the cost of just getting the goods off the ship and on to the dock is 50% more than the cost of the actual shipping from China to Australia. Typically the MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) for dining chairs from China will be 100 or more, or for hotel/motel bedrooms - maybe 20, but if you can meet those requirements the savings will be considerable, and Australian manufacturers simply cannot compete.

Usually the first thing we are asked at Lush Life Furnishing is “Do you have a website?” Well, yes we do but we urge customers not

to treat it as a catalogue, as one size does not fit all. In the hospitality industry everybody’s needs are different, and what suits you won’t suit somebody else. Cabinet work is custom-made so anything is possible, and the options are infinite - sizes, colours, timber veneers, handles, protective finishes, and so on. To protect the surfaces should you have polyurethane, laminate, tempered glass, or maybe marble or granite tops (which now only cost about $25 for a bedside cabinet)? When you go to your doctor he doesn’t say, “There’s a library full of books. Go through them and tell me what your problem is and I will write you a prescription”. Hotel furniture is no different. To get the best results for you a supplier needs to ask you lots of questions to ascertain your wants and needs before he can make intelligent recommendations.

But guest bedrooms all require the same basic items, so when you are thinking of refurbishment you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. It is often difficult to get hoteliers and their designers into the starting gates as they get bogged down on aesthetic details that can wait, such as timbers, colours, fabrics, and cabinet handles whereas initially they only need to decide on the items they need, the quantities, and the specifications that will meet AAA Tourism requirements.

Another mistake that I frequently encounter is hoteliers tackling their guest room upgrades in fits and starts rather than working methodically towards a longer term goal. For example they will replace some items to match other existing items that they intend to change in six months or twelve months time when funds permit. The end result is that the rooms, when finished, probably won’t look much different from the image they are trying to change, and not what they would really prefer. A much better result would be achieved by designing their new look from scratch, deciding on styles, colours, etc. And if they can’t afford to do everything in one hit then do it by stages, preferably room by room rather than item by item, but in either case, always conforming to the master plan.

Trends come and go but ‘Style’ is never out of fashion. If you don’t have a natural flair for aesthetics then pinch ideas out of local and foreign magazines or from websites. Nowadays you can have just about anything without it costing you any more than the nondescript ‘Bob Menzies Revival’ furniture

Are You Still Living in the 20th Century?


that is still seen in far too many guest rooms in Australia.

Recently I visited a motel in a semi-tropical coastal resort town that had perhaps the worst guest room furniture, both in quality and condition that I have seen. The lessee planned to replace it with ho-hum furniture that wouldn’t do a thing to increase the very low occupancy rate. And yet this motel was well located and sprawled over acres of land with tropical gardens and good infrastructure and facilities. Whoever built the complex originally was obviously influenced by South American architecture and had translated it rather well. With a bit of imagination this could have been a golden opportunity to quickly turn a poor performing business into a successful resort at minimal cost.

So when you are planning to refurbish you might consider these suggestions:

Throw out all your pre-conceived ideas. •Design for the future, and not for last century.

Work methodically towards a Master •Plan.

Keep in mind that good design needn’t •cost you any more than nondescript furniture. What you can get now is limited only by your imagination.

Get inspiration from Australian and •overseas architectural and hospitality magazines and books, and from websites.

Build upon a style that is appropriate to •your building and location.

Don’t limit your potential by buying •from a limited range of generic products. Work with a supplier who is willing and able to economically translate your ideas into reality.

Budget on importing around twenty •rooms at a time (even though you will have to store it while the fit-out is being done) as the savings are enormous.

Consider a rental or hire-purchase •package.

Brian Hull is the Managing Director of Lush Life Furnishing, a company that specializes in procuring furniture & furnishings for the Australian hospitality industry. For further information on their products and services,

or for contact details of providers of finance for refurbishment he can be contacted on 0410 552938 or email [email protected] . Lush Life Furniture’s website address is www.lush-life.com.au

Disclaimer: The information on rental programs and expected returns in this article are meant purely as a guide. Readers should seek their own financial advice on these matters.

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Product NewsThe ExecutiveHousEkEEpEr

Motor scrubber - The ultimate Cleaning system - Ms-1000Motor Scrubber the powerful, and light weight, 12 volt battery powered cleaning machine. Designed and built in the USA for safe reliable use, the Motor Scrubber quickly and effortlessly cleans your restrooms, shower rooms, windows, stairwells and all those hard to reach places.

The Motor Scrubber operates off a 12 volt DC battery, which is safe for use around water. It provides up to 4 hours of “start & stop” use on a single charge. The Motor Scrubber allows you to scrub and polish where there is no electric outlet available. The scrubber head is immersible in water and eliminates the fear of electrocution associated with 230-volt powered systems and water.

The MS1000 Starter kit includes the scrubber head and handle, backpack and battery, charger and a selection of brushes and pads. PLUS! A full line of accessory brushes and adaptors are available to allow you to tackle any job.

Contact safco Australia today for your free no obligation on site demonstration.

Phone: 1300 681 142

rubbermaid Full size housekeeping Cart - 6189The Rubbermaid 6189 housekeeping cart offers a complete system solution for housekeeping in the hospitality industry.

Features include, Full size cabinet which offers exceptional storage space and adjustable middle shelf, vinyl bag, bumpers, vacuum holder and under deck shelf as standard, along with 20cm diameter non - marking wheels. We also offer a wide range of optional accessories which enhance functionality and productivity. Total weight of cart is only 45kg.

Cart shown with optional 6197 Locking Door Kit and 9T91 Fabric Mesh Linen Bag

Contact safco Australia today for a customised solution for your business

Phone: 1300 681 142

rubbermaid spring Platform Cube Truck - 4611The Rubbermaid Cube Truck is an ideal to assist with laundry and or waste collection.

Features include a metal frame which provides durable support, Spring platform which brings contents to a convenient working level, which is ideal for laundry handling and assists in complying with HACCP guidelines.

Metric Size: 400 Litre capacity

Metric Weight: 226.8kg

Contact safco Australia today for more information about this product.

Phone: 1300 681 142

how green are your guest amenities?

leading global hotel supplier, Concept Amenities, is launching a unique innovation

in green amenities next month with erP™: environmentally responsible Products.

From April 2010, Concept Amenities will have several lines of bathroom guest ranges available in completely biodegradable packaging! ERP™ will be available to all hotels, whether they wish to select from one of the company’s exclusive brands, customize their own products, or convert their existing bathroom guest amenities ranges to biodegradable packaging.

All guest amenities products carrying the ERP™ symbol are made using Eco Pure®: an organic based, enzyme additive that renders common plastics as biodegradable in landfill. Eco Pure® breaks down the molecular structure of plastics once they are discarded and exposed to micro bacteria in landfill. Plastics will break down and completely biodegrade within approximately 7 years* depending on the size & weight of packaging. This biodegradation process can occur in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions*.

The biodegradation of plastics in landfill makes for a better situation for our environment in the long term. Eco Pure® provides a valuable solution for plastics commonly used and thrown away. And unlike common bioplastics on the market today, Eco Pure® does not require industrial composting conditions in order to biodegrade.

This is a very exciting and anticipated launch in the hospitality industry that is increasingly demanding greener solutions. We all know the benefits of environmentally friendly products and all feel the pressure to reduce the impact of waste consumption on the environment. It is one of the single biggest threats on the condition of our natural environments, both now and in the future.

By choosing ERP™ guest amenities you are making a conscious choice towards this problem and the recognition of reducing your hotel’s impact of waste consumption on the environment.

Concept Amenities seeks to minimize the impact on global eco systems by creating greener, friendlier and biodegradable products.

So let’s work together in making our future green and choose ERP™, available exclusively from Concept Amenities.

*ISO DIS15985 & ASTM D 5511-02 standard test performance to determine biodegradation of plastic packaging materials under hi-solids anaerobic – digestion simulating landfill conditions, independently conducted and analyzed by Northeast Laboratories Inc, CT.

Eco Pure is registered trademark of Bio Tec Environmental LLC.



Weatherdon hotel suppliesFor over 30 years, Weatherdon Hotel Supplies has specialised in supplying accessories for the accommodation industry. Their extensive product range offers clients “One Stop Shop’ purchasing for all room and apartment requirements as well as items for all areas of the establishment.

Weatherdon’s have always supplied a range of electrical items, and for the past six years, have supplied the Weatherdon brand of kettles. These kettles were rebranded ‘Nero’ with the introduction of toasters and sandwich presses two years ago.

This range was specifically designed for the hospitality market featuring timeless designs, easy clean features and reliability. The idea was to offer a range that would be ongoing and not be subject to seasonal changes.

The Nero items cater for all budgets from caravan parks to apartments to 3 - 5 star hotels. Currently the range includes kettles, toasters, irons and sandwich presses.

With irons just added to the range and more exciting products due for launch in the next few months, the ‘Nero’ brand is the one to watch! The full range is available for viewing on their new website www.weatherdon.com.au

For more information contact R. Weatherdon Co Pty Ltd on:

Ph: 02 9906 2202Fax: 02 9906 3466Email: [email protected]: www.weatherdon.com.au

sCrubTeC 233 from NilfiskSCRUBTEC 233 represents a unique scrubber-dryer combination of compact design, cleaning performance and drying efficiency.

SCRUBTEC 233 represents a unique combination of compact design, cleaning performance and drying efficiency. However, despite its

compact profile, the SCRUBTEC 233 offers the highest brush pressure

within its class.

Designed to scrub and dry floors in congested and space-restricted areas, this unit >

its predecessors/competitors include…

Only two things precluded the barrier; the first, doing nothing, and the second, hotels creating their own ineffective barriers using basic materials such as lids, plastics and materials.

it is made for…

The hotel and hostel industry in Australia and abroad.

buy online at www.bedbugbarrier.com.au

“hotel Cushions” why are they different?

hotelhome has gone to great lengths to produce quality hotel cushions for the Accommodation industry and every detail from product style, fabric quality, including design/colour and cushion inner, has been correctly addressed to maximize the life, thus making the cushion an affordable and attractive feature.

With the introduction of a more stylish and fashionable look to Accommodation Bedcovering, the inclusion of one or more cushions to a bed presentation, now makes a lot of sense. If there is a lot of white on the bed from a third sheet or quilt cover look, an attractive cushion can simply add a touch of “caring for the guest” and also reduce the clinical look of a room.

Naturally the cushion style and fabric colour must be chosen carefully to enhance other features of the room. The fabric chosen must be an upholstery or semi upholstery weight with a tight construction and short floats, to eliminate premature wear and pulled threads from ladies rings, buckles and suitcases etc.


< is intended for use in canteens, restaurants, hotels, schools, kitchens, retail areas, garage/car facilities and anywhere that can normally only be cleaned by a single-disc machine and vacuum cleaner. The SCRUBTEC 233 features spring-activated dual brushes/pads with a floor pressure of up to 18 kg to ensure cleaning efficiency. Furthermore double squeegees enable vacuuming and scrubbing whilst moving in either direction, backwards or forwards. The machine weighs just 22 kg and can easily be transported from one job site to another.

With an additional accessory kit, SCRUBTEC 233 can also be used as carpet/upholstery cleaner for cleaning office carpets/furniture, car seats etc. For more information visit www.nilfisk-alto.com.au

bed bug barrierThe Bed Bug Barrier helps hotels around the world prevent, monitor and control bed bug infestations before they

occur. The product is simple, eco friendly and discrete – and has won an ABC New Inventor award, been featured in hotel industry magazines globally.

The purpose of this innovation is to help hotels, hostels and home owners protect, monitor and control bed bug infestations before they occur.

it does this by…

Using a glue trap combined with a simple, patented design that enables the barrier to be “screwed-in” between the bed leg and the bed or “cast” under the wheel of a standard bed.

This innovation improves on what came before because…

Bed bugs are usually treated with harsh chemical sprays but have built up a natural resistance to bed bugs in recent years. Barrier’s are recommended by the WHO as a frontline defence mechanism but are often custom solutions, leaving the gap for a specialised product like the Bed Bug Barrier.

its various benefits to the customer/end-user include…

Helping hotels around the world prevent, monitor and control the highly damaging, common and expensive problems caused by bed bug infestations. These include room closure, loss of occupancy rates, treatment costs and even law suits from affected guests!

in the past, this problem was solved by…

Previous barriers were often made on a bespoke or adhoc basis. There has not been a specialised, branded and easy to find solution in this market until the Bed Bug Barrier.


Some guests will expect the cushion to be used for more than decor only. They can be subjected to rough treatment and it is imperative that the cushion inner is manufactured to handle these occasions. All HotelHome cushion inners are specially designed to maximize the life of the cushion and to always present in a perfect shape. Some cushion styles require baffled inners while others need a foam core to retain perfect shape.

A tired or out of shape cushion does more damage than good for reputation, when creating first impressions with a Hotel guest.HotelHome can produce any style of cushion in a huge range of fabrics and qualities. Exclusive designs can also be produced for special projects.

Contact HotelHome for design ideas, fabric samples and anything else required to enhance your property.

Phone: 1800 HotelHome (1800 468 354)

Email: [email protected]

A U S T R A L I A

BEL-AIR style cushion

CASE style cushion

PORTO style cushion

HotelHome cushion inners

Custom made cushion

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