Amtex Housekeeping Corner

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Vacuum Cleaner Types

Commercial vacuums provide durability, superior power and are built to be used for all day and night use. While they tend to be bigger and sturdier than your typical household vacuum, they are designed for heavy usage and usually have long, commercial power cords, which help your property operate safely.

Upright

All around, general purpose

The most traditional vacuum, upright vacuums have a motorized, rotating brush, making them well-suited for lifting dirt out of carpets and most can adapt to hard floors as well. Upright vacuums will use a bag or canister on the handle and come with a long cord. Upright vacuum cleaners are great for hotel rooms, and ideal for cleaning large areas quickly. Some models will include an array of attachments such as wands and crevice tools to clean tight spaces. The size of an upright vacuum is ideal for when you’re moving from room to room and don’t necessarily have the space to fumble with a canister vacuum.

Backpack

Large areas, general purpose

Worn over the shoulders, these vacuums tend to be lightweight and easy to carry. Backpack vacuums are ideal for customers that need the freedom to cover large areas quickly and efficiently and usually has the longest cord of all vacuum types. With a backpack vacuum, the canister portion is worn on the back and allows the users to be hands-free, making it easy to move furniture around as the room is cleaned. A quality backpack vacuum will include a HEPA filter, which will catch 99% of airborne dust with ease.

Canister

Under chairs & tables, stairs as well

Canister vacuums are another type of full-size vacuum. The motor and dirt bin are contained in a wheeled housing. With a wand and flexible hose, canister vacuums are great for cleaning under chairs and tables. While they are not as ideal as other options, canister vacuums tend to be quieter than other units and are more maneuverable than upright vacuums.

Bag vs. Bagless – Which one is right for you?

Bag	Bagless
Reduce your contact with dirt, dust, and pet hair, especially helpful if allergies are a concern	Easy to know when to empty. To empty the vacuum, you dump the debris out of the bin
The bag filters much more of the dust from the vacuum exhaust and the unit may have additional filters to further clean the air	Less expensive to operate, no need to find or purchase bags for these models
Usually requires less maintenance	Eco-friendly
	May have more filters to clean or replace

Filter Types

You will want to use the manufacturer recommended filters and follow their guidelines when replacing them. Try to avoid buying the cheapest filters you can find, generally they won’t last as long or work as well as high-quality ones.

HEPA (High-efficiency particulate air) Filters

What are they?

HEPA filters can remove up to 99.99% of all air particles, down to 0.3 microns. They are quickly becoming a standard in many municipalities

Reasons to consider a HEPA filter unit

Many health departments are requiring hotels to purchase vacuums with a certified HEPA filter.
Most airborne disease and infection in the hospitality industry comes from foot traffic
Promotes high indoor air quality
Helps protect from allergies and asthma
Peace of mind for your employees and guests

Cloth Filters

Cloth Filters work well in large vacuums that need to pick up larger and normal-size particles. They are heavy-duty, last longer, can be washed, and reused.

Cartridge Filters

This type is typically disposable and can be reused after thoroughly cleaning them by tapping off the dust. When the dust and dirt still cling to the filter after tapping, it’s time to replace it. Cartridge filters can serve as primary or secondary and are made from different types of materials.

Features to Consider

Weight

Lightweight is almost always better for the user, especially if the unit is transported to multiple floors. Reduced strain on the user, easy to lift and easier maneuverability are all benefits of lighter vacuums.

Bag/Canister Capacity

The larger the capacity, the less often it will need to be emptied or changed. Smaller capacities can lead to more downtime and labor expenses as well as operating costs for smaller bagged units.

Multi-Surface

Properties with hard floors should consider a unit that can handle them easily. Uprights are usually the best choice for this and there are many newer models that adjust to the different surfaces automatically.

Height Adjustment

Manual or automatic, this will improve the vacuum’s effectiveness for carpets with thicker vs. shorter piles.

Roller Brush Type

Brush Roll is the roller that agitates the carpet to loosen and remove dirt. Motor-powered roller brushes give more agitation for a deeper clean than suction-powered rollers. Vacuums that let you turn the brush roll on and off help you avoid spreading dirt out across hard floors.

Easy On/Off

Look for a vacuum that has an easy-to-access on and off switch to increase time efficiency.

Noise Level

For hospitality, vacuum noise is unavoidable. This does not mean that all vacuums are created equal when it comes to level of noise. Noise level is measured in decibels (dBA) and normal human conversation hovers around or below 55 dBA. If you need a quiet unit, look for one under 70 dBA.

Cord Length

While most commercial units have cords at least 30’ long, some properties will want to consider a unit with an extra long cord. Particularly if power outlets are sparse or when cleaning larger areas.

Removing Tough Stains – Pillowcases & Sheets

Follow these steps to save your pillowcases and sheets

Avoiding Touching

Try not to touch the stain. Rubbing the stain (especially makeup) with your finger will only set the stain in further by combining with your skin's natural oils to become a stubborn grease stain. Remove any flakes of the stain with your fingernail.

Dampen & Lather

Take the pillowcase to the sink, turn the water to a cold trickle and run the stained pillowcase underneath to dampen lightly. If available, grab any dish soap (not the dishwasher detergent) and squirt a drop onto the stain. Now you can rub it with your fingers, lathering to get those bubbles moving.

Let It Set In for 10

Allow the soap to do its thing, bringing the elements of the stain to the surface of the pillowcase fibers.

Blot & Rinse

With a dry paper towel or cleaning cloth, blot the stain to remove any residue that has risen to the surface of the pillowcase. Run the stained pillowcase under warm water in the sink to rinse off any excess dish soap.

Treat & Prepare

Apply a treatment to the stain using a high-quality spotter. We recommend either Spartan Enzyme Spotter or Spartan Alkaline Spotter and toss it in with the rest of your sheets.

Stain Removal – Carpet

Keep Your Carpet Looking Fresh With These Steps

For All Stains, Treat As Soon As Possible!

If stains are allowed to dry into the fibers, they're much tougher to get out. Fresh stains are usually still wet and come out with much less effort. For urine and other organic stains, be sure to wear protective equipment.

Soak Up Liquid

Remove any excess liquid with a clean, absorbent cloth. Paper towels are not ideal here as they can break up into smaller pieces and become stuck to the carpet fibers.

Spray The Stain and Wait

Using a high-quality spotter, (We recommend either Spartan Enzyme Spotter or Spartan Alkaline Spotter) spray lightly onto the stained area. Do not saturate and leave it to work in for five to ten minutes.

Blot & Rinse

Working from the outside in, encouraging the dirt to transfer to the cloth rather than to other parts of the floor. Never wipe stains, as this will simply spread the mark to a greater area of the carpet. If your cloth gets saturated with the stain, swap it for a new one and keep blotting until the stain has gone.

Triple Sheeting Guide

What is triple sheeting?

Triple Sheeting is a method in which the property uses a second flat sheet or top cover, over the blanket or cover, encapsulating the blanket/comforter. It provides an inviting, clean and crisp look for guests while increasing productivity for housekeeping.

What are the benefits to triple sheeting?

A property should consider switching to triple sheeting for a few great reasons:

Cleanliness

Triple sheeting eliminates the difficult and time-consuming process of replacing duvet covers. Triple sheeting components can be laundered after each guest, ensuring a more sanitary environment. Additionally, replacing a duvet cover can take three to four times longer to replace vs. triple sheeting a bed. This is valuable time that is now needed to be spent on sanitizing and cleaning the room more thoroughly than ever before. With the added pressure of higher cleanliness expectations, the triple sheeting method helps housekeeping process rooms faster.

Time Savings

Replacing a duvet cover is labor intensive and time consuming, forcing housekeeping to spend three to four times longer to make the bed. Triple sheeting is an easy and efficient process that can significantly increase housekeeping productivity.

Costs – Inventory and Laundering

Utilizing the triple sheeting method, properties will recognize lower operating costs. Single sheets and top covers are less expensive than bedspreads and duvet covers. Stained, torn, or damaged top sheets and flat sheets have a significantly lower replacement cost. Over time, a property's laundry costs are lowered as well. Because a flat sheet weighs half of what a duvet cover does, laundering costs are equally less per item.

Room Style

With the triple sheeting method, properties can change a room's look with a simple swap of a top cover. Forget the hassle and costly expense of replacing a duvet or bedspread. Properties can take their efficiency to the next level as well by implementing a top cover with an integrated bed scarf.

How to Triple Sheet Step-by-step

Arrange a fitted sheet on the mattress.

Lay the first flat sheet on the bed and pull it all the way up to the headboard.

Put the comforter/blanket on top of the first flat sheet. Leave 12" of space from the headboard.

Place the top sheet/second flat sheet over the blanket and pull it up to the headboard. This should be in a similar position to the first flat sheet.

Take the top 12" of the second flat sheet/top sheet & tuck it between the blanket and the first flat sheet.

Now take the top 12" of the first flat sheet & fold it back, over both the blanket/comforter and the second flat sheet/top sheet.

The result is an encapsulated blanket, giving the bed a total "turned down" look.

In summary, implementing the triple sheeting method can be beneficial for your property by:

Increasing operating efficiency
Contributing to a cleaner room overall
Decreasing inventory costs
Decreasing laundering costs
Easily adding to or changing the style of the room

Trash Can Liners - Find the Right Size

What's in your bag?

Paper, paper cups and plates, food, cloth items, smooth/non-sharp objects

High Density Bags (HPDE)

Great for paper and non-sharp objects under moderate transit conditions. It has excellent resistance to puncture and moderate resistance to tearing. Great for cost saving.

Light	6-9 mic
Medium	10-12 mic
Heavy	13-14 mic

Plastic utensils, glass bottles, cans, objects with sharp edges, nails/metal objects, food with jagged edges such as bones and crab legs

Linear Low Density Bags (LLDPE)

Recommended for sharper objects under rough transit conditions. Linear Low Density bags have excellent resistance to punctures and tearing.

Light	0.35 - 0.44 mil
Medium	0.45 - 0.57 mil
Heavy	0.58 - 0.69 mil
Extra Heavy	0.70 - 0.89 mil
Extra Heavy Plus	0.90 - 1.14 mil
Super Plus	1.15 - 1.39 mil
Super Heavy	1.4 mil +