29 CLEANING EQUIPMENTS

PL. Sridevi Sivakami

1. Introduction

Efficient cleaning and maintenance are dependent upon high-quality cleaning equipment, correctly using. Though only 5-10% of the overall cost incurred on cleaning is accounted for by cleaning equipment and agents, selecting the ideal equipment plays a major role in the cleaning process. There will often be several ways of carrying out any particular cleaning task and different types of equipment that can be employed for it. It is the responsibility of the executive housekeeper’s to select the most appropriate piece of equipment according to the hotel’s requirement. Most types of cleaning equipment fall under the category of recycled items, but a few large pieces of items may be considered as fixed assets. The correct choice of quality cleaning equipment could save costs due to breakdowns, reduce fatigue and also ensure overall efficiency in operations. Equipment used in the cleaning of surface, furniture and fittings in a hotel building include both manual and mechanical equipment .

2. Objectives

After reading this module, you should be able to:

Ø  understand the importance of cleaning equipments in housekeeping department in hotel and

Ø  understand the basic functions of cleaning equipments and its methods of operation.

3. Types of Cleaning Equipments in House Keeping department

3.1. Manual Equipment

Manual equipment can include all types of equipment that clean or aid in the cleaning process by directly using operation and energy of employees. Classification of manual equipment are

3.1.1. Brushes: These may be designed to remove dry or wet or ingrained dust and dirt from hard or soft surfaces .Basic parts of a brush are

a. Bristles in the brush These may be made of animal, vegetable or manmade origin. Horsehair, nylon and polypropylene are commonly used to make bristles for cleaning brushes. In general, the finer, softer bristles are best for smooth and hard surfaces. The harder the bristles, the softer the surface on which the brush should be used, exception being toilet brushes and brushes found on all-purpose flour machines. Bristles, if not maintained properly, have a tendency to bend, or fall out of the stock. Bristles should be closely set in tufts and the stock well covered with tufts.

b. Head stock in brush :This is the part of the brush into which the bristles are inserted. The stock may be of wood, metal, or plastic. A good brush is one that has a sturdy stock.

c. Handle: Brush handles may be detachable or non-detachable. Detachable handles must be fixed firmly in place on the stock when the brush is in use.

3.1.2. Classification of Brushes

a. Hard brushes have bristles that are fairly stiff and well spaced out. They are most suitable for the removal of heavy soil and litter from carpets and for cleaning rough surfaces.

b. Soft brushes bristles that are fairly flexible and set close together. These help to remove loose soil and litter on hard, or smooth surfaces. Such brushes may be designed to dust carpets and furniture, too, especially those made of cane, wicker and bamboo.

c. Scrubbing brushes Whereas in Scrubbing brushes have short, coarse bristles designed for use on surfaces that have become stained and heavily ingrained with dirt. These brushes should only be used to remove stubborn, heavy soiling from small areas that are difficult for a scrubbing machine to access.

Long handled scrubbing brushes, called deck scrubbers or T-scrubbers, are useful for cleaning larger areas as well as corners.

3.1.3. Types of Brushes which are also classified based on their function:

a. Toilet brushes: These are WC brushes, radiator brushes and Johnny mops.

b. Bottle brushes: These are used for cleaning overflow vents in wash basins and tubs.

c. Cloth scrubbers: These are used for scrubbing clothes.

d. Deck scrubbers: These are used for cleaning large areas.

e.Carpet brushes: These are used for brushing carpets.

f. Upholstery brushes: These are used to loosen out dust embedded between the fabric fibres in upholstered chairs and sofas

g. Feather brushes: These are brushes with feathers, for light dusting.

h.  Hearth brush: These are used for cleaning heavy soiling and removing ash out of fireplaces.

i.   Flue brush: These are used for also used to caning chimneys.

3.2. Brooms are also clean the dirt surface. Sweeping brooms, this consist of long bristles gathered together and inserted into a handle. The bristles of a broom may be made of grass, corn or coconut fibres. Depending on the type, brooms may be used for removing dust or dirt in large areas. Brooms may be classified into 3 main categories:

a. Soft-bristled brooms: Soft bristled brooms such as corn-fibre brooms, grass brooms and whisk brooms are used on smooth floors. A good soft broom has comparatively fewer split ends and any splits that do form are short.

b.Hard/Coarse-bristled brooms: Brooms such as yard brooms and coconut fibre brooms are used on course surfaces, especially outdoors.

c. Wall brooms:These are also called ceiling brooms or Turk’s heads.They have a soft head and long handle, usually made of cane. These brooms are used to remove cobwebs as well as dust from cornices, ceilings and high ledges.

3.3.Mops as a Cleaning Equipment

3.3.1.Dry Mops/ wet mops: Dry mops are also called as dust control mops, these are designed to remove soil and debris from floors, walls and ceilings without raising and dissipating dust. These mops generally consist of a handle to which a metal frame is attached. The mop head is either inserted into the frame or stretched over it, according to the type.

Types of dry mops:

Ø  Mops with impregnated fringes

Ø  Impregnated mop sweepers Static mops:

Ø  Disposable mops:

3.3.2. Wet/damp mops: These mops are used in conjunction with buckets for the removal of dirt adhering to a surface. The mop heads can be made of cotton, sponge or any other fibre capable of absorbing moisture well.

3.3.3. Squeegee: A squeegee consists of a long metallic handle and a wooden or rubber blade to remove excess water from a surface being cleaned It is effective when followed by mopping with a damp mop. A smaller version called the window squeegee is used for wiping away water from windows after washing.

3.4. Cloths as a Cleaning Equipment: Various cloths are used extensively in wet and dry cleaning by housekeeping staff. For efficient and correct usage, cloths may be colour-coded and the staff well-trained. Here your are seeing different variety of cloths are available for specific purposes they are Dusters and cloth mittens, Swabs and wipes: Floor cloths: Scrim: Glass cloths: Rags and polishing cloths: Wet cloths: Chamois leather:. Dust sheets: Druggets: Hearth and bucket cloths:

3.5. Containers:Work becomes much easier and efficient if the staff is given appropriate containers in which to carry, transport, collect and store supplies and other items. Types of containers are:

Ø  Buckets

Ø  Basins and bowls

Ø  Dustpans

Ø  Dustbins

Ø  Carts and trolleys

4. MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT: As the terminology indicate they are usually powered by electricity or gas. The house keeping staff should be well trained in the operation of these equipment since incorrect usage will not only lead to in efficient cleaning ,but may also become a safety hazards.

4.1.Types of Mechanical Equipment

4.1.1. Vacuum cleaners/ Suction cleaners:

Vacuum cleaners remove debris and soil and/or water from a surface by suction. All vacuum cleaners work on the same operating principle. In all types, motor drives an impeller, which sucks in air through an inlet, creating a difference in pressure between the air within and outside the machine. Air drawn in from the inlet passes through and out of the machine. Air drawn in from the inlet passes through and out of the machine. Usually the air is sucked in together with soil, debris or water. The dust is collected into a container provided, which may be within the body of the machine or on the outside in the form of a bag .The dust-collecting apparatus in the heavy duty models used in hotel properties usually consists of 2 types of dust bags. The inner bag is made of disposable paper and the outer one is made of fabric.

4.1.2. Dry vacuum cleaners: These are used for removing dust and small pieces of debris from floors, upholstery, furnishings, walls and ceilings. Those using a flexible hose come with attachments, such as a floor-cleaning head, a power head, a crevice-cleaning head, an upholstery-cleaning head, a dusting head and extension tubes.

  4.1.3. Electric brooms: They are very lightweight vacuums without a motor-driven beater brush. As you see in this picture .They are used only for light vacuuming and for touch-ups on carpets and hard floors.

4.1.4. Dustettes: Usually they are small in size , lightweight vacuum cleaners used for cleaning curtains, upholstery edges, mattresses, computers and music systems. They clean by brushing and suction and are very easy to handle. The may be carried in hand or strapped to the back of the operator.

4.1.5. Backpack vacuums: They are very efficient to clean high, hard-to-reach areas. The vacuum unit in these machines can easily be strapped to the back of the operator. These machines have hand-held wands that come with various attachments for flexibility in cleaning. They are ideal for use on curtains, drapes and ceiling corners. These vacuums are also referred to as piggyback vacuums.

4.1.6. Upright vacuums :These vacuums are the ones more frequently seen in hotels suitable for use on large carpeted areas. The main body of the vacuum lies horizontal on the floor and is driven by a single motor. The dust-bag is outside the machine’s main body. There is a belt-driven beater brush to facilitate removal of dust from thick-pile carpets. In an improved variation, there is a dual-motor system – one motor drives the beater brush and the other provides the suction. The machine also has a built-in hose for cleaning corners and upholstery.

4.1.7. Cylindrical vacuums: They do not have rotating brushes and work by suction only. The term ‘suction cleaner’ is generally used for these kinds of vacuum cleaners.A filter-cum-diffuser is fitted at the outlet which removes fine dust and micro-organisms from the flow of air passing through the outlet. The filter-cum-diffuser also reduces air disturbance and noise. The dust-bag is inside the cylindrical body of the vacuum cleaner. A flexible hose along with the different attachments is used to clean a variety of surfaces.

5. Care and storage of the cleaning equipment

Vacuum cleaners will give maximum cleaning efficiency when they are maintained well. Housekeeping staff need to be trained in the care and maintenance of the machines. The wheels of the machine need to be oiled periodically. After use, the dust bags should be checked and emptied. If the machine is operated with the dust bags full, cleaning will not be operated, the machine may heat up too much and the bags may get damaged. Check the filter after use. If the machine is meant for dry suction only, never use it to clear even a little amount of water, else the dust bags will get damaged. The squeegee should be wiped clean and replaced whenever necessary.

6.      Mechanical equipment is Floor maintenance machine (scrubbing and polishing machines). These are designed for scrubbing, buffing, burnishing, scarifying and spray maintenance.

a. Scrubbing: The bristle tips of a brush or the surface of a pad abrade and cut the soiling to remove it.

b.  Buffing: The bristle tips of a brush or the surface of a pad create a high-gloss finish on the floor surface.

c. In case of a surface on which a polish has been applied, it will involve generation of a local heat to harden waxes and resins.

d. Burnishing: The tips of a brush or the surface of a pad abrade and cut the floor surface to create a smooth surface with a glossy finish. In case of a polished surface, it will involve the removal of a surface layer of polish.

e. Scarifying: The bristle tips or edge of a cutting tool, cut into impacted soiling and remove it by means of a chisel-like action.

7.   Spray cleaning : This is applied to the maintenance of floors where a buffable or semi-buffable polish has been applied and the bristle tips of a brush or the surface of a pad remove both soiling and the surface layer of polish to leave a smooth, glossy surface. These machines consist of one large or several small brushes that revolve and scrub the floor. Water and detergent are released from a tank attached to the machine. These machines can be used for shampooing carpets, polishing floors and spray maintenance. Such general-purpose machines are preferred in many establishments as the machine can be put to greater use due to its versatility.

8.  Wet-extraction systems: These machines are used to restore the surface appearance of carpets, upholstery and curtains. They remove the more deeply embedded spoilage not easily removed by suction cleaning. They are also useful in the application of soil-retardant finishes on carpets.

8.1. Types of Wet-Extraction Systems

a.  Hot-water extraction machines:

b.   These are machines with no rotary action. They carry a tank for hot water and detergent, which are used for deep cleaning carpets. The hot water and detergent are shot into the carpet from high-pressure spray nozzles. The dirt is thus flushed to the surface and this, along with the soiled water is removed by suction into a container in the machine.

c.  Solvent extraction machines: These machines are primarily used for cleaning upholstery and curtains and to a lesser extent for carpets.

9. Carpet shampoo machines:

as indicated by the name, are designed for the deep cleaning of carpets that are heavily soiled. Groups of the carpet shampoo machines are

a.Steam-extraction machines: Though these machines are universally called steam extraction machines, there is in fact no generation of steam and the cleaning agents are simply hot water and detergent. Hot water containing the detergent is injected at a prescribed rate and subsequently extracted by a wet vacuum system built into the machine.

b. Cylindrical-brush dry-foam machines:This system has a cylindrical brush that scrubs that scrubs and picks up in one pass, the foam generated by the machine.

c. Rotary-brush wet-shampoo machines: A rotary brush cleaner in conjunction with a wet shampoo is employed for the cleaning of carpets here. The machine comes with a range of accessories including vacuum and drying equipment.

d.Small rotary-brushes wet-shampoo machines: This is also a rotary brush cleaner, but employs brushes instead of 1 and is somewhat smaller than the rotary-brush wet-shampoo machine.

9. Scrubber: These machines remove debris, soiling and/or water. They are suitable for large areas where mechanical sweeping, scrubbing and drying are required. are also called as drier-sweepers

10. Power sweepers: These are self-propelled or manually propelled machines designed to remove debris and loosen soiling from roads, pavements, carpets and large areas of hard flooring.

11.  High-pressure washers: This type of equipment is designed to remove soiling by subjecting the surface to water, steam and/or sand under pressure. Water under pressure physically dislodges the dirt. The process can be assisted by the use of hot water, steam or sand.

12.  Scarifying machines: Scarifying is the process by which heavy grease, mud, wet sawdust and thick deposits are removed from the surface of floors. The process is employed when simple scrubbing has been ineffective. Here dirt deposits are broken up by the chisel-like action of a wire-brush cutting tool.Storage, Distribution and Control of Cleaning Equipment. All housekeeping equipment must be stored under lock & key.

13. Conclusion: Cleaning procedures depend solely on cleaning equipments. In every hotel operations huge amount is invested to purchase different types of cleaning equipments . In this module how cleaning equipments are classified based on mode of operations either manual or mechanical