WHAT DOES A HOUSEKEEPER DO?

Published: Jul 22, 2025 - The Housekeeper is responsible for maintaining cleanliness and sanitation in assigned areas by sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, and disinfecting surfaces according to hospital protocols. This position ensures restrooms, patient rooms, and public spaces are properly stocked, cleaned, and free of clutter while adhering to infection control and safety guidelines. The housekeeper also handles trash and linen removal, maintains equipment and carts, and uses appropriate cleaning supplies per manufacturer instructions.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Housekeeper

1. Housekeeper Primary Responsibilities

  • Supply Stocking: Stocking the central storage facility and work centers with appropriate quantities of supplies and conducting inventories of such
  • Public Area Cleaning: Maintaining cleanliness in the common/public areas of the casino
  • Carpet Extraction: Extract and clean the carpet and tiles
  • Guest Delivery Execution: Execute guest deliveries issued through Synergy
  • Trash Furniture Cleaning: Collect and remove trash, clean carpeted areas, remove gum and carpet spots, vacuum upholstered furnishings and fabric, reposition furniture and equipment after cleaning
  • Hard Floor Cleaning: Sweep, dust mop, wet mop hard surface floors
  • Surface Dusting: Clean or dust all surfaces, walls, doors, hardware, games, furnishings, door glass, and display cases
  • Restroom Sanitation: Stock, clean, and sanitize restroom fixtures and surfaces
  • Team Collaboration: Work cooperatively with supervisors and all other team members of the property
  • Procedure Compliance: Comply with department procedures, schedules, and standards of performance
  • Maintenance Observation: Observe and report needed maintenance to buildings, fixtures, and equipment
  • Damage Reporting: Report any loss, damage, or breakage of property, or threat to safety
  • Emergency Support: Assist in emergency clean-ups and provide coverage for absences
  • Guest Atmosphere Creation: Create an atmosphere that induces guests to make Hard Rock their choice for gaming entertainment
  • Guest Relations: Responsible for actively building and retaining guest relations and acts as a mentor to team members in order to provide superior guest service

2. Housekeeper Details

  • Hospital Cleanliness: Maintain high standards of cleanliness throughout the hospital in line with the housekeeping and infection control policy
  • Cleaning Schedule Completion: Complete the cleaning schedules related to the shift, ensuring that rooms and public areas are clean
  • Issue Reporting: Keep in close contact with the Senior Housekeeper and report any concerns regarding housekeeping issues immediately
  • Clinical Coordination: Work in close liaison with the clinical staff, understanding the special needs of the hospital on a day-to-day basis
  • Equipment Maintenance: Responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the equipment provided, checking for faults and supply shortages and reporting them to the line manager
  • Health and Safety Compliance: Compliance with all Health and Safety at Work regulations, including COSHH
  • Manual Handling Compliance: Work with guidance on moving and handling, as identified in corporate and local policy and discussed at Mandatory training sessions
  • Confidentiality and Quality: Quality assurance and patient confidentiality must be maintained at all times
  • Catering Assistance: Assisting and supporting with catering services

3. Housekeeper Functions

  • Residential Cleaning: Performs cleaning duties in residential apartments, skilled nursing facilities, public areas and offices, including cleaning of bathrooms, kitchenettes and other special cleaning assignments and vacuuming of furniture, floors and drapes
  • Regulatory Compliance Cleaning: Clean nursing facility rooms and public areas
  • Contaminated Waste Handling: Clean contaminated areas and handle contaminated wastes and linen
  • Floor Equipment Operation: Operates buffing/shampooing equipment for floor care and maintenance
  • Surface and Laundry Cleaning: Cleans and inspects windows, furniture and laundry
  • Item Delivery: Delivers laundry, packages and miscellaneous items to residents and departments
  • Event Setup Support: Prepares furniture placement, drapes and equipment for special events and social functions
  • Furniture Relocation: Lifts and carries furniture to accommodate residents and facility needs, including moving large pieces with assistance 
  • Laundry Assistance: Assists in the functions of a laundry worker
  • Resident Status Reporting: Recognizes and reports concerns regarding residents' physical, mental, and/or emotional status to the supervisor
  • Safety and Infection Control: Follows strict adherence to established safety and infection control standards

4. Housekeeper Job Description

  • Cart Preparation: Prepares and stocks the cart for cleaning tasks
  • Daily Area Cleaning: Cleans patients’ rooms, staffing areas, common areas, and clinics on a daily basis
  • Equipment Disinfection: Disinfecting and sterilizing equipment and supplies
  • Furniture Dusting: Dusting furniture and woodwork
  • Floor Care: Sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming floors
  • Trash Removal: Removing trash and shredding materials
  • Linen Changing: Changing linens in patient rooms
  • Fixture Cleaning: Cleaning of additional furniture and fixtures
  • Stain Removal: Removes new stains from the furniture, carpet, or other areas in the hospital
  • Glass and Wall Cleaning: Cleans windows and walls when asked to assist with maintenance
  • Storage Area Maintenance: Keeps utility and storage rooms in clean and orderly condition
  • Spill Cleanup: Cleans spills caused by a variety of reasons
  • Linen Inventory Management: Assumes responsibility for ordering and stocking linens for all departments of the hospital
  • Linen Preparation: Prepares linens to be dispersed throughout the hospital

5. Housekeeper Responsibilities

  • Hazard Awareness: Exposure to disease/illness, cleaning chemicals and electrical equipment is part of this vital position in the healthcare ministry
  • Area Disinfection: Clean/disinfect assigned area(s) by washing walls, doors, door frames, ceilings, patient televisions, windows, furniture, tile, fixtures, appliances, floors, and equipment
  • Customer Service: Customer Satisfaction - Demonstrates a commitment to satisfying customer needs and exceeding customer expectations
  • Discharge Cleaning Protocols: Use appropriate procedures following patient discharge
  • Material Selection: Select cleaning materials and supplies appropriate to the job
  • Solution Preparation: Prepares detergents, germicidal solutions and other cleaning/disinfecting solutions according to established formulas
  • Floor and Carpet Care: Sweeps, dust mops, and wet mops floor areas and spot cleans carpets, shampoos furniture, carpets and rugs
  • Furniture Movement: Move equipment and furniture for cleaning, rearrangement, and/or relocation in accordance with applicable floor plans, after cleaning assigned area(s)
  • Linen and Waste Handling: Collects and/or distributes soiled and/or clean linens, collects trash and/or waste from all areas of the hospital

6. Entry Housekeeper Responsibilities

  • Room Cleaning: Cleaning guest rooms/condominiums, including making beds, cleaning bathrooms, dusting all furniture, vacuuming all carpeted areas, removing trash, and cleaning floors
  • Room Setup Standards: Set department standards, all supplies and literature are placed accordingly and the unit is ready for guests and homeowners
  • Van Stocking: Stock vans with all items/amenities needed
  • Safety Compliance: Follows the department's safety guidelines and helps promote a positive safety culture within the department
  • Incident Reporting: Report damages, theft and lost and found items
  • Supply Organization: Maintaining carts, linen rooms, and Housekeeping equipment and supplies in a neat and orderly fashion
  • Area Security: Ensure all areas are secure when leaving
  • Cleanliness Standards: Consistently achieves expectations on cleanliness

7. Housekeeper Essential Functions

  • Mess Organization: Ensure that the mess stays clean and organised
  • Task Delegation: Assigning cleaning tasks to staff
  • Team Supervision: Supervising cleaners and room attendants
  • Damage Reporting: Recording missing or damaged items and arranging for the item’s repair or replacement
  • Client Interaction: Meeting with clients to discuss their expectations and taking care of the signing of the company’s contract
  • Staff Recruitment: Recruiting and training new team members
  • Complaint Handling: Responding to customer complaints or enquiries immediately and reporting any problems to the mess manager
  • Standard Monitoring: Monitoring cleaning standards
  • Inventory Management: Maintaining an inventory of consumables and F&F
  • Accident Reporting: Reporting of any accidents or issues
  • SOP Implementation: Establishing and maintaining standard operating procedures for cleaning and organising the mess
  • Equipment Disinfection: Ensuring the cleaning and disinfecting equipment is used at the end of their shift
  • Manager Liaison: Liaising with the mess manager

8. Housekeeper Duties

  • Guest Experience Delivery: Provide a warm, engaging and personalized experience for guests
  • Request Fulfillment: Respond to guest requests in a timely manner
  • Daily Sanitation: Provide daily cleaning and sanitation per Best Western standards to ensure a safe and clean experience for hotel guests, employees and vendors, including but not limited to, guest rooms, public spaces, and public corridors
  • Lost and Found Management: Ensure all lost and found items are properly documented and communicated
  • Room Restocking: Replenish amenities, linens and supplies in guest rooms
  • Equipment Maintenance: Maintain housekeeping carts, storage rooms and equipment
  • Guest Security: Ensure confidentiality and security of guest rooms, their belongings and hotel property
  • Team Communication: Communicate with Housekeeping Supervisor and Manager regarding room status, guest requests and upkeep/repair issues
  • Guest Impact: Make a difference in the lives of each and every one of the guests by directly contributing to their extraordinary experiences
  • Judgment and Leadership: Exercise good judgment and demonstrate leadership abilities
  • Positive Team Culture: Drive positive change in the organization and the Housekeeping team

9. Veterinary Housekeeper Responsibilities

  • Laundry Collection: Collecting dirty laundry
  • Exam Room Cleaning: Clean and disinfect exam rooms
  • Laundry Processing: Processing laundry (washing/drying/folding)
  • Pet Food Management: Orders and maintains pet food orders
  • Laundry Stocking: Stock laundry in treatment areas
  • Linen Sorting: Sort and dispose of damaged linens
  • Laundry Room Maintenance: Clean and maintain the laundry room
  • Inventory Monitoring: Maintain laundry product inventory
  • Equipment Cleaning: Keep laundry equipment clean, lint traps, door seals, exteriors, etc
  • Facility Spot Cleaning: Spot clean various areas of the facility
  • Project Assistance: Assist with various facilities department projects

10. Housekeeper Essential Duties

  • Room Preparation: Prepares hotel rooms for cleaning by logging status
  • Assignment Completion: Complete and turn in the assignment sheet(s) and keys
  • Room Cleaning: Cleans hotel rooms, which involves, but is not limited to, collecting and replacing soiled linens and cleaning and replenishing bathrooms
  • Guest Request Handling: Handles hotel guest requests expediently
  • Guest Interaction: Responds to guest questions with knowledgeable answers, acquires needed information
  • Room Security: Ensures the security of all hotel rooms and property
  • Issue Reporting: Report damages and problems to the supervisor
  • Guest Service Excellence: Ensures excellent internal and external guest service is maintained at all times

11. Housekeeper Essential Responsibilities

  • Member Service: Serve members efficiently, courteously and promptly while they are enjoying the Club and maintain strict confidentiality of all members
  • Clubhouse Cleaning: Maintain a clean clubhouse throughout the day, including member locker rooms and restrooms, lounge, etc
  • Waste and Laundry Collection: Empty trash and collect dirty towels throughout the day and dispose of them properly
  • Supply Stocking: Stock all supplies within the Clubhouse and alert management when running low, including toilet paper, tissue paper, amenity supplies in restrooms, snacks in the locker room, towels, pertinent cleaning supplies, etc
  • Daily Maintenance Tasks: Complete daily side work and cleaning duties throughout the day in the Clubhouse, as well as other areas
  • Departmental Support: Assist other departments or areas within the Club
  • Member Assistance: Greet and assist members with whatever needs they may have while in the lounge
  • Project Support: Consult with management for projects, or self-initiate projects during slower times

12. Housekeeper Responsibilities

  • Room Cleaning Standards: Clean rooms in accordance with standards set by CRMR
  • Daily Housekeeping Tasks: Perform daily cleaning, vacuuming, dusting, sweeping in all areas of guestrooms
  • Amenity Stocking: Stock all amenities in each room as per CRMR standards
  • Deep Cleaning: Perform deep-cleaning in all areas of the lodge during quieter periods
  • Team Assistance: Assist other housekeepers in completing rooms 
  • Office Cleanliness: Ensure that the housekeeping office is kept clean and tidy
  • Laundry and Waste Handling: Organize all dirty laundry, garbage and recycling at the end of the shift
  • Tray Preparation: Prepare the set-up of the personal cleaning tray at the end of each day
  • Maintenance Reporting: Report maintenance concerns/issues to the Housekeeping Supervisor
  • Key Responsibility: Responsible for master keys while on shift
  • Guest Consideration: Responsible for being respectful of the general comfort, well-being, and safety of guests
  • Professional Appearance: Arrive on time and groomed appropriately, as per the CRMR Employee Handbook
  • Adaptability and Flexibility: Responsible for being flexible, adaptable, and prepared to embrace challenges
  • Outdoor Readiness: Work outside in all seasons, including winter

13. Housekeeper Key Accountabilities

  • Floor Cleaning: Empties trash, cleans, mops, scrubs, sweeps, or vacuums floors, stairways, and halls
  • Surface Polishing: Cleans, washes, dusts, or polishes hardware, brass, furniture, mirrors, bedside lighting fixtures, vents, radiators, and exteriors of cabinets and equipment
  • Floor Buffing: Dust mops, waxes, buffs various flooring surfaces, shampoos carpets
  • Room Sanitization: Cleans patient rooms or offices thoroughly by mopping floors, washing furniture, scrubbing plastic cushions, frames, and cleaning bathroom fixtures and walls
  • Public Area Cleaning: Thoroughly cleans all public areas within the facility
  • Repair Reporting: Reports repairs needed to supervisors, including broken or cracked window panes, leaky faucets, toilets, and loose tiles
  • Safety Compliance: Follows all universal precautions, bloodborne pathogen procedures, and uses personal protective equipment while cleaning patient care areas
  • Exterior Waste Removal: Remove trash from exterior locations or pick up trash on the facility’s grounds
  • Policy Compliance: Adheres to Company and worksite rules, policies, and procedures

14. Housekeeper Responsibilities and Key Tasks

  • Public Space Cleaning: Maintain clean and sanitary conditions in all public spaces, including guest rooms, bathrooms, public spaces, and recreational facilities on a daily basis
  • Daily Task Execution: Follow a daily work regimen, completing tasks in an efficient, timely manner, including making beds, cleaning toilets, sinks, mirrors, and floors
  • Guestroom Tidiness: Keep guestrooms clean, comfortable, tidy, and be mindful of occupants' personal items
  • Appliance Inspection: Check that all light fixtures, televisions, and other appliances are operational and report any issues to management
  • Room Preparation: Prepare rooms for guest or resident changeover, providing a clean, fresh environment for every new person that occupies the room
  • Team Coordination: Expedite work among other members of the cleaning staff, coordinating effective approaches to daily cleaning tasks, building trust, and commitment throughout the team
  • Safety Protocol Compliance: Adhere to standard safety protocols, including EPA, OSHA regulations, and alert management of any hazardous or unsanitary working conditions
  • Professional Conduct: Act in a friendly, courteous manner toward residents, guests, fellow employees, and uphold the image, professional standards of the facility

15. Housekeeper Overview

  • Bed Making: Makes beds by removing and replacing sheets and pillow cases
  • Trash Removal: Removes miscellaneous debris by removing trash
  • Laundry Service: Wash, dry, and fold clothes and linens
  • Furniture Maintenance: Maintains furnishings by dusting, polishing furniture, and cleaning, polishing glass surfaces
  • Supply Stocking: Keeps supplies ready by restocking housekeeping supplies, ordering new supplies
  • Equipment Maintenance: Keeps equipment operating by following operating instructions, troubleshooting breakdowns, maintaining supplies, performing preventive maintenance, and calling for repairs
  • Workplace Safety: Maintains a safe, secure, healthy work environment by following and enforcing standards and procedures, complying with security regulations
  • Job Knowledge Development: Update job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities
  • Service Excellence: Enhances housekeeping reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests, exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments

16. Housekeeper Key Accountabilities

  • Shift Availability: Responsible for work weekends and evenings
  • Chemical Usage: Using various cleaning chemicals, disinfectants, housekeepers wipe equipment, clean furniture, polish floors, vacuum carpets
  • Chemical Mixing: Mix appropriate quantities of cleaning liquids, chemicals in accordance with state safety regulations
  • Training Participation: Attend in-service training to stay abreast of company policies, new equipment demonstrations, and discussion of complaints made by patients or hospital staff in regards to housekeeping
  • Floor Cleaning: Clean hospital floors, surfaces using predefined cleaning methods, procedures
  • Room Dusting: Dust, mop, sweep patients’ rooms, hospital facilities, and administrative offices
  • Bed Making: Make beds using clean, disinfected linen and replenish supplies such as towels, blankets, soaps, and shampoos
  • Bathroom Disinfection: Clean, disinfect patients' bathrooms, public restrooms
  • Fixture Polishing: Clean mirrors, windows, along with polishing fittings, fixtures
  • Linen Distribution: Distribute clean linen to the appropriate floors

17. Housekeeper Responsibilities and Key Tasks

  • Complaint Handling: Take and address patients’ complaints regarding housekeeping services
  • Waste Management: Empty trash receptacles and ensure proper compaction of surgical waste according to hospital policies
  • Inventory Management: Create and maintain an inventory of cleaning supplies and equipment
  • Equipment Reporting: Inform the housekeeping supervisor of any cleaning equipment that may need repair or replacement
  • Hazard Reporting: Inform the housekeeping supervisor about any building hazards and assist in addressing them
  • Storage Organization: Maintain a clean and organized storage area for cleaning equipment and supplies
  • Supply Stocking: Maintain an adequate stock of cleaning supplies
  • Infection Control: Ensure that proper infection-control policies are being followed
  • Patient Safety: Maintain patient safety and security
  • Ethics Compliance: Upholds the Organization's ethics and customer service standards

18. Housekeeper Essential Functions

  • Floor Cleaning: Sweeps, mops, and vacuums floors
  • Carpet Cleaning: Cleans carpeted area by vacuum or extractor
  • Equipment Usage: Utilizes and maintains equipment and hospital resources appropriately and safely
  • Bed Sanitization: Sanitizes beds, strips, sprays disinfectant and disposes of dirty linen per department procedure
  • Infection Control: Adheres to infection control guidelines as well as observes confidentiality and safeguards for all patient-related information
  • Supply Selection: Chooses the correct cleaning supply for the task at hand and follows the manufacturer’s instructions for use
  • Restroom Cleaning: Cleans all assigned restrooms to include, but may not be limited to, mirrors, toilets, sinks, floors and disposal of garbage
  • Clutter Removal: Keeps areas free from clutter, wipes clean, vacuums or sweeps, cleans up spills
  • Trash Disposal: Empties trash and takes to compactor or assigned area per department procedure
  • Laundry Removal: Removes soiled laundry from premises and delivers to the hospital
  • Supply Replacement: Replaces sharp containers, disposable supplies such as soap, toilet paper, paper towels, trash liners, medical waste containers
  • Fixture Cleaning: Cleans various items such as mirrors, vents, walls, baseboards, trash containers, ledges, window ledges, equipment
  • Dusting Procedures: Responsible for general wiping and dusting procedures of light fixtures, doors, grills in assigned areas
  • Cart Maintenance: Keeps carts and other equipment clean and stored properly
  • Cart Stocking: Responsible for routinely stocking housekeeping carts and ensuring carts are in an orderly manner at the end of each shift
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