The Executive Housekeeper Volume 21 No. 1 by Adbourne Publishing

The Executive

HOUSEKEEPER

Vol 21

No 1

PP322210/00016

Replace your lumpy, cumbersome split king mattresses with a new Ezi Join Split King from King Koil Commercial. Benefits • Enhanced guest comfort – minimises the prominence of the join • Closest feel to a true king mattress • Easy for housekeeping • No additional parts or accessories that can get lost

1300 654 000 commercial@ahbeard.com www.ahbeardcommercial.com

THE BEST IN FULL SERVICE BEDDING SUPPLY

Publishers LETTER

elcome to another instalment of The Executive Housekeeper.

Here at the magazine, we remain dedicated to bringing you information to assist you in your professional life. What you’ll find in these pages is a wealth of experience from our writers. In particular, our specialist contributors know how to break down their knowledge so all of us can understand it. However, these articles should be used as a base for further research. It’s important to consider it a guide to be adapted to your individual department. We cover a lot of topics in this issue – some even a little controversial, we hope you enjoy! One writer we want to point out first and foremost is Liz Lycette, the Director of Services at the Marriott Hotel Macau. Liz is extremely busy but has found a moment to speak with Sandy Walter, who provides an international perspective on interior design in hotels. Green hotels are a way of the future, what does this mean to housekeeping? Whether it's laundering microfibre, sustainable procurement or something else, we hope to

take some of the confusion out of sustainability in your area of the hospitality industry. From a contemporary topic to a step back in time – we visit Hotel Kurrajong Canberra to learn about how this hotel has shaped Australia’s political scene over the past Century. A fascinating insight into the movers and shakers over time, and how the hotel became involved (sometimes unwillingly) in political movements. We also chat with the Executive Housekeeper, who has overseen the hotel’s revival in recent years. Finally, we have a contribution from a man who is lucky to be alive. Stuart Mullins of Executive Search came scarily close to tragedy when suffering a cardiac arrest late last year. Now, he’s sharing his 20 years of experience in the industry, from staying healthy to delivering excellent hospitality. There is plenty more inside! Here at The Executive Housekeeper, we hope you had a safe Easter and will join us for many more issues to come. Regards, Neil Muir

View The Executive Housekeeper online now! Scan here or visit www.adbourne.com/exec-housekeeper

ADBOURNE PUBLISHING 18/69 Acacia Road Ferntree Gully VIC 3156 PO Box 735, Belgrave, VIC 3160 www.adbourne.com Editorial Contributor Thomas Johnson

ADVERTISING Melbourne: Neil Muir P: (03) 9758 1433 F: (03) 9758 1432 E: neil@adbourne.com Adelaide: Robert Spowart P: 0488 390 039 E: robert@adbourne.com

PRODUCTION Emily Wallis T: (03) 9758 1436 E: production@adbourne.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS Enquiries: (03) 9758 1431 Fax: (03) 9758 1432 Email: admin@adbourne.com

ADMINISTRATION Tarnia Hiosan T: (03) 9758 1431 E: admin@adbourne.com

Adbourne Publishing cannot ensure that the advertisements appearing in The Executive Housekeeper comply absolutely with the Trade Practices Act and other consumer legislation. The responsibility is therefore on the person, company or advertising agency submitting the advertisement(s) for publication.

Adbourne PUBLISHING

Adbourne Publishing reserves the right to refuse any advertisement without stating the reason. No responsibility is accepted for incorrect information contained in advertisements or editorial. (The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or otherwise alter articles for publication). All original matter produced in this magazine remains the property of the publisher and cannot be reproduced without authority. The views of the contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Australia

The World’s No. 1 Resurfacing Company! Mend A Bath Have Provided the hotel industry with a cost effective alternative to bathroom renovations for more than 40 years! • Bathtubs • Spa Baths • Wall Tiles

• False wastes • Shower Trays • Hand Basins

Before

• Re-enamelling • Chip/crack repairs • Polishing service

After

Before

After

Please consider the following when organising a bathroom refurbishment: • We all know how costly a bathroom renovation can be and we also understand that in your industry, every day the room is out of action during a renovation costs your hotel money. So therefore, a quick turnaround is crucial. • We use only the highly specialised Mend A Bath enamelling product, which does NOT contain the dangerous isocyanate chemical!

• The fact that a hotel room is out of commission for just over a day using our service is good economics for the hotel industry, as it can be used just 24 hours after completion of the job. • We can resurface all types of worn or damaged sanitary ware, whether they be cast iron, porcelain, pressed steel, fibreglass or PVC and all work is done Franchises available in situ.

After

Mend A Bath International Australia T: 1300 885 865 www.mendabath.com.au

Contents 6

PEHN news

SEQPHA news

10 Your health and hospitality 16 When does a global agreement become less important than the duty of care to staff and hotel guests? 18 Hotel interior designs – The best and the worst from insider Sandy Walter 21 Management styles for all ages 22 Guest engagement tools are changing the customer experiences 24 Manual handling and lower back pain 27 Yes please: Why manners matter in leadership 31 Hotel Kurrajong – A true national treasure 32 Welcome to Hotel Kurrajong 35 Ann-Maree Knowles profile 36 Mind over tension 38 Is your hotel green… and what does this mean to housekeeping? 42 The antibacterial soap ban explained 45 The power of mentoring 48 Know the total cost of ownership of cleaning 50 Australian housekeeping – The turnover quandary in the Australian hospitality industry 53 3 ways to ensure a consistent cleaning workflow 57 What is sustainable procurement? 58 Laundering microfibre cleaning cloths 61 Product news

The Executive

HOUSEKEEPER

Cover images shows Hotel Kurrajong

Vol 21

No 1

PP322210/00016

PEHN NEWS A

very happy 2017 from all the Pehn committee. Even though we already have many things coming up in the next 6 months we will soon be sending out an email to all members and associate members with a short questionnaire asking what type of events you would like to see happen for the remainder of the year. Please take the time to complete and return when you receive them. If you have any ideas or special requests, please do not hesitate to contact Donna and the committee on the Pehn email at any time pehn.aus@gmail.com. The Pehn committee, which was elected in October of last year consists of: President: Donna Musarella Vice President: Megan Johnson Treasurer: Jai Singh Secretary: Deb Bullock Committee Members: Jocelyn NG, Marian Stratford, Jodi Joeng, Ian McGregor and Decai Weng.

We are a non for profit association whose members consist mainly of staff from the Housekeeping Department of the hospitality industry and the companies that supply it. We are based in Melbourne Australia, however we welcome members from all over the world. Our aim is for our members to experience the friendship, expertise and support our organisations members provide. Each year we have events that consist of educational and purely social activities that assist our members in getting to know people from the industry and also to keep in touch with friends and acquaintances that shares the same interest outside of work environment. We encourage you to join Pehn, please see our website www.pehn.org, our Facebook page or contact Donna by email pehn.aus@gmail.com.

RECENT EVENTS PEHN Xmas Party 2016 For those who missed it the Pehn Christmas party was held at the Titanic restaurant on November 18th 2016. It was an evening of re-living the times on the titanic with an interactive show with many of our members participating in the fun and frivolity of the evening. A fabulous time was had by everyone.

HARMONY DAY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 21ST MARCH 2017

Harmony day is a chance to celebrate our cultural diversity amongst our housekeeping teams, and celebrations are held at many hotels through out Australia to recognise and show appreciation of all our team members. The Harmony day slogan is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everyone Belongs".

SOAP AID As most readers will know Soap Aid is the Australian non for profit organisation whom collects, processes and transforms hotel waste soap into bars for distribution to disadvantaged communities. One of the hotels, Crowne Melbourne whom support this fantastic initiative, recently thanked its dedicated housekeeping staff for supporting Soap Aid, particularly Deborah Bullock, Winnie Quin and Donna Musarella whom have driven the programs success. Crowne Metropol and Promenade have now donated 10,000 bars of soap each. ď Ž

Our range of bins suit all hospitality needs

Waste bins | Pedal bins | Lid bins | Public area bins Recycling bins | Ashtrays

phone: 02 9906 2202

email: sales@weatherdon.com.au

www.weatherdon.com.au

At Empire Hospitality we pride ourselves in providing Quality Housekeeping Solutions.

Our focus is on the delivery of cost effective housekeeping services and we continually strive for service excellence, through this method we have built an enviable reputation as a market leader in housekeeping services by providing site-specific delivery to each of our clients. With proven experience in providing the best and efficient service, we are the housekeeping partners of the leading hotels and serviced apartments in Australia.

Contact us now on 02 9571 6811 or 0451 374 970 reception@empirehospitality.com.au I www.empirehospitality.com.au Empire Hospitality Australia Pty Ltd - Suite 102/243 Pyrmont Street - Pyrmont NSW 2009

SEQPHA NEWS I

t is amazing that Easter is upon us so fast we had an amazing 2016 and 2017 promises to be even bigger with new members and all our charity work.

Queensland and northern New south Wales have been rampaged from cyclone Debbie along with our beautiful resorts and accommodation houses in the far north so much damage and so much sadness. Queenslanders are a tough breed and the amazing work the SES, Police, Fire brigade, Volunteers and the Army has been doing you just cannot thank these people for the job they do, but I am sure that in no time our beautiful island resorts will be back, and Tourism will return. It is only one year out to our Commonwealth Games and already accommodation houses and Hotels are booked out in South East Queensland, most of the construction is nearly completed and the games village looks amazing, this will really show world visitors how beautiful our Coast is and hopefully bring future tourism to the Gold Coast and Brisbane. We had our AGM and first breakfast of the year at the Sofitel Broadbeach with our Guest speaker Amery Burleigh who is the General Manager of the Hotel, she spoke about the effects of penalty rates if this happens in June. The breakfast was delicious with a wonderful turnout, voting was completed for the committee and was as follows: Libby Sharp Rena Scott Melissa Bent

- President – Retired Executive Housekeeper, Hotel Trainer – Vice President – Tafe Qld – Secretary/Treasurer – Weatherdon

COMMITTEE: Hayley Brownrigg – Leather Doctor Katie Paea – Flick Wendy Robinson – Seaworld Gillian Perkins – Seaworld Ken Holmes – Nine Bot Sheila Gobie – Retired Executive Housekeeper Colleen Reynolds – Retired Executive Housekeeper Sandy Sneddon – In charge of Charity work We have been receiving some lovely letters from our charities thanking us for the support we give them, and it really gives us so much pleasure in supporting these very needed charities that sometimes go forgotten. We had our next breakfast at the QT Hotel Gold Coast at the end of March with all our members bringing Easter Eggs for the children of the Gold Coast Hospital, I know that one of our committee will be wearing a very fluffy bunny suit when she hands these eggs out to the children.

We also had Ken Holmes who is on our committee have his head shaved for the leukaemia foundation and Hayley Brownrigg had her hair sprayed pink. It was again a very successful breakfast with all the money raised going to the leukaemia foundation. We were very lucky at the breakfast when a photographer from the Gold Coast Bulletin arrived and we ended up with a one-page spread in the social seen of the local paper, it was quoted in the newspaper that (they are the housekeepers with big hearts and again come up trumps for some very important causes). It is wonderful that people can see what we are achieving. Jupiter’s Casino which is an icon on the gold coast is now called Star and the new building is progressing so fast, we had front office and housekeeping staff from Star attend our breakfast where they informed us that they are spending $345 million dollars to refurbish the existing hotel and casino complex along with new accommodation block, this will be all ready for the 2018 commonwealth games, and so well located right in the heart of Broadbeach and alongside the new Pacific Fair Shopping complex. Our Secretary Melissa Bent has finally gone out of the uniform business and has a new role with Weatherdon which is a wonderful company and utilised by so many Hotels. She will be the new Queensland Rep and we wish her every success in her new role, I am sure that she will continue the great work that Rachael Schwab has been doing in that role who by the time you read this newsletter Rachael will have had her second baby girl, and congratulations to Marcus Walker from Upton street dry cleaners who just became a first time Dad to a beautiful little boy Hugh. Again thank you to all our members for the support and wonderful work you do and to all the victims of Cyclone Debbie you are in our thoughts and all of Queensland is behind you. Libby Sharp – President SEQPHA. libbysharpsmail@yahoo.com.au 

Your health

AND HOSPITALITY

BY STUART MULLINS, DIRECTOR, EXECUTIVE SEARCH INTERNATIONAL

On the 27th of November 2016, I suffered a cardiac arrest at the finish line of the Penrith Half Ironman, (NSW Australia). I was lucky enough that I collapsed in front of the paramedics. If not, I would not be writing this. I would, as Monty Python would say “I’d be pining for the fjords.”

irstly, what happened? Well on the outside I looked fit. Run 10kms in 40 mins, do an hour workout in the gym, hit the boxing bag and swim forty laps every second day. And because of this, I would reward myself with a beer or several; sugary sweets. Myself, like, I know a lot of people; once I have one chocolate I will have the lot. One chocolate bullet I’ll have the packet. One sausage I will have more, one ice-cream I’ll have two. Addictive personality I believe. I would then tell myself and others I will work it off. That’s BS and just an excuse to give the perception you are fit and healthy. Yes, you will work some of it off BUT not all. And that gets stored in your liver and arteries, hence the problems will surface at some time and they won’t be nice problems. So what happened to me? Basically, I had an older car (not old) but an older car and I thrashed it to a point that the water hose leading to the radiator got a large hole in it so the car stopped. It was overheated. Newer cars you can run hard, Older cars one should take for a nice drive and look at the scenery. Me I blew the gasket or several trying to do the last 3 kms of 21kms under 14 mins. At 21 30 or 40 years of age maybe BUT at 58 something had to give and it did. Did I get regular heart check-ups previously? No. Should you get regular full heart check ups?, Male or female? Yes.

If I did and stop thinking I was bullet proof maybe I wouldn’t have had the paramedics paddles on me, causing them and others angst to say the least. The “others?” Daughter and niece were there to see this all and I would not wish this on anyone.

1. They are the ones looking down at you with pipes protruding from your body.

Your health directly affects you and others around you.

4. They are the ones ringing around.

Secondly: The efforts of Triathlon Australia was brilliant and could not do enough. My hat off to you. Nothing was too much of a problem. Nothing. Thirdly: The Paramedics, well they saved my life what more can I say. An amazing group of people indeed. Fourth: Australia’s public health system is in a good state. Overburdened? Yes, but I’ll touch on that later as to why. But the doctors and nurses were simply excellent in every facet. They are worth more than their weight in gold. Caring, funny empathetic, professional and patient. If you do not have your health you have absolutely nothing. Fifth: Even though I was unaware for some time of what had happened and of my surroundings, the family, friends, clients, candidates were. So look after your health as it not only affects you but it does have an emotional adverse affect on the people around you. The people you know and care for you.

2. They are the ones that see the use of the “paddles”. 3. They are the ones talking to the doctors. 5. They are the ones that suffer emotionally, as you are not aware. 6. And you may be the most annoying negative arse hole around BUT there is always someone that cares for you. So do them a favour and get healthy.

Good health is not something we can buy. However, it can be an extremely valuable savings account. Anne Wilson Schaefe. THE REVOLVING DOOR/ HOSPITAL STAY AND AFTER CARE Most notable was the cuisine and beverages served whilst in the hospital bed and downstairs in the public eatery section. The first thing I thought was of the fat ladened sugary “foods” and I use that term lightly that put most people in the hospital in the first place. This was readily available and being served. Coffee, Coke and Cakes all there and readily available.

To me? A revolving door and hence our health system is bulging at the seams. The same as most western countries and we continue to consume so-called “food" that keeps this bulge getting bigger. The 3 other patients in my room or ward were nice enough fellas to chat to BUT all were very overweight, all had purple ankles, rashes but still eating sweets family would bring into them and all the time asking, when will they get out? Well if you keep giving them sugary sweets you may be at their funeral soon enough. What was most notable was an elderly, very overweight couple with a walking frame coming out of Starbucks. The café was in the foyer of the hospital, They walked out, both with creamed top Frappes. What put them in the hospital in the first place is there in the hospital waiting for them as they come out only to send them back in again. A win-win situation?

laden drinks, fat ladened food/ chips hamburgers + salt laden foods, nicotine and additives are all overwhelmingly addictive substances that have you wanting to come back for more and more. You are hooked, so moderation is impossible. Give up sugar, caffeine, salt, nicotine, fat laden foods and alcohol today and see how long would you last before the body overwhelmingly craves these processed foods or sugary drinks. Not long and the withdrawal symptoms immense. Even taking out caffeine that’s hard enough.

LEGAL DRUG ADDICTION? As a nation are we getting healthier? 2 out of 3 Australians (USA and UK would be the same) are overweight of obese i.e. in 2014-2015, a staggering 63.4 percent of Australian adults were overweight or obese — well over half of our nation’s population. That’s almost two in three adults. This is an increase from 1995, which was 56.3 percent, illustrating that the problem is getting worse.

To find healthy food or a freshly squeezed juice was, in most part nonexistence. But a hell of a lot of sugary drink and processed food, much like the middle aisles of any supermarket.

AND diabetes now entering into the much younger years and is endemic. The cost to our health system is mammoth.

A healthy lifestyle not only changes your body it changes your mind your attitude and your mood.

Imagine the world if there was no processed food or drink, lots of greens and food straight from the earth?

Processed food is not there for your health benefit, it is there for the massive profits processed food companies make worldwide. Your health and well-being has nothing to do with it. Addiction has.

I certainly am not perfect but I have cut out meats, cut right down on sugar to nearly zero; most processed food gone. Weight down by 4kgs, energy levels up, glasses for reading gone. Juiced vegetable several times a day and I’m back jogging a little. AND taking a liking to Falafel; Yes Falafel.

Since my stint in hospital I’ve noticed everyone has an opinion, some mean well and some just espouse what the food and pharmaceutical companies doctors or Govt Health sites say. Nearly word for word. The best one, “the cop out”, Everything in Moderation. This is an absolute cop out, as processed food, caffeine and sugar

Is this moderation?

You cannot eat in moderation if the processed food and drink is addictive, and it is. A significant number of research studies have documented that heart disease is easily and almost completely preventable through a diet rich in plant produce and lower in processed foods and animal products.

A significant number of research studies have documented that heart disease is easily and almost completely preventable through a diet rich in plant produce and lower in processed foods and animal products. Joel Fuhrman Old wives tale. They are overweight as they are big boned. Bollocks. I’ve have never seen an excavated grave where they have dug up a big boned human. Never. No one is big boned; you just eat way too much.

HEREDITARY: My mother and father were overweight hence that’s why I’m overweight. Bollocks. Again you are eating too much processed food. I’ll stick you in a health camp for a month. You WILL lose weight. The hospitals are full of overweight people and the solution is there right in front of us all. But profit speaks volumes and the hospital wards and doctors surgeries become more crowded. Do your due diligence and look at the medication you are taking: Do not take your doctors word as gospel. Some write a script before you open your mouth. Some doctors over prescribe. Some misdiagnose and some are in the arms of the pharmaceutical companies, who are very powerful. I was prescribed statins to lower my cholesterol and blood pressure even though they were fine. Reason is, I feel was the doctor covered their butt to say they did every thing possible if things went wrong. As the statins caused me great harm. I got off the medication in 3 days but the aftermath lasted months. My due diligence on statins was incredibly negative and comments

from other running doctor friends “Get off them, period". We all go to a doctor for check ups, which is positive BUT if something doesn’t sit right let your intuition click in and do your due diligence, and don’t listen to the nay Sayers and their will be many. Listen to you. You know best.

HOSPITALITY AND YOUR HEATH: The year 2016 I saw 4 heart attacks of Hotel Resort Managers that led to the death and 3 and 3 bypasses. Those 7 Managers I knew or know well. It isn’t nice to email someone only for the wife to call you to say they have passed.

Health is like money; we never have a true idea of its value until we lose it. Josh Billings In hospitality, more than any other employment, we are surround by “treats" constantly. Resorts, Hotels, Cafes, Restaurants. We are surrounded by the best coffees, teas, cakes, and more, all presented well. All very enticing. This is also complemented by an array of Chefs experimenting with new cuisine that needs tasting. Plus the myriad of functions and entertaining that one must attend

where the cuisine offered is also very enticing. NOT to mention alcohol. This comes at you from all directions. Addiction becomes a problem in this industry when surrounded by this cuisine and drinks all the time. Many have seen this addiction in the industry in the shape of alcohol consumption drug abuse or obesity. It’s hard to say no when surrounded by addiction, very hard. It’s hard to work well into the afternoon when ladened with sugar and caffeine and its hard when back at home not to fly off the handle after a hard days at work. Your family don’t deserve that. I saw this addiction first hand at the resorts I worked at over the years, especially at the staff bar and canteen. The addiction was rife. For some of the names I knew over those years quite a few are now written on Granite or Sandstone most of the demise was due to cancer and heart attack. The addiction in our industry takes many shapes. One I would say is sugar and the other caffeine, as all workers in hospitality are completely surrounded by it. It is hard to ignore. So be aware. If you have put on the weight and have many sugary snacks and more than enough coffees to give you a boost seek help, seek advice.

WITHDRAWAL IS HARD BUT WORTH IT You do not want to end up in hospital and your life style taken away. Or given away due to unhealthy eating. Or, your life spent on medication that may prolong your life but does not give you quality of life. Healthy Food from the earth will. In hospitality we are under stress constantly, know this, BUT do not self medicate to alleviate the stress through copious amounts of coffee, glasses of wine, sugary snacks. They may give you a lift for the short term but then the crash comes. So we go for more of the same to get the fix and the cycle goes on but bigger and you get bigger and slower. Know what is happening and change and ask for help. If you do not have a naturopath get one. You know best, you know yourself better than anyone. And if you don like what is staring back in the mirror then that is a start and change. But please: Do not let a cardiac arrest wake you up because in a majority of cases it doesn’t give you that chance to do so. 

VALUE-ADD ROLL-AWAY BEDS KEEPING EXTRA GUESTS COMFORTABLE

UPRIGHT

DELUXE FOLD-UP

STANDARD FOLD-UP



Black powder coated steel frame



Black powder coated steel frame

 20cm spring



12cm quilted foam mattress



10cm quilted foam mattress



Heavy duty rubber castor wheels



Removable zip-on washable cover



Removable zip-on washable cover

 

Woodgrain headboard

 

Dark wood headboard

 

Mattress holder bars

Black powder coated steel frame

coil mattress

Replacement mattresses available

Wheel locks and side hinges

phone: 02 9906 2202 email: sales@weatherdon.com.au

www.weatherdon.com.au

Luxury Cosmetics

• No SLS • No SLES • No Parabens • No CDEA • No Synthetic Dyes • No Synthetic Fragrances Bio-Degradable, Compostable and Recyclable Made with Pure Essential Oils Also Contains:- Sweet Almond Oil, Shea Butter, Jojoba, Panthenol, Glycerine, Citron, Coconut, Rosemary, Lavender, Mandarin, Peppermint, Spearmint.

Anoni Mor Pty Limited ausales@anoni.com.au www.anoni.com.au

Luxury Cosmetics

Cost Effective Wow Factor THE OPHIR RANGE The Ophir range is designed to be great value with modern appeal. It has sleek minimalist ideals with its attractive, tall and sleek white tubes. Supplying a portioned amount of 20ml, the most economical amount for a daily serviced room. The Aroma It is designed for guests that expect something new, something different. These products have a unique fragrance. Smelling intriguingly appealing like a cup of freshly ground and brewed coffee. Frankly it is really amazing how people love this fragrance. It is surprising that more body products like this just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exist in the marketplace. However we are changing that point of view rapidly. Because our aromatherapist is not the only person who loves this smell so much! The High Quality As always, Anoni Mor has gone the extra distance to provide a unique and great value product that stands on its own merits. You will soon share our obsession. For anyone who wants

Natural to the Core EARTH SCIENCES Now with the availability of high end products that indicate concern for your guests health at the same time as showing genuine environmental awareness Anoni Mor gives hotel managers the ability to engage with their guests on a personal level. Anoni Mor employes aromatherapists and chemists to create natural and gentle formulations. Using 100% pure essential

By Anoni Mor

something new, something different and appealing, here it is. Modern and intriguing, it really is a stand out. In addition to the awesome fragrance it soothes the skin with coconut oil. Free from Parabens, no SLS or SLES, no CDEA and no Synthetic Dyes. So does it improve circulation with the caffeine contained in the coffee extracts? Does that stuff actually work? Do the alluring aromas of these products make one feel happier and more energetic, through aromatherapy or the power of suggestion? Just place your order for free samples today and you will soon find for yourself that the For any Australian business answer is Yes! that wishes to test this

The Offer

product we will place some sets into your hands free of charge. We will happily allow you to compare it in your own premises so you will know first-hand the great value and quality on offer. Put them up against your current offering to compare quality and price.

oils chosen for efficacy and non-allergenic characteristics that also provide fragrant appeal. Then combining the skills of graphic designers to create memorable products that will sooth the weary traveller, delight the eco traveller, elevate the experience of the high end traveller and relieve the concerns of the hospitality manager.

Anoni Mor Pty Limited www.anoni.com.au Phone 02 8924 4816

WHEN DOES A GLOBAL AGREEMENT BECOME LESS IMPORTANT THAN THE

duty of care

TO STAFF AND HOTEL GUESTS? BY NORA POTTER

ore and more executive housekeepers are saying "but we have a global agreement".

Global agreements can be an advantage to a certain point. Yes the prices of cleaning chemicals may be cheap when negotiated on a global level but is this to the detriment of the housekeepers and guests health? The chemical giants are very clever at wrapping up deals that are difficult to get out of easily, locking hotels into agreements that don't allow change and in the meantime the rest of the world is advancing and learning of safer

and better ways to clean. I've heard reports of allergies, breathing difficulties, headaches, contact dermatitis and chemical incidences caused by chemicals used to clean hotels. Green chemicals may be slightly better for the environment but not necessarily for a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health. This is evident on the safety data sheets. One hotel reported that by reducing the amount of cleaning chemicals a housekeeper uses, the cleaning time has been reduced by at least 10% per room. Cleaning Chemicals are old school and unfortunately for those hotels tied into contracts with the chemical companies they're unable to take advantage of the latest chemical-free cleaning solutions that are on offer. Another hotel dared to be bold and challenged their chemical supplier to come up with a chemical-free solution. They believed that if the chemical supplier was unable to supply a solution that was safe, effective and chemical free then they were not breaking any "chemical contract". If you read a chemical Safety Data Sheet of almost all cleaning chemicals it will state that the chemicals must be used in "well ventilated" areas, must wear protective gear, must limit exposure to no more than 15 minutes a time. Is this what your typical housekeeper does? If not, then their health is being compromised. Increasingly, the negative impact on hotel staff and patrons of the cleaning chemicals are becoming an issue. My work takes me to places around Australia and the world. Lately I've been spending 2 days a week in a hotel room and as it's my line of work, curiosity gets the best of me. I find myself naturally conversing with housekeepers and bar staff. While having a drink and a bite to eat I observed the bar attendant spraying glass cleaner on the table. As she got to my table I asked her "how do you feel using chemicals to clean with?" Without even thinking about my question she pulled up a chair and showed me her hands, her skin was cracked and dry, her cuticles damaged. I questioned why she didn't wear gloves and she said she can't wear gloves as she has a reaction and now she has what she

calls "man hands". She said she's complained about the chemicals theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re made to use only to be told they are not allowed to buy anything different due to global agreements. Her disappointment when she learnt that there are safer, chemical-free alternatives. My experience over the past 20 years is that there is a significant trend. There is a dramatic increase in chemical sensitivity with even the fragrances used in hotels causing discomfort to guests. More and more hotels are using fragrances through the air conditioners and in the rooms. My only guess is that the hotel managers are unaware of the health hazards associated with fragrances. Do they not know that fragrances can trigger asthma? Are they unaware that some people suffer from sensitivities to chemicals and the most common sensitivities are triggered by fragrances? I believe if given the choice, guests would prefer no fragrance at all. I also know that some guests request chemical-free cleaned rooms. This can be challenging to hotels under a chemical contract, unless they have sourced a chemical-free cleaning solution. Recently I was staying at a hotel. I woke in the middle of the night to a terrible odour travelling through my room from the hallway. I was desperate for a good night sleep as the next morning I was doing a talk to a group of government delegates about chemical-free cleaning. Not long after

a phone call to reception informing them of a foul odour, an overpowering smell of roses began to enter my room. The smell was so overpowering I could not sleep. I believe someone had been spraying deodoriser to mask the odour. The next morning on check out I informed the reception staff that I found the fragrance offensive and that I was on my way to educate a room full of people on the dangers of cleaning chemicals and fragrances. They laughed as they thought I was joking. My iPhone is full of photos of unlabelled spray bottles, chemical bottles left out in hotel hallways labelled "poison". Whenever I see cleaning chemicals in public I feel the responsibility to educate and let people know there is a better, safer way to clean. Hotels are progressing in so many areas. In the same way technology is making check-in easier, iPads in rooms controlling blinds, lights, air conditioning by simply pushing a button, things are also changing in the world of chemical cleaning. I question, are global chemical agreements getting in the way of health, safety and cleaning innovation? ď Ž

phone: 02 9906 2202

email: sales@weatherdon.com.au

www.weatherdon.com.au

Hotel interior designs THE BEST AND THE WORST FROM INSIDER SANDY WALTER AN INTERVIEW BY LIZ LYCETTE

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND?

am American born currently living in Macau. I have lived in many cities in the US, England and throughout the world. My career began as an elementary teacher and then after 10 years in education and a Masters degree, I then returned to University for a degree in Interior Design. I pursued the design field with my first major position as Senior Interior Designer for Club Corporation of America. Club Corporation had over 300 country clubs, city clubs and athletic clubs throughout the world including several in Asia. In 1985, I created my own interiors company focusing on hospitality design, restaurants, private clubs, hotels and high-end residential work. It was at this time that together with my partner, we bought a two-star Michelin Restaurant called The Box Tree in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, England. During my time as owner and operator of this wonderful jewel box of a restaurant, I gained invaluable knowledge into how design affects business and the bottom line. Being the end-user and the person developing the budget, provided great insight and empathy for an operations team. It is not only about designing a beautiful ambiance that is important; but how that design functions, which makes it perfect. In 2003, Ginn Clubs and Resorts in Celebration, Florida (yes that’s the name of the town) hired me as Senior Vice President of Interior Design. With this corporation, we handled the turn-key responsibilities from design through construction, purchasing and then onto operations.

In 2006, through the pursuit of a headhunter, I moved to Macau and became part of Wynn Macau’s pre-opening team. This was an amazing experience for 5 ½ years. After the opening of Wynn Macau and Encore, I joined Sands China Ltd. as Director of Design for the new development of the St Regis and Parisian Macau Hotel. What kind of projects have you undertaken? I have worked on everything from hotels to high end residential, offices, retirement villages and everything in between. Some highlights of my career include a 92-foot ocean going yacht and a US$60,000 playhouse for a very lucky little girl. I have covered the gamut of interior design to date! What was your favourite and why? My favourite area of interior design is definitely hospitality. And in remembering my favourite projects, we once developed and designed a private luncheon club and managed it for 7 years! The Peachtree Club is at the penthouse level or 28th floor of the 999 Peachtree building in Atlanta, Georgia. I was involved in every single aspect of the Club design, F&B concepts, graphics, purchasing, installation and then management. It was great to see the project through and then to finally run the operation. We created fantastic private parties, wine tastings and Celebrity Chef dinners to add to the experience at this deluxe private club.

What are some of the smartest hotel guestroom design ideas you have seen? The beautiful minibar and tea cabinet at St Regis Macau is one of my favourites. The exterior finish is a glamorous Rosewood and Kinon combination with high gloss lacquer finish in a vivid aqua blue! Stunning! The best designs are simple with well thought out details! How about some challenges? The challenging aspect is working closely with the operations team to meet their requirements, needs and desires while providing an aesthetically pleasing guestroom. It is a tough nut to combine and balance these two objectives. In terms of operational challenges, white leather is probably the hardest material to maintain and to keep looking good as it soils and quickly deteriorates. Wooden floors and velour or velvet upholstery are also difficult to manage as the room’s age and cause maintenance nightmares! The worst designs are usually the designs that are too complicated or make the guests’ stay uncomfortable or awkward. Today’s guest wants simplicity, fewer buttons to find and ease of use. They don’t want to spend an eternity working out how to switch on and off equipment and utilities. What would you suggest is the best process when undertaking guestroom design? The first stage is the initial conceptual phase that includes presentation boards with perspective renderings,

however this does not always go as planned.

fabrics, furniture, lighting, accessories and artwork images. These are presented to the operations team and owners for their comments, additions and approvals. After approvals are achieved, the Design and Development team will create a mock up room. Ideally, the operations team and owners will provide input at the concept and design stages and kept apprised of the changes and inclusions throughout the process;

The best mock up rooms are those which are plumbed and wired so they can be critiqued properly through use and to be slept in; though this is not often possible. Once the mock up room is approved, the project moves into construction, purchasing and then installation phases. It is essential to work closely with the purchasing team including factory visits and also ensuring the specified items are fabricated in the correct manner. Many a bad decision has come about as purchasing may not understand that to compromise on the standards and specifications will comprise the overall design. And often the Operations team, including Housekeeping and Management, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get any say until it is too late.

Any words of wisdom for hotel housekeepers? Housekeeping should always ensure they receive the design and maintenance manuals with all finishes and materials. This must include the correct specifications and details for every piece of fabric, furniture, lighting and carpets. Having the supplier details is critical and ensures there is correct translation on all the specifications. In this manner, Housekeeping can protect the goods throughout their lives and keep the property looking fresh and beautiful. Having knowledge of the goods may not appear to be of great importance; but overall being educated and understanding some basics in design can be exceptionally useful. ď Ž Liz Lycette is the Director of Services at the JW Marriott Macau.

ManagementFORstyles ALL AGES BY DEAN MINETT

One of the great myths of hospitality Management, is that good managers MUST be able to inspire terror in the hearts of their subordinates. (A GM I knew was once told by the property’s owner that he was very good “up front” but needed to be a “ bigger bastard!”)

t’s true that management philosophy has changed a fair bit in the past 20 years, however some things have not changed – mainly the need to provide good service & produce a profit for the shareholders/stakeholders. The means by which Managers have achieved these results have varied considerably, with some of the good (and bad) examples going down in hospitality folklore. For your entertainment & edification, I list some I have either known or known of, personally: Manager A: Respected for his absolute fanaticism in cleanliness, guest service, and bottom line efficiency. Staff both revered him and feared him. He was known to regularly prowl his Hotel in the wee hours of the night, clad in his boiler suit, checking up on night staff and the results of the previous day. He once fired a night steward who, having fallen asleep in the staff canteen, proceeded to abuse the GM when awoken! This particular GM also used to regularly conduct white glove inspections of the whole hotel including the boiler room! Whilst this manager might be regarded as pedantic, the staff also respected him because he took the time every morning to actually walk around the Hotel and greet each staff member by

name. (Incidentally, he also produced excellent bottom line results!). Manager B: Widely disliked by staff & peers, this particular chap was prone to heavy drinking late in the day. He certainly had the reputation of being “a bastard”, however this was due more to his heavy-handed and uneven style of management, rather than because he had high expectations of his staff. During his time at a particular (otherwise well regarded) property, this manager was known also for chauvinism, sexism, harassment & a variety of other behaviours that generally are considered unacceptable. (Incidentally, guess what happened? He got promoted!!) Manager C: This person was well liked by all staff, however tended not to give very clear directives and could be swayed greatly by whoever had last talked to them. As a result, policies & procedures were vague & unclear, leading to confusion with guests and amongst staff, which in turn led to poor employee motivation & inconsistent service. Needless to say, profits deteriorated through lack of control & accountability, and this manager eventually left due to stress-related illness. So, what should a good manager do?

One piece of advice given to me years ago has stayed with me – as a Manager, you don’t get ulcers – you give ‘em! Whilst this advice appears to infer a strict, authoritarian line is needed, I believe that instead, it points back to merely making staff (& managers) accountable for their actions. Clearly Manager A followed this line of thinking, whereas Manager B merely followed the literal sense & just made everyone’s life a misery with no reference to his bottom line objectives. Unfortunately Manager C was unable to grasp the responsibility & ownership necessary for a Senior Manager & therefore allowed the business to run with no direction. The lesson contained herein (for there is method in the madness!), is that good Management is not about fear, but about setting clear guidelines for performance and then making people accountable. After all, staff at all levels are paid to take responsibility – so, make them take it!  Dean Minett has over 36 years of experience in the Australian hospitality industry and through his company Minett Consulting offers a full range of services to executives in the hotel and hospitality industry, providing expert advice on development and operations as well as mentoring, training and outplacement coaching. Email: minettco@bigpond.com

Guest engagement tools

ARE CHANGING THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE BY BRENDON GRANGER

he way hotels communicate with guests has changed radically in the past few years. Not so long ago, phone calls and faceto-face conversations represented the standard form of engagement. Today, it’s a different story. Guests are now turning to mobile as their primary form of communication. To remain relevant and deliver exceptional service, hotels are now connecting with guests through messaging apps, email, SMS and social media channels. But with an increasing number of channels available to guests, hotel staff are faced with the timeconsuming task of monitoring them all at once. Adding to this challenge, internal systems are often fragmented, greatly slowing down the speed at which information gets shared between departments. This need to connect with a mobilereliant traveller and increase efficiency between teams has spawned a new era of guest engagement tools. Today, platforms such as Alice, Glowing.io and Monscierge offer a way to bring all guest and staff communication into a single system, with the potential to deliver a whole new level of customer service.

PERSONALISED EXPERIENCE

A SLICK SERVICE

One of the biggest benefits of messaging tools is their ability to help personalise guest experience. Following a booking, a hotel can contact a guest via the platform they’re most engaged with to ask for pre-stay details and preferences.

Constantly monitoring requests over multiple channels isn’t just timeconsuming. When internal systems are fragmented, it’s inevitable that guest requests will sometimes slip through the net. But with a single tool in place, there’s far less chance of this happening.

Last year, lifestyle hotel group Commune Hotels + Resorts began trialling CheckMate – a multichannel mobile communication tool that enables guests and hotels to engage through text messaging and email.

If a guest makes a request over the phone, SMS or any other digital channel, a member of staff can log this and then instantly message another department or individual to make sure it’s dealt with.

During a four-month pilot program, 75% of guests gave their mobile number and opted in to be contacted via SMS. This high level of engagement has allowed Commune to gain invaluable information from customers to personalise their stay.

When a new member of staff starts their shift, they can review all conversations in one place. As well as instantly getting themselves up to speed on any issues that need addressing, the possibility that messages are forgotten about or not passed on is eliminated.

Platforms such as CheckMate also provide the ability to track spending history and personal preferences, all of which can be collated from past stays at multiple properties within the hotel’s own group.

IMPROVED SERVICE RECOVERY

This means if a guest previously asked for extra pillows, in-room dining, or routinely prefers staying on the ground floor, these needs can be accommodated ahead of time.

In the digital age, hotels need to manage their reputations like never before. Today, a dissatisfied customer can post a disgruntled comment on Facebook or Twitter within seconds. The huge influence of TripAdvisor also means that positive reviews are now becoming intertwined with booking revenue and profit margins.

1 2 3 2

5 6

4 5

The beauty of engagement tools is that guests are given a hassle-free way of asking for problems to be resolved as they arise. Whether it’s a faulty light bulb in their room or a raucous party next door that’s keeping them awake, a quick message can be sent to alert hotel staff. Through real-time engagement, issues can then be swiftly handled before they escalate into major complaints. Even if they can’t be resolved in the moment, acknowledging the problem and offering a quick solution can make all the difference to a customer’s overall perception of service quality.

NEW REVENUE STREAMS During the guest stay, selling additional amenities and services is often restricted to sales literature in rooms, digital media displays in the lobby, and fleeting interactions with the front desk team. But engagement tools allow hotels to promote added extras without the limitations of time and space. And of

6 7

course, these messages can be highly targeted. If a customer expresses an interest in the spa before heading out for the morning, a message could be sent later that day promoting the most popular treatments with a 10% discount to incentivise the booking. Used tactically and at the right times, this form of personal interaction offers the opportunity to exploit upsell opportunities and help maximise the overall value of every booking.

IN SUMMARY As mobile continues to play an increasingly dominant role in the travel journey, hotels must find ways to connect with customers through the digital channels they most frequently use. A new generation of communication tools now offers a way to streamline this process and interact with customers like never before. With the ability to deliver more personalised experiences, respond to

service issues in real-time, and offer an easy way for customers to make requests, hotels can build rapport, strengthen relationships and offer the kind of outstanding service that leads to long-term loyalty. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR With a great passion for all things hotels, but in particular technology and a desire to help others his role as director at Technology4Hotels allows him to do both. Brendon has worked with hundreds of hotels to help them with their in-room technology. In the last few years he has helped them to increase guest satisfaction, strengthen guest loyalty and encourage repeat bookings as well as win awards such as the best business hotel, best city hotel, best upscale hotel and best luxury hotel in Australasia. Always going the extra mile, Brendon began his hospitality career over twenty five years ago working in 5 star hotels whilst completing his Bachelor of Business in Hotel Management. He has held various management positions within 5 star hotels, worked as a consultant in both hotel feasibility and technology and has an extensive background in hotel technology.

Manual handling

AND LOWER BACK PAIN BY DR DENIS BOULAIS, NATIONAL RISK MANAGER (BROADLEX SERVICES PTY LTD)

Lower back pain affects most of us at some stage of our lives and is one of the most common ailments troubling mankind. It may be referred to by a number of names such as slipped disc, arthritis and lumbago and when it causes pain shooting down the leg – sciatica. Lower back pain often commences without any warning and for no apparent reason. It can then interfere with simple activities at work in addition to preventing one from getting a good night’s sleep. Then just as mysteriously as the pain started – it subsides and we quickly forget about the episode. This article explores lower back pain in the cleaning industry and correct lifting technique that may reduce the risk of such an episode.

ith animals that walk on all fours then the weight of their body is evenly distributed via their legs. As the body is held in a horizontal position then the compressive forces that apply to the human spine when upright do not occur. Humans have evolved a spine that is held in a vertical position during working and waking hours and bears the compressive weight of the body it supports. As a role of the spine is to protect the spinal cord and bear weight then the vertebrae have adapted discs to support heavier weights and curvature to provide better flexibility and shock absorption. The part of the spine located above the junction with the pelvis is where the most strain occurs on the back. Clearly from examination of back injury then statistically this part of the spine dominates in terms of injury location. Lower back pain is not caused by cold weather as many believe; it is caused

by mechanical strains. Many tasks within the cleaning industry have the potential to strain the lower back and these ultimately need to be identified, assessed and controlled. Mechanical pain can be caused when overstretching results in damage where a force causes excessive strain upon the lower back. This may occur as a result of emptying bins particularly where the bin is heavier than the cleaner initially anticipates. When soft tissues around a joint are overstretched the ligaments are the first to cause pain. Often these ligaments are essentially retaining walls for the spines discs that absorb shock between the vertebrae. The extent to which the discs become involved may influence the pain levels experienced. When a ligament surrounding a disc is damaged to a level where the disc loses its ability to properly absorb shock the discs outer wall may

become weakened. This may allow the soft content of the disc to bulge outwards. If it bulges far enough it may contact the sciatic nerve and this may result in symptoms involving the leg. As a result of disc bulging and distortion then poor spinal alignment may lead to extreme pain. In relation to cleaning then for the remainder of this article I shall focus upon safe lifting as per the steps below. Step One: Planning the lift is crucial, it is important that a load is assessed considering its size and shape. It is important to also think about where the load will be placed and whether there will be any obstructions. Any need for assistance should also be considered alongside task specific risk assessment. Step Two: It is important to consider the best way to lift taking time to account for the following points.

• Keep your feet apart with an aim to maintain good balance. • Aim to minimise lower back bending and avoid twisting. • Lift smoothly avoiding jerkiness whilst keeping the back straight and bend the knees. • Always watch your step and remain well aware of your surroundings. Step Three: One must always get a strong grip where the whole hand should get a secure grip and where gloves are required then they should be provided and used. Step Four: The load should be pulled close to the body, it is important that one holds the centre of gravity of the object lifted as close to the abdomen as possible using the long arm muscles to handle the load. It

is important to note that a 10kg bin held at 80cm from the body has an equivalent load of 50kg held close to the body. Step Five: If one feels that something is too awkward or heavy then the use of a mechanical lifting aid is important. Where no such devices are available then it is important one finds a partner as close to similar height as possible and completes a team lift. It is important to note that clear communication is crucial in the coordination of a team lift – particularly where there are more than two lifters involved. Step Six: It is important to warm up prior to manual handling activity and where possible aim to alternate heavy lifting tasks with lighter ones. Warm up

exercises are also very important prior to and during activity. Many incidents occur early within a shift due to lifting cold – hence the importance of warm up. It may pay dividends to engage the services of an occupational therapist to develop a warm up program suited to the work being completed. On a final note I cannot emphasise enough the importance of risk assessment with manual handling which should be both task and site specific. There is a quote that states that “back pain is just youth leaving the body”, maybe there is some truth to the quote however within an aging industry it is yet another reason to focus heavily upon manual handling with the purpose of controlling and reducing its risks. 

refurbishment design + fitout www.beazleygroup.com.au p 02 9642 6622 e enquiries@beazleygroup.com.au

HYDE PARK INN - NEW SOFT REFURBISHMENT AND BATHROOMS

bathrooms

3-5 star furniture packages

full refurbishment packages

soft furnishings

Leaders in the field of Hospitality Design and Fitout for over three decades. From small country motels to large hotels, guest rooms to public areas. From Design Consultancy, one-off items to full fitout packages. We offer a turn-key service taking a project through Interior Design, Manufacture, Project Management and Installation. Call for a consultation, we would love to have a chat.

hospitality commercial agedcare I D E A L Exec Houser Add 04.17.indd 1

S O L U T I O N S 6/04/2017 4:07 pm

MOR

20% off the MOR E-Boutique* S I M P LY E N TE R A ME NI T I E S2 0 1 7 AT C H E CKOUT TO R E DE E M *T&C: Valid until 30th June 2017. Cannot be redeemed on Gift Sets and Sale items. Exclusive to MOR E-Boutique. www.morboutique.com

Evoke Eden with MORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Snow Gardenia Collection; Where florals fall on forests of Juniper Berry and the earthy opulence of Ylang Ylang and Vanilla Musk elevates the experience to an indulgent retreat. As wild nature meets cool decadence, hydrating Gardenia Extract and Avocado

AVA I L A B L E E XC LU S I V E LY T H R O U G H

TO L L F R E E 1800 810 476

AU . S U P P O RT@ CO N C E P TA M E N I T I E S . CO M

CO N C E P TA M E N I T I E S .CO M

ACCOM MAG_MOR20_JAN17

Oil offer refreshment that is more than skin deep.

Yes please:

Why Manners Matter in Leadership BY RALPH PETERSON

“

Oh my God. Don’t ask,” she said reaching for another chip. “It’s the worst job I’ve ever had.” First dates, as they go, usually involve some kind of finger food and a lot of small talk. I met her on a dating site. “The worst,” I said. She smiled. “The worst!” I liked the way she smiled. “It’s inside sales. Which means I sit in a cubicle making cold calls all day, trying to upsell people on business insurance. I absolutely hate it.” “It sounds terrible,” I said trying to scoop up a small amount of spinach dip. It wasn’t working. “Why do you stay there?” “Honestly,” she said. “It’s because of the manager.” “The manager,” I said sitting up. I had to fight the urge to take my phone out and start taking notes. I could barely contain myself. ‘Are we about to talk about management,’ I thought. This could be the best first date ever. She nodded and started to pull apart a piece of quesadilla. She had long fingers and bright red nails. I waited while she chewed but then realised I must have looked like a maniac, leaning forward, staring at her… waiting for her to tell me about this manager. I sat back, grabbed a couple of tortilla chips and looked around the restaurant. It was busy for a Monday night. “I think we all stay because of the manager,” she said. “Honestly. I mean, why else would anyone stay. It’s so bad. I can’t believe I’m even telling you about it. It’s so embarrassing. I never tell anyone what I do for work.” She laughed nervously, which made me laugh. I liked her.

“I know,” she said. “Let’s see. First, she is very young; only 26 or 27; oh, and she is the owner’s cousin.” “Those are usually strikes against a manager,” I said. I had to slow down on the chips. “I know,” she said still working on the quesadilla. “But that’s just it. Even being related to the owner and so young, she is still a great manager. She’s worked in every position, so she knows what is it like to work in every position. She is very cool, low key and down to earth and polite; I mean, she even says “Please and Thank You” which is interesting because being related to the owner, I mean, you would think that she wouldn’t have to be.” She popped the last of the quesadilla in her mouth and shrugged. “He’s actually really hard on her.” “I can see that,” I said. “That way no one thinks she’s the manager just because she’s related to the owner.” She nodded. “Exactly,” she said. “But even though she is cool, smart, and easy to work with, you can’t push her around. I mean, if you don’t do what she is asking you, or if you try dumping your work onto someone else, or if you talk back to her, she will put her foot down, right away.” She opened her eyes wide to emphasise the point. “She’s really tough.” I liked it when she opened her eyes like that. Big. Hazel. Beautiful. “I like that about her,” she continued. “I like that she’s easy to work with, but also has high standards and keeps everyone in line…

“Her.”

“Oh; and, this is super important; even though she doesn’t have any kids of her own, she is very accommodating and understanding to all of us who do have kids. Especially people like me, who are single parents, and sometimes get in a bit late or needs to leave a little early, or take a call in the middle of the day… all of which is typically frowned upon anywhere else that I’ve worked.”

“Her. What’s so great about her?”

“She sounds wonderful,” I said.

“She’s probably the best manager I’ve ever had,” she said. I watched her think about it. To run through the list of managers that she’s had in her head. She started nodding. “She is… She really is.”

“She really is,” she said and grabbed some chips.

“Tell me about this manager… him? Her?”

“Why,” I said. “You’ve got to tell me. Usually it’s the other way around, you know. People love their job and hate their boss.” She nodded.

“I work in housekeeping,” I said sitting back, letting it set in. She smiled and nodded. Not sure if she should believe me. On my dating profile I point out that I am a writer and own a management consulting company. What I don’t say is that I work in and write about housekeeping management. But in my defense, they don’t give you a lot of space to write about yourself on those sites.

“Housekeeping,” she said. Big smile. “Really?” Her smile was infectious. I nodded.

“Would you ever say please or thank you to your staff?” He thought about it, but we both knew he would – had.

“Really. Really,” I said and then I told her about it.

“Of course,” he said. “I just don’t make a habit of it.”

“The thing about working in housekeeping is it is always the worst job anyone has ever had. I’m not trying to be cute here. It’s true. Even career housekeepers that love their jobs, will tell you, it’s still a pretty crappy job… I mean, it’s housekeeping. It is picking up other people’s messes. Other people, who, in many cases, blatantly miss the garbage can, cause spills without picking them up, track in dirt, rain and snow, not to mention everything that goes on in the bathroom.

“Right,” I said. “And normally, if you are anything like me, I would always use “Please and Thank You” when I was short staffed and if I was asking someone to come in on their day off, or stay late or to work harder…”

“Of the many things, I try to emphasise to all the housekeeping managers that I work with it is that, although you cannot make the job any less… crappy, (pun intended but certainly not needed) there is nothing stopping you from being the best boss ever. “One of my favourite guys to work with is a guy named Dennis. Dennis is old school housekeeping director from Long Island, and from the moment you meet him – you know he is from New York… “Can you imagine if I went around saying yes please and thank you all the time,” Dennis said when I suggested that he start doing so. He laughed. “I wouldn’t be able to get anyone to do anything around here.” We were walking around one of the nursing homes he runs housekeeping in and as we did, he constantly pointed out messes and redirected people. I understood his point. Most managers who are, quote – unquote “Soft” are ineffective. There is no place for a wishy-washy disposition in management; especially housekeeping management, where most people are on the edge, feeling overworked, unappreciated and most of all, underpaid. “Let me ask you something,” I said, not letting it go. He stopped and looked at me blank faced. He has come to expect my lectures, anticipate them, maybe even like them a little, but he won’t admit it. “First,” I said. “Having manners is not a sign of weakness.”

“But that’s my point. We say it when we need something from our staff, because we know that our staff will do more for us, if they like and respect us; and our staff like and respect us, if we like and respect them.” Dennis sighed and nodded but didn’t say anything. When we got to the second floor I pointed out someone had spilled coffee on the wall near the nurse’s station. He nodded and looked around for a housekeeper. “Would you do me a favour,” he said finding one. “Someone spilt coffee on the wall next to the nurse’s station. Between the door to the stairwell and the nurses station.” The housekeeper took a few steps down the hall so she could see where he was talking about. He went with her, and pointed. “Will you get that for me... Please.” She smiled and nodded, walking back to her cart. “See,” I said as Dennis and I continued. “That was nice.” “Shut up,” he said. “You win,” she said. “You have a worse job.” The waitress brought over our check, asked if we needed anything else and took away the food. We barely ate any of it. “No, no. I’m not saying that. I’m just saying that, although being a housekeeper isn’t the greatest job in the world, we (managers) can sometimes be our own worst enemy.” She smiled and the waitress brought the check back and wished us well. I signed it and smiled back at her. “You want to get out of here,” I said. “Yes please,” she said and we left. 

“Reeaally…” he said as if I was stating the obvious.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“Okay. Alright,” I say putting my hands up. “Let me ask you this; is there a time that you would… Just hear me out.” He had started to shake his head no before I could finish. “You don’t even know what I am going to ask you.”

Ralph Peterson is the CEO of Ralph Peterson Consulting, [a management training and development firm that specialises in Housekeeping and Laundry Management], a syndicated columnist and author of the book, "Managing When No One Wants To Work," (Four-Nineteen Press, 2014). Contact him at Ralph@RalphPeterson.com

“Go ahead,” he said impatiently. “Whadya got,” his Long Island accent got thicker when he was annoyed and his hands flailed.

“Well of course you say it then,” he said. We started walking again.

Six wheels are better than four

24V Power Supply

Rotating protectors

Simple controls

The SPL17 is available both in hard front and flexi-front models (see NuKeeper literature). The design is legendary, based on our full Structofoam chassis, 200mm soft ride castors and all round bump protection. Plenty of internal shelf space and drawer storage and fitted, as standard, with twin 100-litre folding laundry bag extensions. Now in its 24V PowerDrive specification it provides easy movement for approximately 3 hours, equal to 10 miles of travel between charges

Full Australian National Support Call EDCO - 02 9557 4411

B L A C K

L A B E L

mo ro c c a n o i l Âˇ o m e ga 3 vi ta m i n E Âˇ a n ti oxd a n ts

E V E R Y D AY S O P H I S T I C AT I O N 30

See more at swisstrade.com.au | (02) 9979 1500 | info@swisstrade.com.au

Hotel Kurrajong

A TRUE NATIONAL TREASURE

Escaping a chilly Canberra winter, the country’s most powerful individual retreated to the warmth of the fireplace. With a selection of good books for his leisure, he retired to his armchair to consider the day’s debates. The man was Prime Minister Ben Chifley. The years were the late 1940s. The home was Hotel Kurrajong.

he era’s distinct feel and the ambience enjoyed by our post-war Prime Minister lives on to this day. Hotel Kurrajong was fully restored in 2014 with the idea of delivering its heritage to modern clientele. It has become a destination for politicians and discerning tourists alike. “It’s a special feeling,” says the hotel’s Area General Manager Emma Waterman. “As soon as you walk in, you can see that the hotel has history and stories behind it. We aim to make our guests feel delighted and feel a part of that history.” Ben Chifley remains honoured in the hotel by lending his name to Chifley’s Bar and Grill. The menu uses local and seasonal produce, with excellent regional wines. The walls are dotted with photographs of different eras of the hotel. Walking through to the rooms, guests and staff can feel the role the hotel has played in Canberra’s history. Political decision makers are only a segment of the elite guest list over time. There’s a sense of the hotel continuing to be a part of history among staff. “We are always working on new ways for our team to be involved in learning the history and the heritage of the hotel,” Emma says. “We regularly host History and High Tea Tours with the help of the National Trust and our team members partake in these tours to pick up stories and information about the history of Hotel Kurrajong. We have also recently designed a new key wallet, which includes the hotel’s history timeline. Guests can take this home as a keepsake after their stay.”

The hotel’s political history began before Ben Chifley started living there. In 1927, it housed officials and journalists for the opening of Parliament House. In the following years, Hotel Kurrajong became residence of choice for high serving public servants and their families. By the time Chifley became Prime Minister in 1945, the hotel was well versed with serving important guests. The hotel makes sure its staff recognise the establishment’s role in the nation’s landscape. “As well as our standard TFE Hotels team induction, Hotel Kurrajong has a specifically designed induction for all new team members,” Emma says. “This takes them through the history of the hotel and shares some really special stories about previous team members that worked at the hotel some 80 to 90 years ago. It talks to them about the design and architecture of the hotel and some of the interesting guests and VIPs which have stayed and visited – we even had the Queen visit the hotel in 2000!” Naturally, the hotel has seen great change in its time. An interesting aspect has been its liquor trading. During the wave of prohibition, the Australian Capital Territory banned alcohol sales between 1910 and 1928. In 1931, the hotel converted its ground floor into a bar, but it lost its liquor license only two years after. It was not until 1995 the hotel once again had a license to trade alcohol, when it was overhauled as a training establishment. Today, guests can enjoy a drink in the ‘Turnbull Suite’, named after our current Prime Minister. Guests can enjoy the same luxuries as a highflying political figure like Malcolm Turnbull, although

his personal vices, including Monopoly, albums by The Police, or Ann Moyal books, make special appearances in this suite. “We get so much great feedback from our guests,” Emma says. “They always comment on the history of the hotel and the various prime ministers that have stayed or lived here. They love that the hotel has been fully refurbished but restored to its beautiful heritage roots. We also get so many guests sharing their own personal stories and memories of their time at the hotel. I often receive letters and old photos in the mail from guests who visited the hotel over 80 years ago. We just love that so many people are part of the history of this beautiful hotel.” The hotel recently celebrated its 90th birthday. It stands head and shoulders above in the busy Canberra market thanks to its niche presentation, rich history, and heritage listing. With 147 rooms, Emma Waterman expects Kurrajong to continue building its legacy. I absolutely love this hotel,” Emma says. “I feel a responsibility to ensure that the heritage and history of the hotel is shared and honoured with not only my team but also our guests. I feel very privileged to work in such a unique hotel and have the opportunity to celebrate its unique personal style. We recently had our very own native tea blended for the hotel which we have named Isabella’s, after the first Manageress of Hotel Kurrajong in 1926! There are not many hotels that give you the opportunity to explore and create unique & special moments for your guests so I am very lucky.” 

WELCOME TO

HOTEL KURRAJONG

Your Complete Carpet Care Solution from Diversey Care

first impressions matter...

impress your guests

with fresh fragranced clean carpets

Your guests and staff will enjoy the fresh fragrance and clean carpets achieved effortlessly with the TASKI® Tapi carpet care range and the ergonomic 2-in-1 TASKI® Procarpet 45 machine.

TASKI® Tapi carpet care

Shampoo, Extraction, Spotter, Defoamer & Gum Removal • Odour Neutralising Technology (ONT) for effective malodour neutralisation and lasting fragrance • Independently tested to reduce allergens in carpets+ • Woolsafe approved - Shampoo, Extraction, Spotter & Gum Removal

TASKI® procarpet 45

Save money with 1 machine - Encapsulation and Extraction • Fast drying time with TASKI®’s advanced suction technology • Large 45L tank and 45cm working width covers large areas • Adjustable handle for push or pull motion • Quiet operation for day-time use

Aust Phone:

1800 647 779

Ann-Maree Knowles

Speaking to Ann-Maree Knowles, the Housekeeping Manager about the Hotel Kurrajong in Canberra, it is obvious she has passion for her property, her staff and her employers and as an interviewer I was left in no doubt as to her passion for the industry!!

otel Kurrajong which has a long political history was built in 1926, and is a heritage listed building with 147 rooms and suites. The recently refurbished rooms are located over 2 floors and there are still 26 Heritage rooms that have no lift access. There are 4 suites and 4 rooms with balconies. Ann-Maree has 19 staff including two supervisors. When Ben Chifley was the Prime Minister, he chose to live at the hotel rather than at The Lodge. Sadly it was here that he suffered his fatal heart attack and subsequently died on his way to hospital. The hotel has a suite named after him “The Chifley Suite” One of the other suites has already been named “The Turnbull Suite” after the current Prime Minister and the hotel has decided to continue this trend with future Prime Ministers. (Ann-Maree and I joked that if the PMs constantly keep changing as they have done lately – they might run out of rooms!!).

PROFILE

Ann-Maree was born and raised in Canberra and has lived there all her life. After raising six children, she worked for 10 years at The Lodge as a housekeeper rising to the position of Senior Housekeeper, taking over from her mother who also worked there before retiring. She was privileged to serve Prime Ministers Paul Keating, Bob Hawke and John Howard whilst also waiting on George W. Bush (U.S. President) and Rudy Guilliani (Mayor of New York) in this time. She has worked at the Hotel Kurrajong for 12 years starting as a room attendant and progressing to Housekeeping Manager within twelve months. About 4 years ago, AHS assumed responsibility for the Housekeeping team and AnnMaree continues to work at the hotel employed by AHS. She confides that she has learnt quite a bit about Payroll which was new to her and enjoys great support from her Managers both at AHS and at the hotel but admits it was a challenge initially having 2 Managers. She has managed to find the balance and is very positive about her role and the support she receives. One of the initiatives that TFE, who owns the hotel has implemented is the “Green Clean“ Guests are asked on check in whether they would like to participate in this option which involves no use of chemicals, electricity and water. Many guests are happy to do so. Another of TFE’s environmental philosophy is to be actively involved with Soap Aid and Ann-Maree is one of the biggest supporters of this initiative in Canberra, (www.soapaid.org). TFE is also involved with corporate sponsorship of the Ronald McDonald House in Canberra and every three months, the hotel team goes along and cooks a meal.

Ann-Maree says the best thing about her job is seeing staff who she trained go on to achieve bigger and better things. One of her former staff is now the Housekeeping Manager at the Vibe Airport, Canberra. She says he started working with limited English just working 10 hours a week and to see him progress to such heights gave her “a real buzz" She believes in coaching all staff in a slow but methodical manner and being patient with them encouraging them along the way to become independent. She supports a happy team and it is obvious she is totally committed to them and the hotel. A new initiative that Ann-Maree is involved in is to call guests within 15 minutes of their arrival to check if everything is OK with their room and to answer any questions they may have about the facilities. This was an idea born out of a recent “think-tank” at the Heads of Department meeting that Ann-Maree attended, Ann-Maree is looking forward to the results of this new idea as she achieves personal satisfaction knowing that guests enjoy their experience at the Hotel Kurrajong. In September 2016, Ann-Maree was recognised by her peers at the national hospitality awards in Sydney and was awarded the HM Housekeeping Manager’s Award, sponsored by Sealy of Australia, AHS and the Blue Mountains Hotel School. She received a plaque at a dinner at the Sydney Town Hall. Away from work, Ann-Maree also tends to the needs of her parents as well as spending time with her grandchildren. She is cruising to Hawaii in April before returning to attend one of her son’s wedding. I hope she gets some well-deserved R & R and the service that she so obviously gives her guests. 

Mind over tension BY ALLI VAN OMMEN, DIRECTOR, WITHOUT LIMITS HEALTH

Tension is the result of something being stretched, strained or put under pressure. In our bodies this relates to tight muscles and can lead to tension headaches. Tension can build up in our bodies over time starting with a bit of tightness in our hamstrings, perhaps it moves on to the middle back until it eventually creeps up into the neck and shoulders, if you are very tense you might ﬁnd yourself grinding your teeth at night and waking up with a headache in the morning.

e all know that tension is what causes tension headaches, hence the name; but what are the forces that cause tension in the ﬁrst place? And how do we avoid that dreaded ache in our heads? Tension comes for the latin word Tendere and has multiple meanings in different contexts. 1. The state of being stretched tight, strained state of muscles causing strain or discomfort.

2. Mental or emotional strain; strained political or social relationships. 3. Apply force to something which tends to stretch it. There are many variations in the meaning of the word tension depending on the context in which the word is used. The ﬁrst meaning is pretty straight forward and to be expected. The second meaning changes the way in which we approach a tension headache and to some extend so does the third.

So how does mental/emotional/social or political strain effect how we hold ourselves? You see it isn't just the muscles that hold tension, remember the muscles are an extension of the mind and vice versa. Have you ever walked in to an ofﬁce after two colleagues have been ﬁghting and could feel the tension in the air? Immediately your body responds to what you feel and you tense to guard yourself automatically without a conscious thought. The same occurs when you are learning

does get on top of you at times and you ﬁnd yourself eating all the wrong foods and not sleeping this can also add to the pressure you feel. Another aspect to consider is how kind you are to yourself? Is your internal dialogue hostile or is your internal dialogue kind and nurturing? A good test of this is to ask yourself if you would speak to a close friend the way in which you speak to yourself? All of these facets of life add to the “perceived pressures” that we all face in our daily lives and contribute to tensions that we hold in our bodies and in our minds that can build up over time and present as a tension headache. In the workplace be mindful of your colleagues perceived pressures and perhaps cut them some slack, because when you offer support within your team then tensions can be eased and perhaps tension headaches can be managed and prevented.

a new language and your trying to hold onto a concept or remember those French verbs. Your body strains to remember something or tightens to hold onto something, even if it is just holding on to a thought and not an object. This can be related back to highly stressful jobs where you are expected to multitask, what tension are you holding in your body trying to remember all the things you need to stay on top of in the workplace throughout the day? This can be also related back to ofﬁces where there are relationship/ cultural strains, how do you feel when you walk into your workplace, is it a relaxing place where you feel safe? Or can you cut the tension with a knife? Is the ofﬁce so busy and stressed that it feels like everything is bursting at the seems? Sometimes the pressure isn't like pulling a rope or a muscle, sometimes pressure is an external force that we

cannot see, like deadline pressures. It is still pressure and every person responds differently to those external forces depending on perception. Perception is relative to what is going on around you and inside you. Your perception is inﬂuenced not just by what happens at work but at home as well. Tension can build up in different ways as a result of different perceived pressures. Something that you perceive as pressure might not be perceived this way by a colleague and vice versa. It is important to acknowledge these differences between colleagues within the workplace and have compassion towards your colleagues because you never actually know what pressures someone is under unless you communicate with compassion. Pressure is not just conﬁned to the external, it can arise internally as well from how well you treat yourself by eating the right foods, allowing enough sleep and by participating in activities to decrease stress levels. If stress

Tension Headaches are the most common form of headaches and are characterised by: • Constant tight sensation around the head near the temporal bones usually felt on both sides of the head and neck. • Tightness in upper back and shoulders. • Associated with depression and anxiety. • Difﬁculty sleeping. • Trouble concentrating. Triggers that are associated with tension headaches are: • Most commonly poor posture. • Prolonged computer work. • Medication. • Stress & fatigue. To manage and prevent tension headaches make sure that you stretch regularly, exercise, nourish your body with good food and good thoughts. It is the little things that make the biggest difference over time. 

Is your hotel green…

AND WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO HOUSEKEEPING ?

TAKING THE CONFUSION OUT OF SUSTAINABILITY IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY BY MARK THOMSON

A green hotel is “A Lodging establishment that has made a commitment to various ecologically sound practices such as saving water, saving energy and reducing solid waste”. Green housekeeping can form one of these sound practices to minimise impact on our environment.

n 2013, a survey of 1,300 U.S. travellers by “TripAdvisor.com” identified that nearly two-thirds of travellers, 62 percent, often or always consider the environment when choosing hotels, transportation and meals. The survey also identified that 69 percent say they plan to make even more eco-friendly choices in the next 12 months. In Australia “Wotif” and “Expedia” search engines can guide travellers to Green hotels – or at least those who are claiming to be green. Additionally a “google search” of “eco hotels” or “green hotels” will give travellers a starting point. Green housekeeping practices are likely to be anticipated when staying at a Green Hotel. Over a number of years now, the general travelling public has been subjected to many green, environmental and organic claims and since 2010 the Australian Competition and Consumer (ACCC) Commission has been policing consumer protection laws, using the ‘Competition and Consumer Act 2010’ The ACCC promotes competition and fair trade in markets to

benefit consumers, businesses, and the community. Their primary responsibility is to ensure that individuals and businesses comply with Australian competition, fair trading, and consumer protection laws. The ACCC states “If you wish to make environmental claims about your business or your product, they should be honest, accurate and able to be substantiated. You should clearly explain, in simple language, the significance of the benefit to the environment.” “Terms such as ‘green’, ‘environmentally safe’ and ‘fully recycled’ are broad terms that may have more than one meaning. For example, the statement ‘safe for the environment’ could have many meanings depending on the audience—some may believe this means your product is biodegradable or others may infer that it contains non-toxic ingredients. If a consumer’s understanding, inferred from the terms used, conflicts with the facts then they may be misled. To avoid misleading consumers, make sure that you explicitly identify and accurately convey any ‘green’ attributes”

“An organic claim is any claim that describes a product, or the ingredients used to make the product, as ‘organic’. Consumers cannot easily verify for themselves whether a product is organic and should be able to trust that any ‘organic’ claim is accurate. Businesses must be able to substantiate any such claims by ideally referring to Australian Standards. If using the AS 60002009 Organic and biodynamic products label, your produce or product must meet requirements outlined in the standard.” So if your hotel is practicing green initiatives in housekeeping, How are you substantiating these savings and identifying the benefit to the environment? Fortunately in 2017 there are many ratings, guides and schemes within the industry to guide housekeeping managers on what may be expected. At a macro level Green Building Rating tools will reward hotels which have sustainable cleaning products and practices and the two most prevalent Australian tools for hotels are Earthcheck and Greenstar.

A new Building Standard gaining interest in the International and Australian Property Industry is WELL. The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation whose mission is to improve human health and wellbeing in buildings and communities across the world through its WELL Building Standard (WELL).The Institute states that “The way that buildings are designed, constructed and maintained impacts the way we sleep, what we eat, and how we feel”.

EarthCheck provides the travel and tourism industry with a global certification system that promotes responsible tourism and increases operational efficiencies. The Green Building Council of Australia has developed Green Star – Performance which assesses the operational performance of buildings including Hotels. So how does housekeeping factor into these tools? The rating tools use point scoring systems and points are accumulated for good housekeeping practices and eco products in various categories such as Management, Indoor Environment Quality, Materials, Waste management, Social and Cultural Management, Innovation and minimising Environmentally Harmful Substances. Validation of products is usually achieved via a certified independent third party certification scheme. In Australia, Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) and Global Greentag are accepted and recognised schemes for the Australian building rating tools.

The WELL Building Standard TM uses innovative, research-backed strategies to advance health, happiness, mindfulness and productivity in our buildings and communities. WELL addresses 7 concepts which include Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Fitness, Comfort and Mind. Housekeeping practices will substantially interact with these concepts. In addition to third party rating schemes, various hotel chains have developed their own programs as a start to demonstrating their actions to green, healthy or sustainable initiatives. Hotel Services Contracts are increasingly seeing Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) citing Health and Well Being, Sustainability and Efficiency,Hygiene and Cleanliness plus Ethical Employment. Arguably these programs are less credible, as they are not independently verified or accredited, nonetheless such programs are a great start to progressing hotels’ green housekeeping outcomes. In order to assist taking the confusion out of traveller’s minds, consistent industry standards are necessary. In Australia, GECA and Global Greentag rated products provide the independent accreditation and knowledge, that a hotel is meeting its environmental and green claims.

More often than not, cost savings result in building operations and the benefits of being green, multiply with improved business results over time. Healthy buildings will be a key focus of the future. Hotel Housekeeping Managers are encouraged to share their experiences with green hotel claims with the author via email mark@ecoeffective.com.au 

REFERENCE AND FURTHER INFORMATION CAN BE GAINED AT: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ andrewbender/2013/04/22/survey-twothirds-of-travelers-want-green-hotels-hereshow-to-book-them/#4f43f5382e2f https://www.accc.gov.au/publications/ advertising-selling/advertising-and-sellingguide/marketing-claims-that-requireextra-care-premium-and-credence-claims/ environmental-and-organic-claims https://earthcheck.org/products-services/ certification/benchmarking-and-certification/ http://new.gbca.org.au/green-star/ratingsystem/ http://www.globalgreentag.com/ http://www.geca.org.au/products/search/ https://www.wellcertified.com/our-standard

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mark Thomson is an eco Architect with qualifications from the GBCA and Earthcheck organisations. He has over 30 years’ experience in the Australian design, development and construction industry. He has built and refurbished multiple hotel projects around Australia and was co-owner in a national hotel chain up until 2005.His current business is Eco Effective Solutions based in Brisbane.

www.ecoeffective.com.au

ADVERTORIAL

Livi® boosts washroom hygiene space SOAP AND AIR FRESHENER SYSTEMS NOW AVAILABLE Livi®, industry leading manufacturer of commercial tissue and paper products have expanded further into the washroom hygiene space. Their new air freshener and soap and sanitiser systems mean customers can now procure all the essential washroom products from the one trusted and consistent provider. While the Livi® brand has long been present in all commercial washrooms, it can now cater to two additional requirements.

he air freshener and soap and sanitiser systems each have their own durable dispensers and easy-to-load refills. The systems are designed to be workforce-friendly, reliable and aesthetically neutral, and to deliver product that is of high quality and efficacy.

LIVI® HANDCARE SOAP AND SANITISER SYSTEM The Livi® Soap, Sanitiser and Lotion system provides your business with the economic advantage to drive down costs and waste with its controlled and interchangeable delivery solution. The durable, attractive dispenser is designed to accept all six different Livi® Handcare pods for duty-specific versatility and each 1000ml foam refill dispenses up to 2,000 hand washes. Designed to encourage reduced water consumption, the instant foaming formulation makes hand-washing cleaner and more seamless all round. Livi’s alcohol-free sanitiser foam kills 99.99% of common germs and air-dries under 20 seconds without residual stickiness. The Livi® Handcare range features Perfumed Foam Soap, Antimicrobial Foam Hand Soap, Hair & Body Care Foam Soap, Food-Safe Foam Hand Soap, Hand Sanitiser and Perfumed Lotion. The Perfumed Foam Soap and Hair & Body Care Foam Soap are made from renewable plant resources to ensure biodegradability and have attained GECA (Good Environmental Choice Australia) certification, making them the perfect products for responsible environmental purchasing.

LIVI® OXY-GEN AIR FRESHENER SYSTEM The new Oxy-gen air freshener system by Livi® harnesses pure oxygen to deliver continuous odour neutralisation, while infusing the air with fresh and pleasing fragrances. Each refill contains 30ml of pure fragrance and the 7 different refills have been carefully performancematched by intensity to suit recommended locations including healthcare and office environments. Simple to install and load, with each refill lasting 60 days, Oxy-gen is an efficient, low maintenance and workforce-friendly system. Customers appreciate its stylish presentation and the pure, oil-based fragrances are well-received by end users. Oxy-gen uses no solvents or propellants and boasts zero harmful emissions. With low VOCs, it is also ideal for green buildings and LEED certification compliance. The system delivers superior functionality, performance and acceptance. Livi’s CEO, Terry Hughes is enthusiastic about the new additions to the company’s offering, saying they are the result of customer feedback. “Our customers now have the benefit of purchasing all their essential washroom products from the one trusted and consistent provider. In choosing the Livi® brand, customers look to our quality guarantee above all other factors. Our products are critical to best hygiene practice and there is simply no room for error. We are dedicated to providing the hygiene and cleaning industry with practical, customer-driven solutions they can count on to meet their core business needs.” 

LIVI® is a trusted supplier to the hygiene and cleaning industry. Keenly focused on sustainability and environmental responsibility, the brand continually innovates to create products that exceed customers’ social, economic and environmental expectations. Via their three main product arms – tissue, soaps and air fresheners – Livi® are instrumental in contributing to clean, hygienic and healthy workplace and community spaces.

The antibacterial

SOAP BAN EXPLAINED BY BRIDGET GARDNER

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recent change to the rules for marketing consumer antiseptic washes, has gained a lot of attention. It has also created confusion about which type of antibacterial products it applies to, concern about which handhygiene products should be used, and even calls for the same ban in Australia.

o let’s explore the antibacterial hand-wash debate from a commercial, social, environmental and Australian perspective.

WHICH PRODUCTS ARE AFFECTED? Firstly, the FDA ruling only applies to consumer antiseptic products that are intended for use with water then rinsed off after use – what is commonly called ‘antibacterial soap’. It does not apply to other antibacterial products such as dishwashing detergents or mouthwashes. Neither does the ruling apply to hand sanitisers that are applied without water then left on the skin to dry – such as alcoholbased gel.

WHICH INGREDIENTS ARE AFFECTED? Nineteen active ingredients are covered by the ruling, including triclosan (in liquid soap) and triclocarban (in hard soap). Triclosan was introduced into surgical scrubs in early 1970’s and transitioned to consumer goods twenty years later. By 2011, the use of triclosan had expanded so rapidly that 76 percent of liquid soaps contained it. Following the proposed FDA ruling in 2013 plus growing health and environmental concerns, some soap manufacturers voluntarily replaced Triclosan with other antimicrobial agents such as benzalkonium chloride. However this change may

yet be short-lived as the FDA has only deferred rulemaking on this and two other ingredients: benzethonium chloride and chloroxylenol (PCMX), giving industry another year to prove their effectiveness.

WHAT DOES THE BAN COVER? It is important to understand that the FDA ruling does not ban the sale of anti-microbial ingredients in washing products; it simply prevents suppliers from marketing them as having ‘antiseptic’ or ‘antibacterial’ properties. So why has the FDA imposed this ban?

EFFECTIVENESS CONCERNS The FDA undertook an extensive benefit-to-risk assessment of antiseptic washes. Evidence was sought to show that the active ingredient demonstrated a direct clinical benefit, by reducing infection more effectively than when washing with non-antibacterial soap and water. Like disinfectants, anti-bacterial agents can only kill bacteria effectively if they have sufficient contact time with the surface. However the antimicrobial agent has limited time to work when we wash our hands. This is not a concern from a hand hygiene perspective, because the soap itself does an excellent job of removing and washing the germs down the drain, but it makes the antibacterial redundant.

Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research states: “Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water”. The director then explained the second reason for carrying out this benefit-to-risk assessment: “In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term.”

SAFETY CONCERNS New data about the potential risks from systemic absorption and longterm exposure was reviewed by the FDA. For example, triclosan has been shown to bio-accumulate in fatty tissue, breast milk, urine and plasma. Furthermore, the widespread and uncontrolled use of antimicrobial agents may be contributing to antimicrobial resistance. Triclosan is also an environmental hazard. It is highly toxic to algae, causes reproductive and developmental effects in fish, and the potential for endocrine disruption in some animals. Being quite persistent, it has been detected in sewage sludge and even treated drinking water. Therefore given the insufficient evidence to establish the safety of long-term, daily repeated exposure to the active ingredients used in antiseptic wash products, or of their

effectiveness to justify these potential risks, the FDA has considered them to be ‘misbranded’.

DOES IT APPLY TO AUSTRALIA? While the U.S. FDA ruling only applies to products sold in the USA, many antibacterial soaps sold in Australia are manufactured by multiinternational companies and the switch to benzalkonium chloride has occurred globally. But what about the Australian-made antibacterial soaps that still contain triclosan or one of the other 19 ingredients? It is unlikely a similar ban could be imposed here because there is no Australian equivalent of the FDA with the jurisdiction to review and

approve chemical products. We don’t even have a Standard definition or test for determining the efficacy of ‘antibacterial’ agents against which the ACCC could prosecute for misleading advertising. So it is up to us to read the label and avoid selling and buying soap that contains them.

WHAT TO USE OR SELL INSTEAD? Alcohol-based hand sanitisers can effectively kill bacteria and viruses on contact, if applied to hands that have been pre-washed with soap and water, and it contains at least 60% alcohol (or equivalent if evidence is provided). They should be used to prevent the spread of infection through handto-hand contact in hospitals, in the workplace during flu season, or when

working with food. They should only be used as a replacement for soap, if water is not available. The message from the FDA is that thorough hand washing with normal soap and warm water is still the best way to achieve hygienically clean hands. Visit your Health Department’s website for more information and posters with which to support your staff and customers.  This article was first published in InClean magazine.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bridget Gardner is director of Fresh Green Clean. You can find a fully referenced copy of this article at: www.freshgreenclean.com.au

The power

OF MENTORING BY JANET C. MARLETTO

Yes, mentoring can be powerful. Effective mentoring, that is. The formula for mentoring success requires a developed mentor and a coachable recipient who has a burning desire and the drive to reach mastery.

he Mentor is a person who has focused on personal development for decades. That is, all aspects of personal development are fair game. For example, self-knowledge can be gained through meditation, astrology, numerology and various traditions. These various traditions lead to others to study. This takes time and commitment. There will be mentors along the way who specialise in areas of interest. Interaction and study with this parade of masters serve to form the future mentor. An investment of time and money to purchase materials (books), to attend presentations, lectures, and/or classes pays off over the years. It is definitely NOT a “drive through” process. Because of the intense focus over the years, the evolving mentor is able to do serious introspection. This process never really ends because learning continues throughout life. Of course, everyone has blinders on to some degree. However, gradually an honest selfunderstanding can develop. At the top of the learning process ranking is Detachment. This is taught in various practices. One learns it in depth in Eastern cultures. It is this powerful practice that permits one to be an observer. Most importantly, detachment allows one NOT to personalise general comments made in interactions. Too often, general comments are made that upset those who do not “detach.” The comment was not aimed at anyone in particular. Frankly, it is exhausting to be in the company of anyone who identifies and internalises all comments. In fact, it is challenging to carry on a meaningful conversation with someone who does not know about or how to employ detachment. There is always a personal comment or remark whenever anything is stated. For example, instead of listening silently, an uninitiated type says things like “I don’t do that” or “I do what I’m supposed to do”…and so on. Their listening skills are nil. It is close to impossible to coach someone like that effectively. In fact, I have had to demand that the client, “Listen!” Often this is because the mentoree is in denial about almost everything,

It is not time for mentoring. By definition, the candidate is not coachable. There are many fundamental lessons to be mastered first: humility, patience, listening, and gratitude are among them. Consciousness is Key. That is being aware of one’s surroundings. Being sensitive to everything requires an effort and continuous practice. For example, students, with big, tortoise-like backpacks, who move unguardedly and consequently hit people in their path are definitely acting unconsciously. They are unaware of their surroundings. The reverse of that would be the person who opens a solid door (in a busy location) slowly and carefully in case someone is on the other side of it. Being hit by an opening or swinging door is not pleasant! The antithesis is the person who opens a door and blithely lets it fall back without looking to see if someone is following him The polite person checks behind and holds the door for the next person. Another way to express it is “thoughtfulness.” We all know how special “thoughtfulness” has become, because it is almost a rarity. A kindred trait is kindness. The combined effect of the two is politeness in its sincerest form. Let’s face it, sincerity is appreciated, whereas, quickly detected insincerity is ignore and can be considered insulting, shallow, or meaningless by the recipient.

Being self-aware leads to more learning which leads to even more self-awareness. Above all, it draws you to more aware people who serve as role models and/or peers. All of this requires putting yourself first. Yes, selfishness is a positive attribute when you apply it to personal growth. It is not “egotism” in the negative sense. Just as they direct us on airlines: “Take care of yourself first.” This includes doing something nice for yourself on a daily basis: making a good lunch for yourself, writing a note to someone you appreciate, participating in an activity that pleases you, and so on. That supports your sense of satisfaction which in turn reduces stress. When stress is reduced, you can think more clearly. Furthermore, you are more attractive to others when you are calm. Stress is a turn-off. Good listeners are calm and focused. (This includes people in sales and in management.) Listeners learn! The listening skill is important to both the mentor and to the mentoree. The mentor needs to hear what the mentoree has to say in order to assess the startup point. Similarly, the mentoree needs to listen and absorb what the mentor is sharing. Lack of listening on either side signals an unsuccessful collaboration. Ego is often the cause on either side. (Ego is not to be confused with putting yourself first. Ego prevents personal development because the candidate thinks that he knows it all.) The empty vessel way of humble thinking directs one to listen and learn. Eventually, you can discern the worthwhile from the bogus or incomplete. This knowledge is fortified by constantly reading worthwhile material on many subjects. There are countless excellent thinkers; yet even the best of them “borrow” from others. The damage occurs when borrowed principles are incomplete, lacking steps, or misinterpreted. This is a disservice to the learners. It does happen even in major bestsellers! The honest mentor is sure to point out necessary steps so that the success is possible without frustrating road blocks. Skipping steps in any type of formula or training leads to errors and a false foundation. Faster is not necessary better! This is true whether a process is done by computer or by hand. For example, I established a procedure for doing the weekly work schedule to accommodate requests as well as work volume. When I passed this process to an assistant to teach others, I noticed some inconsistencies or glitches. These errors affected the entire schedule (and in turn, the budget). As I investigated by checking each step, it became clear that missed/skipped steps were the causes. Of course, the schedule had to be re-done to rectify the errors. Re-work is the most expensive of all work. Doing it right the first time is cost effective. Getting back to mentoring…. The qualified mentor supports success through clear communications. This includes asking questions along the way to be sure that the concept is being grasped and absorbed. Needless to say, the principle may need

to be repeated and explained anew. Let’s remember that everyone learns at a different pace. Once the “ah-ha” moment is realised, another principle can be broached. You may be thinking that mentoring someone is a tedious process. That all depends on the mentor and the mentoree. For certain, it is a detached process so that gaps are not left unexplained. By feeling secure in the steps, the mentoree gains confidence. After all, the goal is to develop competence and independence. Humility, careful listening, and observing act as signs of definite personal development, no matter the subject matter. People talk about “mastery.” It takes time to reach mastery. Some say ten years/20,000 hours. (Source: Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin) In some cases, depending on the complexity of the tasks, it can take longer. Personally, as a Director of Housekeeping with excellent training, I felt “mastery” kick in about year thirteen. At that point, just about anything that could happen had happened. Being able to handle the unexpected with calm and confidence is mastery in action. This is not to say that major life reversals will not happen or that they will be easy to handle. On the other hand, they can cause all sorts of upheaval emotionally, physically, financially, and professionally. It might even take a while to emerge from the blow and to actually recover. These “life lessons” keep us humble and grateful for what we have, be it education, possessions, connections or self-awareness. We can look to our fundamentals to sort through and hang on as the cycle moves in our favour. One of the biggest mistakes we can make in life is to think that we are in control of all variables. We can only control our own thoughts and actions. The more skills we have in the form of knowledge and preparation aid us in weathering unexpected emergencies. Just as we have insurance to cover the unexpected related to home, auto, health, life, and legal our skills and self-awareness arm us with the wherewithal to prevail. Sometimes the “insurances” support each other. For example, auto insurance can be supported by legal insurance so that benefits are distributed correctly. I am always amused by those who scorn the travails of others because they think that they can plan their lives in totality. Then, Life happens! We can do our best in all situations. We can continue to learn and then to do even better. The variables are endless and change so that each person is an individual with his own path.  Janet C. Marletto mentors those who are ready. Recommendations are on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmarletto/

Eliminates stains and odours!

! W E N

The NEW innovative Clorox® Urine Remover is specially formulated to quickly and effectively remove the stains and odour that urine leaves behind.

EFFECTIVE ON

HARD & SOFT SURFACES Special formula tackles stains and odours.

The oxidising power of hydrogen-peroxide removes uric acid and breaks down the cell structure of bacteria.

GREAT FOR STAINS FROM

URINE,BLOOD, VOMIT & FAECES Effectively cleans urine stains as formula includes surfactants, solvents and low PH.

For more information on Clorox® Urine Remover please contact Clorox® Australia Toll free: 1300 731 030 or 1800 240 502

KNOW THE TOTAL COST OF

Ownership of cleaning

BY ALICIA FENWICK, NEWELL BRANDS SENIOR MANAGER BRAND MARKETING, RUBBERMAID COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS

There are many things to consider as part of any new procurement process. The upfront investment of a new system is just the beginning. With any long-term investment, such as cleaning systems, there are ongoing costs. These include consumable components, replacement parts plus ongoing maintenance costs. There will be complementary processes, like laundering, recycling or waste disposal. Then there are considerations such as the reliability of supply and the availability of after-sales training and support. It’s a complex calculation with many variables.

facility’s cleaning protocols are a daily imperative so it makes sense to research the latest technology advancements and invest wisely. Selecting the best solution – in terms of choosing the right cleaning technologies, methods, products and partner – requires attention to detail by reviewing the cleaning cycle from start to finish. You need to consider the shortand long-term factors intrinsic to the cleaning protocols that each contributes to the Total Cost of Ownership over the lifetime of your cleaning practices. Cutting corners on the decision-making process today can create a financial burden in future. A major consideration should be the methods and processes in place. Different methods of cleaning use different equipment and so will involve varying steps. A two- or three-step method, for example such as the detergent wash – disinfectant wash – rinse process, can significantly reduce a staff member’s productivity by increasing the number of hours per cleaning cycle, compared to a one-step method.

Also, if some harsh chemicals are used, it may reduce the lifespan of cleaning equipment; mop heads and cleaning cloths deteriorate more rapidly when soaked regularly in harsh chemicals such as ammonia, meaning these have to be replaced more regularly. It quickly becomes apparent that some practices can represent an upfront saving in the short term, but require much higher costs for the longer-term when equipment needs to be replaced more often or requires large quantities of consumables (like chemicals and water). Another key consideration is the facility’s laundry schedule, as this can impact the quantities of equipment needed by a facility. A daily laundry service may mean washable cloths can be laundered regularly so the cost would differ to a facility without a regular laundry process where disposable cloths were more convenient. What is not always considered are the hidden costs that impact productivity – both positively and negatively – and dramatically impact the return on investment. These hidden

costs are not immediately obvious, but may become significant over time. For example, the unintended consequences of high chemical use can be severe for staff who are exposed on a daily basis to dangerous fumes and skin irritants. If floors of a facility are wet, the required drying time further reduces the efficiency of people moving around and becomes a slip hazard. Someone slipping and falling badly on a wet floor can result in lengthy and costly medical treatment, to be borne by the facility. Work-related injuries like a shoulder or lower back strain caused by lifting heavy equipment like buckets of water impact productivity, team morale and the bottom-line. Repetitive strain injuries impact an employee’s productivity too and can worsen over time. These are just a few examples for real situations for managers in large operations. Like any process involving manual handling, the functionality and ergonomics of equipment can play a significant part in a cleaning team’s efficiency and workflow. For an organisation that employs cleaning

staff doing heavy lifting or repetitive movements such as mopping, workplace injuries can add significant financial burden and lost productivity.

hazardous indoor air pollution which can cause skin and respiratory irritation or lead to serious chronic effects from long-term exposure.

Taking Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) into account in the procurement process can deliver better health and productivity outcomes, reducing the associated business costs and risk.

Cleaning professionals have used chemicals for decades to achieve a “hospital-grade” level of hygiene. However, more recent evidence shows this practice is often counterproductive because chemicals can leave behind a residue which can attract more dirt and create a breeding ground for dangerous microbes. If the cleaning process is not carried out correctly, this adds another burden to a facility. Outbreaks of contagious diseases can be a major issue, particularly for facilities with high numbers of people working or visiting, creating regular traffic in common areas and bathroom facilities.

For this reason, it’s important to invest in light-weight, ergonomicallydesigned cleaning equipment, that is held closer to the operator’s core so they don’t place pressure on joints like shoulders, knees or muscles in the lower back. Anyone responsible for Workplace Health and Safety will agree that it’s worth investing in superior solutions with proven WHS benefits. Areas must be kept clean and wellmaintained to achieve a healthy and safe environment for staff, customers or the public. One of the biggest myths in commercial cleaning is that you need lots of harsh chemicals and high volumes of water to give a surface a thoroughly-hygienic clean. Our over-reliance on chemicals in the cleaning process is known to be harmful for our health and the environment. Fumes and strong odours don’t just emit unpleasant smells. The fumes contribute to

Chemical-intensive cleaning processes require high volumes of water, presenting a large hidden cost to a facility’s water and sewerage bill. Chemicals are also costly so can add significantly to the ongoing daily cleaning costs. Cleaners need to change the water and chemicals every three rooms. If using a 15L mop bucket this means huge waste and money down the drain.

scrubbing, and removing dirt, particles and germs. New advancements in the microscopic composition of fibres, specifically superior microfibre, have a proven ability to attract and ‘grab hold’ of tiny particles that traditional fibres just push around a surface. With the ability to lift even the smallest particles, microfibre technology allows the cleaning to be performed in a single step, speeding up the workflow for staff. It uses much less chemicals and water to achieve a hygienic clean in a single step, so drying time is reduced – leaving floors touch-dry much faster. Choosing highly-durable, washable and more effective cleaning products may present a higher upfront cost, but a lower cost over the lifetime of the products with fewer hidden costs. Weighing up every aspect of the investment – product durability, performance, the impact on staff productivity, WHS, sustainability and the ongoing maintenance costs – will give you a fuller picture of the total cost of ownership. If you focus only on the upfront financial cost, the hidden costs over the long-term may create a hefting financial burden to your organisation’s bottom-line. 

Ideally, chemicals should be reduced and the fibres of the cloth and mop should do most of the job of

Australian housekeeping

THE TURNOVER QUANDARY IN THE AUSTRALIAN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY BY ROBERT KRAVITZ

he hotel hospitality industry in Australia faces one daunting task that its industry members share around the world, and that is employee turnover. In a study entitled Australian Tourism Labor Force Report: 2015 – 2020, prepared by the industry analyst Deloitte Access Economics, “the average employee turnover rate in the [Australian] tourism and hospitality sector was 66 percent, broadly similar to the 2011 results. This again reflects the relatively transitory nature of large parts of the tourism labor force and the fluctuations inherent in seasonal employment.” This means that in any given year, employers in these industry sectors will have to replace more than half their staff. And while there is recent evidence, as of 2015, that there has been some improvement and the turnover rate has slightly declined, “these problems remain an issue,” according to the report. “Approximately half of businesses identified a problem recruiting employees, and just over one-third experienced difficulties retaining staff.” While turnover rates may be slightly lower, the study revealed another issue that needs closer examination. The researchers said that “overwhelmingly [tourism and hospitality businesses] reported that this staff is not appropriately skilled for

the position to which they are recruited.” If we look closer, what can only be termed as a “vicious and expensive” cycle begins for employers and administrators. It goes something like this: • A hotel hires someone for a housekeeping position that lacks the skills to properly perform the tasks required. • For a variety of reasons, including time and resources, hotel administrators spend little time training this new worker. • Because the employee was inadequately trained, duties are performed improperly and guest complaints begin. • As complaints start, the worker begins to question her adequacy for this job. • Eventually, she takes another position or stops working entirely. When this happens, the negative impact on hotel management can be summed up in one word: cost. Hiring someone costs money; training someone – as minimal as it may be – costs money; handling customer complaints and taking steps to rectify the situation costs money; starting the whole process over and finding a new staffer costs money. This is the vicious and expensive cycle mentioned earlier.

And there is another cost we need to discuss. When employers in the hospitality industry as well as the professional cleaning industry experience high turnover rates, they tend to be less interested in investing in new cleaning tools. This is true even when employers know the equipment will improve worker productivity and help reduce costs. The reason is simple. Staying with the old cleaning tools and cleaning technologies, such as mops and buckets for example, requires less training than taking the time to train a worker on an automated cleaning process that could save thousands of dollars; prove much more effective; enhance safety; and possibly slow down the employee turnover revolving door.

STEPPING ON THE ’TURNOVER’ BRAKES In all fairness, the Deloitte researchers attributed several factors that might cause this turnover cycle in the Australian hospitality industry. For one thing, many hotels are seasonal. They only hire when needed and as needed. But this may cause them to hire people that they know are not skilled enough for the position and likely will not stay very long. In this case, managers are just looking for a “body” to fill the position.

What this suggests is that the conventional classroom training format may not work and may be one of the key reasons for staff turnover. Fortunately, there are ways to rectify this. At least one manufacturer is making available onboard computer “tutors,” which can be used with computer tablets, video players, smartphones, or other similar systems. These tutoring systems can be attached and accessed on the cleaning equipment as it is used. In such situations, the workers learn by doing, which invariably is one of the best if not the best learning technique.

In some cases, the wages paid to cleaning workers, housekeepers, and others in the industry compare unfavorably to what workers are paid for other jobs in other sectors. This, as well as the times and hours these workers may be required to work, are invariably factors that result in increased staff turnover. But the key problem, or at least one of the major problems that appears over and over again, is the issue of skills. Not only do many workers not have the skills for the job, but they are also not adequately trained from the start – and on an ongoing basis – to do the job. Is it possible that we could put the brakes on staff turnover – or at least slow it down – so that it is more manageable and less costly if we provided the workers with more training opportunities? In many cases, the answer is yes.

TRAINING: IN THE CLASSROOM VS. ON-THE-JOB Traditionally, new hotel housekeepers would have a few days of training before beginning their duties. However, what often happens in such situations is the following:

• Workers scheduled to attend the training are absent. • Some employees in the class learn quickly while others do not or don’t learn at all. • For many cleaning employees and housekeepers, there is a general reluctance to learn new cleaning methods or technologies; after training, they perform their duties as they did before. • Even if a new cleaning method is taught and understood, cleaning workers may adhere to it for a while but slowly drift back to how they cleaned in the past. • If cleaning employees/housekeepers do not learn how to use a new cleaning system or method, they get discouraged, often leading them to quit the job. • If the new cleaning method involves new equipment, cleaning workers may be intimidated by the equipment. • Sometimes the new equipment is used but not used correctly, resulting in equipment failure, building damage, or injury. In such cases, the machine may find a permanent home in the janitorial closet.

Plus, they can learn at their own pace, and if they did not understand something taught in a classroom setting, for instance, they could return to that training as much as they want using one of these onboard systems. We don’t want a situation in which what is taught in the classroom stays in the classroom. We want it practiced in a real world, real work environment and these cleaning tutors might just be the answer. Marc Ferguson is the international business development manager for Kaivac, manufacturers of floor, carpet, and restroom cleaning systems for all types of facilities including hotels. He can be reached through his company website at www.kaivac.com

ENDING DISCOURAGEMENT Earlier we mentioned that if cleaning workers/housekeepers do not learn how to properly use a new cleaning tool or method, it often results in discouragement. Discouragement is something we want to avoid at all costs, and using training technologies as discussed can help stop discouragement in its tracks. We want housekeepers to enjoy their work and perform professionally at their jobs. When this happens, they are more proficient, and when they are more proficient, they are more likely to stay on the job, which is the goal. 

Match your Staff and Floor with the

Vacuum Cleaner

T H IG

SEBO is BEST for fast, reliable vacuuming. Designed to be both operator and service friendly!

Fast

SEBO D8

PROFESSIONAL

Purchasing the right vacuum cleaner to correctly maintain the hotel floors and to also suit the Operator is not something to leave to chance.

Operators Love... SEBO, a world leader in professional vacuums - chosen for their fast cleaning, ease-of-use, reliability and durable construction.

First Impressions Last...

Made in Germany - SEBO leaves floors (hard or soft) superbly clean with 100% lint and hair pick up.

Service Friendly... Indicator warning systems, toolfree access to blockages and 24/7 troubleshoot assistance.

Flooring Manufacturers... Recommend SEBO as the vacuum cleaner brand to keep quality flooring in tip-top condition. Patented Airbelt TM bumper for wall & furniture protection. Diffused clean exhaust air for quieter operation. 360 deg. swivel tapered hose. Large 6.0l Ultra-Bag TM.

SEBO D8 Barrel

Extra long 18m cleaning reach.

Free Expert Advice...

MADE IN GERMANY

For more information on which is the right SEBO for your staff and flooring, or to find your nearest SEBO stockist phone: 1300 697 326 or visit www.sebo.com.au

Best

SEBO G2

PROFESSIONAL

3 ways to ensure a

CONSISTENT CLEANING WORKFLOW BY MURRAY MCDONALD, DIRECTOR OF DUPLEX CLEANING MACHINES

When it comes to housekeeping cleaning priorities, what commonly comes to mind is using the right equipment, ensuring all key rooms are scheduled for cleaning and attending to stains and spills as soon as possible.

lthough these elements are very important, having a consistent “workflow” is crucial to an effective cleaning regime. When we are using a correct housekeeping workflow, in conjunction with the right cleaning methods, you will not only achieve a visual clean but a deep clean. When it comes to cleaning methods and technology, the use of a high-temperature steam method with microfibre is renowned for its deep cleaning abilities, as well as bacterial killing properties. Using just these two products can deep clean kitchens, bedrooms, kitchens and common rooms. Another key factor in using the right cleaning workflow is that if done correctly, it should limit added labour, time and resources, as well as protect housekeeping staff from unnecessary OH&S strain.

2) Start with the cleanest areas and finish with the dirtiest areas. For example, if you are cleaning a bathroom, start with basins and finish with toilets. Ensuring all critical touch points are being cleaned is also essential to your workflow. A touch point is a highly or regularly touched surface. Examples of touch point surfaces can include light switches, door knobs, phones and TV remotes. They can be both fixed surfaces or moving objects. For example, key touch points in a bathroom are light switches, door knobs, tabs, toilet seat and toilet flush buttons. An example of a consistent cleaning workflow that ensures all touch points are cleaned can be demonstrated in the following:

Here are some key elements to achieving a consistent and correct housekeeping workflow. By implementing these core components, you will be able to achieve a high level housekeeping cleaning program.

• Start with light switches and the door knob area. This can be achieved by using a steam lance to disinfect the area, and wiping down the surfaces with a microfibre cloth

TOUCH POINT CLEANING WORKFLOW

• Continue in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction to the basin. Steam clean taps, basins and drains.

When cleaning any room or surface, there are 2 rules to conducting a correct cleaning workflow; 1) Complete your cleaning workflow in either a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, and clean surfaces from the top down. For example, if you enter a room, you may turn clockwise and start cleaning the walls, working your way down to the light switch then towards the floors.

• Move onto the shower, including its walls, floors and grout. Steam surfaces starting from the top and make your way down. • Finish with the toilet area. Using steam, disinfect and detail clean water chamber, seat, rim and bowl.

TASK MANAGEMENT No matter what project or activity is carried out, having an effective task management process is crucial to a positive outcome, and housekeeping cleaning is no different. Planning, tracking and reporting is all part of a streamlined task management process. In the planning stage for housekeeping cleaning, plan what equipment and tools are required for each key room, floor surface and touch point. From there, ensure that all tools and equipment can easily be transported from room to room, or floor surface to floor surface.

This can be used by the housekeeping manager to conduct a cleaning review.

AUDITING Once you have completed your cleaning program using a consistent workflow and task management process, it’s time to make sure that no corners have been cut and no areas have gone unnoticed. For example, if you are using a steam vapour machine to clean different rooms, then it should sit in a trolley with the attachments and microfibres you require for every application. It can then be easily wheeled from bedroom to bathroom to a kitchen. The next step in your task management process is to track that you are cleaning all touch points, rooms and critical areas. This can easily be done through a cleaning manager app or system that can sit on your smartphone or tablet device. You can easily manually check off cleaning applications as you do them to keep track of what has been done. If you are using a cleaning management system on a device, then this should also be able to generate reports for you. It can provide an overview of what has been cleaned, what needs to be cleaned as well as rooms and locations.

One way to determine this is by conducting a post audit of your clean. This can be done through the use of invis markers and torches. Before you start the cleaning process, simply mark all key touch points with an invis marker. You can mark these areas with the date or day. These marketing are not visible to the naked eye and can only been under a invis torch. After the cleaning process has occurred, go to all areas you have pre-marked and illuminate these areas with the invis torch. If the marks are no longer present then the cleaning has been carried out according to schedule. If marks are present, areas may have been missed due to human error or the workflow wasn’t carried out in the correct order.  Murray McDonald is Director of Duplex Cleaning Machines and has over 25 years of experience in providing housekeepers with cleaning equipment, solutions and cleaning management systems. Visit www.duplexcleaning.com.au

ADVERTORIAL

EnduroShield

MAKING ACCOMMODATION CLEANING EASIER EnduroShield™ a permanent protective coating for Glass, Tiles & Grout and Stainless Steel is the secret in helping accommodation providers have pristine clean accommodation for their guests.

he once only permanent application will help reduce staff CLEANING TIME BY UP TO 90%, one of the tasks staff hate most is cleaning the Shower Screen and Shower Tiles & Grout. There is now a solution to make cleaning a breeze. An Australian made product EnduroShield™ is a revolutionary non-stick invisible coating for Shower Screens and Tiles & Grout. Similar to a non-stick fry pan, cleaning is made easier using only a mild detergent and water, eliminating the need for those hard cleaners that are harmful to the environment. Shower soap scum and hard water etching onto the glass are now a thing of the past thanks to EnduroShield™. EnduroShield™ for Glass not only cuts down cleaning time, but also protects the glass from staining and etching caused by the buildup of soap scum and mineral deposits. The superior protection also helps prevent mould and harmful bacteria from forming, promoting a germ free environment. EnduroShield™ Tiles & Grout is a revolutionary non-stick, invisible coating for Ceramic, Porcelain and Vitrified tiles. The ‘once only application’ not only seals the tiles

and grout but makes the surface easier to clean by up to 90%. When applied professionally the EnduroShield™ application is provided with a manufactures warranty of 10 years on glass and 5 years for tiled surfaces. EnduroShield Queensland will work with your staff to demonstrate the appropriate cleaning techniques to enable the surface to be cleaned correctly and quickly. EnduroShield Queensland also provide a glass restoration service, so if your shower screens are unsightly or can’t be cleaned our restoration service will make the glass new again at a fraction

of the replacement price. Along with minimal disruptions to room bookings it makes sense to restore and have EnduroShield™ applied to the Shower Screens. So if you have shower cleaning problems, unsightly glass surfaces and need expertise help from the industry leaders then you need EnduroShield Queensland to provide the correct solution for you.  For further information you can contact EnduroShield Queensland on PH 1300 720 106, (07) 3287 1885 or email qld@enduroshield.com or www.enduroshield.com

The RainbowAir 250 Series II Ozone Generator

UNDER $900

The RainbowAir 500 Series II Ozone Generator

UNDER $1,400

• Series II technology ensures years of reliable performance

• Designed to deodorise rooms up to 2,500 sq/ft

• Designed to deodorize rooms up to 5,000 sq/ft

• Variable ozone output up to 250 mg/hr output

• Variable Ozone Output of 0-500 milligrams per hour Top mounted with retractable carrying handle

• Top mounted with retractable carrying handle • Safety Switch

• Safety Switch • 1 Hour Timer (Automatic Shut Off)

• 1 Plate High Voltage Electrodes

• 2 Plate High Voltage Electrodes

• Weight 5.5 Kilos • Removable power cord

• Weight 5.4 Kilos • Removable power cord

The RainbowAir 1000 Series II Ozone Generator • Series II technology ensures years of reliable performance

• Safety Switch

• Designed to deodorize rooms up to 10,000 sq/ft

• 4 Plate High Voltage Electrodes

• Variable Ozone Output of 0-1000 milligrams per hour Top mounted with retractable carrying handle

• 1 Hour or 24 Hour Timer (Automatic Shut Off)

• Weight 6.5 Kilos

UNDER $1,500

• Removable power cord

All machines are supplied with a 2 year warranty on parts and labour (6 months on ozone generator plates), safety switches, steel or aluminium cabinetry, powder coat finish. Thirty Day Money Back Guarantee Convert a Smoking Room to a Non Smoking Room within an hour (in most cases). All machines are manufactured in the USA and are compliant to Australian Standards.

RAINBOWAIR AUSTRALIA 1300 132 074 I www.rainbowair.com.au

What is

SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT? BY EMMA BERTHOLD, GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL CHOICE AUSTRALIA

Sustainable procurement is designed to take into account the environmental, social and economic impacts of purchased goods and services for a business. Often such guidance is provided in the form of a policy document which may have been written by, or in consultation with, a procurement professional. This policy is then used whenever any goods or services need to be purchased for a company, building, organisation, government department – the list goes on.

o what exactly goes into these policies? What, exactly, is “sustainable” procurement? What should purchasers be looking for – and what should product manufacturers do to ensure their product measures up? Without a background in sustainable purchasing or a solid working knowledge of the surrounding issues, it can be challenging to know what sort of criteria to include in a policy document, or which products and services meet those criteria. A good sustainable procurement policy will start with the basics. It should identify the organisation’s most important sustainability goals and how these goals align with the core values of the business. Once the priorities are set, it’s a case of identifying the environmental, health and social impacts of a purchase, considering the main impact areas over the full life cycle of the product, from raw material sourcing to disposal. Once priorities have been set and a sustainable policy framework has been established, how can professionals choose between multiple products making similar sustainability claims? Choosing specific and measurable criteria for selecting goods and services can be extremely challenging without the benefit of prior knowledge of exactly what makes a product

or service “green” or sustainable in the first place. Once the criteria are established, the second challenge lies in assessing the products that fit these criteria – whether they really live up to their claims and meet those criteria. Sustainability labels, such as Good Environmental Choice Australia’s (GECA) ecolabel, can fit perfectly into sustainable procurement policies – the sustainability standards have already been established and certifying bodies have done all the work for you in checking whether a product actually meets those criteria. It makes sense to look to organisations that make sustainable products their business and have their products carry an ecolabel on them. It’s not just manufacturers who can benefit from the extra credibility that third party certification can provide, but service providers as well. For instance, GECA can certify cleaning service providers under their Cleaning Services standard, as well as certifying cleaning products. This makes it easier to know that a particular company has been independently assessed and meets GECA’s requirements for being a sustainable service provider. Unfortunately, for some markets, finding a product or service with certification can be more of a challenge, as only a fraction of products or services might carry an ecolabel. In these cases,

where it may be necessary to find ways to increase the range of choice available, it can be helpful to use criteria from sustainability standards documents to help form the backbone of a procurement policy document. All of GECA’s standards are freely available upon request, and they contain detailed criteria for environmental, health and social performance, as well as ensuring products and services are fit for purpose. On a global scale, sustainable procurement will soon become a little easier, with the release of a new International Standard. The ISO20400 International Standard for Sustainable Procurement is designed to provide guidance for organisations seeking to incorporate sustainability into their procurement policies and practices. The standard has recently been finalised and is due for release this year. And if you’re wondering whether sustainable procurement is worth it, research from EcoVadis has found that 50 percent of sustainable procurement leaders increased their revenue from sustainability initiatives – a 33 percent increase over non-leaders. It’s a better choice for the environment, for the health of your staff and your guests, and for your business. 

Laundering

MICROFIBRE CLEANING CLOTHS

BY BRIAN CLARK, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AT FM CONTRACT SOLUTIONS PTY LTD & CIMAS TECHNOLOGIES PTY LTD

Microfibre is, by design, a superior cleaning agent that attracts and holds onto a variety of organic and inorganic soils. If these contaminants are not effectively removed by the laundering process there will be a rapid deterioration in cleaning efficacy and increased risk for staff and building occupants. Microfibre cloths can act as an ideal breeding ground for bacteria growth and cross contamination.

t is important that cleaning managers look closely at the care and maintenance of microfibre mops and cloths, with a particular emphasis on effective laundering procedures and protocols. Many cleaning contractors 'clean' their microfibre by manual rinsing or dipping the cloth in disinfectant. This is very poor practice as it does not release the soil load and can lead to rapid deterioration of cloths and mops and loss of cleaning effectiveness. Common Quat based disinfectants, for instance, reduce cleaning efficiency of microfibre and have limited effectiveness in lowering bacterial contamination unless the cloth is thoroughly cleaned beforehand. Consequently, contractors could find that they are increasing their workload and exposing their workers and clients to health risks by spreading dirt and contaminants onto surfaces, rather than removing them. Manufacturers agree that microfibre needs to be washed separately from other fabrics in a dedicated wash cycle, and this must be emphasised if valuable cloths are sent to an external laundry where you have no control over the wash process. Each wash cycle should be limited to one colour of cloth in colour coded systems to prevent cross contamination. If microfibre is washed with towelling or other fabrics it will pick up all the

loose fibre and hair in the wash which will greatly affect its efficiency. Other risks include cross contamination and shrinkage, and fibre damage from incompatible chemicals and high temperature during the washing and drying processes. The ideal solution is to install commercial laundry equipment with wash programs dedicated to microfibre. The more efficient the machine, the less the cost as microfibre can be washed and processed quickly, minimising the number of stock holding.

Commercial front load washers start at 6kg capacity and there are commercial 10KG front load washer and dryers which can process several hundred 30gm cloths and mops an hour, while higher capacity programmable machines with heat are applicable for larger facilities. Machine selection is critical with the focus on programmable wash cycles, minimum water use, maximum soil extraction and fast throughput. Domestic machines and top loaders should be avoided for many reasons including high water usage, durability and spin speed. Extraction is critical as microfibre tenaciously holds on to

soil and minimum spin speeds of 1100 RPM and 300 G are essential. It is important to seek advice from the manufacturer and partner with a chemical company which employs laundry specialists. Ideally, washers should be fitted with detergent feed pumps to minimise waste and optimise wash performance and wash consistency. Microfibre is produced from a blend of polyester and polyamide fibres and generally exhibits good chemical resistance, but may be susceptible to damage by strong alkali. Colour loss may also occur with bleaches.(1) Chemical damage and loss of efficiency may also be caused by incompatible wash chemicals, strong bleach and other oxidisers, limonene and other hydrocarbon wash solvents, fabric softeners and cationic disinfectants (this includes common commercial grade disinfectants containing Quaternary Ammonium Compounds or 'Quat' Disinfectants), though manufacturers warnings vary. Disinfection is critical as cloths and mops are contaminated with microorganisms. Australian NHMRC guidelines are vague and refer to the Australian Standard AS/NZS4146— 2000 Laundry Practice as a guideline for laundering fabrics. However, this standard is now 16 years old and may not reflect current technology. It recommends thermal and chemical disinfection where heat cannot be confirmed or maintained.

benefits as it enhances the wash process and reduces the number of rinses resulting in significant reductions in water, detergent, and waste water generation as well as virtually eliminating the need for hot water.(2) Hospitals under the UK Dept. of Health have been active in researching laundering and disinfection of Microfibre and have pinpointed Aqueous Ozone as a key part in both disinfection and in lowering costs. One study by the University Hospital of Southampton reported annual savings of 36.49 per cent in water, gas and electricity costs with Ozone compared to conventional thermal laundering and noted that ‘Additional savings include the reduced energy costs in drying the microfibre mops and cloths and the reduced use of detergent in the wash cycle.’(3) Drying at correct temperatures is critical to the life and performance of microfibre cloths and mops. The most frequent complaints from cleaning managers relate to loss of dimensional stability and melting and fibre damage from commercial laundries and gas dryers set at too high a temperature. Every brand of cloth is different and manufacturers recommended drying temperatures range from 60C to 95C (140F to 200F) depending on the nature of the cloth. Consult

your manufacturer’s guidelines and launder and dry with care. Laundered cloths should be regularly audited for cleanliness and deterioration while cloths used in healthcare and food preparation may need to be regularly sampled and swabbed for bacterial growth as part of infection control procedures. Hand hygiene must be observed when handling both soiled and clean cloths to prevent cross contamination and for worker health and safety. Gloves should be worn and needle stick protocols followed and hands should be washed before and after handling cloths. Regardless of the nature of your facility your Microfibre maintenance program should be about minimising risk, protecting investment, improving safety and maintaining performance. 

REFERENCES 1. Rice R.r & DeBrum. Marc. The Ozone laundry Handbook LuLu Publishing 2011. pp;40-46 2. Cardis,D et Al. Ozone in the Laundry Industry – Practical Experiences in the United Kingdom, Ozone Science & Engineering 2001 3. https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/showcase-hospitals-report-no8-otex-laundry-system

The key to chemical disinfection is an effective sanitising agent that will not damage your cloths or affect their performance. This may be a manually added powdered product or a combination of liquid chemicals through chemical feed pumps. One of the most effective ways to ensure disinfection is to install an Ozone diffusion system in conjunction with your laundry equipment. Ozone is a powerful oxidiser, reportedly up to 3500 times faster acting than chlorine and a highly effective biocide, killing both bacteria and spores in cold water. Ozone also offers environmental

WE KNOW YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;LL LOVE

OUR

GUEST AMENITIES

Call to place your order quoting promotional code EXH10 for 10% off your first order of guest amenities Freecall: 1800 339 493

Shibu Amenities Range Development

telephone: (03) 9879 8588 48-50 Charter Street, Ringwood, Victoria, 3134 Australia www.johnbatman.com.au

Product NEWS WAGEN EXPANDS ITS NETWORK With over 40 years of supplying the industry with professional trolleys, Wagen is arguably the market leader in Australia within hospitality. Predominately supplying individual businesses, Wagen has now extended its’ network through national resellers. Recently securing partnerships with the likes of Bunzl, Reward Hospitality, Chefs Hat, Statewide Cleaning Supplies, Southern Hospitality, Spacepac, Total Cleaning

RAINBOWAIR AUSTRALIA Ozone is very effective in eliminating odours including tobacco smoke, human and pet odours, food odours, mould and mildew odours, garbage odours, renovation odours and much more. It is not a re-odorant. It totally destroys the offending gases that are the source of everything we smell. Unlike many other deodorising methods, ozone actually searches out and destroys the problem gases. It will react with contaminants in the air, water, fabrics and on the surface of the walls and ceilings. Unlike other types of air purification systems, an ozone

Supplies and more. Wagen trolleys are now available through your preferred hospitality distributor. When it comes to support and custom design, it’s business as usual at Wagen. The experienced Wagen sales team are still available to answer all your queries and aftermarket support, ensuring your customer experience is as good as the trolleys themselves.

generator does not depend on the air passing through the machine to do its job. Ozone generators also produce large quantities of ions via the corona discharge. The ions cause the dust particles to agglomerate, and precipitate from the air, leaving a cleaner environment. For more information visit 1300 132 074, www.rainbowair.com.au

BODY ZONE BLACK LABEL The benefits of Moroccan Argan Oil have been recognised for centuries. Thanks to its elevated levels of Vitamin E, Antioxidants and essential Omega 3 acids, Moroccan Argan Oil is arguably one of the most beneficial ingredients for hair and skin products. Due to these outstanding properties, we have selected Moroccan (Argan) Oil as the lead-ingredient in our Body Zone Black Label products. In combination with the fresh and zesty fragrances of Vetiver and Verbena, Body Zone Black Label offers your guests not only a satisfying personal care experience, but also those much anticipated, little moments of self-indulgence and relaxation. In addition to the cosmetic benefits of Moroccan Oil, there is also an important socio-economic aspect to this ingredient; the cultivation of Argan plantations in Morocco.

Argan Oil production today supports the lives and families of 2.2 million people in the ‘Arganeraie’ region. Through the establishment of formal co-operatives which are supported by leading international organisations, Argan Oil production has provided Berber tribes with a higher social status and an income, which many now use to fund education for themselves or their children. Whether you are looking for a genuine lifestyle brand, or simply a modern toiletry range, Body Zone Black Label not only enhances the presentation of your hotel bathroom, but also provides a luxury bath experience for your guests. Body Zone Black Label is formulated to deliver everyday sophistication and above all, ensure your guests enjoy a memorable stay.

JOHN BATMAN GROUP John Batman Group is a leading supplier of Tourism & Hospitality products and supplies throughout Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Our friendly customer service team is here to help or you can shop online. We offer a great flat rate delivery Australia wide and all of our prices include GST. Shop thousands of hospitality products and supplies online:

As a family owned and operated business with over 50 years of industry experience you can be confident in the quality of our products and services.

• Guest Amenities

• Electrical

• Compendiums

• Menus

• Bedding

• Luggage Racks

At John Batman Group we provide our customers with the perfect purchasing solution by supplying a wide range of products and the ability to cover all your needs in one place.

• Towels

• Room Accessories

• Lighting

• Print & Publications

Freecall: 1800 339 493, or visit www.johnbatman.com.au

John Batman Group services all sectors of the accommodation and hospitality industry including hotels, motels, resorts, serviced apartments, B&B’s, holiday parks, healthcare, aged care, clubs, pubs, cafes and restaurants.

THE BATHROOM BUTLER RANGE The Bathroom Butler range of energy efficient heated towel rails provide deliciously warm, dry towels and beautiful storage solutions, truly completing the bathroom space as a comfortable retreat. Manufactured from GRADE 304 Stainless Steel it is the perfect choice material for the hotel bathroom. The inherent anti-corrosion properties of this material prevent rusting, flaking, chipping, peeling and staining. GRADE 304 Stainless Steel is also no-porous and hygienic, easy to clean and does not collect bacteria or algae. The Bathroom Butler range of energy efficient heated towel rails provide deliciously warm, dry towels and beautiful storage solutions, truly completing the bathroom space as a comfortable retreat. Towels are able to be reused time and time again without the worry of bacteria, making the heated

towel rail the perfect energy efficient solution for high-use areas. The Personal Temperature Selection switch is a discreetly built-in temperature control that allows the user to adjust the temperature of the Bathroom Butler heated towel rail and to switch in ON and OFF for added energy savings. And with dual entry installation is so much easier with both left and right electrical connections. Now you can also choose to install the Bathroom Butler heated towel rail upside-down to better suit your space or electrical point. Rest easy in the knowledge you are getting the finest product available on the market – Bathroom Butler’s GRADE 304 Stainless Steel heated towel rails come with a 10-year warranty. The heating element comes with a 5-year guarantee, and the control options come with a 1-year guarantee against manufacturing defects. For more information visit www.bathroombutler.com

MEET THE LATEST FLOOR CLEANING TECHNOLOGY FOR HOUSEKEEPING Distributors of the Italian brand of accommodation cleaning equipment, Duplex Cleaning Machines, launched its latest 3-in-1 floorscrubber into the Asia-Pacific region. Director of Duplex, Murray McDonald, says the newly released Duplex Lithium is catered for hotels and motels where traditional mops and vacuums may be used. “For smaller hotels and motels that require something more substantial than a mop and bucket due to hygiene and cross contamination reasons, the Duplex Lithium will get deep within the pores of a floor surfaces and lift out dirt and bacteria, rather than move it around,” Mr McDonald said. “This machine is designed to combine the flexibility of a floor mop with

the mechanics of a commercial floorscrubber. It’s cordless, battery operated and will wash, scrub and dry all types of floors in a single pass. “Nowadays, accommodation facilities are moving towards chemical-free cleaning and this new product requires no chemicals and minimal water use. “The Duplex Lithium is the latest generation of our Duplex Floorscrubber range, which has been in the market for over 25 years and caters to larger hotels and food and beverage facilities. We saw a gap in the market for floor cleaning in smaller sized facilities and we believe the Duplex Lithium will fulfil this need.” For more information, visit www.duplexcleaning.com.au

Port Douglas

Mackay

South Pacific Laundry specialises in the provision of quality linen and supplies for the customer service and hospitality industries. SPL provides:

Adelaide

• A 365 day service to all its clientele with a 24 hour turnaround. • A leading edge technology in RFID to assist housekeeping and managerial staff in time reduction and efficiency.

South Pacific Laundry (SPL) has been a provider of commercial laundry and linen services to the hospitality industry in Melbourne for the last 20 years. Currently, the South Pacific Group is establishing a strong network of modern laundry across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia with plans for several more facilities up the East Coast of Australia in 2017. The relocation of our Sydney operations to a new larger facility in Bankstown together with the relocation of our Brunswick plant to Broadmeadows will establish South Pacific Laundry as the single largest privately owned laundry in Australia and in the Southern Hemisphere.

Contact Robert Teoh National PR & Marketing P: (03) 9388 5300 M: 0421 716 888 Coverage Australia wide

Pricing Information Contact supplier direct Delivery Free daily delivery within 25km city metropolitan areas Minimum Order Contact supplier direct

• Dedicated account managers and experienced support staff who are available 7 days a week. • A dedicated software design package and centralised billing system enables seamless transactions, paperless and customised reports. • Delivery rationalisation systems, providing and streamlining efficient delivery routes which will reduce the company’s carbon footprint. • Building of partnerships and sharing benefits with the customers from savings made through its constant laundry process innovations and group purchasing power of linen products. • Dry cleaning, Uniform cleaning services, Housekeeping services, Dust mat hire and Cleaning services. • Provision and supplying of Corporate uniforms/work wears and customised hotel room Amenities.

Full Contact Information South Pacific Laundry 9-23 King William St Broadmeadows VIC 3047 P: (03) 9388 5300 F: (03) 9387 2399

*Albury only

E: customerservice@southpacificlaundry.com.au robert.teoh@southpacificlaundry.com.au

E N HANCING LUXU RY E XPE RIE NCES

SINCE 1998, INTERNATIONAL INTERIOR IMAGES HAVE SUPPLIED PREMIUM GUEST AMENITIES TO LUXURY HOTELS AND RESORTS THROUGHOUT AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. WITH A PORTFOLIO OF LUXURY, INTERNATIONAL BRANDS, AS WELL AS OUR OWN AUSTRALIAN MADE AND AUSTRALIAN INSPIRED COLLECTIONS WE OFFER AN EXTENSIVE RANGE OF ITEMS INCLUDING TOILETRIES, LINEN, ROBES, SLIPPERS, PROMOTIONAL ITEMS, AND CORPORATE GIFTS. UNFORGETABLE QUALITY AT AFFORDABLE PRICES BACKED BY OUR IMPECCABLE REPUTATION FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE.

SMALL INDULGENCES. HUGE IMPRESSIONS. T: +61 3 9673 1444 ~ E: info@interior-images.com.au ~ www. interior-images.com.au

B U L G A R I ~ M O LT O N B R OW N ~ H 2 K ~ R E N ~ A S PA R ~ L AT H E R ~ F R E T T E ~ K U B E S YS T E M S S E R E N D I P I T Y ~ O R A N A ~ A L L A B O U T M E ~ AU S T R A L I A