A housekeeping uniform is useful for identifying members of staff and for portraying your brand as a whole. By choosing the right housekeeping uniform, you can ensure that your staff look smart and make a good impression on your clients and customers. Uniform can also help to build team spirit because it makes everyone feel as though they are part of the team rather than one individual doing an individual role.
However, it’s also important to bear in mind that housekeeping is a busy role that is physically demanding. When choosing a housekeeping uniform, you should not just look for style but also consider comfort and functionality. A comfortable uniform with many practical features can make a positive difference because it allows your staff to complete their tasks more efficiently. Here, we outline some useful features that you can consider for your housekeeping uniforms.
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Storage for a pen.
A pen is always handy for helping customers with queries, jotting down reminders, making a note of any maintenance issues and for marking progress through allocated work for the day. Uniform that includes a pen pocket with elasticated storage ensures that staff can carry a pen at all times so that they have it to hand whenever they need it.
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Storage for an ID card.
In areas with restricted access, staff need to carry ID, swipe or chip cards around with them to ensure that they can get through secure doors. This is particularly an issue for housekeeping staff who need to use a key card to access multiple hotel room doors in quick succession, but who may have their hands full with cleaning products. Including storage for an ID card within the uniform allows staff to securely carry their card around with them without needing to constantly hold it or store it in unsafe places, such as on top of the housekeeping trolley, where it could easily be lost or stolen.
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Belt buckles for keys.
Pockets may seem like adequate storage for keys but large bunches of keys can be uncomfortable when kept in skirt or trouser pockets. Housekeeping staff must choose between storing the keys away from their person – for example, placing them on trolleys or on surfaces in the rooms they are attending to – or keeping them securely in their pocket, where they hinder movement. A reinforced fabric loop on skirts and trousers allows keys to be hooked or clipped on to the uniform, ensuring that they remain with the member of staff at all times but don’t get in the way of the work that needs to be completed.
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Large pockets for paperwork.
Whether it’s a cleaning checklist or a room list, there’s often paperwork to be completed in a housekeeping role to ensure that cleaning standards are maintained and that tasks are checked off. These ideally need completing as the housekeeping staff progress through their day and so should be kept with them, but bits of paper are easily lost if you don’t provide storage for them. An apron or similar can be used to make life easier with large, deep pockets that allows the storage and easy access of paperwork.
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Small, zip pockets for small, handy items.
There are always small items that are important but easily lost and difficult to carry from place to place if your hands are full, such as hex keys. Small pockets with zips in offer a storage space that is appropriately sized for such items and the zip fastening ensures that items cannot fall out, which is handy for housekeeping staff who have a very active role and who may need such little tools to proactively fix maintenance issues on the spot.
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Reinforced pocket or buckle for a radio.
Housekeeping staff often have a means of keeping in touch with Reception, administrative or maintenance staff. It’s important that information is communicated both to and from the housekeeping team to ensure the smooth running of the business. However, housekeeping staff are often pressed for time and may not return to central areas of the building for the entirety of their shift. Where this is the case, they need a mobile means of communication which is often a radio, a pager or a mobile phone. As with other items staff need to carry, a method of storage that is purpose built into the uniform can be very helpful. In the case of a radio or pager, then a reinforced buckle would be sufficient. Alternatively, you could have an elasticated pocket for either a radio, pager or mobile phone.
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Flexible sleeves.
Restrictive clothing is not helpful for roles that require a lot of physical activity. Multi-functional sleeves are ideal for housekeeping uniforms. Sleeves can be worn long for when a more formal appearance is appropriate, such as assisting customers, or when the weather is cold. For working in warmer weather and for physical tasks such as cleaning, long sleeves should be able to be transformed into shorter sleeves that are cooler and allow the arms freedom of movement. By investing in sleeves that can transform into either the long or short sleeve style, you can save money as you need only provide one type of uniform, instead of having to provide both a summer and a winter uniform.
Functional uniforms with practical storage are important for supporting your housekeeping team. While housekeeping staff can make do with a basic uniform, providing a uniform that accounts for their needs and helps them to do a better job is beneficial for your business as a whole. Your staff will find their job easier because they have all the tools they need to hand to complete their tasks efficiently and proactively help customers. Happy, productive staff leads to happy, satisfied customers.