Picture this: As guests filter into your hotel lobby to check in, they glance around to find dusty entry tables and floors filthy with tracked-in grime from outside. Musty smells waft up from the furniture and carpets, while front desk agents — odor-blind to these everyday smells — are too busy to address the unwelcoming odors.
For many guests, it is their first time stepping into this space. And first impressions are hard to overcome.
Of course, housekeepers make their rounds each morning to prevent this exact situation, but even one seemingly minor oversight can result in a tarnished guest experience — and even a lower Yelp rating. To ensure your hotel lobby is in top shape to give the first best impression to your guests, follow this daily hotel lobby cleaning checklist:
1. Mop and Sweep Hotel Lobby Floor
Two different types of flooring — carpets and hard surfaces — require two very different cleaning approaches.
Hard surfaces such as wood and tile need to be swept several times as shoes and suitcases leave scuffs and trails of dirt throughout the day. Be sure to mop intermittently to address tougher spots and stains. After the floor is mopped, put the standard “Slippery When Wet” sign up for guests to avoid unnecessary accidents.
Ask your front desk staff to keep an eye out for additional eyesores that may pop up throughout the day and alert housekeepers, when needed, to maintain a spotless appearance, round-the-clock.
2. Vacuum Lobby Carpet, Mats, and Rugs
Carpet can be a magnet for dirt particles, but they can also hide them more effectively than tile or hard flooring. Your lobby’s carpet, mats, and rugs require daily vacuums to keep them clean and remove debris that guests track in.
Daily vacuuming, however, does not address musty smells or other foul odors rising from carpet fibers. On an as-needed basis, use Fresh Wave IAQ Carpet & Upholstery Additive to neutralize set-in odors from mildew, standing water, smoke, vomit, and other sources. Its non-toxic, plant-based formula is not only safe for guests and staff, but can be added to any truck mount or steam cleaner for easy application.
Bonus: Keep your vacuums fresh between uses by adding Fresh Wave IAQ Odor Removing Vacuum Pearls to reduce exhaust odors.
3. Keep Furniture Clean
As weary guests wait in your lobby, they’re bound to leave furniture less than tidy. Muddy feet, spilled drinks or snacks, dirty luggage carts, and even visiting pets can create lobby messes. Keep couches, chairs, and other seating looking fresh by wiping down and vacuuming daily. Be sure to cover the arm rests, seat, and back rest thoroughly.
Remove finger smudges and dust from tables and counters with a regular dusting and wipe-down. For glass surfaces, use a glass-specific cleaners to leave a streak-free finish.
As a final step to your cleaning, use Fresh Wave IAQ Air & Surface Spray to eliminate any lingering odors. This powerful spray can get rid of set-in smells from couches and chairs, pillows, curtains, countertops, coffee areas, workstations, and other high-traffic locations.
4. Empty Trash Bins
Pick up any trash lingering on floors, counters, tables, and furniture. Then, gather up trash and recycling bins and empty their contents into the hotel dumpsters.
Inspect the now-empty bins for lingering grime or odors. If necessary, wipe down and sterilize before returning to their original positions throughout the lobby.
To keep trash from causing odor issues, use Air & Surface Spray to refresh areas around garbage bins.
5. Regularly Clean Restrooms
Hotel lobby bathrooms get a lot of traffic. Even if the rest of your lobby sparkles and shines from its daily cleaning schedule, bathroom maintenance and odor removal can make or break your guests’ experience.
Start with checking that your hotel lobby’s restroom has all the necessary amenities, from toilet paper, paper towels, and hand soap to luxury extras like lotion and hygiene products. Check back throughout the day to confirm supplies are replenished as needed.
Once your bathrooms are properly stocked, mop floors, change trash, and wipe down surfaces — including toilets, urinals, sinks, and countertops. Make a regular schedule to review supplies and cleanliness each hour or during the days’ busiest times.
Finally, keep smells at bay with odor elimination and odor prevention. Many restrooms use fragranced air fresheners to mask odors. However, studies show these products contain ingredients that can cause harmful health side effects for your guests and staff. Safely tackle stubborn restroom smells in the air and on surfaces with odor eliminating products from Fresh Wave IAQ. All products, like the versatile Air & Surface Spray, use natural ingredients (like plant oils and water) to find and remove odor molecules.
To keep odors from coming back, install Wall Mounts containing Fresh Wave IAQ Odor Absorbing Gels to destroy odor molecules continuously and between cleanings.
