Successfully turning over a room that had a pet guest the previous night requires the right products and procedures to ensure a room leaves no trace of man’s best friend for the following guest.
As a general rule, it is important to remember that choosing products containing enzymes will be most effective in treating rooms with pet stains and odors. Enzymes work by essentially attacking the organic compounds in pet odors that cause unpleasant smells. Using a product without enzymes will be less effective in restoring a room because it does not get at the root of the problem like enzymes do.
There are essentially two pet-specific situations that need to be addressed in the guest room. The first being an “incident” where there is not only a noticeable odor, but a visible stain on the carpet or upholstery. The second is when there is no noticeable stain, but a general lingering pet odor. Each situation has a simple, effective solution to restoring a guest room:
VISIBLE INCIDENT:
- Remove any excess solid with a rag. For soft surfaces, make sure not to rub the soil into the surface any deeper.
- Use a carpet spotting product, preferably an enzymatic product, and apply liberally.
- Wait for the appropriate time suggested on the bottle.
- Cover the spot with a terry cloth and use a spotting brush, or any other blunt object to strike the terry cloth repeatedly.
- Repeat this process as necessary until the spot is gone.
LINGERING ODOR (NO INCIDENT):
- Use an odor elimination product, preferably containing enzymes, and apply to all of the soft surfaces such as carpet, drapes, etc, as you would to remove any other malodor.
- Repeat this process as necessary until the odor is no longer apparent.
Using these techniques will help keep pet spots and odors at bay, while allowing properties to turn over rooms without any down time.
HAIR AND DANDER REMOVAL
Pet hair and dander also present unique challenges to room cleaning. Dusting and vacuuming cleaning procedures become extremely important when pets have stayed in rooms to mitigate the risk of allergic reactions going forward. Be sure staff follows the dusting and vacuuming procedures closely in these rooms. After cleaning the room, it is important to use a sticky roller of some kind to finish off all soft surfaces that may still contain hair and dander. This includes running the sticky roller over the bed, pillows, and chairs to ensure that no hair or dander is left behind for the next guest.
Going pet-friendly definitely presents challenges to properties like never before, but having the proper products and procedures in place can help hotel operators meet these challenge and capitalize on this growing trend.
Keystone Air & Fabric Refresher