ACTIVITIES OF LINEN ROOM
ACTIVITIES
OF LINEN ROOM
The
following are the activities of linen room
q Collection
of soil linens
q Counting
and sorting of the soiled linens.
q Packing
of the soiled linens for the laundry.
q Dispatch
of soiled lines to the laundry
q Receipt
of fresh linen from the laundry.
q Checking
and sorting of the fresh linens
q Storage
of the fresh linens
q Distribution
of fresh linens to the floor and others areas.
q Stitching
/ monogramming of all the hotel uniforms.
q Repairs
& alterations
q Stock
taking & linen maintenance records
q Security
q Hours
of operation.
Let’s have a look one by one how
linen room activities take place.
q Collection of soiled linen
q
Counting and Sorting of soiled
linen
q Packing of
the soiled linens for the laundry
Linen is generally packed in canvas bags to prevent damage to the
linen articles. Those articles that need mending and those, which are heavily
stained, may be segregated and put into separate canvas bags. The use of colour
coding in this respect is useful.
q Dispatch of soiled lines to the laundry
This mostly refers to the off-premises laundry. The time for dispatch
is usually anytime between 1300 PM / hrs. and 1600 PM / hrs. so that servicing
of rooms is over by then and guest laundry will have been collected. It is quite
possible that soiled linen from the F&B outlets will also have been
collected.
q Receipt of fresh linen from the laundry.
Meanwhile
fresh linen is also received from laundry which is to be distributed to
respective area for smooth running of operation.
qChecking and
sorting of the fresh linens
Checking the quantity to confirm that the amount of laundered
linen tallies with the amount of soiled linen articles sent. Examination of the
quality of wash i.e. stains and dirt removed, no damages, no loss of shape or
colour, no blue streaks or patches from the optical brightener, properly
ironed. It is also quite possible that articles belonging to other hotels have
been inadvertently delivered, so checking for this is essential.
qStorage of the fresh linens
The amount of space to be allocated for storage always depends on
the size and type of operation and the linen coverage. When designing the storage space for
linen it is necessary to consider the type of shelves required, the method of
storage as well as hygiene and safety factors.
q Distribution of fresh linens to the
floor and others areas.
This is usually done on a clean-for-dirty basis. A few hotels use
other systems of exchange such as topping up or a fixed issue based on expected
occupancy. Still, others may use package system. Linen could be colour-coded
for convenience. Whatever the system, it must be practical and serve the
purpose of linen control. In some hotels, specific timings are fixed as per convenience
for issue of linen. Generally clean linen is delivered in the morning
hours and evening deliveries are usually for guest laundry.
q Stitching / monogramming of all the hotel
uniforms.
The appellation or logo of the establishment is put onto the linen
item for identification. The supplier / contractor may do this or the
establishment, by embroidering, printing or embossing either directly on the
fabric or on labels which are attached to the linen article. In certain special
cases, the logo/name may actually be incorporated in the weave by the
manufacturer. To judge the life span of an article, the date that it was first
put into circulation might also be indicated on the article.
q Repairs
& alterations
Damaged items are fixed by stitching or darning. Alteration of outfits
is usual and condemned linen is converted into useful items called cut-downs/
makeovers. It is important to maintain a record of the such condemned articles
and the makeovers, so that they can be adjusted in the stock records.
q Stock taking
& linen maintenance records
Several records are entered on a day-to-day basis for the exchange
of linen between the linen room, laundry and floors/departments. Purchase
records are critical and records of condemned linen and makeovers are usually
maintained. Periodical stocktaking is carried out and the annual stocktaking is
recorded in the stock register, thereby providing the worth of linen as an
asset.
q Security
It is important that the access to the linen room is restricted so
as to prevent any misuse and pilferage. Also, linen is prone to fire breakouts
so precautionary measures are taken to prevent this and the linen room must be strictly
a non-smoking area.
q Hours of operation.
This varies from one association to another but is usually from
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or at least for 10 hours in the day. When locked, the keys are kept
back with the Security or the Resident Manager or the Housekeeper. In the event
of an urgent requirement of linen during the night, the Duty Manager or the
Night House-person may remove items from an emergency store or from the main
Linen Room and leave a note with details of what has been removed along with
time.
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