In this case probably it does! 

This month we’re looking at chemicals used around the hotel and in particular the housekeeping departments. 

Did you know there were 81,000 chemicals registered with the EPA in the last 30 years? Reports tell us that fewer than 20% have been tested for toxicity. That’s a bit scary considering the everyday use of these products.

Going “Green” in the cleaning of hotel guest rooms probably conjures up using well know products like baking soda, white vinegar and salt!

Hardly practical when it comes to cleaning hundreds of rooms everyday. 

Health and safety issues in chemicals used for cleaning by hotel staff are pretty well known. Cost of a sick leave provision for staff is a real issue for management. Improper use of chemicals and anything that goes down the drain costs money to the hotel and the environment. 

So what product has technology bought to us in the last 15 years that is used extensively in hospitals and can resolve all of the issues mentioned earlier? I won’t give you the answer just yet but I do have some hard facts for you to consider from a 5 star hotel in Sydney that has completed a comprehensive trial to prove the true worth of not using chemicals. 

• They had a 3% higher rating from guest comment cards that room cleanliness was better.
• This was backed up by a bacterial swab count which came out lower than chemical cleaned surfaces. 
•  Infra red light tests for dirt buildup showed negative.
• And reports, that to the naked eye, glazed and metal surfaces such as sinks and kettles as an example looked to have an enhanced appearance.
• “They looked cleaner”. Great that’s what keeps the guests happy!!

 The trial by the hotel did include costings in terms of products and labour, training and was completed in March 07. 

Feedback from the housekeeping staff was very good with comments like -

• “The method used was less physically strenuous”
• “Feel good about less chemical usage and its helping the environment”
• “Far less water used”

In addition to the positive comments – 2 big factors were…

1. Chemical costs were reduced by 80%.
2. Water usage was down by a million litres.

   OK, so what are we talking about?  

Microfiber of course. 

Used in hospitals since the 1990s – it’s a water based cleaning solution invented and developed in Sweden in the 1990s. 

Just how high tech is Microfiber cloth?

Well when these guys say the fibre is thinner than human hair, that’s only part of the story. 

Actually one square centimeter of Microfiber contains over 30 kilometers of fibre.  

But that’s not all round surface threads on a traditional cloth are not really designed to pickup dirt particles.  Microfiber secret is the fibres are wedge shaped and that makes the millions of fibres much more effective in trapping the dirt particles. Hence the reason no chemicals are required.

The cloth is simply washed out with water at the end of the day for re-use the next day. 

All in all, a genuine Green proven product. 

Until next time… 

Greg

Click Here for One of the Leading Suppliers of Micro Fiber

Think before you speak, type or respond to guest complaints.

The internet has changed. It has the power to put businesses OUT of business.
And before you think I am exaggerating, let me share an example.

This Brisbane restaurant had to shut its doors for over 2 weeks as a result of poor service and the social media that is taking the world by storm. Watch this short video to see what I mean.

Note -- stories were run on both "A Current Affair" and "Today Tonight" as a result -- not to mention the International attention it received from sites like www.consumerist.com and more.

The moral of the story -- treat every customer and guest like they have the power to make you famous -- good and bad!

Does going “Green” make you more money? 

You’re chasing higher occupancy, achieving better room rates, keeping your overheads down – and you sometimes wonder what else can I do?  

Over the coming months I will produce a range of articles featuring tips, ideas and highly valuable information that many have not thought of that can add  $200K to the bottom line and more importantly may address hotel greenhouse emissions in a direct and indirect way.  

First up…Computers.  

Computers are rather notorious energy hogs. In the 14 years I worked in hotels I remember how many computers where left running after hours.  

Stop and think for a moment about the number of computers in sales and marketing, housekeeping, finance, and admin departments.  If your property has around 40 computers running day and night you might be shocked at the cost of this simple act of not shutting down after the shift has finished.  

According to the Dell energy calculator, a typical computer uses a minimum of $80 annually if run on an 8 hour day. Obviously that can increase when machines are left running all night long and all week long. They can cost even more when there is a printer hanging off the machine.  The old fat CRT monitors costs more to run than and LCD monitor. So you see little things make the costs add up.

Typically a bigger property with around 40 Computers may cost around $3,200 annually to run when left on all night. That figure will easily double and get even worse if other devices attached are left running also. 

Want to check for yourself? 

Go to…www.dell.com/html/us/products/optiplex/calculator/index.html 

Well you may be right thinking “that’s not much”. It’s the collection of a host of little things that can be done around the property that will deliver you energy efficiency, minimize your emissions and create significant cost savings as a result of the hotel actions. 

But there’s more you may not have thought about. 

Listen up. 

One computer for an 8 hour shift annually uses 600 kilo watt hours of energy to run – leaving it run all night all week long and that figure can double.  A power station somewhere has to generate that power and therefore creating more CO2 emissions. 

What does this all mean to you, as the person responsible for profit in your hotel? 

Stay with me as I bring the big picture together (read on…) 

These CO2 emissions are having devastating effects on the globe – with acidic levels increasing in our oceans, coral reefs disappearing and bleaching almost overnight, rising world temperatures and more.  Every little thing we each do to reduce these emissions can add up to a better more profitable future. 

On a more local and economic level, you can use these little savings to generate serious long term financial savings.  

You can use the “green” effort for some valuable PR within your hotel, and in the media. Guests want to know you are doing your part. Don’t underestimate the power of this. More celebrities and high profile people are getting behind these causes, and with the power of social media online these days – can you afford to be haphazard with your approach to being “green”? 

The money you save can be used to buy better equipment – saving you even more money. The effect compounds. Staff can get involved. Morale gets lifted. And the effect goes on. 

If you have any questions about where to start – give us a call. There are more than a hundred ways to reduce emissions, saving you thousands of dollars – some big hotels will be up to $200,000 better off if you implement what I will explain over the coming issues. 

We’d be more than happy to explain energy efficient equipment you can use to facilitate everything I’ve talked about above. Here’s to saving more money – attracting good PR – filling hotel rooms with happy guests – and helping the world in the process. 

Until next edition…  

Greg 

Managing Director Lamelec Aust.

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