Fitted sheet <\/h3>\n
This is the first sheet to go on a mattress, and has round, “fitted” corners. It’s made to fit the shape of the mattress. These sheets can be tricky to fold, so here’s a funny video with Martha Stewart<\/a> that teaches how to fold a fitted sheet.<\/p>\n The sheet that goes on top of the fitted sheet is called a flat sheet.<\/p>\n The thicker blanket that goes on top of the flat sheet and covers the bed is called a bedspread or comforter. Both words are commonly used. In this Ikea catalog<\/a> it’s called a bedspread, while this Target catalog<\/a> uses the word comforter.<\/p>\n Pillows are soft rectangles that make your head comfortable while you sleep. The fabric that covers a pillow is called a\u00a0pillow case<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The small tables on either side of the bed are called night tables.<\/p>\n This is a small digital clock that can also be used to set an alarm.<\/p>\n On a night table you’ll often find a lamp, which is a small light so people can see at night. It has a light bulb<\/strong> inside, which needs to be replaced every now and then when it “burns out” and no longer produces light. On some\u00a0lamps, the light bulb is covered by a lampshade<\/strong> to make it look prettier. (You can see here that the Pixar lamp<\/a> has a light bulb, but it doesn’t have a lampshade.)<\/p>\n The alarm clock, lamp and other electronics are plugged into electric outlets, found on the walls. The part at the end of the cord<\/strong> with two electric prongs is called a plug<\/strong>. You put the plug in the socket (on the wall) to “plug in” the device.\u00a0<\/p>\n The plastic bag put inside empty trash\/garbage cans can be called a garbage bag or liner.<\/p>\n Mints are small, flavored candies that make your breath smell good. They are made with spearmint or peppermint. Sometimes housekeepers in hotels leave these on the pillows after they clean.<\/p>\n This is a small, plastic container\u2014usually lined with a plastic bag\u2014where guests can put ice (from the ice machine in the hallway).<\/p>\n In a bedroom, this is where clothes can be hung and stored. Clothes are hung on hangers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n This is a small surface where guests can put their luggage (suitcases), to keep it off the floor. In hotels, luggage racks usually fold up, so they don’t take up space while not in use.<\/p>\n A dresser, desk or counter might have drawers that pull out so guests can store items inside. When cleaning rooms, it will be important to open drawers to make sure guests have not forgotten any items.<\/p>\n If you do find items left behind by guests, the hotel should have a lost and found. This is an area to store items that belonged to guests and were found in the hotel. When guests lose something, they will ask if you have a lost and found.<\/p>\n The thermostat is a small device on the wall which tells you the room’s temperature. It’s also used to change the temperature in the room and make it warmer or cooler.<\/p>\n These are circular, battery-operated devices used to warn people of fires. They are usually put on the ceilings in rooms. If smoke detectors sense (detect) smoke, a loud alarm will sound.<\/p>\n Guests use this\u00a0small, square cloth to wash their face. It can also be called a\u00a0washcloth<\/strong>.<\/p>\n This is a small towel that guests use to dry their hands.<\/p>\n A bath towel is a larger towel that guests use to dry themselves after taking a shower or bath.<\/p>\n This mat is larger than a hand towel. Guests put it on the floor before taking a shower or bath to keep the floor dry when they get out.<\/p>\n The bowl-shaped part of a toilet, filled with water, is the toilet bowl. You can see it when you flip open the\u00a0toilet lid<\/strong>, which covers the toilet bowl when closed.<\/p>\n This is the horseshoe-shaped part of a toilet, where people sit.<\/p>\n To flush a toilet, you press this handle (lever). The toilet handle is attached to the\u00a0toilet tank<\/strong>\u2014the large, rectangular, covered part of a toilet that sits against the wall.<\/p>\n This is the roll of thin, soft paper used to clean oneself after going to the bathroom. After cleaning the bathroom, housekeepers will often fold the toilet paper like this<\/a>\u00a0to show that they have cleaned. Type\u00a0“fancy toilet paper fold hotel” into a Google image search for some fun results<\/a>.<\/p>\n This tool has a stick handle connected to a rubber cup base, and usually sits upright on the floor next to the toilet. It’s used to fix plumbing<\/strong> (system of water pipes) problems in toilets.<\/p>\n A vanity<\/strong>\u00a0is a North American word\u00a0for a dressing table, which usually has a mirror and drawers. A bathroom vanity is similar, but will also have\u00a0a sink\u2014like this<\/a>.<\/p>\n These are thin, square pieces of pottery used to cover floors or walls. They have a smooth, shiny surface which is okay to get wet. That’s why they are most common in bathrooms and kitchens.<\/p>\n Regular curtains hang in front of windows to keep the light out and for privacy (so people cannot look in from outside). A shower curtain hangs in front of the shower to keep the water inside the shower\/bath and to give people privacy.<\/p>\n Water comes out of the shower head when the shower is turned on. In North America, the shower head is usually attached to the wall, at the height just above someone’s head.<\/p>\n In a bathtub or sink, water comes out of the faucet.<\/p>\n This is where water exits the sink or shower. Showers\/bathtubs have a drain on the floor, and sinks also have a drain underneath where the faucet pours water. The verb to drain<\/strong> means to let water out gradually (little by little). For example, after taking a bath, you\u00a0drain\u00a0<\/em>the bathtub by letting the water leave down the drain.<\/p>\n When guests do not want to get their hair wet when taking a shower, they can use a shower cap to keep their hair dry. Many hotels provide shower caps for their guests.<\/p>\n This is used to make the air smell clean, and is usually something that you spray into the air.<\/p>\n Most housekeepers have a cart or trolley to store their cleaning materials and basic supplies. It’s a shelf on wheels, so the cart can hold essential items and easily be pushed from room to room. Laundry carts\u00a0<\/strong>are bins on wheels, in which\u00a0you can put towels, sheets and other laundry items.<\/p>\n A sponge is a small rectangle of soft material that’s used for cleaning. It can absorb (soak up) water, so you’ll use it with water and a cleaning product.<\/p>\n This is an old cloth used for cleaning.<\/p>\n This type of cloth is very, very soft, and traps a lot more dirt than regular cloths and rags. It’s spelled microfibre<\/strong><\/em> in many English-speaking countries outside of the United States.<\/p>\n This tool has a fluffy, feather-like end for cleaning dust (and often spider webs!), usually in high places. When you dust surfaces like tables, however, you’ll likely use dusting spray<\/strong> and a rag\/cloth instead.<\/p>\n A broom is used to sweep\u00a0<\/strong>the floors in order to clean away any dust or other tiny\u00a0items. It has a long handle with a brush at the end. You sweep the dust\u00a0into\u00a0a\u00a0dustpan<\/strong>, which you can\u00a0then pick up and empty into a trash can.<\/p>\n A mop is kind of like a broom, except it’s used to wash floors. Attached to the long handle will either be a large sponge or thick, loose strings that can soak up water. You usually use a bucket<\/strong> of water when mopping the floors.<\/p>\n After you dip a mop into a bucket of water, you’ll use a wringer to wring out<\/strong>\u00a0(squeeze\/twist out) extra water from the mop before\u00a0putting it on the floor.<\/p>\n This is a cleaning machine that sucks up dust and dirt from the floors. It’s usually used on carpeted floors and some rugs, and it must be plugged in to work. Some vacuum cleaners have vacuum cleaner bags<\/b> that need to be replaced when they are full. Other vacuums have a section that collects the dust and dirt, and needs to be emptied when it’s full.<\/p>\n This is a machine that uses hot steam (water vapor) to clean various surfaces. Some steam cleaners look like vacuums and are used to clean floors. Others are handheld<\/strong>\u00a0(are held in your hand), and used to clean a variety of surfaces, such as\u00a0windows, tiles, mirrors and more.<\/p>\n Has a cat ever sat in your lap when you were wearing a black sweater? The cat probably left lots of cat hair on your sweater. A lint roller is a sticky, circular “brush” that you can roll over fabrics (like sweaters, couches, blankets, etc.) to remove hair and lint<\/strong> (short, tiny fibers from fabrics).<\/p>\n This is a liquid substance used to clean surfaces like windows, glass and mirrors. It’s almost always sold in a spray bottle<\/strong> so that you can easily spray the cleaning product onto the surface. Windex is a brand of window\/glass cleaner sold in the United States, Canada and Germany, and it’s easily recognized by its blue color.<\/p>\n When washing windows or mirrors, you might use a squeegee<\/a> to smoothly scrape off any dirt and the window cleaner without leaving smudges (marks) on the windows.<\/p>\n This is a cleaning liquid that you spray onto furniture and then rub with a cloth. Tables, desks, beds and chairs are all furniture<\/strong>\u2014basic items that make\u00a0a room livable.\u00a0Not all\u00a0furniture polishes can be used on the same surfaces.\u00a0For example,\u00a0Pledge furniture polish<\/a>\u00a0can be used on wood, laminate, stainless steel, leather, marble, granite and plastic surfaces.<\/p>\n If a cleaning product is labeled multi-use<\/strong>, that means it can be used on multiple (many) surfaces (like Pledge furniture polish above), or for various uses. Be sure to read the label to know which surfaces the cleaning product is meant for.<\/p>\n Non-toxic cleaning products are not poisonous, so they are safe to use. Be very careful with toxic<\/strong> cleaning products, like our next word, bleach.<\/p>\n This is a chemical used to clean and disinfect<\/strong> (kill bacteria) certain surfaces like sinks and drains. It’s also used to make linens<\/strong> (cloths) whiter. You’ll want to wear a face mask<\/strong> when cleaning with bleach. A face mask helps protect you from breathing in dangerous chemicals. And be careful\u2014if you get bleach\u00a0on your clothes, it will turn them lighter!<\/p>\n This is a chemical liquid that you pour down drains to help keep them clean and unclogged (unblocked).<\/p>\n This liquid is used to clean the inside of toilet bowls. You’ll spread the cleaning product around and scrub with a toilet bowl brush<\/strong>.<\/p>\n These are rubber gloves that you’ll wear over your hands to protect them while cleaning.\u00a0<\/p>\n This means the current situation in the room. Will a guest check out (leave) today? Is a guest sleeping over for another night? Many of the terms below are possible room statuses.<\/p>\n This means no one is in the room. Its opposite, occupied<\/strong>, means that someone is staying in the room.<\/p>\n This means that the guest has settled (paid) their bill at the front desk and left the hotel. Some hotels use “checked out and gone” for this same status.<\/p>\n The guest has not yet checked out, but they are expected (due) to leave by the check-out time that morning. Other schedules might use “checking out today” for this room status.<\/p>\n The guest will be staying over another night and is not due to check out.<\/p>\n The guest is still staying in the room, but the bed was not slept in the night before.<\/p>\n A guest has left the hotel without paying their bill and without correctly checking out.<\/p>\n Guests might place a “do not disturb” sign on their door handles, meaning they do not want to be bothered (disturbed). Do not knock on the door to clean their room.<\/p>\n The room does not want service today.<\/p>\n The time that you enter the room to begin cleaning. If you’re working somewhere that uses the 12-hour clock, be sure to use “a.m.” if it’s in the morning and “p.m.” if it’s in the afternoon or night. For example, 1:30 p.m. is an hour and a half after noon (13:30).<\/p>\n The time that you leave the room when you are finished cleaning.<\/p>\n This is a place for you to write any additional notes or comments about a certain room.<\/p>\n These are problems that need to be fixed by the hotel’s maintenance employees. Such problems might involve the lights, electrical outlets, sinks, toilets or showers, for example.<\/p>\n This is where you sign your name. When you sign a room assignment sheet, you’re usually agreeing that all of the information you wrote is correct.<\/p>\n To press the lever on a toilet that makes clean water flow in.<\/p>\n Flush<\/em> the toilet after cleaning the toilet bowl.<\/p>\n To clean something by rubbing it hard.<\/p>\n Scrub<\/em> the bathtub using a sponge and\u00a0the cleaner in spray bottle #4.<\/p>\n To clean by rubbing with a cloth; to move something over a surface.<\/p>\n Wipe<\/em> the counters with a clean cloth.<\/p>\n To replace something with another.<\/p>\n Change\u00a0<\/em>the sheets on the bed. (Put new sheets on the bed.)<\/p>\n Change\u00a0<\/em>the toilet paper when you clean the bathroom. (Replace the used toilet paper roll with a new one.)<\/p>\n To wash with plain water and no soap.<\/p>\n After you scrub the shower,\u00a0rinse\u00a0<\/em>it with water to completely remove the cleaning product.<\/p>\n To clean by rubbing in order to make something smooth and shiny.<\/p>\n Use a cloth and furniture polish to\u00a0polish <\/em>the table and desk.<\/p>\n To clean with water and soap.<\/p>\n Bring the dirty linens to the laundry room where we will wash\u00a0<\/em>them.<\/p>\n To release (squirt out) very small droplets of a liquid.<\/p>\n Spray\u00a0<\/em>the mirrors and windows with window cleaner, then wipe them with a clean cloth.<\/p>\n To bend.<\/p>\n Fold\u00a0<\/em>the clean towels neatly\u00a0and set them on the shelf in the bathroom.<\/p>\n To clean a floor with a vacuum cleaner.<\/p>\n Vacuum\u00a0<\/em>the carpet and rugs in every room.<\/p>\n To wash a floor with a mop.<\/p>\n After you sweep the floors,\u00a0mop\u00a0<\/em>them using hot water, floor cleaner and a mop.<\/p>\n To kill germs and bacteria.<\/p>\n Disinfect\u00a0<\/em>(sanitize)\u00a0the counters with this disinfecting spray.<\/p>\n To clean by removing dust.<\/p>\n Remove the newspapers and magazines, and then dust\u00a0<\/em>the coffee table.<\/p>\n To remove something; the opposite of “fill.”<\/p>\n Empty\u00a0<\/em>(take out)\u00a0the trash once you’ve finished cleaning.<\/p>\n To look carefully.<\/p>\n Open the desk drawers and\u00a0check\u00a0<\/em>for forgotten items.<\/p>\n To put in the trash\/garbage.<\/p>\n Throw out\u00a0<\/em>any trash you find on the counters.<\/p>\n To make something clean and organized.<\/p>\n Tidy up\u00a0<\/em>(straighten up)\u00a0the bookcase when you clean the master suite.<\/p>\n To replace; to fill again.<\/p>\n Refill\u00a0<\/em>the mini-fridge with soda and water.<\/p>\n To stop something by pressing an “off” button or turning a switch.<\/p>\n Don’t forget to turn off\u00a0<\/em>the lights when you leave the room.<\/p>\n To remove a plug from an electrical outlet.<\/p>\n Make sure to\u00a0unplug\u00a0<\/em>the iron after using it.<\/p>\n The floor is wet<\/em> in the bathroom.<\/p>\n The sink is dirty.<\/em><\/p>\n The hair dryer is broken.<\/em><\/p>\n The garbage is full!<\/em> It looks like it hasn’t been emptied in days!<\/p>\n There’s hair on<\/em> the bed pillow. Are these really clean sheets?<\/p>\n There’s a really bad smell<\/em>\u00a0out on the patio.<\/p>\n The water<\/em> in the shower is too hot.<\/em><\/p>\n The toilet is clogged<\/em> in room 204. We need a plumber ASAP (as soon as possible)!<\/p>\n The plumber never came, and now the toilet is now overflowing!<\/em> Help\u2014there’s water spilling onto the floor!<\/p>\n The faucet is dripping<\/em> in the kitchen sink.<\/p>\n The carpet in our room is stained;<\/em> it looks really dirty.<\/p>\n I’m so sorry, I <\/em>just spilled<\/em> red wine on the carpet. Do you have any\u00a0carpet cleaner I can use to get the stain out?<\/p>\n The power went out<\/em> in our room\u2014what’s going on?<\/p>\n (Note: this is sometimes abbreviated as “ooo<\/strong>” in housekeeping forms\/guides)<\/p>\n The vending machine in the lobby is out of order<\/em>. Is there another nearby?<\/p>\n This is a guide\u00a0that tells what action to take in case of an emergency, such as a fire, crime or health problems.<\/p>\n This is the loud sound that will go off when there is a fire. The loud alarm and blinking lights will alert people of the fire.<\/p>\n These are doors that should be used when there’s a fire to get people out faster. They are clearly marked as a “fire exit.”<\/p>\n To evacuate means to leave quickly and go to a safer place. During a fire, for example, everyone should evacuate the hotel.<\/p>\n This is a set of items used to treat physical injuries. Items in a first-aid kit often include band-aids (adhesive bandages), medical gloves, gauze, bandages, cloth tape and aspirin.<\/p>\n Hazards are dangers or risks. For a safe workplace, you should pay attention and eliminate any hazards you see. Possible hazards in hotels include harmful cleaning chemicals, cleaning carts blocking a hallway, wet floors (someone could slip and fall), electrical cords that someone could trip over, etc.<\/p>\n When weather can be dangerous, it’s called severe weather<\/a>. Depending on where you work, this could include floods (lots of rain), tornados, thunderstorms, hurricanes, earthquakes, blizzards (strong\u00a0winter storm)<\/a> or extreme heat.<\/p>\n Now that you’ve seen the most essential English words and phrases for housekeeping, it’s time to start practicing and incorporating the language into your English vocabulary.<\/p>\n Here are some resources to help you practice and learn more English for housekeeping:\u00a0<\/p>\n Hotels need to buy all of the items inside and replace them when needed. This means there are many companies that produce (make) items just for hotels. Their websites are a perfect place to practice and learn vocabulary for housekeeping because each product (item) comes with a picture.<\/p>\n A good way to learn the new vocabulary you\u2019ll see here today is with flashcard apps. These apps are often more convenient to use than making flashcards yourself.<\/p>\n Here are a few of my favorite options:\u00a0<\/p>\n FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n <\/p> \r\n You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n Flat sheet <\/h3>\n
Bedspread \/ Comforter <\/h3>\n
Pillows <\/h3>\n
Night table <\/h3>\n
Alarm clock <\/h3>\n
Lamp <\/h3>\n
Outlet <\/h3>\n
Garbage bag \/ Liner <\/h3>\n
Mints <\/h3>\n
Ice bucket <\/h3>\n
Closet <\/h3>\n
Luggage rack <\/h3>\n
Drawers <\/h3>\n
Lost and found <\/h3>\n
Thermostat <\/h3>\n
Smoke detector <\/h3>\n
Bathroom<\/h2>\n
Face cloth <\/h3>\n
Hand towel <\/h3>\n
Bath towel <\/h3>\n
Bath mat <\/h3>\n
Toilet bowl <\/h3>\n
Toilet seat <\/h3>\n
Toilet handle <\/h3>\n
Toilet paper <\/h3>\n
Plunger <\/h3>\n
Bathroom vanity <\/h3>\n
Tiles <\/h3>\n
Shower curtain <\/h3>\n
Shower head <\/h3>\n
Faucet <\/h3>\n
Drain <\/h3>\n
Shower cap <\/h3>\n
Air freshener <\/h3>\n
Cleaning<\/h2>\n
Cart \/ Trolley <\/h3>\n
Sponge <\/h3>\n
Rag <\/h3>\n
Microfiber cloth <\/h3>\n
Duster <\/h3>\n
Broom <\/h3>\n
Mop <\/h3>\n
Wringer <\/h3>\n
Vacuum cleaner <\/h3>\n
Steam cleaner <\/h3>\n
Lint roller <\/h3>\n
Window \/ Glass cleaner <\/h3>\n
Squeegee <\/h3>\n
Furniture polish\u00a0<\/h3>\n
Multi-use <\/h3>\n
Non-toxic <\/h3>\n
Bleach <\/h3>\n
Drain cleaner <\/h3>\n
Toilet bowl cleaner <\/h3>\n
Latex gloves <\/h3>\n
Room Assignment Sheets<\/h2>\n
Room status <\/h3>\n
Unoccupied <\/h3>\n
Checked out <\/h3>\n
Due-out <\/h3>\n
Stayover <\/h3>\n
Sleep out <\/h3>\n
Skipper <\/h3>\n
Do not disturb (DND)<\/h3>\n
No service today <\/h3>\n
Time in <\/h3>\n
Time out <\/h3>\n
Remarks \/ Comments <\/h3>\n
Maintenance issues <\/h3>\n
Signature <\/h3>\n
Cleaning Instructions<\/h2>\n
To flush <\/h3>\n
To scrub <\/h3>\n
To wipe (up) <\/h3>\n
To change <\/h3>\n
To rinse <\/h3>\n
To polish <\/h3>\n
To wash <\/h3>\n
To spray <\/h3>\n
To fold <\/h3>\n
To vacuum <\/h3>\n
To mop <\/h3>\n
To disinfect <\/h3>\n
To dust <\/h3>\n
To empty <\/h3>\n
To check <\/h3>\n
To throw out <\/h3>\n
To tidy up <\/h3>\n
To refill <\/h3>\n
To turn off <\/h3>\n
To unplug <\/h3>\n
Problems and Complaints<\/h2>\n
~ is wet <\/h3>\n
~ is dirty \/ ~ isn’t clean <\/h3>\n
~ is broken \/ ~ doesn’t work <\/h3>\n
~ is empty \/ full <\/h3>\n
There’s hair on \/ in ~<\/h3>\n
There’s a bad \/ weird odor (smell)<\/h3>\n
The water is too hot \/ cold <\/h3>\n
The toilet is clogged (does not flush)<\/h3>\n
~ is overflowing (flowing over the edge\/top of something)<\/h3>\n
~ is dripping <\/h3>\n
~ is stained <\/h3>\n
I spilled ~<\/h3>\n
There’s no electricity \/ The power went out <\/h3>\n
Out of order <\/h3>\n
Safety and Emergencies<\/h2>\n
Emergency action plan <\/h3>\n
Fire alarm <\/h3>\n
Fire exit door <\/h3>\n
To evacuate <\/h3>\n
First aid kit <\/h3>\n
Hazard <\/h3>\n
Severe weather <\/h3>\n
How to Learn English Vocabulary for Housekeeping<\/h2>\n
Hotel product websites<\/h3>\n
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Flashcard apps to practice vocabulary<\/h3>\n
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