White Papers
Check out these authoritative reports that address myriad problems and the ways to solve them as they relate to our industry.
The Cycle of Clean
November 22, 2011
The Cycle of Clean
Improving guest satisfaction and the bottom line with Deep Cleaning Solutions
It is an interesting time for the hospitality industry. Although the economy is recovering and occupancy levels and room rates are on the rise, improvement is slower than expected. Many hotels and casinos, still feeling the aftermath of the 2008 recession, are finding it tough to drive revenue month after month and are being careful not to add staff until the recovery is more stable. One of the biggest challenges facing the hospitality industry is offering outstanding guest experiences with fewer resources.
Meanwhile, guest satisfaction in the hospitality industry is slipping according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study(SM), and it isn’t because of higher prices. According to the report, “Hotel guest satisfaction with costs and fees has improved despite higher room rates, while satisfaction with other service and product- related aspects has declined amid increasing occupancy rates.”1
While the J.D. Power and Associates report shows noise as guests’ top complaint, other areas of dissatisfaction have to do with room cleanliness and maintenance—problems hotels can easily control and improve by re-evaluating their cleaning programs.
To help hotels and casinos elevate cleaning to the next level and extend the life of their assets, this white paper will examine why more hoteliers are using deep cleaning services. Specifically, it will demonstrate how Deep Cleaning of tile, carpeting and air conditioning (A/C) units can save properties thousands of dollars while improving both guest satisfaction and the bottom line.
So What Exactly is “Deep Cleaning?”
Deep Cleaning—as it relates to tile and carpeting—is a complex process that helps hotels and casinos maximize asset investments, such as hard floors (terrazzo, granite, even Vinyl Composite Tile) or soft floors (carpet) by restoring their appearance to “like new” and extending asset life.
As the title of this white paper illustrates, deep cleaning completes the “cycle of clean”—which includes protecting, maintaining, and deep cleaning flooring in order to extend the life of floors and protect the hotel’s investment. While hotels are often cleaned at the surface level—rooms are vacuumed, dusted, etc.—regular, professional deep cleaning helps penetrate the surface to go beyond daily cleaning and maintenance to help keep hotels in a constant state of cleanliness. Typically, in-house floor cleaning methods consist of shampooers, walk-behinds, absorbent pads (also known as bonnet cleaning) and other processes. However these methods only clean the top third of carpeting. In addition, repeated cleanings can lead to residue buildup because of the lack of effective extraction. In order to more fully clean floors, hoteliers and casinos should utilize deep cleaning solutions. Featuring hot water extraction, the service removes residue left behind from other cleaning methods, as well as dirt, harmful bacteria, fungi, pollens and tobacco residue.
In addition, when floors begin to look worn or spotty, many hoteliers first inclination is to replace existing carpet or tile—costing up to hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on the size of the facility—and straining capital budgets. However, rather than fully replacing floor surfaces, hoteliers can turn to deep cleaning solutions to revitalize floor coverings and delay total replacement projects and related costs. The best process involves high levels of heat, pressure and extraction, as well as highly specialized equipment and trained professionals. For tile and darkened grout lines, deep cleaning removes imbedded organic soils to keep floors clean and attractive for a much longer period of time. For carpeting, it removes soil and residue left deep within carpeting and revitalizes carpet fibers down through the backing to extend the life of the carpet. In high-traffic facilities, the deep cleaning process can also include applying a coat of fiber protectant to the carpeting to protect against future staining. For best results, experts recommend truck-mounted deep cleaning equipment. Featuring tremendous heat, water pressure and vacuum strength, the equipment recovers up to 95 percent of the water used in the cleaning process.
The Deep Cleaning process isn’t limited to tile, grout and carpeting. From travertine, quarry and cement to drapes and upholstery, deep cleaning can revitalize multiple areas of a hotel and project a long-lasting, positive image to guests.
How Do Air Conditioning Units Fit in?
Most types of A/C units can also receive deep cleaning treatment. This is a commonly overlooked and under-serviced area in a hotel’s busy operations, and improperly maintained A/C units can pollute indoor air quality, cause unpleasant odor, drive up energy costs, decrease guest comfort and malfunction more often. Traditionally, Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners (PTACs) are cleaned by removing the unit from the wall and taking it to a remote area, such as a parking lot or workshop, for cleaning. In the process, contaminants from the drip pan may spill onto hotel carpeting, which can lead to serious mold and mildew problems if left untreated. In addition, the process generally consists of cleaning only the coil and base pan.
In contrast, deep cleaning of A/C units involves powerful, on-site technology that goes above and beyond the basics to include sanitation and mold prevention techniques. Meant to both clean and protect the units, deep cleaning A/C units includes thorough coil cleaning, pan cleaning, drain line treatment, disinfection, and recontamination treatments. And like the deep cleaning of flooring, this cleaning extends asset life and delays replacement costs, freeing up capital for other uses.
The Deep Cleaning Impact
Increased Cleanliness and Guest Satisfaction
Maintaining a high level of cleanliness is challenging, especially in facilities like hotels and casinos—some of which host thousands of visitors daily. By deep cleaning tile, carpeting and A/C units, hoteliers can significantly improve the overall cleanliness and appearance of their facility for increased guest satisfaction.
One of the most immediate and noticeable outcomes of deep cleaning tile and carpeting is the sheer difference it makes to the appearance of the floors. Prior to hiring Cintas Corp. for deep cleaning, Barb Hartman, General Manager of the Hyatt Place Eden Prairie, talked about the extreme lengths her hotel went to clean their tile in the July 2011 issue of Hotel Business.2 She told reporter Lauren Esposito, “We tried so many different products and techniques and nothing really worked, not without a lot of effort, steel wool and hard scrubbing. And even then, it didn’t do much. We were about to give up and just replace it.”
After the deep cleaning service was conducted, Hartman told the magazine she “could not believe the results...The light gray tiles and the grout came completely clean—I actually didn’t even know the grout was originally white. It looked brand new…Our staff could not believe we didn’t replace the floor.”
In addition to improving the appearance and cleanliness of floors, deep cleaning tile and carpeting helps prevent unpleasant room odor. According to J.D. Power and Associates’ 2010 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study(SM), room odor is one of the top three problems cited by hotel guests in the economy/budget segment.3 By deep cleaning tile and particularly carpeting, hotels can effectively extract and eliminate odor-causing contaminants, such as smoke, organic matter or residue from spilled liquids—and attack odor trouble at the source. The process removes bacteria and dirt from areas that vacuums can’t reach, and uses powerful chemicals, agitation and extraction to leave carpeting in an unparalleled state of cleanliness without any unwanted, lingering odors.
Improperly maintained A/C units are also a source of negative odor in hotel rooms. According to an article by the Hospitality World Network, “The most common cause of unpleasant odors from PTAC systems is the accumulation of condensation. If water sits in the base pan for an extended period of time, it becomes stagnant and the base pan becomes a breeding ground for odor-causing bacteria.”4 By properly deep cleaning A/C units, hotels can remove unpleasant odors and improve indoor air quality in hotel rooms. This is because deep cleaning sanitizes the units to kill 99.99 percent of any bacteria, mold and mildew. Further, extra precautions can help prevent re-contamination. By removing these pollutants, the service improves air flow and quality, which has serious health benefits for guests with asthma or allergies.
Increased Efficiency, Improved Bottom Line
In addition to increased cleanliness, deep cleaning tile, carpeting and A/C units can yield tremendous financial savings for hotels. One way this occurs is because the service maximizes the life of assets, which are expensive to replace. It also reduces costs associated with downtime. According to the article in Hotel Business, Hartman said the deep cleaning service from Cintas probably saved the hotel “thousands of dollars.” She added, “Not only did we not have to replace the tile, we didn’t have to disrupt business at the hotel with the noise, etc. that would have come with replacing it.” By revitalizing existing floors and carpeting, the deep clean service delays expensive replacements costs and helps ensure that the hotel gets the most out of their floor investments.
Deep cleaning of A/C units has a similar impact on useful asset life. According to the Hospitality World Network, “A well-maintained PTAC system could last seven to 10 years, with that figure dropping significantly when units are neglected.”5 The deep cleaning process removes sludge and biological build up in the unit’s drain lines and base pan and completely cleans and sanitizes the filters for maximum airflow. The result allows the units to operate more efficiently, which helps protect the equipment from costly and inconvenient breakdowns.
Deep cleaning A/C units can also significantly lower a hotel’s utility bill. According to the joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, ENERGY STAR, air conditioning and lighting alone make up half of a hotel’s electricity consumption.6 As a result, initiatives that help A/C units perform in top-notch condition can go a long way in keeping utility costs in check and positively impacting the bottom line. Properly cleaned A/C units also transfer air more efficiently and at a higher rate of speed (airflow) than those not properly cleaned, requiring far less energy consumption and ultimately lowering costs.
During a recent study conducted in 20 casino hotel guest rooms for a major gaming corporation, it was found that deep cleaning A/C units yielded a 29 percent average increase in air flow, measured in feet per minute, (rooms averaged 775.45 FMs before cleaning, 1003.6 FMs after) and 10 percent average temperature decrease (rooms averaged 66. 41 degrees before, 60.40 degrees after). The cleaning reduced energy consumption considerably. To put this in perspective, if the A/C units in all 500 guest rooms of the casino had been cleaned, at an average energy cost of $0.085 per KwH, the deep cleaning process would save this casino approximately $31.93 per fan coil unit, which translates to a total energy savings of $15,965.
The chart below illustrates how coil cleaning typically translates to annual utility cost savings for hotels of various sizes.
Deep Cleaning of A/C Coils: Average Annual Gross Savings by Room (Based on $.098 average commercial Kw per hour cost based on the EIA (US Energy Information Administration)
| Rooms | Annual Average Gross Savings |
| 100 | $8,053 |
| 500 | $40,269 |
| 1,000 | $80,538 |
| 1,500 | $120,808 |
A third way deep cleaning improves the bottom line is by reducing the amount of staff time and energy needed to clean. At a time when hotels are doing more with less, deep cleaning helps improve productivity by lightening the workload of housekeepers and maintenance personnel. The deep clean service complements daily cleaning and maintenance to remove deep soils, eliminating the unnecessary strain and hardship (i.e. difficult scrubbing) placed upon those who are typically not properly trained for this specialized job.
Although the financial savings are impressive, the real impact of deep cleaning is increased guest comfort and satisfaction—which helps secure repeat business at the establishment. According to J.D. Power and Associates’ 2010 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study(SM), heating ventilation and AC problems are the third most commonly cited problems by hotel guests.7 By regularly deep cleaning their A/C units—along with tile and carpeting— hotels can help ensure that their guests experience a pleasant and comfortable stay while increasing the life of their assets and bottom line.
The Cintas Difference
With a steady stream of visitors daily, hotels and casinos need a cleaning solution that helps protect their investments and ensures a clean, problem-free stay for guests. In addition, today’s uncertain economic conditions call for cleaning solutions that maximize productivity, do not require additional headcount and help keep utility bills and other costs in check.
The Cintas Tile and Carpet Deep Cleaning Service is one of the most powerful and effective systems in the industry. Cintas’ solution includes a unique, state-of-the-art mobile cleaning plant operated by professionally trained and certified technicians. Cintas’ comprehensive 4- step process revitalizes flooring with a patent-pending heat and pressure technology as well as an extremely powerful extraction tool. The process begins by pre-spraying the floor with cleaning chemicals appropriate for that specific floor type and continues with agitation. Afterwards, a high-pressure steam-rinse is applied, followed by thorough extraction of soil, cleaning chemicals and moisture.
The system achieves an unparalleled level of clean that makes daily cleaning and maintenance easier for housekeepers, delays the need to replace tile and carpeting, and relieves tight capital budgets. In addition, the service saves hotels and casinos time and money by eliminating business disruption. Because of the powerful extraction process, Cintas’ Deep Cleaning Solutions for carpeting dries within a couple of hours instead of days. As part of the company’s commitment to professional quality service, Cintas helps hotels and casino floors remain fully operable by offering flexible scheduling options, such as the ability to work overnight.
Cintas’ air conditioning coil cleaning service also improves guest satisfaction and the bottom line. A brand new offering for the hospitality industry, ChemTron Coil Cleaning by Cintas features state-of-the-art tools, industry-leading chemicals and technicians uniquely trained in A/C cleaning, asset protection and safety. The comprehensive, six-part deep cleaning air conditioning process is certified by the Green Clean Institute as a “Green Process” and includes:
- Complete Coil Cleaning – ChemTron’s Fin Clean is a non-acid, high-performing cleaner that deep cleans all coils
- Air Conditioning Pan Cleaning – ChemTron’s cleaning process meticulously cleans the pan to remove all organic material build-up and malodors to eliminate odor
- Drain Line Treatment – ChemTron Blow Out breaks down sludge and biological build-up to prevent overflow and clogging
- Unit Disinfection – ChemTron Sani A/C, an EPA-registered disinfectant for HVAC systems, kills all mold, mildew and bacteria
- Pan Purge Strip Insertion – ChemTron PanPurge, an EPA-registered, non-chlorinated strip, is inserted to fight bacteria re-growth and keep drain lines clear
- Filter cleaning – Using ChemTron Sani A/C, removable filters are cleaned and sanitized to maximize air flow and prevent premature recontamination
In addition, the ChemTron Coil Cleaning by Cintas process eliminates the need to remove the A/C unit from the room for cleaning—a laborious task that puts hotel doorframes, elevators and carpeting at risk while also temporarily making the room unusable for guests. Upon moving the units, contaminants from the base pan can spill out onto the carpeting, which can cost mold, mildew and even litigation down the road. Cintas’ coil cleaning service simplifies the complex maintenance process for faster and more effective cleaning, which reduces room down time and lost revenue. Trained professionals from Cintas can deep clean approximately 35 units a day, while in-house staff can generally turn around eight to 10 units a day, assuming no interruptions for other work orders.
What the Industry is Saying
The following quotes are excerpts from letters given to Cintas in appreciation of the company’s Deep Cleaning Solutions. In addition to increased cleanliness, the letters cite increased operational efficiency, audit improvement and financial savings.
- [Regarding their Brand Standard Audit], “The hotel received a 95% overall, the highest the hotel has ever received and the highest in the state! Housekeeping achieved a 97% in overall cleanliness, a 2% increase over last year. The guestroom cleanliness scored a 99%, and the public space scored a 93%. Thank you for your assistance with the carpet cleaning and bathroom tile cleaning. It truly made a difference in our guestroom cleanliness score.” – Catherine Totman, Director of Services, Marriott Detroit at the Renaissance Center, MI, July 2011
- “We also had Cintas clean our drapery and carpet. We were just as satisfied with the job done with the carpet and window treatments as the tile. The window treatments are like new, and the carpets completely cleaned…We looked at other companies for the same service and although we did some test demonstrations, we never found a company that could compete with the Cintas outcome.” – Barbara Hartman, General Manager, Hyatt Place Eden Prairie, MN, April 2011
- “I have had the pleasure of using Cintas for several deep clean services. A few months ago we had our hallways and guest rooms cleaned…I was very impressed with the service and our carpets look great. [For the PTAC units], Cintas had a unique way of cleaning the units “in-room,” which allowed for the job to be done quickly and efficiently.” – Ann Degnan Shipp, General Manager, Springhill Suites Marriott, MO, June 2011
- “You definitely went the extra mile. The service is worth every penny. My housekeeping staff agrees. We really appreciate your help and would recommend Deep Clean to anyone in the hospitality industry.” - Shannon Woolard, General Manager, Courtyard by Marriott, Atlanta Airport West, GA, June 2010
- “I was very impressed with the service from Cintas. The arrangement of the service was extremely professional and timely, and the technician on property cleaned all of our PTAC units in a timely fashion without disturbing anyone at the hotel. The company left an extremely well-cleaned product that serviced us well during our hot summer. Within a few days after the cleaning, our housekeeping department noticed that our rooms were cooling much more efficiently. We actually had to set back the temperature so that the rooms weren’t as cold!” – Michael Krupp, Executive Vice President, Comfort Inn Downtown, TN, September 2011
- “Because the hotel industry is so competitive, we pride ourselves in maintaining a superior image. Your tile cleaning service has helped us maintain a great image. Aside from the noticeable difference that was made on the restroom tile, by using your service we were able to save money by avoiding any replacement costs on our floors.” – Michael Clark, Rooms Division Manager, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Indianapolis Union Station, IN, September 2009
The Cycle of Clean Wrap-Up
Although Deep Cleaning is only one piece of a hotel’s overall management process—which includes facilities maintenance, uniform programs, fire protection, first aid and safety services and secure document management services—it plays a large role in the success of the hotel.
One of the most significant benefits of deep cleaning is that it helps keep guests and patrons returning, not to mention posting positive comments for others to see. According to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive in Sept. 2010, 85 percent of U.S. adults ages 18 and older said they would not rebook at a hotel if there are dirty floors in the guest room, lobby or entryways.8 Deep cleaning is a reliable way to offer guests the cleanest, most comfortable stay possible, secure positive online reviews, word-of-mouth recommendations, and repeat stays.
At a time when many hotels are still doing more with less, deep cleaning solutions can help maximize asset investments, extend useful asset life, increase operational efficiency and positively impact the bottom line. The deep clean service removes dirt, soil and bacteria that other cleaning tools and in-house staff can’t remove in order to keep tile, carpeting and A/C units much cleaner for much longer periods of time. And that simply makes your business better!
Footnotes
1 http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/articles.aspx/6019/JD-Power-Hotel-guest-sati...
2 http://www.onlinedigitalpubs.com/publication/?i=75050&p=468 http://current.issa.com/?m=news&event=view&type=16&id=3573&page=10
3 http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles.aspx/4128/Guest-problems-better-pre...
4 http://www.hospitalityworldnetwork.com/technology/operations-acs-and-hvacs
5 http://www.hospitalityworldnetwork.com/technology/operations-acs-and-hvacs
6 http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=business.EPA_BUM_CH12_HotelsMotels
7 http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles.aspx/4128/Guest-problems-better-pre...
8 http://current.issa.com/?m=news&event=view&type=16&id=3573&page=10
About Cintas
Headquartered in Cincinnati, Cintas Corp. provides highly specialized services to businesses of all types primarily throughout North America. Cintas designs, manufactures and implements corporate identity uniform programs, and provides entrance mats, restroom supplies, promotional products, first aid, safety, fire protection products and services and document management services for approximately 800,000 businesses. Cintas is a publicly held company traded over the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol CTAS, and is a component of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index. For more information, visit www.cintas.com.
