Tip and tricks to make sure your holiday home is safe for use.
While we can all agree it is nice to see some light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to the Coronavirus pandemic and it’s consequent restrictions we still need to be making sure, as an industry, that we are doing everything in our power to make sure holiday accommodation is safe and sanitised for all guests so that we reduce the risk of any further spread. Here is a helpful guide outlining 10 things you should be doing to make sure your holiday accommodation is Covid Safe.
Tourism that is committed to the safety of it's guests
1. Remove non-essential items
Although pretty trinkets, board games and a supply of books are often welcome in a holiday home, during these times it is important to de-clutter holiday homes to limit the risk of infection. Everything should be sanitised between each stay so as a general rule of thumb, if it’s not essential, take it out of the property so that your cleaner can quickly sanitise all surfaces.
2. Provide Linen Bags
It is a good idea to provide bags for guests so that they can strip their own beds on departure and put the bedding into these. Most guests are more than happy to do this as a courtesy to limit the risk of your accommodation cleaner being exposed to the virus. We provide red linen bags that can be put directly into our professional laundry so our cleaning staff never have to touch the contents of the bag.
3. Provide Adequate PPE
Your cleaners are at risk every time they enter a property so you need to either ensure that the cleaning service you use provide their staff with adequate PPE or if you employ a cleaner privately then you are responsible for this. At NetLet, all our staff are given appropriate PPE equipment to carry out their work. This limits the risk to them, as well as your arriving guests.
4. single-Use Consumables
Pre-covid it was the norm for a small supply of cleaning products, toiletries, tea/coffee etc to be left at the property to be used by guests however this is not advisable in the current climate as it further increases the risk of infection between guests. A bottle of washing up liquid, for example, could normally be left in the accommodation between guests but now it would need to be thrown away each time. At Net Let Housekeeping we can now provide a Guest Welcome Pack for a small extra charge during your changeover. It has a small supply of essentials for the guest to use during their stay and we encourage them to take home anything they do not use rather than let it go to waste. It’s little touches like this that make all the difference to your guests.
5. Supply of Antibacterial products
Your cleaning service can do their bit to ensure your holiday accommodation is thoroughly sanitised for your guest arrival but it is a very good idea to provide guests with provisions to continue to sanitise what they use during their stay. Keep a stock of anti-bacterial wipes so that guest may wipe down surfaces after use and also provide hand wash so that guests are encouraged to wash they’re hands regularly.
6. Provide Clear Instructions For Guests
When you work in the travel industry, it is easy to take for granted that everyone else understands restrictions as well as you do, but quite often people don’t. Setting out clear instructions and guidelines on what is expected of your guest during their stay and on departure goes a long way towards a smooth transition. It is also very important to note what the procedure is should your guest become ill while in your holiday accommodation.
7. Use A Contactless key safe for guest arrivals
Many self-catering holiday apartments and cottages now provide a key safe so that guests can go directly to the property and arrive at a time that is convenient for them. If you are operating a meet and greet system or an office collection it may well be worth considering a key safe to further limit contact between yourself or your booking agent’s staff and guests.
8. Ventilate the living space
It seems simple – but it is very effective! Open windows/doors between guests and encourage your cleaners to do so to protect themselves, as well as arriving guests. It is good practice in general that we all aerate our living spaces as often as possible but it’s particularly important during these tough times.
9. conduct an end of clean inspection
Make sure your cleaner’s work is checked. At Net Let, each property we clean is then checked over by our head housekeeper to ensure high standards and left with a certificate to confirm it has been cleaned, sanitised and fogged after each guest. It’s is an anxious time for a lot of guests so this extra confirmation that their accommodation has been fully sanitised between guests can provide that extra peace of mind to help visitors relax and enjoy their holiday.
10. fogging
It is recommended that properties are left empty for 72 hours between guests in order to limit the risk of spreading coronavirus. If you are to stick within these guidelines, you will lose out on potential bookings or find that your calendar is impossible to manage. NetLet Housekeeping have access to our own fogging machine and fog each property during your clean ensuring that the accommodation is completely safe to use. After the fogging, the property can be used within hours meaning no disruptions to your calendar.
