housekeeperHousekeeping and Cleaning

 

Housekeepers
Your property will be assigned a dedicated housekeeper who will get to know the property and be responsible for your changeovers. All of our housekeepers are trained to a high standard and understand the expectations of the guests and you as owner. We know that the key is attention to detail.

 

Housekeepers are vetted and trained uniformly, to achieve consistently high standards. As part of the changeover service the housekeeper provides:

  • Guest liaison - contacts the guests 3-4 days prior to arrival, informs them of the access procedure (usually via a key safe) and answers any questions about the property.
  • The main contact throughout the guests' stay - details of his/her number is left in the property along with the office number and the 24/7 emergency mobile.
  • Reporting of any property related issues/maintenance which need addressing.
  • Organisation of the cleaning and servicing of the property on departure.

Changeovers are always carried out on the day of departure. This ensures that:

  • Properties are secure.
  • Boilers/heating are re-set where required.
  • Properties are always ready for late bookings/last minute changes from the booking agency or owner etc.

Obviously the housekeeper becomes familiar with the premises and its contents and therefore is quick to notice anything out of the ordinary. Sandpiper will feed back any faults or maintenance issues and fix these, if that is in our remit.

 

Linen Service
Sandpiper offer a full linen service which includes satin stripe bed linen, fluffy white hand towels and bath sheets, white bath mats and tea towels. Our linen change service is based on a rental contract through a commercial laundry (who also supply National Trust holiday cottages across Devon and Cornwall, together will several prestigious Cornwall hotels), with the cost of renting all linen and towels incorporated in the changeover service fees. The advantage of this arrangement for owners is that there are no upfront costs for the purchase of multiple sets of linen, and no on-going costs for the replacement of stained or torn linen.

 

Quality Standards
Housekeepers undergo an induction course as part of their training, along with an on-site training clean. A quality check list is issued to each housekeeper, as an integral part of the Operations Manual that they receive during the induction course.

 

Sandpiper undertake regular quality checks on all properties, to ensure our high quality standards are consistently met throughout our properties.

 

Your Property
Every property is unique, and our changeover fees are calculated on the time it takes to do a thorough clean, strip, make, and dress the beds. Types of furnishings, stainless steel surfaces and large expanses of glass are taken into consideration (the internal window clean is included in the changeover) as these affect the ease of clean and therefore the time taken. Seasonal jobs, such as clearing and laying open fires and multi-fuel stoves, sweeping outside space and cleaning garden furniture, are not included in the changeover. They are charged on an "as required" basis.

 

Initially, prior to the first let, a complete set-up clean will be carried out. This gives a starting point, and we strive to keep the property this way throughout the season. We will then provide a comprehensive clean, at each departure, including all internal windows, ovens, fridges, freezers, skirting etc. in line with our check lists. If the property is not booked for a period of time then we will go in prior to the next booking and carry out a refresh clean, dust and hoover, etc. We do require you to provide a quality vacuum cleaner (particularly if you are allowing pets to stay at your property), a mop and bucket, dustpan and brush, and a broom. This is for the guests to use, as well as the housekeeper. Sandpiper does not provide this equipment, as there is a chance of cross contamination between properties if we were to use equipment in more than one property.