hotelleriesuisse and Wetrok


25.04.2018

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The Regina hotel school in Matten near Interlaken is one of the four hotel schools in the association hotelleriesuisse, where apprentices are trained in the hotel industry. Among other things, cleaning training takes place. In order to keep the specialist teachers up to date with cleaning technology, Wetrok uses continuing education.

In his left hand he holds a fully extended mop, with the right he spreads flowing foam in a sinuous line. He brushes aside the shower curtain and begins to slide the mop over the side walls of the shower. It is an unconventional but efficient use of mops, which Sergio Lottenbach, training manager at Wetrok, demonstrates to the subject teachers of the hotel school. It’s just one of many tips demonstrated on this day.

Wetrok experts train subject teachers
The Regina hotel school not only buys cleaning products from Wetrok, but also has its specialist teachers regularly trained by Wetrok experts in cleaning practices. “Like the development from mobile phones to smartphones, the cleaning industry is constantly evolving. It is therefore essential that those people who impart cleaning knowledge to learners are up-to-date with modern cleaning practices,” explains Wetrok’s Training Manager. The first point on the schedule is the colour system of the microfibre cloths.

Red cloths have no place in the kitchen
Microfibre cloths are available in green, blue, yellow and red. The colours define different areas of use. In the kitchen only green cloths are used. Blue cloths clean surfaces. Showers or washbasins are cleaned with yellow cloths. A clear demarcation is effected by the use of signal colours: for the internal cleaning of toilets only red cloths are allowed. As an aid, Wetrok chemical products feature colour stripes, to indicate areas of usage. Absolute no-go: A red cloth should never – under any circumstances – be in a kitchen.

Pre-moistened cloths make work easier
Known for decades and still sometimes used: the bucket method. Cleaning is effected using a cloth and a bucket. But this method has its shortcomings: On the one hand, the microfibre cloths only have a fraction of their total cleaning performance when they are dripping wet, on the other hand, the dirt is removed from the cloth only when washed in the washing machine. In response, Wetrok has developed cleaning with pre-moistened mops and cloths: The cloths are placed in a box and doused with cleaning solution. After a short time they are optimally moist but not wet, and are ready for use. This avoids wringing out cloths and dragging around buckets. In order not to transfer any germs, an important rule has to be observed: one cloth per room.

Ergonomics makes the difference
After a practical excursion into sanitary cleaning, it’s back to the training room. The last item on the agenda: Ergonomics. Ergonomics means adapting working conditions to people. And not the other way around. So it’s all about how much effort people put into executing a movement, and what less burdensome alternatives are available. Sergio Lottenbach asks the participants what they prefer: To be exhausted after work, or only later in the evening, after they have taken time for their hobbies. The answer is unanimous. “When wiping tables, I often observe that cleaning staff use only shoulder strength. This leads to joint wear. The correct way is to use the power in your legs – the strongest muscles. Like a dance movement, this way, the whole body is in action,” explains the expert, adding: “With the consistent use of the entire body musculature it would be possible to prevent approximately half of illness-related absenteeism.”

After half a day, the participants agree: Cleaning is about the HOW. The right cleaning method helps to achieve effectiveness, while the ergonomic design determines how efficiently and sustainably a job is performed.

The subject teachers at the hotel school must become experts in modern cleaning, so that they can adequately pass on that specialist knowledge to the learners.

 

Susanne Rhyner, specialist in vocational training

What I love about my job: In training future professionals, I indirectly influence the quality of service in the hotel industry. Quality should count more than just cost considerations.

What I have taken from the training: Knowledge enhancement is essential for us teachers as it enables us to teach the most up-to-date standards. Wetrok today showed us the benefits of damp wiping or wet wiping with pre-moistened cloths over the bucket method.

Why further education in the hotel industry is important: Especially in Switzerland, where customers pay a lot for their services, I am convinced that the quality awareness of the customer in the hotel industry will continue to increase. The knowledge acquired allows a better quality of service to be offered.

 

Irina Baeriswyl, specialist in vocational training

What I love about my job: I enjoy sharing my knowledge with young people and watching their progress from the first to the last year of apprenticeship.

What I have taken from the training: The ergonomics part made me realise how little attention we pay to our health in our hectic everyday life and what great potential for improvement lies hidden here.

 

Why further education in the hotel industry is important: The demands of guests change and multiply. We have to respond internally by reviewing and optimising our technologies, methods and processes.

 

 

Short interview with Tanja Pfister, Head of Housekeeping at the Regina Hotel School
“Learning in hotel schools goes far beyond the technical subject matter”

Interview Tanja Pfister

1. hotelleriesuisse operates four hotel schools in Switzerland, where apprentices are trained. Which basic education is offered and in which areas are learners trained?
In the Regina Hotel School prospective EFZ hotel managers, EBA hotel employees, EFZ restaurant managers and EFZ hotel communication specialists are educated. We provide them with the necessary technical expertise for the areas of laundry, cleaning, catering, reception, service, etc.

2. What is the daily routine for a learner in the Hotel School?
Twice per year apprentices come to the hotel school for a five to ten-week block course. Theoretical training, practical training and living are united under one roof, which makes a direct transfer of practice possible. For example, the trainee is taught the theory of laundry in the form of school lessons in the morning. In the afternoon, they can apply the acquired knowledge practically in the internal laundry. However, the hotel school provides much more than specialist content: When living in a boarding school, social skills are particularly promoted. The learners make a significant contribution to the day-to-day work by putting into practice the industry training course elements they have been given. The hotels schools make a valuable contribution to the professional and human development of a young person.

3. How important is cleaning in a hotel business?
The cleaning is considered a business card of a hotel and determines the first impression:
If a guest has to wait for a room on a stained sofa, the hotel has lost the chance of a second visit or a good review on the rating platforms. The quality of cleaning is therefore essential for long-term success.

4. They train the students in the field of cleaning. How do you ensure that the subject teachers are always up to date with cleaning technology?
We train 530 apprentices per year and therefore bear a great responsibility for the quality of the professionals of tomorrow. When it comes to cleaning know-how, we work with the cleaning specialist Wetrok. Not only do we source Wetrok’s cleaning products and machines, but we also benefit from their expertise in cleaning procedures and methods. To keep up to date, Wetrok organises continuing education courses for our subject teachers. Because: Only when our subject teachers are informed about the most modern cleaning techniques, can they pass on the knowledge about the latest standards to the learners.

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