With so many guests coming and going in Florida hotels, a guest getting sick overnight is a common concern for hotel teams. When housekeeping walks into the room in the morning, they might notice soiled sheets and towels. These incidents are certainly unpleasant to deal with, but not uncommon in Florida hotels due to tourism, alcohol-related events, and family travel. Housekeeping teams often ask whether your team should be handling this clean-up internally or asking for help. Keep reading as we discover why hotels should never tackle biohazard laundry in-house and the steps to take should you find traces of vomit in a hotel room.
Understanding Biohazard Contamination
When we use the term biohazard, we refer to vomit, blood, feces, and urine. As well as these bodily fluids being disgusting for staff to have to deal with, they can also carry harmful pathogens like norovirus, hepatitis, and bacteria. While you can easily put the sheets and linens through your in-house laundry, this doesn’t always work. Even if the mess appears clean, microscopic contamination can linger on fabrics. This lingering is the key reason you shouldn’t deal with biohazard contamination yourself. Instead, you need to separate these laundry items to be processed separately. For the health and safety of your team members and your future guests, don’t try to skip over this step just to save time or money.
Health Risks for Housekeeping Staff
As an employer, looking after the health of your employees is in your best interests. Housekeeping staff have many occupational risks when carrying out their daily tasks. If staff handle contaminated linens without proper PPE or training, they could risk their health just by trying to clean a hotel room quickly for the next guests. Many common illnesses can spread via vomit and other bodily fluids. Norovirus is a top cause of vomiting and diarrhea and is highly contagious when the virus contains itself in vomit. You can easily pick up this nasty virus by touching the surface and then touching your mouth or food.
OSHA mandates that biohazard clean-up follow specific protocols, such as immediately disinfecting contaminated surfaces, properly disposing of waste in labeled containers, and ensuring staff wear proper PPE at all times. Employers have a duty to their staff to ensure they follow these guidelines while providing their employees with the PPE and tools they need to clean up biohazards and waste.
The Hidden Costs of In-House Clean-up
While you might think cleaning up biohazard contamination in-house would save you time and money, this isn’t always the case. Many hotels find it wastes many of their staff members’ precious time. Staff are then pulled from other duties for extra sanitizing tasks when they could focus on offering your guests better service and improving the overall hotel experience. Improper handling is another concern when you leave your hotel team to deal with vomit and biohazards. There is an increased risk of cross-contamination with laundry machines or other linens, and you may also find that your linens are at a higher risk of being damaged. Permanent stains or improper chemical use can lead to early linen replacement and may cost your business significantly over the upcoming years and months.
Why Commercial Laundry Services Are the Safer Option
Outsourcing your laundry to a commercial laundry service in Florida will help you avoid all the hidden costs of in-house laundry we’ve shared above. Laundry services have specialized equipment that meets hospital-grade sanitization standards and will ensure that all stains and traces of vomit and other human waste are removed from linens to be used again. Staff at commercial laundry services are trained in biohazard protocols and safe handling procedures, stopping you from risking your team’s health.
Another great benefit of using this service is that you’ll enjoy a faster turnaround time and reduced downtime for guest rooms. This time reduction will help improve your business operations, especially during Florida’s busy holiday and summer seasons. You can rest assured knowing that your laundry will be adequately cleaned and disinfected, and items will be returned to your hotel ready to use immediately for incoming guests. Our team will work with you to understand your needs and create a laundry schedule supporting your business.
Florida-Specific Concerns
Businesses in Florida face a unique range of challenges compared to other hotels in the U.S. The high tourism volume in the state increases the chances of vomiting and other incidents, especially during spring break, holidays, and summer months. With the warm weather that Florida experiences all year, bacterial growth and odor are accelerated, which is why the speedy response is so critical. Our commercial laundry service works with many Florida hotels and understands your unique challenges. We’ll work with you to help you stay on top of your laundry needs all year round.
Protecting Your Hotel’s Reputation
Cleanliness is among the most critical factors in online reviews and surveys for Florida hotels. No guest wants to walk into a hotel and notice stains, vomit, or blood on their hotel sheets. A guest noticing lingering smells or stains can lead to negative ratings and lost bookings. Once you start to have a fair number of poor online reviews, it can be hard to improve your reputation and build trust with potential and existing customers. Outsourcing your laundry shows a commitment to safety and professionalism and helps you to focus on other areas of your operation that can improve your hotel’s reputation.
Learning how to properly tackle biohazard laundry will help you protect the health and safety of your guests and staff members. Outsourcing biohazard laundry isn’t just more convenient—it’s the responsible choice. Contact our team at Nexa Laundry to learn more about how we can support you with this task or to discuss the services we offer for Florida hotels.