LINEN ROOM

Linen is the housekeeping department's second largest expense. Linen is

expensive to replace, and if it is well maintained, correctly laundered, and
properly stored, its life can be extended. Soiled, worn, or creased linen leave a
bad impression of the cleaning standards in a hotel. Guests dissatisfied by this
may be lost for ever. Efficient linen and laundry management ensures that
large volumes of soiled linen are washed and treated so as to look neat, smell
fresh, and feel crisp and that they are disbursed at the right time and to the
right place. Linen may be cleaned either on or off the hotel premises. Hotels
whose laundry output is sufficiently high and which have adequate space
available opt for on-premises laundry (OPL).

THE LINEN AND UNIFORM ROOM

The linen and uniform room is a central depot for all hotel linen and this is the
place from where clean articles of linen are distributed throughout the
establishment. The uniform room almost always exists in close association
with the linen room. The bulk of clean linen and uniforms awaiting reuse are
stored here.

Linen Room Organization

There are primarily two types of linen rooms—centralized and decentralized.
Centralized linen room In this system, linen from all floors are collected and
sorted in one central area. The linen room supervisor has complete control over
the linen room. All linen issues and receipts go out from here.
Decentralized linen room In this system, each floor maintains its own par
stock of linen. As and when necessary, these are replenished from the main
linen room. The linen par is stored in floor pantries, and the floor supervisors
are responsible for maintaining the par level. This system works well in hotels
that have a large number of floors. The system is also used in resorts, where
rooms are spread across a large expanse of area.
Activities in the Linen and Uniform Room
The following activities are carried out in a linen room:
• Collection of soiled linen
• Counting and sorting of linen
• Packing of soiled linen for the laundry
• Dispatch of soiled linen to the laundry
• Receipt of fresh linen from the laundry
• Checking and sorting of fresh linen
• Storage of fresh linen
• hotel linen and uniforms
• Distribution of fresh linen to the floor
• Stocktaking for linen and maintenance of records
• Stitching, repairing, and monogramming of all hotel linen
and uniform
• Uniform selection
• Uniform storage and issue
• Discarding of unusable linen
 1. Collection & transportation Collection
From different areas and departments like floor pantry, F & B Service to Linen Room.
This is facilitated through chutes, canvas bags, trolleys, collapsible wire carts, skips.
Guest laundry may also be collected and billing and marking undertaken, should the
laundry be off-premises.
(Laundry Skip it is an elasticized net bag used to carry laundry.
Linen Chute it is a vertical tube like structure from which soiled linen are thrown
straight to laundry from floor pantries.)

2. Sorting & Counting

Linen is sorted according to size and what kind of treatment will be done on it in
Laundry. Linen is also sorted as dry and wet.
Linen is counted in order to make a record so that issuing to departments may be
accurate and it is possible to tally the exchange of linen between the linen room and
the laundry and a basis for billing exists.

3. Packaging
Soiled linens are packed in hampers after sorting to avoid mix-ups and to prevent
linen damage. Linens requiring repairs, or heavily soiled are put into different bags
colour coded respectively.

4. Dispatch
Dispatch of soiled linen to laundry after sorting and counting & packaging. A list of soiled
linen is sent to laundry along with dirty linen. A duplicate copy is kept in the linen room
(information like date, time, items, number of soiled linen and signature).

5. Checking & inspection

After receiving linen from laundry checking the quantity to ensure that the amount of
laundered linen tallies amount of soiled linen items sent. Inspection of quality of wash i.e.
stains & dirt removed, no damages, no loss of shape or colour, no blue streaks, or patches
from optional brighter, properly ironed.
It is also important because we need to check that articles belonging to other hotel have
been in advertently delivered, if the hotel is using commercial laundry.

6. Storage
Linen room storage depends on the size of the hotel, frequency of wash, change, type
of operation, linen coverage (par), storage should have good space, shelves clean &
safety factors being attacked by pests. Should be well ventilated and inaccessible to
pests.
Arrange linen by size ie. heavy on bottom and lighter on top as to maintain balance.
Small items should be kept in cupboard to reduce pilferage.
Soiled linen should be put in separate hampers so to avoid mixing.
Woollen items should be washed or dry cleaned before storage. They should be wrapped &
sealed in air- tight plastic foil e.g. :- Blankets
For long time storage, linen should be wrapped in plastic foil to preserve colour
Always follow FIFO
Linen should be stored and stacked with folds outwards for easy issue of items. Linen
should be exchanged on one to one basis.

7. Distribution to unit
Clean for dirty/ Fresh for soiled/ one on one basis

Topping up Dirty linen is dispatched down the linen chute in laundry & floor stock is
made up later in the day by houseman.

8. Monogramming - Name and logo of the establishment is put onto the linen item
for identification, advertisement & discouraging pilferage. This can be stitched,
slicked (wax sticker), printed or embossed or marked by marking pen.

9. Repairs & alterations

Linen items are repaired in the linen room (sewing room) in case of damages (wear &
tear, loose stitches, open stitches, loose buttons and can be stitched or darned.

10. Discards
Linen is said to be condemned or discard when it is not fit for use in the guest room
and so it is taken out of the circulation. It is discarded when it has worn out or is
damaged or torn or stained while handling by guest or staff.

Planning the Linen and Uniform Room

The planning considerations for an efficient linen room are discussed below.

Location - The linen room must be such as to facilitate the easy flow of linen to a from the
laundry. In case a commercial laundry is being used, the linen room should be accessible
for receipt and dispatch of linen from the back entrance of the hotel. The linen room's
location must also facilitate easy issue and receipt of linen from the guest floors and other
departments. Therefore, it should be situated near the service elevator. Another
consideration for the linen room's location is easy access from the executive housekeeper's
office. The linen room should also be a good distance away from the food production area,
as linen absorbs odors easily. Also, the location should be such that it allows for proper
ventilation of the linen room.
Space - The total space allocated for the linen room will depend on the size of the hotel
and the activities to be carried out in the linen room. The minimum space requirement for a
linen room is 6 sq ft, which may suffice for a small hotel. Space is required for linen
storage areas and a linen exchange counter. Space is also allocated for the storage of
uniforms and for a uniform exchange counter. Set apart from these should be a soiled linen
collection area. Adequate space is also needed for the inspection tables, the linen room
supervisor's desk, the guest laundry area, and the sewing room.
Entrance - A common entrance-cum-exit point is ideal for security reasons. It should be at
least 4 feet wide and without a threshold so as to ensure easy movement of trolleys. A
stable-type door is recommended so that unauthorized persons are deterred from entering
the room. This barrier itself can serve as the linen exchange counter.
Floors and walls - The floor must be sturdy enough to bear the load of heavy trolleys
moving across it. Tiles should be avoided as they tend to chip. Walls should be of a
material that can be easily cleaned at frequent intervals. Tiled walls are ideal.
Lighting and ventilation - Though most of the linen room is meant for storage, adequate
ventilation is important to prevent growth of mildew, even though natural light may be
less. Shadowless lighting in the form of fluorescent lamps is required. The air must be free
of humidity and maintained at a temperature of 20°C.
Storage - Linen storage shelves should be designed for maximum utilization of space. The
shelves also need to be sturdy and firmly fixed as the weight they bear may be
considerable. They may reach up to the ceiling provided that there is ample ventilation and
that equipment is available for safe access. There should be a clearance of 6 inches below
the lowermost shelf. All shelves must be slatted for thorough ventilation of stored linen.
The depth of the shelves should be about 18-20 inches if they are against the wall. In case
the shelves are to be accessible from both sides, the depth may be 36-40 inches. Linen
articles meant to be stored for longer periods of time should be stored on shelves with
slatted sliding doors or curtains to prevent dust settling. Storage shelves should also be
allocated for condemned linen or discards.
Soiled linen area - This area should be close to the entrance and must be large enough to
accommodate all the soiled linen. There should be enough space to sort and count the linen
and to move and park the trolleys. The floor and storage units in this area should consist of
surfaces that do not stain damp linen.
Linen exchange counter - This is usually a window without any grilles, wide enough to
pass bundles of linen through. The window normally opens downward, with shutter
forming a counter. The area below this counter may be used to park trolley to collect the
soiled linen. When not in use, this counter should be taken up kept bolted as a window
shutter. As mentioned earlier, the stable-type door at entrance of the linen room may also
function as an exchange counter.
Inspection area - This area consists mainly of the inspection table, which should be large
enough to accommodate the freshly washed linen that needs to be inspected. A 100-room
property may require a table of about 10 ft x 6 ft size. A folding table one that may be
dismantled is ideal. The colour of the tabletop should contrast with the colour of the linen.
If a one-piece or non-folding table is used, the space below the table may be utilized for
storage.
Uniform storage area - Uniforms are normally hung on hangers, numerically segregated
according to designation and department. A mobile uniform stand may also be used.
Standard-sized uniforms are segregated according to size and stacked in racks. An
exchange counter should be located close to the storage area.
Guest laundry area - In hotels where the OPL does not directly accept the guest laundry,
space must be allocated for storing, marking, and recording soiled guest articles before they
are sent to the laundry. Fresh guest laundry on receipt from the laundry must be stored
according to room numbers or hung on hangers for delivery. A table, a mobile rail for
hanging clothes, and racks designed to hold the laundry as per room numbers may be
designed for the purpose. A sink and an ironing table are also necessary for a hotel with no
OPL.
Linen room supervisor's desk - The desk should be located in such a way that the
supervisor has a good view of the entire room, especially the transaction points. The desk,
cupboards, and drawers should be designed to accommodate the files and records
maintained in the linen room. It also accommodates the telephone.

Storage of linen –
1. While in storage, linen must be kept free from dust. It is inevitable that
where linen is handled, dust and fluff will be present. Therefore all
fresh linen should be stored under cover.
2. Linen may be covered by curtains drawn across the shelves or they may
be stored in cupboards with slatted sliding doors.
3. Articles that are not in frequent use, such as mattress protectors,
curtains, and blankets, may be stored covered with A dust-sheets.
4. The linen stock should be rotated in order on Tirst-in, first-out' basis.
5. While placing fresh linen on shelves, especially the heavier ones, it
should be ensured that the fold faces outwards.
6. Heavier linen should be placed on lower shelves.
7. Smaller articles such as face towels and serviettes are placed in bundles
of 10.

Repairs
For economy, mending should be carried out before laundering, but dealing with soiled and
perhaps wet articles is not pleasant so mending is done on clean linen. Due to the high cost
of labour little hand sewing is done in the linen room but a great deal of machining takes
place and thus a sewing machine gets much use and needs to be kept in perfect order.
Machines should be dusted and oiled by the operators, and an arrangement should be made
for the regular servicing of them on contract. Good light for machining is essential as well
as the necessary tools and equipment, such as needles, scissors, cotton and a suitable chair.
Any article not quite up to standard for guests' use in an hotel may be marked for staff or
renovated and the last use of all linen is for rag, which will be used for many cleaning
purposes. Renovating is not always as economical as used to be thought, owing to the high
cost of labour, and so in some linen rooms far less is done nowadays.
Thin places, small holes and cuts frequently occur in towels, table and bed linen, and these
are repaired by machine darning. For this work it is necessary for the operator to use both
hands, so an electrically powered or treadle machine is essential.
Machine marking may be carried out in the linen room or labels may be sewn or ironed on
to articles to denote the name of the establishment or department. Other means of marking
include:
marker pens;
iron-on or sew-on labels;
heat-seal machines;
embroidery; woven.
When marking linen it is usual to mark on the right side of the article and marking may be
done on any linen except perhaps waiters' jackets, aprons, kitchen cloths, dusters etc, which
are more usually stamped.

Exchange of Linen

Linen is provided for rooms and F&B areas following one of these procedures:
Fresh-forsoiled/one-for-one This is a simple method of linen exchange. Fresh linen is
provided only if an equivalent soiled article is given back. The advantage in this method is
that there need be no record format. Usually uniforms' are exchanged according to this
method. Even though fresh-for-soiled or one-for-one is the simplest exchange, in case of
large numbers of linen, it will take more time on account of the counting of both fresh and
soiled and the fetching of the requisite amount of fresh articles.
.
Topping up This is the bringing up of the stock to the optimum level at periodic intervals
or whenever it falls short of the pre-determined optimum.
Requisition This method of linen exchange is mostly used for banquet linen, where the
requirements may vary from day to day. A requisition slip is filled in, on the basis of which
linen is provided.

PURCHASE SPECIFICATION/SELECTION CRITERIA FOR LINEN

1. Value for money

It includes the cost of buying linens & maintaining one
mainly prefers blends as they are easier to use for longer
time & maintains easily. Generally 65% cotton and 35%
blends are considered ideal. E.g. silk, wool needs to be
maintained in case of laundering i.e. dry clean
2. Type of establishment
5 star hotels prefer poly cotton while 5 star deluxe hotels go
for silk or Egyptian cotton. A lower star hotel or a guest
house goes for even a cheaper type of linen with less
abrasion resistance since the frequency of change of linen is
maximum once a day.
3. Durability of fabric
The fabric should give maximum use whether in circulation
or after discards. Some fabric are also mercerized (addition of
soda to cotton fabric is make it soft, shine and durable).
4. Thread count
This is the number of weft & warp in per inch of a fabric
material. Warp is the thread stitched length wise in a loom
where as weft is the thread stitched on the width of the loom.
Ideal thread count is 180 sq per inch. The more the number
of weft & warp yarns the more durable the fabric. e.g.
Muslin cloth is less durable and Cotton cloth is more durable
Selvedge This is the edge where the weft yarn turns back
& prevents the ends from opening out.
5. Amount of dressing
Process of adding starch to make the fabric look stiff &
durable is known as dressing. So even loosely woven fabric
appears to be stiff and firm when starched. Hold linen in
hand and rub it over a black surface. If you see white dust or
starch particles falling out it denotes poor fabric. Higher the
amount of dressing lesser will be the durability & cheaper
will be the fabric. Look at the fabric under a magnifying
glass.
6. strength
This is the stretching ability of fabric defined as the pressure
that a fabric can sustain under conditions of humid &
temperature. Higher the tensile strength more will be the
durability. The tensile strength starts reducing after 20-30
wash of fabric.
7. Abrasion resistance
It is the resistance of fabric to the surface wear & tear.
Denim has high abrasive resistance therefore more
durable.
8. Shrinkage resistance
This refers to the shrinkage percentage of a particular
fabric after washing. Fabric may shrink after 2-3 wash.
9. Resistance to Pest
The fabric should be pest resistant. Generally silver fish &
cockroaches are common pest which damage the fabric
10. Thermal Power
Only in hilly areas where fabric is required to have a
mixture of wool along with polyester. This type of fabric
also gives indication for laundry temperature & washing
temperature

Purchase should be made from a reliable supplier.

 Executive housekeeper should ask for catalogues, samples
of the fabric before purchasing linen in bulk.
Fabric should be comfortable, smooth, soft and easily
launderable. Bed sheets of high quality may be combinations
of linen & cotton or some hotels may use cotton only as it is
less expensive. Cotton may be Percale or Muslin. Percale is
more durable than muslin. Nowadays bed sheets are also
made of combination between cotton & polyester (polycot)
for easy laundering best blend 65% cotton 35% polyester

Advantages of Linen Purchase:-

Strict control on standards {EHK/ LINEN/ Laundry}
Less Pilferage {stock book, record}
No delay in supply {linen Room}
Makeover possible for hotel
Hotel has its own MONOGRAMMING
Hotel does not need to depend on hiring company.
Linens are an asset to the hotel.

Disadvantage of Linen Purchase

Heavy initial cost of buying linen
Big infrastructure Requirement (space)
More Manpower, More Salary
Provision for repairing, alteration in the hotel. (Cost Factor)
Laundering Facilities requirement on Premises.
Higher maintenance cost { storage, wages, laundering, water tax etc}

Room Linen Exchange Procedure

In case of OPL, Soiled Linen may be received directly by the laundry or it may be sent via
the linen room to the laundry

1. The floor supervisor counts the soiled linen from the floors and enters the count in
the room linen control form. This form is prepared in duplicate and sent along with
the soiled linen to the linen room.
 Room Linen Control Form
Linen Amt of Soiled Linen Amt of Solied Amt. of Fresh Balance
Articles Sent By Floors Linen recevied by Linen Issued
the floors
Sheets

Pillow
Slips
Bath
Towels
Sign of Floor Sign of Linen Sign of Floor Sign of Linen
Supervisor Room Supervisor Supervisor Room Supervisor
------------------ ----------------------- ------------------ --------------------

2. If the soiled linen goes directly to the laundry, the laundry linen exchange form is
filled up. The linen room laundry supervisor again counts up the soiled linen and
stamped ‘received’ on the form. One copy of this is sent to the floors, the second
and third copy is filed at the linen room and laundry.

Laundry Linen Exchange Form

Linen Balance Brought Soiled Linen Total Fresh Balance carried
Articles forward Linen forward

Sign of Floor Sign of Laundry

Supervisor Supervisor
------------------ --------------------

3. The linen room supervisor issues the linen on one to one basis, filling out the linen
exchange form and signs it. If the linen room is short of linen, the supervisor enters
the balance amount and issues them with the next lot. The form is counter signed by
the floor supervisor and maintained in the linen room.
 Room Linen Exchange Form
Floor …………… Date……………………… Time…………………….
Linen Soiled Linen Fresh Linen Balance Remarks
Articles Received Issued

Sign of Floor Sign of Linen

Supervisor Room Supervisor
------------------ --------------------

Restaurant Linen Exchange Procedure

Articles of restaurant linen are exchanged at stipulated timings. An F&B employee
brings the soiled linen to the linen room. The linen room staff check the soiled linen
received for damages. All items are counted and verified with the count in the F&B
linen exchange form. The count is entered in the linen exchange register for F&B. The
fresh linen is issued and the details are also entered in the linen exchange register.

F&B Linen Exchange Register

Description Par Stock Soiled Linen Fresh Linen Balance

Restaurant…………………………..

Time……………………………. Date……………………………
Linen Room Supervisor……………. Captain In-Charge………………
PAR STOCK

This refers to the amount of each type of linen required to make up all the guestrooms of
the hotel at a given time, and so is the minimum quantity of clean linen that must be on
hand at any time for the smooth operations. The par-stock quantity of linen is also referred
to as 'house set-up'. A number of factors, outlined below, go into the setting up of the par
stock for linen.

The laundry cycle Does the hotel have its own laundry? If yes, the number of sets can be
reduced as the linen is washed the same day. If a contract laundry handle the linen, the
delivery period has to be taken into account and extra stocks kept on hand for the interim
period.
Occupancy level and usage How busy is the hotel? What are the peak period? The
summer season and humid climates necessitate more frequent changes of towel Whether
lowering the par would lead to overuse of each linen article, leading rapid deterioration and
condemnation, is also to be taken into account.
Replacement The general rule of thumb is to store one full par-stock quantity of new
linen on an annual basis as replacement for worn-out, damaged, lost, or stolen
linen articles.
-
Emergency A power failure or equipment damage may shut down the hotel laundry
operations and interrupt the movement of linen through the laundry cycle. One par stock
of linen is kept on hand for such emergency situations.
Thus, a par number has to be set up to maintain the par stock of linen. The ‘ par number' is
a multiple of the 'one par' or set-up quantity required to support daily housekeeping
functions. Thus two pars of linen comprise the total number of each type of linen needed to
outfit all guestrooms twice. In the same way, three pars of linen is the total number of each
type of linen needed to outfit all guestrooms three times, and so on. In most deluxe hotels,
the par number is kept at 4-5 times the set up. For instance, in a 100-bed property with an
OPL, there may be 500 pairs sheets so that:
• 100 pairs, the first par would be in circulation 'today'.
• 100 pairs, the second par, by way of 'yesterday's' linen, would be in the on
premises laundry.
• 100 pairs, the third par' comprise the linen to be stripped from the
guestroom beds 'today' and meant for laundering 'tomorrow'.
• 100 pairs, the fourth par, being the emergency linen in the linen room.
•100 pairs, the fifth par, of replacement linen stored in the linen room.
In hotels where the soiled linen is washed on the same day they are stripped away, 3.5 pars
of linen may be maintained. Where contract laundries handle the linen, 6 pars of linen may
have to be maintained.
Importance of maintaining Par stock

 To make efficient use of capital  To help in effective budgeting

 To prevent over-stocking  To simplify inventory taking
 To make optimum use of space  To bring about control
 To ensures proper supply at all times  To identify the purchase quantities

LINEN CONTROL

This is carried out in four phases:

 Routine checking of linen for appearance and hygiene standards.
 Quantity control of the daily flow of linen stock/linen exchange procedure.
 Stocktaking or physical inventory of linen.
 Proper documentation of linen through the master linen inventory control sheet.

Routine checking of linen for appearance and hygiene standards

The executive housekeeper must emphasize the inspection of fresh and soiled linen not
only by the linen room staff but also the other staff handling linen. Stringent checking
should be carried out by the laundry staff. However, where the laundry is contracted out,
the onus falls on the linen room staff. Spot checking of linen should be carried out by
supervisors in the areas where where linen may be left behind, such as room service, staff
changing rooms, and so on. If inspection of all articles are carried out thoroughly, a high
standard of linen quality is maintained and the chance of a guest finding a torn or stained
article is minimal.

Quantity control of the daily flow of linen stock/linen exchange procedure

This is the quality control of linen sent from the floors and departments to the linen room
for dispatch to the laundry. To maintain an initial record of the par stock of linen in each
department and on each floor and also of any subsequent increase in the quantity of linen,
an indent is made by the floor supervisor and the department incharge. The original copy of
the indent is given to the linen room while the duplicate remains on the floor or with the
concerned department. If extra linen items issued to the floor or department as per the
indent are returned, the signature of the linen room supervisor is obtained on the duplicate
copy. This ensures that extra linen items that are not required daily on the floor or in the
department are returned and are no longer the responsibility of the floor or department in
question.
Proper linen exchange procedures are essential in the control of linen.
The control of linen in the linen is carried out by
 The daily supervision of the work done by the linen room attendants, and
 By the use of the linen room entry book.
Sample linen indent form
 Linen Indent
Floor/department…………………… Sl. No. ………………………………..
Purpose of indent…………………… Date…………………………………..
linen article Amount Remarks

Signature of floor/department in charge…………….

The linen room entry book contains daily records of the soiled linen brought to the linen
room from the various floors and departments as well as the amount of soiled linen sent to
the laundry. There is no duplicate for this record as it is for the reference of the linen room
staff only. It is signed and maintained by the linen room supervisor and it helps him/her to
keep track of the day-to-day movement of the linen handled by the staff. It also indicates
why the total amount of soiled linen received in a day is not equal to the amount
despatched to the laundry.

Linen Room Entry Book

st nd
Linen 1 2 Bar Coffee Rest. Rest. kitchen staff Total Total Remarks
article floor floor shop A B soiled soiled
linen linen
rcvd dlvrd

Signature of linen room supervisor……………….

Stocktaking or physical inventory of linen

Stocktaking of linen is a physical verification, by counting, of the stocks of all linen items
at all points in the cycle. It is carried out at periodic intervals or at the time of the 'closing
of books' for evaluation purposes. Accurate recording of entries is important during
stocktaking so that the overages and shortages can be determined from the difference
between the physical count of balances and the balance appearing in the accounts inventory
ledger.

Principles of stock taking

 The physical counting is done after every 3 months and is known as a 'quarterly
inventory'
 All items—including discards—are segregated and grouped.
 Then items in circulation and items kept in store are counted up separately and the
total are added together.
 The discards are stamped 'condemned' and set aside.
 Now the counted total should tally with the last inventory figure plus the issued
items received after that.
 The inventory must be conducted in the presence of the housekeeper, accounts clerk
 and the auditor.
 Stocktaking is conducted on three separate days, each for:
a) Uniforms
b) Room linen
c) Restaurant linen

Room Linen inventory form

Floor………………… Date……………
Floor Supervisor………………..

Room no. B/S P/S N/S M/P

Sgl Dbl Sgl Dbl Sgl Dbl
B/T H/T F/T

Total stock on Floor……….. Grand Total……………………………..

Note: B/S = Bed Sheet P/S = Pillowslips N/S=Night Spread
B/T=Bath Towel H/T=Hand Towel F/T= Face Towel
M/P=Mattress Protector

Linen Inventory Statement

Linen Rate Actual Un-issued Previous Present No. of No. of Remarks
Item Requirement Linen in month’s stock condemned Missing
hand stock in in pieces Pieces
hand hand

Signature of executive House Keeper……………………………….

Procedure of Stocktaking
1. Identify all locations of linen. These locations will be:
 Beds in the guest rooms
 Floor linen pantries
 End of chutes receiving soiled linen from floors at the laundry shop
 Linen in the laundry-in wash, in hampers, at the presses, in storage shelves
and in trolleys laden with laundered linen ready for delivery to the linen
room.
 Linen room
 Linen stores
2. Linen stocktaking is done at the end of the morning shift when guest rooms have
 been made for the day.
3. All floor linen rooms are sealed.
4. All chutes are sealed
5. Laundry delivery carts are frozen for dispatch.
6. Linen room is sealed.
7. Linen store is sealed.
8. The stock-taking team consisting of the auditor from accounts, ledger accountant,
linen supervisor and the housekeeper will start physical count at each location.
They will complete and inventory Count Sheet-Room on each floor.
9. The housekeeper will transcribe the information of all floors onto a master
inventory sheet.
10. A similar counting exercise is done for the Restaurants. Restaurants stock-taking is
performed after 3p.m. when restaurants close after lunch. A 24 hour restaurant like
coffee shop may take its inventory after 12 midnight when the traffic is slow. The
locations of the restaurant linen are:
 Table tops
 Side station shelves for fresh linen
 Soiled linen hampers
 On trays
11. The house keeper will have a separate inventory sheet for restaurant linen.

Proper documentation of linen through the master linen inventory control sheet.
The master inventory control sheet helps the executive housekeeper analyse the results of
the physical inventory. By subtracting the counted total for each linen article (item 15)
from the expected quantity corresponding (item 6), the executive housekeeper can
accurately determine the number lost. This figure is recorded (item 16). Linen loss is the
difference from the total obtained: during the previous inventory. While physical
inventories reveal the losses for linen items, they do not show why these losses occur. If the
difference between the expected and actual quantities is high, further investigation is
needed. After each physical inventory, the executive housekeeper should make sure that the
par levels are brought back to the level originally established for each linen item. The par
numbers for each linen type are recorded (item 17). These figures represent the standard
numbers for each linen type that should always be maintained in inventory. By subtracting
the actual quantities for each linen type on hand (item 15) from the corresponding par
levels (item 17), the executive housekeeper can determine the quantities of each linen type
that are needed to bring inventories back to par. These amounts are recorded (item 18).
By subtracting the quantities of linen that are 'on order' but not yet received (item 19), the
executive housekeeper knows precisely how many of each linen type still needs to be
ordered to replenish the par stock. This figure is recorded (item 20). As a result of the
physical inventory, the executive housekeeper can thus determine the amount of linen
needed to replace lost stock and maintain the established par levels.
The completed master inventory control sheet should be submitted along with the linen
discard record to the general manager. The general manager will then verify and initial the
report before transferring it to the accounts department. The accounts department will
provide the executive housekeeper with valuable cost information related to usage, loss,
and expense per occupied room. This information is useful in determining and monitoring
the housekeeping department's budget.
 Master Inventory Control sheet

Location name…………… Inventory date…………………..

Inventory prepared by…………………………
Signature of executive housekeeper…………………
Signature of general manager……………..

Part 1

1. Linen item

2. Last inventory data

3. New received

4. Subtotal (2+3)

5. Recorded discard

6. Total (4-5)

Part 2

7. Storage room

8. Storage room

9. Storage room

10. Linen room

11. Laundry

12. On carts

13. In room

14. On cribs, rollaway etc

15. Subtotal(7+8+9+10+11+12+13+14)

Part 3

16. Losses (6-15)

17. Par stock

18. Amount needed (17-15)

19. Ordered items

 20. Need to order (18-19)

Discards

Discarded or condemned linen are items those are no longer useful in their present
condition due to some irreversible damage such as a permanent stain or simply and tear.

Cutting down/Re-use of discards

An important part of linen keeping is the use of discarded linen.’ Cutting down' refers to
the using of any discarded materials for some purpose.

Linen supervisor has many uses for discards:

 Used as cleaning cloths for cleaning crew.
 Used for furniture stored in furniture yard.
 Torn into rags for polishing.
 Bed sheets being used as dust sheets or being made into pillow covers.
 Large discarded sheets can be cut down for use as crib sheets, aprons other such
articles.
 In some properties, discarded linen are sold to hotel staff on reasonable prices.
 Some properties also donate used linen to charities.

Whatever norm, all discards should be accounted for and proper records should be
maintained.

Linen Discard Record

Sign of Exe. H. Keeper………….
Sign of G.M……………………. Period
Ending…………………………………….
Date Bath Hand Face Bath mat Double Single Remarks
towel towel towel sheet sheet

Linen Discard Record(Reverse side)

Items How discarded items How discarded

Remarks………………………………………………………………………………………………
Sign. Of Exe. House Keeper…………………………………….

Linen room equipments and accessories

 1. Trolleys 6. Plastic bags
2. Ladders 7. Folding tables
3. Cupboards/racks/shelves 8. Telephone
4. Hampers 9. Desk
5. Linen bags 10. Hangers etc.

MONOGRAMMING

 It denotes the name or logo of an establishment on the linen or uniform to serve

as a means of identification.
 It helps in identification, detecting pilferages and advertisements.
 It may be done by direct embodied or printed or made in the weaving process.

Important terms
1) Cut downs or make overs- refer to the using of any discarded materials for
some other purpose, such as bed sheets being used as dust sheets or made
into pillow covers
2) Darning- A reweaving process to repair small holes in a fabric, as closely as
possible, the way the original fabric was made.
3) Seams- A method of joining two or more pieces of materials together by a
row of stitching.
4) Thimbles- a protective covers worn on the thumb and forefinger when
sewing.