Hair dryers should be in your preventative maintenance plan

Hotel & Motel Management, July 19, 2004 by Bill Hirsch

Q It seems that I have been replacing a lot of broken hair dryers lately. Is there something that I can do to extend the life of them?

A The biggest cause of problems with most commercially rated hair dryers is burned-out motors. The solution to this problem is as easy as placing the units onto your preventative maintenance program. Many hair dryers use a washable filter that is easily removed and cleaned with a soft brush. Other units might require filter replacement. But in all cases, the filter must be cleaned and changed regularly. Because of varying occupancies and usage, it is impossible to say how often, but they should be checked every 30 days.

Like so many other parts of your operation, hair dryers are a part of the "bigger picture." How much of an investment are you making to care for equipment? Preventative and scheduled maintenance are investments, not expenses.

Q I am considering making my property "pet friendly" to attract new customers, but am concerned about the cleanliness factor. Do you have any information on this?

A Opening your doors to pets might be a very good idea. It is estimated that more than 75 percent of all of the households in the United States have pets. More and more dog and cat owners want to take their trusty companions along with them when they travel. The biggest downside of offering pet-friendly rooms is people who do not want to see, hear or smell other people's pets when they are at your hotel.

Here are helpful tips for you if you decide invite these four-legged friends to your property:

n Use high efficiency particulate air filters for your vacuums and air-conditioning systems in order to remove the microscopic allergens and other particles found on animals.

n Use ozone generators daily to keep odors minimized.

n Have a set number of rooms designated for pets (smoking and non-smoking).

n Use different bedding for the pet-friendly rooms. This includes blankets, bed and bath linen and pillows. A different color or pattern will help you keep them straight.

n Provide a sheet to be used over the bedspread, and triple sheet the beds.

n Consider using a scented air filter sheet.

n Use cinnamon sticks in your vacuum bags. This is a good suggestion with or without pets.

n To eliminate the smell of "accidents," try these two remedies. First, sprinkle salt on the carpet and let it sit overnight before vacuuming. It will absorb the urine and neutralize the odor. Use enough salt to absorb the liquid. Another suggestion is club soda. Do not soak the carpet, but wet it. This home-grown solution is supposed to work in 24 hours.

n Use pet rake-a-brushes (available from your local pet store) to speed the removal of pet hair from your furniture. Those sticky lint remover rolls also work well.

While allowing pets might be good for your sales, it will require a little more work. For more information on generating roomnights from pet owners as well as some good advice, try www.petsmart.com and www.tripswithpets.com. I found these sites especially helpful. hmm@advanstar.com

Bill Hirsch is a consultant to the supply-chain side of the hotel industry. He can be reached at hirschassociates@aol.com.