Collect linen and make beds

This standard is about stripping and making beds, handling linen and bed coverings, as well as collecting bed coverings and moving them to the rooms. It is for people who regularly service bedrooms and make beds such as room attendants.

The way a bed is presented can assist in creating a welcoming atmosphere across all types of establishments including hotels, residential homes or bed and breakfasts. Depending on the establishment customers or guests may now be given more choice in terms of pillows or bed linen further expanding on the guest experience.

When you have completed this standard you will be able to demonstrate your understanding of and ability to:

Collect linen and make beds

1. Check timescales for planned workload and plan work accordingly
2. Choose and collect the bed and bathroom linen and bed coverings that you need for your work schedule
3. Ensure the linen and bed coverings meet your organisation's standards
4. Handle and move the linen and bed coverings safely
5. Keep your linen store safe and secure
6. Strip all linen and bed covering from the beds
7. Handle and store soiled linen and bed coverings correctly
8. Prepare the bed ready for making
9. Check the bed base, bed head, linen and bed coverings are clean and not damaged
10. Make the bed with the right linen and bed coverings depending on the type of customer and their personal requirements if known
11. Leave the bed neat, smooth and ready for use
12. Deal with customers’ personal property according to your organisation's procedures

1. Safe lifting and handling techniques and why you should always use them
2. Your organisation's standards for linen and bed coverings
3. Why you should keep soiled linen separate from clean linen
4. Why you must keep your linen and linen store secure
5. Why it is important to check linen to make sure it is clean and up to standard
6. The types of problems that may happen when you are choosing and collecting linen from the linen store and how to deal with these
7. The correct way to deal with soiled linen
8. The right way to sort different fabrics
9. Your organisation's procedures for making and re-sheeting beds
10. Why it is important to use the right sized linen
11. Why it is important to use the correct type of pillow or bed linen for individual customers or guests
12. The types of problems, including customer incidents, that may happen when stripping and making beds and how to deal with these
13. How to spot bed bugs or other infestations and when present, what procedures to follow
14. What the environmental implications connected to the use of bed and bathroom linen are
15. What the procedures are for reporting damage

1.     Linen and bed coverings

1.1    sheets / duvet covers / pillowcases

1.2    blankets / duvets

1.3    bedspreads / throws

1.4    waterproof sheets

1.5    valances / mattress protectors

1.6    pillows

1.7    bathroom linen

1.8    cushions / cushion covers

2.    Beds

2.1    double / single beds

2.2    cots / folding beds

2.3    zip and link

2.4    sofa beds

3.    Customer

3.1    new

3.2    stay over

​Customer incidents