Easy

1. Daily Room Checks for Leaks

• Add leak detection to the daily housekeeping checklist.

• Staff can report dripping taps, constantly running toilets, or damp areas that may indicate hidden leaks.

• Early detection prevents major water loss and helps maintenance fix small issues before they become expensive problems.

2. Top-to-Bottom Sheet Rotation

• When making linen changes, consider rotating the top (cover) sheet to become the bottom (fitted or flat) sheet rather than replacing both.

• This reduces the number of sheets laundered while maintaining hygiene and comfort.

• Can reduce sheet laundry volumes by up to 50%.

3. Water-Wise Cleaning Habits

• Encourage staff to avoid flushing toilets multiple times during cleaning unless necessary.

• Don’t leave taps running when rinsing cloths or wiping surfaces

• Whilst these changes might seem small, they can add up to significant water reduction across hundreds of rooms per week.

 4. Opt-In Guest-Room Cleaning

• Offer opt-in cleaning services for guests staying multiple nights.

• Many guests are happy to skip daily cleaning, especially with a small incentive or environmental message.   

These are great examples of communication and door hangars that guests can leave on their door to convey their environmental preference to the housekeeping team.  Not only that, the prevalence of blue door hangars also motivates other guests to consider taking the same steps.   The hotel also uses an app for guests that wish to opt-out of cleaning however this does not have the same communications power.

• Not only does this reduce water used for toilet flushing, general cleaning and associated laundry from linen changes, it reduces chemicals and can reduce the pressure on housekeeping teams.

Medium

1. i-Mops or Low-Water Floor Cleaning Machines

• These machines can use up to 90% less water than traditional mopping methods.

• They work by applying a controlled amount of water and using suction to bring it back up immediately, which is more hygienic and far less wasteful than cleaning with a traditional mop and bucket.

• These solutions are ideal for public areas, corridors, and back-of-house floors as well as guest rooms.

• One of the i-Mop websites has a useful calculator for working out the potential return on investment. i-mop Savings Calculator - Reduce Cleaning Costs | i-team ANZ

2. Microfibre Cleaning Cloths

• Microfibre cloths and mop heads clean effectively with very little or no water.

• Compared to cotton cloths, they require less water in both use and laundering.

• Some hotels now use colour-coded microfibre systems to reduce chemical and water use while maintaining hygiene standards.

• However, microfibre cloths may shed synthetic microfibres, where possible, wash them in a special bag that captures any fibres and dispose of them with general waste.

3. On-Demand Steam Cleaning Tools

• Steam cleaners use minimal water and no chemicals for spot cleaning of upholstery, mattresses, or bathroom grout.

• They are perfect for stain removal without needing to soak fabrics or use lots of water.

4. Soiled Linen Spot-Treatment Stations

• Rather than re-washing full loads due to a few stained items, some hotels use designated soaking or spot-cleaning areas to treat linens first. This avoids re-running full machines and conserves water over time.

5. Housekeeping Cart Upgrades

• Changes to any housekeeping equipment is likely to require changes to housekeeping carts.  Whilst this in itself may not have a direct impact on water reduction, it is an important consideration when it comes to investment decisions. Consider things such as:

  • Modular layouts so compartments can be rearranged based on room types, shift needs or staff preferences

  • Separate compartments or colour-coded bags for linens, recyclables and general waste

  • Integrated tablet hotels to streamline reporting or checklists

  • UV Disinfection compartments to sanitize cloths and small tools between uses

  • Power assisted movement to reduce physical strain