Blog Housekeeping

As a housekeeping employee at De Vlindertuin, I am definitely not just cleaning. Of course that is part of my job too. But when I walk through an apartment that guests have just checked out of, I am also responsible for making sure everything is there and in its proper place. If something is missing, I fetch it from the storeroom myself and replenish it. If that isn’t possible, I simply pass it on. We communicate a lot via the app; that works quickly and everyone knows what’s going on. The contact we have with each other is really pleasant and not hierarchical, we are a real team. In an app I tick off all my tasks afterwards, so I don’t forget anything. This app is also handy for my own planning: all tasks are usually visible a week in advance in Keyplan, so I know what to expect.

What I especially love is that everyone here does their best to work sustainably: for example, every time I clean I also check that we aren’t heating more than necessary, that the windows aren’t open, or that the fridge isn’t set to 6 while the apartment will be empty the next day. It just feels good that we care about the environment together here. I also regularly check in the linen room whether everything has been delivered. If not, I call the company that supplies the linen packages.

What’s more, I’m even allowed to check in new guests. Because I’ve worked here for a while, I sometimes also have the phone with me, and then, for example, guests call who are standing at the closed reception outside check-in hours and want to check in. I do that, tell them a bit about De Vlindertuin, give them the key and take them to their accommodation. So I also have contact with guests and suppliers; it is definitely more than just a cleaning job!

As a receptionist, I have the most contact with the guests. Emails come in regularly with questions about the apartments or availability, and the same questions come in by phone. What I actually enjoy most is when people have lots of extra wishes, because then I can put together a nice solution for them.

Whatever is possible and doable in terms of time, we try to arrange for our guests. For example, someone recently emailed that friends of theirs were coming to the Vlindertuin for a weekend. Could we put a welcome package (a bottle of wine and some treats, with a card) ready for them in the apartment? It was a quiet day and so I could easily do it, so yes! The guests who arrived were really impressed and very happy. Isn’t that nice! I welcome guests who are checking in, give them the key and, while I accompany them to the apartment, tell them about the shared cupboard, breakfast, the sauna, and where they can leave their luggage if they want to enjoy another day on Ameland after checking out in the morning.

I often do the check-outs too, if I am already there, and otherwise the breakfast employee often takes care of that. We work together really well and also step in for each other where needed. I also often do the final checks when someone has finished cleaning an apartment. That’s because four eyes see more than two. Sometimes a window is still open or someone has forgotten to turn the heating down a bit. Then I quickly take care of that.

I also help out when it is very busy with the cleaning; then I do what we call the pre-check: bringing fresh linen right after check-out, checking whether the apartment has been left in good condition and, for example, replacing some plates that may have broken. Even as a receptionist I get plenty of exercise!

As the name suggests, the morning shift starts pretty early. Sometimes I find it a bit hard to get out of bed, but once I’m there, I’m on a roll. The morning shift means that I set out the breakfast, sometimes for 2 guests, sometimes for 42. That makes quite a difference, but every time I want to give the guests a wonderful start to the day.

Besides the standard things like coffee, bread rolls and cheese, every morning we also offer different kinds of fruit, jam, sometimes a special salad for on your bread, delicious cake and so on. You name it! I have also just been given the task of doing the shopping for the next 2-3 days once a week. That means I basically get to decide for myself what I want to serve people: sometimes I pick up a nice pineapple or something special from the bakery section. I just enjoy being creative with that. Isn’t it great that I get to do that!

We are also a friendly team that really works together. For example, before I go to the shop I ask my colleagues what they like to prepare for breakfast. If you have that task, it also includes a quick round of the grounds: the washing machine and dryer are by the shared cupboard, so I empty them, I clean the toilet by the breakfast room, things like that. AND then top up the breakfast again, because sometimes people really tuck in!

I ask guests whether everything is to their liking and respond to that, and I also get to check out guests who are heading home again. That is fun too, because then you can ask how their stay was, and the vast majority really love it at the Vlindertuin. I understand that , because we are a dedicated team that works well together. We complement each other, work with a four-eyes principle (so we check each other’s work in a pleasant way), and we all want the guests to have a great stay on our beautiful little island!

It is all in a name: as an all-rounder I do a bit of everything! On Monday I arrive by boat and then I see where I am needed: checking out a few guests, seeing whether I can lend a hand with the cleaning, checking that the sauna looks neat, cleaning the windows and vacuuming there, answering the phone and checking and tidying the shared cupboard. In the afternoon I check the emails and whether any questions have come in through the booking sites, and I also process the newly received reservations.

I stay on the island for a few nights, so on Tuesday I am there to make breakfast. During the autumn half-term, for example, we had lots of breakfast guests again, and then I am busy keeping everything topped up. Other weeks are a bit quieter. Throughout the day I make sure everything on the grounds looks neat, which also includes watering the plants or snipping off faded flowers. While doing so I walk past one of the buildings and see that the hallway is full of leaves and someone has walked in with very dirty shoes. Well, off I go, grab the vacuum cleaner and the mop, and clean it up! I really enjoy making sure, independently, that our guests are happy and tell us when they check out that they will definitely come back to the Vlindertuin. I also like to help guests who have a comment quickly, so that they are happy again too.

On Wednesday I do breakfast again. Today only 2 apartments are checking out; I clean those myself so that the other housekeeping staff are free. Then I place the orders with our supplier and drive to the shop to do all the other shopping for things he doesn’t stock. I actually plan my own day as far as possible. I do tick off all the tasks in an app, so that we all know what has or hasn’t been done yet. That is how, together as a whole team, we make sure the Vlindertuin is a lovely place to stay, but also to work.