The guest shower has a marble floor, a frameless glass screen, polished chrome fittings and no window. The charter has been running ten days in August and the screen has gone cloudy. A guest has left an open watch and a passport on the vanity. Everything you do in the next twenty minutes has a right and a wrong way.
The bathroom sequence
Top down, dry to wet, cleanest to dirtiest, WC absolutely last with red-zone cloths.
- Ventilate — run the extractor.
- Remove used towels and amenities; empty the bin.
- Dust and dry-detail high surfaces, mirror frames, lights, extractor grille.
- Mirror and glass — spray the cloth, work in straight strokes, buff dry with a second cloth.
- Basin, vanity and taps — pH-neutral cleaner on stone; dry and buff metal.
- Shower — walls, screen, floor, drain, shower head. Remove hair from the drain (gloves on).
- WC — inside and out, hinges, base, the wall behind, with red cloths.
- Floor, working out of the door.
- Restock and re-set, then the doorway check.
Limescale
Limescale is calcium/magnesium deposit from hard water — heavy in many Med marinas.
- Prevention beats cure: squeegee and dry the screen and taps after every service. Water left to evaporate is what leaves scale.
- On glass and chrome: an approved descaler, applied to a cloth, short dwell, thorough rinse, dry buff.
- On or near marble/limestone: an acidic descaler will etch the stone permanently. Use only a stone-safe product, keep acid off the stone, and if scale on stone is heavy, stop and report it.
- Shower heads: soak the removable head per the boat's method, or wrap the fixed head — but check the finish will tolerate the product first.
Mould and humidity
Mould needs moisture, warmth and still air. A yacht head supplies all three.
- Run extractors; leave shower doors ajar and towels hung open after service.
- Dry silicone joints, seals and grout — mould colonises the joint first.
- Wipe wardrobe interiors and check for musty smell; damp clothing hung in a closed wardrobe is the usual cause.
- On mould: a suitable mould remover (often chlorine-based) on tolerant surfaces only, with ventilation and PPE. Chlorine near stainless causes pitting and near stone or fabric causes damage. Never mix it with anything.
Amenities and guest belongings
- Replenish to the boat's standard: soap, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, tissues, cotton pads/buds, toilet rolls (folded end if the boat does it), bathrobes, slippers.
- Bottles: fronts aligned, labels facing out, decanted amenities topped up and the outside of the bottle wiped clean.
- Towel set: bath sheet, hand towel, face cloth, bath mat — folded to the house standard, hung square.
- Guest personal effects: do not move them. Clean around a watch, a passport, medication or cosmetics. If an item must be moved to clean, move it the minimum distance, return it to the identical position and note it on the cabin sheet.
Onboard Notes
- Hair and water spots are the two things a guest always notices. Check the drain, the screen and the floor edge last.
- A guest bathroom is often used by several guests in one day — a mid-day refresh is standard on charter.
- Never dispose of guest medication, contact lenses or anything ambiguous. If in doubt, leave it and report it.
- Report soft or discoloured silicone, blocked drains and failing extractors — those are engineering jobs, not cleaning jobs.