Housekeepers Week was first celebrated in 1981, with the official theme: Our Profession Is Clean. Sponsored by the International Executive Housekeepers Association, Inc. (IEHA), the week was born of a need identified by the association's president "to recognize the doers in the profession."
Housekeepers Week, which always spans the second week of September, has gained great popularity through the years. Just search #housekeepersweek on any social media platform, and you'll see posts with photos and videos galore of the variety of creative ways colleagues show appreciaton for their beloved housekeeping and environmental services staff.
With joyful admiration for those who embody the spirit of the latest Housekeepers Week slogan: Everything We Touch Turns To Awesome, everyone at Willowbend Healthcare & Rehabilitation in Marion, Arkansas, enjoyed the most recent celebration.
We threw our sanitation superheroes a party to show our thanks. Every one of these amazing women received a You're #1 balloon (because they ALL are!) and a gift bag full of candles and other goodies. And, of course, there was a sweet, pink cake for all to share. It was decorated with frosting flowers and a heartfelt message: Thank You for Your Service.
To mark this special occasion, we made a Facebook post, and it read:
Last week we celebrated Housekeeping week with the BEST Housekeepers around!! We are so thankful for each and everyone of these ladies and all the hard work, dedication, and time they give to Willowbend to make it such a beautiful facility! You all ROCK!!! Happy Housekeeping Week!!!
And the post's comments echoed our admiration for these wonderwomen:
Happy Housekeeping Week again & Yes we couldn't do it without yall..keep making the facility look & smell great. - Donna Beard
They are absolutely amazing. Cleanest place in the world. Seriously! So thankful they are being recognized! They are all so kind-never complaining. - Brenda Alexander
Congratulations to everyone in house keeping. We got the best an I want y’all to know that all of you are very special to me. And we cannot do this without you all. Love y’all. - Isabel Caeser
Thanks y'all so much! It was so nice. - Susie Allen
So thankful for these ladies!! - Mary Lois Banks
Housekeepers Week, rather than Housekeepers Day, is beyond fitting. Anyone who relies on housekeeping knows they couldn't make it a day without the work they do to ensure clean environments for the comfort, health and safety of workers, residents, and visitors alike. We are so thankful for our housekeepers, and we're already thinking about ways to celebrate later this year!