In an ideal situation, the wardroom officer would be told before an officer's pending arrival. Normally, a new officer is assigned to a stateroom by the wardroom officer or mess treasurer. In some ships, the stateroom of an outgoing officer will be occupied by the relieving officer. Registration procedures vary between ships. However, the Registration Record, NAVCOMPT Form 2104, is recommended for use in registering officers. Afloat, the reverse side of this form also can be used to record financial transactions between the officer and the wardroom mess. An example is the payment of his or her monthly mess bill.

AFLOAT STATEROOM SERVICE

Basic officer stateroom maintenance service, which includes sweeping, dusting, sink cleaning, painting, laundry services, and care of private effects, is explained next.

STATEROOM CARE

The work required in the maintenance of the wardroom and staterooms is not physically hard. However, it does require a sense of orderliness and attention to detail. It also requires an understanding of the important role played by MS personnel in support of the ship and the Navy. The specialized support provided by the MS rating within the wardroom/stateroom areas is as necessary to the Navy as specialization provided in the weapons and engineering areas.

Staterooms must be thoroughly cleaned. This includes furnishings, ledges, corners, and bulkheads. The same cleanliness is required for heads, showers, passageways, and vestibules.

Access to Staterooms

The wardroom and staterooms are officers' country. The mess personnel duties and their continuous presence in officers' country produce an especially close relationship between the enlisted personnel and mess officers. Successful wardroom operation depends upon the mutual trust and respect of this relationship. This trust results from high levels of personal honesty and integrity. The wardroom and stateroom areas are out of bounds to personnel other than mess members and mess personnel. The only exception may be for official business related to those spaces.

Care of Private Property

One important rule to follow in cleaning staterooms is to avoid disturbing anything of a private nature that has been left laying about. Occasionally, officers rush off leaving letters, papers, money, or other valuables in sight. These instances should be reported at once to the officer, the wardroom leading MS, or the stateroom supervisor. Furthermore, papers, books, or letters should not be examined if left laying around. These may concern official Navy matters or the officer's personal affairs. In either case, they are to be treated as private property. If valuables or other private items must be removed when cleaning, you should make sure they are put back where they were found.

Cleaning of Staterooms

Daily cleaning is necessary, but the extent to which spaces are cleaned may vary with particular circumstances. More uniform cleaning can be done by using a cleaning bill.  An example of a stateroom cleaning bill follows:

DAILY

a.  Clean washbasin, mirror, soap container, and toothbrush holders.

b. Make up beds for officers 0-5 and above. c. Sweep and mop deck or vacuum carpet. d. Empty and wash ashtrays.

e. Empty wastebaskets.   Dust all furniture. WEEKLY

a. Wash paintwork. b. Polish brightwork.

c. Clean electric fans and wipe down light fixtures.

e. Replace soiled hand and bath towels and replace with clean ones as scheduled.

Deliver and pick up officers' laundry as scheduled.

g. Replace stripped linens with fresh clean ones. Leave linens on top of beds (0-4 and below only), as scheduled.

h.  Scrub and wax deck or spot-check carpet and remove stains as scheduled.

i. Clean air-conditioning filters and screens. Hold general field day for certain staterooms as scheduled. Stand by for inspection. CLEAN AS SCHEDULED

a. Turn mattress over and vacuum underneath (monthly-preferably during linen change). b. Send draperies, curtains, chair covers, and bedspreads for dry cleaning (quarterly).

c. Shampoo carpets (quarterly).

Personal Service

The following services are considered of a personal nature and are the sole responsibility of individual officers:

Bed making and bed linen changing except for 0-5 and above

Care, maintenance, and orderliness of personal effects that include military uniforms, uniform accessories, and shoes

Sorting and storage of personal laundry Mail Service

MSs may be appointed to act as mail orderlies. As mail orderlies, they pick up the mail from the staterooms at prescheduled times and deliver it to the post office. MSs also may draw officer mail from the Postal Clerk and deliver it. Mail not delivered should never be left in the wardroom. Mail orderlies must not be required to mail or pickup registered, certified, or insured mail. HABITABILITY

Officers' quarters aboard ship (staterooms) should present maximum habitability. COs usually require the highest standards of service and sanitation in the ship's staterooms. There is no ship so lacking in facilities, equipment, or personnel that minimum standards cannot be met. Careful use of supplies and overhaul funds on allowed items should be exercised within the limitations of funding. This will achieve the maximum level of habitability. Improvisation with tender assistance may correct ship-design defects.

Since an officer's quarters is his or her seagoing home, the officer should not be reluctant to spend his or her efforts toward the physical improvement of the wardroom and stateroom.

Care of Heads and Showers

An example of a cleaning bill for stateroom heads and showers follows:

DAILY

a. Clean washbasins and wipe down mirrors.

b. Refill soap and towel dispensers.

c. Clean utility sink and storage area.

d. Wipe down shower curtains.

e.  Scrub down shower stalls.

Wipe down glass doors or stainless steel doors.

g.  Scrub rubber mats and air dry.

h. Scrub, clean, and disinfect/sanitize urinals and commodes (use rubber gloves).

i. Wipe down partitions or dividers.

j. Sweep and swab deck with hot soapy water and disinfectant.

k. Replenish toilet paper.

l.  Empty trash can.

m. Clean and neatly store all cleaning gear in locker.

WEEKLY

a. Scrub down bulkhead.

b. Clean overhead and light fixtures.

c. Scrub down shower curtains; replace as required.

d. Descale urinals and commodes.

e. Wipe down and polish stainless steel and all other brightwork.

f  Sweep, swab, and scrub deck with hot soapy water and disinfectant.

CLEAN AS SCHEDULED

a. Replace burned-out bulbs as required.

b. Replace missing curtain hooks and rubber mats.

c.  Check for water leaks; cold and hot water. Passageways and Vestibules

Passageways and vestibules are also important parts of the responsibilities of MSs and rotational pool personnel and must be incorporated in both the daily and weekly schedules. An example of a passageway and vestibule cleaning bill follows:

DAILY

a. Sweep down ladders; vacuum if necessary.

b. Sweep, swab, and buff passageways and vestibule decks.

c. Wipe down ladder handrails with hot soapy water.

d. Clean around deck combing or hatch openings.

e.  Check angle irons and ledges for gear adrift.

f Clean scuttlebutt.

WEEKLY

a. Spot-check bulkheads and scrub down as required.

b.  Sweep, swab, wax, and buff decks.

c. Dust overhead, light fixtures, and air vents.

d. Clean baseboards and make sure all corners are completely cleaned.

e.  Scrub down ladders and dust guards with hot soapy water.

f  Clean knife edges of hatches and ports.

g. Polish brightwork as scheduled. CLEAN AS SCHEDULED

a. Strip wax once every 2 weeks or as scheduled.

b. Check nonskid deck treads; replace as required.

c. Check for burned-out bulbs and replace as required.

d. Check quarterly for preservation and paint as required.

Care of Deck Coverings

There are various types of floor coverings such as vinyl, linoleum, and terrazzo provided for the interior decks. These coverings require special care. Rough and improper maintenance quickly destroys the appearance and durability of these coverings, Before cleaning and finishing these coverings, you should refer to the NAVSUP P-421. This gives information on the proper cleaning solution and the type of wax that should be used.

Carpet Care

The ability of carpets to perform most of the functions of many materials that are used as deck coverings has long since been acknowledged. Overall safety factors and low maintenance costs make carpeting a far more desirable and flexible environmental control material than any hard surface material that performs only a single function.

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE.- Maintenance time and costs can be extremely reduced and a good overall appearance of carpets can be maintained by eliminating soil and dirt before they are tracked into staterooms. Mats placed outside on inside entryways will eliminate most of the soil from shoes before it can be tracked onto the carpet. Critical high traffic areas, such as hallways and entrance doors, take the brunt of soiling. Frequent vacuuming and preventive maintenance in the high traffic areas will reduce the amount of time required to maintain these areas.

MAINTENANCE PROGRAM.- Carpet maintenance is directly related to the amount of traffic in the area.

Daily. Clean with vacuum cleaner along all traffic patterns. It is extremely important to keep carpets as free as possible of hose, sandy, gritty soil. Remove spots and stains as they occur, if possible.

*Weekly. The pile brush combines a brushing and vacuuming action. It should be used at least once a week in addition to the regular cleaning and vacuuming.

proper shampooing procedures require the use of a neutral, synthetic detergent that is specifically designed for cleaning carpets. First, pile brush the carpet against the lay of the pile, then vacuum the carpet thoroughly.

During the actual shampooing, all furniture should be removed. Shampoo the carpet in circular strokes, with a uniform application of suds. After the shampooing, spot-clean any stains that remain. Following this, give the pile a finishing operation by hand-napping. Normally, drying takes 6 to 8 hours. In areas of traffic that must be used before the carpet is thoroughly dry, nonstaining paper should be placed on the carpet to prevent tracking soil onto the fabric. As a final operation, vacuum the carpet on the following day to remove any fluff and lint loosened by the shampooing process.

SPOTTING PROGRAM.- A  separate spot-cleaning program should be established, especially for areas where accidental spillage occurs at a higher rate. There are many excellent commercial spot-removal kits available for this type of use. Spills should be attended to as soon as possible and never left for more than a day.

DUST AND DIRT.- Carpets are cleaned primarily to remove soil, to try to restore the original color, to lengthen wear life by the removal of gritty soil, and to discourage mildew and other unsightly damages. A good carpet care program will save time and money.

LOW MAINTENANCE.- Carpeting requires only about half as much time to maintain as hard-surfaced decks. Demonstrations should be obtained from professional carpet cleaners before starting your own carpet care program.