Exercising in a gym is a fantastic way to get your mind and body feeling their best. However, gyms are also a hotspot for the spread of diseases and disorders, especially those that affect the skin. This is due to the fact that when you exercise, both your body and the bodies of other gym visitors exude bacteria and germs that are frequently left behind on tools and equipment even after they haven’t been used for a while, especially if your gym visitors aren’t the type to wipe down gym equipment after using it.

In addition to being warm and humid, gyms provide an ideal habitat for bacteria to flourish and spread. The reason gyms are so frequently identified as superspreaders and why they earned such a bad reputation during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic is precisely this. Since there are so many surfaces, gadgets, and pieces of equipment in gyms, it’s crucial for you as the gym owner that your customers feel secure and prepared to work out there. Even though it’s impossible to totally eradicate germs, especially in high-traffic areas, you must take all reasonable precautions to maintain your gym sanitary.

Why is it Important to Clean Gym Equipment?

Knowing how to properly clean your gym’s machines and equipment is essential for retaining and luring new members, as dirty equipment can discourage them from joining. When using a treadmill, lifting weights, or sitting on a bench, nobody likes to see sweat or oil stains from the person who used it before them. Moreover, maintaining the cleanliness of equipment can extend the life of tools and machineries like weights, mats, benches, and other things. Over time, accumulations of dirt and grime such as dust, sweat, fingerprints, oils, and other substances can lead to errors and malfunctions.

How to Clean Gym Equipment?

Knowing how to clean your gym equipment can be intimidating and overwhelming since gym equipment uses different materials and surface types. Some even have sensitive electrical components that you should be very careful when cleaning or else they might short-circuit and damage your equipment. However, you can still clean your gym equipment with these 3 easy steps.

Clean

Cleaning your gym equipment allows you to remove surface layers of dirt and grime. Cleaning involves physically removing germs from surfaces using soap and water. Although this procedure doesn’t necessarily kill germs, getting rid of them, reduces their population and the chance that an infection will spread. Simply use a pre-saturated general cleaning wipe or use a dampened microfiber cloth to wipe the surface of your gym equipment. 

Sanitize

Use a sanitizing wipe or sanitizing solution on a towel to wipe down the equipment after you have removed the top layer of dirt and grime. Sanitizing reduces the number of germs on surfaces or items to a safe level as determined by regulations for public health. Use a sanitizer that has been approved by the FDA and avoid spraying the solution directly on the surface because it can cause damage. And let it air dry before proceeding to the last step.

Disinfect

Use an EPA-registered disinfectant wipe or solution to eliminate dangerous infections like MRSA, Staph, and E once the sanitizer has dried fully. along with others. Make sure the product kills germs that are indigenous to your gym by carefully reading the kill claims. Before you begin disinfecting, put on a pair of gloves since the product’s chemicals could be harmful if they come into touch with your unprotected skin. Disinfecting products have recommended dwell time written on their packaging and following it is a must to ensure all germs on your equipment are killed. 

Gym Cleaning Equipment You Want to Keep Around Your Gym

Now that you are aware of how to properly clean, let’s move on to what gym cleaning equipment you might want to keep around your gym. 

Microfiber Cloths

The finest material for cleaning your gym equipment is microfiber because it doesn’t leave any fibers behind. It can efficiently pick up dust and particles when used dry. Soft microfiber cloths won’t cause any equipment materials to scrape. Also, try giving your cleaning clothes a color coding. This will prevent any cross-contamination from happening. 

General Cleaner

This is used to clean all surface dust and grime found on your equipment. You can use general cleaning solutions available in the market or try making your own solution by diluting dish soap with water. Avoid using cleaning products that have an alcohol base or contain harsh chemicals like bleach or ammonia. Your equipment may become stained and damaged 

FDA-Approved Sanitizer and EPA-Approved Disinfectant

Using FDA and EPA-approved solutions ensures that all that sanitizing and disinfecting you are doing is not going to waste (just make sure to follow the cleaning instructions on the packaging). 

Duster

Dust will always find its way to your gym equipment’s surface even after all the cleaning and disinfecting you are doing. Dust accumulation is a visual representation of a dirty gym. That’s why having a duster around is handy. Use a horsehair or a handheld vacuum to remove all the visual dust. 

Vacuum and Mop

You might need to utilize various cleaning methods or solutions depending on the type of flooring you have. A vacuum is typically required to remove debris from the floor, and a mop or steam cleaner is required to clean and/or disinfect the flooring.

How Can Your Gym Members Help?

Doing all the cleaning and disinfecting by yourself may not be enough. You might want to try encouraging your gym members to help you maintain a clean environment around the gym. You can create house rules to make this possible such as:

• Encourage them to always bring a towel to wipe off their sweat immediately before it drops to the floor. 
• Ask them to always wipe down using a disinfectant and wipe any gym equipment they have used or going to use. 
• Request them to always take a shower immediately after their workout and use a separate bag for their dirty gym clothes to avoid any germ spread.

By following these instructions, you can keep your gym’s equipment clean and in working order for visitors while also showing your members that cleanliness and hygiene are your top priorities. Depending on how much traffic your facility sees, it is advised that you clean your equipment once a day or every few days.

If you think that the cleaning you are doing is still not enough, then you might want to contact a professional cleaning company to provide you with more professional services. At Burgos Cleaning, we are passionate about keeping all venues and facilities clean to prevent the spread of dangerous and harmful infections. For this reason, we have a wide variety of solutions that we are consistently innovating to help maintain your facility. We offer our services around Fairfield, Hartford, and Litchfield County, Connecticut. Feel free to contact us regarding your cleaning matters!