How do infections spread in gyms?
Exercising in a gym is a fantastic way to get your mind and body feeling their best. However, gyms are also a hub for infections and diseases to spread, particularly those that impact the skin. This is because when exercising, your body and the bodies of other gym-goers exert bacteria and germs, which are often left behind on machinery and equipment, even long after they aren’t in use.
As gyms are also quite humid and warm, this provides a fantastic environment for bacteria to continue growing and spreading. It's exactly why gyms are so commonly known to be superspreaders and why they had such a poor reputation during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With so many surfaces, appliances and pieces of equipment available in gyms, as a gym owner, it’s important that your guests feel safe and ready to exercise in your venue. Though you can never completely eradicate germs, especially in high-volume facilities, you must do everything in your power to keep your gym safe and clean.
Some ways you can do this include:
Provide disposable cloths for your patrons to use
Not every gym-goer remembers to bring a cloth with them to wipe down their material after each use. Having a section of your gym where you provide Rubbermaid Disposable Cloths for them to use can ensure your patrons have the resources necessary to feel safe while they work out. Capable of picking up dirt, grime, dust and bacteria, having these on hand will keep visitors accountable for cleaning their equipment after use. 
Disinfect all materials and floors
Even if your patrons are cleaning the equipment between use, you must frequently disinfect your premises to reduce the risk of spreading infections. Trying to disinfect your equipment once every 2 hours and your floors every 12 hours is a brilliant way to keep any bacteria or infections at bay.
Colour-Coding means less cross-contamination
When disinfecting your premises, be sure to avoid cross-contamination. Otherwise, using the same cleaning tools from one area to another increases the risk of spread of germs and potentially make your patrons sick. Avoiding cross-contamination is made easy with the Rubbermaid 4 pack of 4.7L disinfecting pails. Simply allocate various coloured pails to different purposes and solutions, such as an all-purpose cleaner, mopping solution and a dirty cloths bucket. This will significantly reduce your contamination risk and improve the health and safety of your gym. 
Include Sanitiser Stations
Off the backend of COVID, many facilities have included hand sanitiser stations, which patrons can access at any time during their visit. Including these stations in your facility can show your gym-goers that you respect your duty of care for their health and safety. It is a great way to indicate you are doing everything in your power to keep them safe during their trip.
If you don’t currently have a sanitiser station, the Rubbermaid Autofoam Customisable Metal Hand Sanitiser Stand is sleek and sturdy, making it perfect to position at your front door and beside handheld gym equipment. If you already have a stand, you can also purchase our refills at any time.
When in doubt, provide paper towels
Paper towels are a great way for your guests to dry their hands after using your provided sinks, but they are also perfect for your patrons to use to rub away any excess sweat. Though most gym-goers do bring a towel with them, on the off chance they have forgotten, a paper towel is a perfect, low-cost replacement.
Cleanliness is our priority
At Rubbermaid, 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. Visit our website today to find out more.
