Bacteria, sweat, and dust often accumulate on gym equipment - this can make it a breeding ground for germs and pose a health risk to users if not cleaned on a regular basis. This blog post will discuss the best way to clean gym equipment so that it remains free of harmful bacteria and dirt build-up, keeping patrons and staff safe.
While effectiveness is one of the main concerns when choosing a cleaning product, its compatibility with medical equipment surfaces should also be taken into consideration. Because expensive healthcare devices will likely require frequent disinfecting, it’s important to choose cleaning products and processes that will not harm or alter the equipment.
What supplies are necessary to clean gym equipment?
The first step in cleaning gym equipment is getting the right gym cleaning supplies. The cleaning process and tools need to be effective in this environment due to the high amount of people however ensuring the expensive equipment are not damaged in the process is also a top consideration. The high frequency of cleaning in this environment means equipment may be affected which means repairs or replacements are required.
Microfibre cloths and mops
A microfibre cloth will help clean gym equipment quickly and easily, picking up all particles from surfaces. For this, Hygen Disposable Microfibre Cloths and Mop Pads may be considered as part of the cleaning regime as it has been proven to remove 99.9% of all microbes from surfaces like bench tops, floors and gym equipment. The Rubbermaid system has been proven to work with just water so this can also be implemented if desired.
A bucket of warm water and dish soap (or mild detergent)
The next thing on the list is a bucket of warm water and cleaning solution for gym equipment. A mild detergent can also be used if the equipment has been exposed to grease or oil. Please check with your operations manager or general manager if there is a preferred product or active ingredient for cleaning.
Personal Protective Equipment
It would be best to have disposable gloves and face masks handy to offer protection from germs while cleaning. This is the best way to clean gym equipment and is especially important if working on high touchpoints door handles, staircase handles or equipment operating buttons, that people touch directly with their hands. If possible, use gloves made out of latex as they offer better protection against bacteria than other materials like cotton.
How to clean gyms?
Now that all the necessary supplies have been discussed, read on for further information on how to clean gym equipment efficiently.
Clean systematically, either clockwise or counterclockwise
By implementing a systematic process, no surface is skipped, time is saved by cleaning staff and is more ergonomic.
Go from clean to dirty
By doing this, the staff will reduce the likelihood of spreading infection and contaminants.
Clean from top to bottom
By cleaning from higher areas first, rather than lower areas, any dust/ debris dislodged from top surface naturally falls to the lower surfaces.
Wipe in one direction (unidirectional wiping)
Circular wiping re-contaminates areas therefore unidirectional wiping should be implemented. In addition to reducing contamination, it ensures solution is applied to whole surface, therefore
Higher Frequency for high touch areas
If there are equipment or items that are used by a large number of people, such as door knobs, water dispenser levers or equipment buttons, then these should be cleaned more regularly than those that are not used frequently by many.
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