How To Properly Sanitise Your Gym To Keep It Safe For Members

With so many people entering and exiting your gym, touching surfaces and gym equipment, lying on benches and mats, and sweating it out, your gym can be a very dirty place filled with bacteria, viruses, and germs. Gyms are among the most dangerous places to work out in because people expel large amounts of bodily fluids within an enclosed area. If surfaces are not kept clean, and members do not help clean up after themselves, people will be coming into contact with each other’s bodily fluids, making it easy for illnesses to spread.

As society becomes more health-conscious, it is critical for commercial facilities to keep their premises clean and safe for members to use. As a gym operator, it is therefore your responsibility to ensure that your gym is safe for your members. Here’s how to properly sanitise your gym. 

1.Wash hands before cleaning

Our hands are full of germs and should be kept clean before beginning to clean any other surfaces. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. This helps to keep germs from spreading from your hands to the surfaces.

2.Put on safety equipment such as PPE and gloves

As you will be in contact with germ-infested high-touch surfaces, you may want to put on a mask and gloves to protect yourself, or wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to keep your clothes clean. The PPE can also help to keep your bodily germs and fluids from coming into contact with the gym's clean surfaces. After cleaning your gym equipment, you wouldn’t want it to get dirty again because you weren’t careful.

3.Wipe the surface in the same direction to prevent contamination

When wiping down surfaces in the gym, only wipe in one direction. Circular or zigzag motions only cause dirt and contaminants to spread back onto previously cleaned surfaces. If you clean your surfaces in a haphazard manner, the surface will remain dirty even if you spend hours cleaning it. Even with difficult to clean commercial gym equipment, it is important to wipe in a single direction.

Press a clean cloth or wipe firmly against the surface and swipe in a single motion. Turn or fold the cloth or wipe after each swipe so that the next swipe is done with a clean side.

4.Use disinfectants or cleaners according to product recommendations

To effectively kill bacteria or germs and keep surfaces clean, some cleaners or disinfectants must be left on the surface before being wiped off. Whatever cleaner you use, make sure to follow the product directions if you want it to be effective.

Besides keeping your facility and gym equipment clean, it is important to educate your members on how to keep the space clean for others.

• When sitting or lying on benches or mats, members should cover them with a towel. The towel absorbs the majority of their sweat and serves as a barrier to keep the surface as clean as possible.
• Before and after each use, members should disinfect or wipe down gym equipment and weights. This keeps the equipment clean for their own use and also keeps it clean for the next person to use it safely.
• Members should wash their hands before entering the gym to remove germs before touching surfaces within the gym, and again after finishing their workout for hygiene purposes.

It can be difficult to keep your gym equipment clean and in good condition on your own. However, it is an important aspect of running a gym, and actively maintaining your facility's cleanliness will help you retain your members.

HF Lifestyle is a commercial gym equipment supplier that sells and leases equipment to gym operators. We also perform gym equipment service and repair for our customers to help keep their gym safe. Get in touch with us for more information.