Many people enter a gym each day making use of the machines. Therefore keeping a workout environment clean is a real challenge for the maintenance crew.
As you no doubt know there is more to keeping a gym clean than removing visible signs of dirt and grime. Due to the amount of blood, sweat and tears that people put into their workouts, the average gym can potentially be filled with germs and bacteria.
Study Shows That Gym Equipment Contains More Bacteria Than Toilet Seats
You no doubt wash your hands after you visit the toilet, but what about after visiting the gym? You might want to consider starting, as a study by FitRated has revealed that a typical set of free weights contain more than 300 times the amount of germs you’d find on a toilet seat. Further free weights aren’t the only source of bugs and bacteria, with the level of germs found on exercise bikes and treadmills also coming in for criticism. Over 70% of the bacteria strains found on gym equipment were rated as harmful to humans, with some capable of causing pneumonia, septicaemia and toxic shock syndrome.
Here at Kärcher Hire we understand the importance of keeping your gym clean especially during hot weather. From treadmills to rowing machines, studio spaces to free weight areas, no area of gym cleaning can be left unattended.
Is Wiping Down Gym Equipment After Use Enough?
Giving everything a wipe down now and then simply isn’t enough on its own, even if you are using an anti-bacterial spray alongside it. The first thing you need to consider is how often you will be physically able to clean or at least remove some of bacteria on your gym equipment.
The good news is that the responsibility for this doesn’t necessarily have to lie with you completely. Most gyms require their patrons to wipe down whatever they’ve used with a dry paper towel, but if you were to introduce ‘sanitary wipes’ into this process before the dry towel you would also help to keep bacteria numbers lower than if you simply waited until closing time. Frequency is the key to keeping bacteria under control, and even if only 1 in every 5 gym-goers follows your instructions you’ll go some way to tackling the bacteria build-up.
If this isn’t possible then staff should really be cleaning gym equipment themselves during quiet periods throughout the day. Although inconvenient for customers, most of your patrons will appreciate the opportunity to use a fresh and sanitary piece of equipment over a dirty one. Using anti-bacterial wipes is acceptable, but not if this is all you are doing.
When it comes to closing time and you have the opportunity to thoroughly disinfect your gym equipment you may turn to disinfectants to destroy everything in sight.
So, What are the ‘focus areas’ for your cleaning? See below:
- Eliminating Odours: Cleaning Everything From Benches to Treadmills.
A common mistake gym staff make when removing odours is to just mask the smell rather than remove it. To fully tackle the issue, you need to remove the source and scrub away any odour-causing bacteria.A ‘steam cleaner’ can be a fantastic tool for cleaning everything from benches to the treadmills. It can also be used to clean exercise balls, machine handles and even dumbbells. With the help of a steam cleaner, you’ll be able to remove sweat, grease and smells in a matter of seconds. - Sanitising Gym Equipment
In many gyms it has become an unwritten rule for customers to wipe their machines down with a towel after use. Although this dries any sweat from the machine, it does very little to kill germs and can actually spread bacteria from one machine to another.If you don’t already provide gym users with paper towels and sanitising spray, introducing these cleaning tools to the gym could help reduce the spread of germs.It is a good idea to ensure that a member of staff cleans each machine on a regular basis. It may be wise to put up a cleaning rota and encourage staff to sign their name after each clean. - Keeping Restrooms & Locker Rooms CleanLike any public restroom, those in a gym need to be cleaned regularly. When we consider how many sweaty people use gym restrooms and changing rooms on a daily basis, it’s easy to see why cleaning the area thoroughly is important. Introduce a cleaning schedule and ensure a member of staff checks on the restrooms and locker rooms on a regular basis to check standards are maintained.
- Cleaning Carpeted Areas in the GymIf you have carpet in your gym, keeping the floor clean could be a challenge, particularly when you consider inevitable spillages involving energy drinks and protein shakes.A carpet extractor could help you to remove stubborn stains that won’t budge when scrubbed by hand. It will lift the stain from the base of the carpet using water and a specialist solution.
How Can Kärcher Hire Help you Maintain your Gym?
From Steam Cleaners to Scrubber Dryers, here at Kärcher Hire our fleet of industrial cleaning equipment is on hand to eliminate odours and ensure that good hygiene levels are maintained. Not only will the employment of our Kärcher equipment reduce the spreading of germs, but it will help keep your members coming back time and time again.
From Mirrors to Weight Machine Cleaning
From mirrors to weight machines, the Karcher SGV 6/5 ‘Steam Vacuum Cleaner’ is on hand to remove sweat, grease and odours for a wealth of equipment that can be found in the gym. Ensuring the most hygienic of cleans in environments that are subject to an increased number of germs, not only does the pressurised steam easily target those difficult spots, but it instantly dries them too.
This approach ensures a quicker cleaning time and keeps members happy as it removes the need to wait for the equipment to dry.
Studio Space Cleaning
Ideal for gyms that feature studio spaces, the Karcher BD 38/12 C BP Small/Medium ‘Scrubber Dryer’ offers a fast, thorough and effortless cleaning of small and medium areas. Highly manoeuvrable and easy to use on smooth floors, equipped with a disk brush the Scrubber Dryer enables scrubbing and drying close to walls and in tight turns, ensuring no corner is left uncleaned. If that was not enough, the dryer can be operated without the need for electric mains.
Cordless Backpack Vacuum Cleaning
Employed in areas where a conventional vacuum cleaner cannot be used, the Karcher BV 5/1 BP ‘Backpack Vacuum Cleaner’ offers maximum cleaning performance in public spaces. Ideal for gym’s, the backpack vacuum cleaner operates without the need to be plugged into electric mains, abolishing health and safety risks that often-come hand-in-hand with conventional vacuums that require electricity to operate. Regardless of whether you need to remove dirt from tight spaces in-between treadmills or clean around the free weight zone, the Backpack Vacuum Cleaner makes an ideal choice of industrial cleaning equipment.
Cleaning Dirt and Spills From Large Carpeted Areas
On hand to remove dirt, stains and spills from large areas of carpet, the Karcher BRC 40/22 C Carpet Cleaner guarantees a quick, yet efficient cleaning. Especially important in a gym that sees members coming and going throughout opening times, the Carpet Cleaner reduces drying times and increases productivity by 30-60%. Not only does this reduce the time needed for areas to dry, but it increases the level of health and safety throughout.
Take the Next Step Towards a Cleaner Gym
If you’d like to embrace professional cleaning tools in your business but the cost of buying these machines is putting you off, take a look at our industrial cleaning equipment hire. We can provide you with the tools you need to keep your business looking its best, without burning a hole in your budget!
