Nobody knows better than gym owners how much our daily workouts have been impacted by the pandemic. All those missed workouts are also affecting your bottom line! As restrictions ease and more people return to the gym, your focus will be on making them feel comfortable in your facility.
Because we’re all more focused on cleaning and disinfecting these days, one of the factors that members will notice immediately when they enter your gym is that it looks and smells clean. That’s a lot of pressure on gym owners. All those machines, weights, exercise mats, and locker rooms can be a lot to maintain and clean daily.
So, if you’re planning to tackle this job yourself, we have some tips and advice to help. Here are the top five gym cleaning supplies you need to have on hand to protect your clients and your investment.
Hand Soap and Hand Sanitizer
It may seem simple, but good old-fashioned soap and water for people to wash their hands will go a long way to stop the spread of germs and bacteria in your gym. When people are working out, they’re touching everything from the weights and exercise equipment to water fountains and toilets in the restrooms. Their hands can be the source of everything from the coronavirus to the flu, common cold germs, and more.
Health experts recommend washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds to allow the soap to do its job. Washing your hands is easy when people are in the locker room or restroom, but what about other spots around your facility? Consider placing containers of hand sanitizer at the entrance or front desk and encourage members to use it when they first arrive and are checking it. Providing hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol is a great way to keep germs and bacteria from ever entering your facility.
So, the first items on your list for gym cleaning supplies will be soap, paper towels, and hand sanitizer. Check containers around your facility frequently and refill as needed. You could also ask your commercial cleaning service to do this time-consuming job for you. For example, with the Enviro-Master Services Hand & Hygiene Program, a technician can monitor and maintain your supplies and equipment during their regular weekly visits. Gym members will appreciate that you’re asking everyone to take steps to protect the whole gym community.
Gym Wellness Wipes
Another activity that gym members appreciate seeing is other people wiping down equipment before the next person uses a sweaty machine. Gym wellness wipes should also be on your list of gym cleaning supplies. Our wellness wipes are designed to reduce bacteria commonly found in gyms. Encourage your members to wipe down exercise equipment, weights, mats, and other fitness equipment after each use. You can also use wipes to clean other high-touch surfaces in your facility, including door handles, railings, and counters.
Approved Cleaning Products
Getting your members involved in the cleaning process with handwashing and wiping down equipment are important first steps in your gym cleaning solution. However, since a lot of that cleaning is on the honor system, you and your staff will also need to clean and disinfect all the equipment and restrooms in your facility.
You’ll need to buy cleaning products that are approved to kill germs and bacteria, including coronavirus and MRSA, a highly contagious form of staph bacteria. The EPA List-N Tool can help you find approved disinfecting products. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to use this tool to search for specific brands. You’ll have the best luck identifying whether your products are on this list by using the EPA registration number on the product label. Our trained technicians can also help you choose and purchase approved products to use directly in your business.
Cleaning Equipment
Just like you need the right weights and machines to get a good workout, you’ll need the right cleaning equipment (and some elbow grease) to get a clean gym facility. Buckets, mops, broom, and rags should be enough to get you started. Remember to use approved cleaning products according to label directions.
Your primary focus may be on the gym equipment itself because this is the focus of your business and your largest investment. But don’t forget about restrooms and locker rooms. A single toilet flush can spread germs and bacteria several feet in every direction and contaminate every surface.
An important piece of equipment used by Enviro-Master’s technicians is the electrostatic sprayer. This sci-fi-looking device cleans and helps fight pathogens with a hospital-grade germicide. It’s the final step in our weekly restroom cleaning service and is also safe to use on exercise equipment and weights.
Laundry Detergent
If you provide athletic towels at your facility, you’ll be doing a lot of sweaty laundry, so you’ll need to add laundry detergent and bleach to your list of gym cleaning supplies. Washing towels might sound simple, but there are a few things to remember to get them clean and keep them looking new for as long as possible.
Start by sorting towels into piles of similar colors. Add bleach to white towels and use peroxide or colorsafe bleach for colors. Wash towels in water that’s at least 140 F to kill any viruses or bacteria, according to WebMD. Finally, dry towels on the hot cycle for at least 45 minutes. Make sure they’re completely dry before folding them and putting them back on the shelf for your members.
Let Enviro-Master Sweat the Small Stuff for You!
You want people to come to your gym to work up a good sweat. If you’re working up too much of a sweat keeping your facility clean and disinfected, you may want to partner with a professional cleaning service like Enviro-Master to protect your facility from germs and bacteria. Our gym cleaning solutions allow us to do the dirty work, so you can focus on your business!
Get in touch will us today by completing the form below. Your local Enviro-Master franchise owner will be in touch to discuss how we can keep your gym smelling and looking great.
