You might wash your hands after you visit the toilet, but what about after visiting the gym? You might want to start, as a new 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.
And 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, so what can gymnasium owners do to sanitise their equipment and effectively protect their clientele?
Is wiping down gym equipment after use even 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, and the good news is that the responsibility for this doesn’t have to lie with you.
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, but many health club owners are now realising the benefits of steam cleaners to get the job done.
The Use of Professional Steam Cleaners
Using dry steam vapour you can clean almost every piece of equipment found in a modern gym swiftly and effectively, and without the use of chemical agents.
The heated vapour used is hot enough to kill most forms of bacteria, and modern steam cleaners come with multiple settings and attachments suitable for a range of situations. Due to the lack of chemicals required steam cleaner hire is also a cost-effective option, especially if you utilise the equipment throughout other areas of your health club.
Steam cleaners are frequently used to sanitise areas of ceramic and rubber tiling, seating, flooring, locker rooms and restroom facilities. And when employed in conjunction with a scrubber dryer for larger areas of flooring, commercial cleaning equipment hire can really up your game to give your gymnasium or health club the thoroughly deep clean it both needs and deserves.
If you run a gymnasium, health club or spa and would like more information about steam cleaner hire, scrubber dryer hire, and what kind of equipment might be most suitable for you, contact the Clean Sweep UK team today for expert, friendly advice on 0844 967 1930.
