Gym and Fitness Center Cleaning: Protocol To Properly Sanitize

Gyms and fitness centers are among the businesses and places of gathering most affected by the pandemic, and for good reason. A place where people go and use a lot of the same equipment, and breathe heavily and sweat is going to be a place where germs, bacteria, and viruses spread easily and quickly.

It’s not to say that gym and fitness centers don’t have an already detail-oriented and rigorous cleaning and sanitization protocol in place, but in the wake of the pandemic, policy makers have set new standards and the public has adopted a heightened expectation. With that said, here are a few things to understand and add to your gym’s protocols in order to properly sanitize its exercise areas:

Gym and Fitness Center Cleaning: Know the Difference

Before you can effectively clean your gym’s exercise areas, you should first know the difference between “cleaning”, “sanitization”, and “disinfecting”. Not only are the processes different, but the supplies used to adequately perform each differs also. In short:

Cleaning is removing germs, dirt and other contaminants from a surface, usually while using antibacterial soap and water. Sanitizing is the lowering of the number of germs on surfaces to a safe level. Disinfecting is the killing of germs on surfaces and objects.

Gym and Fitness Center Cleaning: Disinfecting in 5 Steps

The National Academy of Sports Medicine, or NASM, has a great five-step guide on how to disinfect your gym (you can find it here). The steps are:

1. Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.
2. Wear personal protective equipment (PPE).
3. When using wipes, clean in the same direction.
4. Leave surfaces wet for the recommended time.
5. Dispose of PPE and other materials when finished, and re-wash your hands.

Gym and Fitness Center Cleaning: Amend Your Member Policy…For Now

A lot of gyms and fitness facilities around the country have leaned on their members by kindly asking them to disinfect the equipment they use before and after use, while also providing the supplies necessary to do so.

This is a very effective method to keep your gym clean and disinfected because the areas and pieces of equipment that require the most attention and are most contaminated, are those that are used the most.

It may be difficult to implement if your gym is part of a local or even national chain. Corporate bureaucracy can often get in the way. If you do have the ability, though, think about amending your member policy to include this before-and-after step. What you face in terms of the cost of additional cleaning and disinfecting supplies for member use will easily be made up with reducing the need for professional services.

Gym and Fitness Center Cleaning: Checklists Are Your Best Friend

Checklists are a great way to stay organized and efficiently get through your cleaning and sanitization. There is no shortage of quality, gym and fitness facility-specific checklists available on the internet, like THIS one! Check it out and get to cleaning!