There might be no dirtier place in the community than the local gym. Though members and employees may try, germs accumulate easy on the machines, weights, in the showers, and in the lockers. Cleaning a fitness centre or a gym is constant work. Make no mistake though, it is more than possible to accomplish. Here’s how.

 The toughest part of cleaning a fitness centre is going to be the weights and the machines. Throughout the day, even as machines and weights are being wiped down, they’re still accumulating bacteria and germs. It’s unrealistic to expect these areas to remain clean throughout the day. Regular cleanings need to happen on weights, treadmill controls, and any machine handles and bars. Be wary of cross-contamination and use disposable wipes when needed.

 Next, there’s the restrooms. In a busy fitness centre, this can be a little tricky. Everything needs to be cleaned from the toilets, to the sinks, stalls, and floors. Again, there’s the matter of cross-contamination to watch out for. It’s easy to take germs from one room to the next when a cleaner is not being careful.

 From the restrooms, the next place to hit up are the locker rooms and showers. These rooms are where members get changed, usually touching the lockers with their hands following a workout. Multiple times a day, custodians should be making their way to the locker room for a cleaning. These surfaces need to be wiped down thoroughly to prevent the transfer of germs. In the same manner, shower floors, handles, and curtains also need to be cleaned throughout the day. Though these may appear to be clean surfaces due to members coming out of the shower, these surfaces still carry bacteria from members going in.

 The last scheduled stop on our tour of how to clean a gym is the floors and touch points. Touch points that are known to collect and transfer germs include paper towel dispensers, spray bottles, benches, cardio machine computer screens, and exercise mats. Every gym is a little different so management should give some thought to the different surfaces being touched as employees and members walk on and off the gym floor. Dangerous bacteria can be transferred across these surfaces so ensure that they are wiped down regularly and cleaned thoroughly.

 So yes, all things considered, cleaning a gym is a big job and it’s largely unavoidable. A fitness club is the perfect place for bacteria and germs to accumulate. It’s going to happen so the only thing to do is to clean as often and as thoroughly as possible.

 As a cleaner tackling a gym, it’s important to get in touch with management to find out what their policies and procedures are regarding maintaining cleanliness in the gym. There may be different restrictions as to where a cleaner is allowed to go during gym hours.

 From management’s perspective, keeping a fitness centre clean and germ-free is a necessity. Any management team should work on developing a cleaning checklist of what needs to be done when and to follow it like it’s a religion. By keeping a gym looking and feeling clean, guests will be happy and employees will feel comfortable coming to work. All in all, critical for the health of employees and members, use these tips when cleaning your local gym.