Let’s face it, a public gym can be a playground for germs and bacteria but did you know your at-home workout area can become the same way?
Weights alone can carry 362 times more bacteria than a toilet seat. Going to the gym, exercising, and keeping your body moving is a part of many peoples daily routine and is a key tool when keeping your mental and physical health in good standing. Not being able to go to the gym in these times of uncertainty has caused many to work out at home more often.
When you are at a public gym the common thing to do is to wipe your equipment clean, work out, and then wipe it down again. You then move on to your next piece of equipment and repeat the same actions. This is to prevent the spread of harmful germs. You should treat your at-home gym in the same manner and go the extra mile with routine cleanliness.
Below are helpful tips on how to clean your at-home gym.
Cleaning Routine for Your At-Home Equipment
You should get into the habit of wiping down your equipment regularly and creating a schedule to help keep up with your cleaning process. The act of cleaning can all be so simple with the below tips:
- Wash your equipment daily. Before getting into your routine, begin with washing your hands. When washing your equipment daily you can use a simple soap and water solution. Grab a bucket fill it with water, add soap powder or liquid soap into the bucket, and give it a good stir until suds form. This solution is good for a day’s use, so be sure to make new soapy water every day.
- Sanitize equipment after every workout. Spraying your equipment with sanitizer will help reduce bacteria. Even if your at-home gym is only used by a few people, or just you, common bacteria can still form and be carried into your home. If the bacteria didn’t catch up with you the first time, it could the next time around—this will help limit those chances.
- Disinfect your gym equipment. This technique can be done every month using stronger, yet natural cleaning solutions to eliminate germs.
DIY Disinfectant Recipe to Keep Your Equipment Clean
At public gyms, quick cleaning solutions are right there at your finger tips, but you can also have your own handy solution at home.
Even though bleach cleaners are known to get the job done when it comes to germs, here is an all-natural cleanser to keep your equipment squeaky clean. All you will need are these 3 simple ingredients.
- Distilled water
- Distilled white vinegar
- Tea tree essential oil
Combine all three ingredients into a spray bottle. Then, get a quick arm workout in by shaking up the bottle to ensure everything is combined. Before spraying down your gym equipment, be sure that this product is safe to use on your gear and won’t harm them by ruining or causing discoloration.
While this product may work best for certain pieces of equipment others may require a different cleaning product and technique.
Knowing How to Clean What
Each piece of equipment will have a different cleaning technique based on the surface. It is important that the equipment is not only cleaned to remove dirt, but also sanitized to remove the germs and bacteria.
Strength Training Equipment
Strength training equipment, like dumbbells and resistance bands, only call for a simple wipe down. Dip a microfiber cloth into your soapy water combination and wipe down your equipment. Microfiber cloths are able to pick up dirt easily and remove sweat and oils that may have gotten on your equipment. Dry the equipment with another clean microfiber cloth. Then, go over the equipment one more time with a disinfecting wipe or solution and let it air dry.
Cardio Equipment
Did you know that an exercise bike has 39 times more bacteria than a reusable cafeteria tray? That’s why when it comes to cleaning your cardio equipment, such as stationary bikes and treadmills these are the tips that work best.
It all starts with safety first, so unplug any machine before cleaning. Unplugging these machines will benefit the life of your machine and keep you safe so you don’t accidentally turn it on while cleaning it.
After you’ve crossed the safety check off your list, prepare your soapy water solution. Dip a clean cloth into the solution and wipe down areas of the equipment that you came in contact with. For example, with the exercise bike, this may involve your seat and pedals. Cleaning your pedals is a very important step because this is where your shoes will be attached. Shoes can often carry lots of germs, as well. So when you routinely wash your workout clothing, try getting into the habit of giving your shoes a good wash, too. Go over the areas that you just washed with a second cloth to dry. Then, go back over all the surfaces with a disinfectant wipe and let them air dry.
Recovery Equipment
Recovery equipment can be an ideal spot for bacteria and germs to linger—this includes your yoga mats and foam rollers. To properly clean these items you will need to use a simple soap and water solution. Dip a cloth into the soapy water and begin to wipe down your mat. The best way to do this is by wiping from top to bottom, focusing on the extra dirty areas. Wipe the wet areas with a second cloth then leave it to air dry.
Once air-dried go back over the mat with a non-abrasive disinfecting solution. It is important to use a non-abrasive cleaner to not only kill the bacteria on the surface of your mat, but to also keep it from tarnishing. Once again, let the mat air dry before rolling it up for the day.
Book a Cleaning Service
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If you live in Santa Cruz County, San Diego County, Santa Clara County, Monterey County, Los Angeles County, or Riverside County, we will match you with a local, professional house cleaner based on your needs, budget, and schedule.
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