The Ugly Truth about Sanitation in Gyms

The amount of pathogens that end up on common items in the gym is a shock to most people, and recently researchers were astonished to discover that free weights used in the gym can contain over 360 times more pathogens and bacteria than the seat on a public toilet, treadmills can contain over 70 times more bacteria than bathroom taps, and exercise bikes can carry close to 40 times more bacteria than dirty dishes in a cafeteria. Check out the infographic presenting details of findings based on an average of all like samples collected from three different gym locations, which is credited at the bottom of our post.

Highlighting the problem further, another study found that even when workout equipment is sanitised using common household disinfectants, close to 2 thirds of them still contain traces of rhinovirus, which causes colds. Gym goers can do their best to clean after themselves, but it’s up to the gym’s management to hire a cleaning company that has the expertise needed to properly clean gym equipment and protect customers from dangerous germs.

 

How Our Professionals Clean and Sanitise Gymnasiums

When it comes to destroying colonies of germs on gym equipment, commercial grade antibacterial cleaners are more effective than ordinary disinfectants, which is why our gym cleaners use them. Many fitness centres use their own staff to clean their workout equipment and in many cases, their staff are only equipped with store bought spray cleaners and rags, which are not really effective in the face of millions of bacteria.

Professional grade antibacterial cleaners have the ability to kill even the toughest germs and viruses. Before choosing a specific type of disinfectant for use on a given piece of equipment, our cleaners assess its chemical properties to ensure that it doesn’t corrode the equipment. Also, experienced cleaners will look for disinfectants that are safe as the disinfectants used on gym equipment should be safe for humans. To see more information about how our cleaners clean to prevent the transmission of infectious disease click here

A disinfectant that is perfect to use in gyms is one containing quaternary ammonia compounds. These compounds have been found to be highly effective in killing even the most notorious types of germs and bacteria. The quaternary ammonia disinfectants are applied using spray bottles. They are generally safe for the environment, harmless to humans, and nonreactive when they come in contact with most gym equipment. To disinfect a surface, this disinfectant is generously sprayed onto the area, left to soak in and kill the germs for about 10 minutes, and then wiped off with a clean rag.

Of course, all other areas of a gym should also be cleaned and sanitised as often as possible, for instance, showers should be scrubbed and sanitised every day to prevent the growth of and spread of fungal disease,  locker rooms should be thoroughly wiped down and mopped and public bathrooms properly cleaned to a professional standard.

Professional Gym Cleaning Services by Smart Cleaning Solutions

Smart Cleaning Solutions have extensive experience in cleaning gymnasiums, we clean for some of the biggest gyms and fitness centres in Australia. To find out more about our gym cleaning services click here  and to look at sources used in this article click here.

 

Learn more here: The Ugly Truth about Sanitation in Gyms