We live in the age of cleanliness. Or at least, we should live in the age of cleanliness. Since the coronavirus pandemic, we should all be that little bit more aware of some of the risks associated with unclean spaces including home gyms. Gyms can be a real hotbed for germs, especially if you are sharing the space with others, such as your housemates. You don’t want to share these germs for obvious reasons. It can make you unwell if you do so. On top of this, you should also make sure you keep the area clean so as to avoid nasty smells cropping up over time.
In this guide, we’ve got some detailed steps on how to clean your workout equipment and avoid any potential issues from germs building up, including a nasty funk starting to ruminate from the space. We’ve explained each of the areas of your home gym and how to clean them thoroughly.
Carpet and Flooring
Cleaning on a carpeted surface can be a bit more tricky. You’ll need to regularly vacuum to ensure that all of the dirt and hair on the floor is getting removed, and periodically it is worth using some carpet shampoo to do a thorough clean and create some protection for your carpet, as well as killing a lot of the bacteria.
Hard floors can be simpler to clean, and it is easy to do this straight after use. A damp mop with an antibacterial cleaning solution is all you need, simply make sure you have covered the whole of the space thoroughly to kill all of the germs that could be causing you issues. We definitely recommend doing this more than once a week, especially if you use the space regularly.
Yoga Mats
How much use does your yoga mat see? If you are regularly using it and sweating in the general area then it is a good idea to clean it after each use, but we definitely recommend doing so at least once a week. There is a high possibility that a lot of sweat can work its way onto the mat.
To clean it, you can either use a disinfecting spray you have bought, or make your own at home. There are a number of recipes out there that use white vinegar, essential oils, and water. Turn this into a spray and place it within a spray bottle so that you can distribute it over the mat cleanly and evenly. Then, use a clean cloth to wipe down the mat thoroughly and leave it to dry. Don’t leave it in direct sunlight as this can cause damage.
Buying a disinfecting spray can ensure that you have something with both antibacterial and antifungal properties to give an incredibly deep clean.
Foam Rollers
Foam rollers have become really popular as they can also help people to recover after a workout. They’re similar to yoga mats when it comes to cleaning because while it is fine to use wipes on them, you can’t actually submerge them in water as they will cling onto them, which can cause further problems in the long run and even make your roller swampy and dangerous.
Wiping down with an antibacterial spray and clean cloth is the ideal way to do it. Unfortunately, over time, you might find that the roller does get worn down by the process. These rollers may just need to be periodically replaced. Fortunately, they aren’t the most expensive of the home gym items.
Resistance Bands and Suspension Trainers
Disinfectant wipes are your best friend when it comes to items like resistance bands and suspension trainers, but they won’t be the only way to clean them. On top of that, they don’t provide the deepest possible clean. To get a more thorough clean use a bucket of soapy water and scrub the bands while they are inside, without using anything abrasive that could break them.
When done, ring them out to remove as much moisture as you can, and apply a layer of disinfectant when they have completely dried.
Bicycles
Bicycles, either stationary or moving, can be tough to clean. You can use bleach-free disinfecting wipes or just hot soapy water and a brush to get to some of the tougher areas. The bristles and handlebars can be some of the toughest areas, and some people use an old toothbrush in order to get to all those difficult parts to get rid of grime and bacteria.
Cardio Machines
A lot of us get a huge amount of our exercise using cardio machines. Things like treadmills and ellipticals. These have a lot of ‘high contact’ areas. So, you need to make sure you wipe them down with an anti-bacterial wipe after each use, but deep cleans are also needed once in a while. Make sure you get into any pedals or tread of the machines so that you can actually find and kill all of the germs.
Weights
Free weights are popular, but you also need to be very conscious of the fact that your body comes into contact with them constantly when you are using them. After each use, make sure you use some sort of antibacterial solution to clean them thoroughly. Some people use washing up liquid with a clean cloth such as a microfiber cloth. There are a few methods, and the materials of the weights will also play a part. It’s vital that you perform a regular cleanup to make sure that germs don’t build up.
Even if you are using other weight-based machines, you need to make sure you give these a thorough clean so that you don’t end up with a build-up of grime and bacteria, and you can avoid those horrible smells we’ve been talking about, which can very easily start to build up when you sweat so much on your weights and other gym equipment.
Boxing Gloves
Boxing is great exercise. Boxercise classes have become really popular over recent years, but if you’ve ever smelled the inside of an unclean boxing glove you will know how gross it can get. After each use, make sure you wipe your boxing gloves down with a clean cloth. On the outside, this is not a difficult task, but a lot of the sweat is actually getting stuck on the inner part of the glove.
On the inside, you can use air purifying bags to try and get rid of odors. You can also use deodorizers which can sit inside the gloves. The smell of the inside of gloves is often unpleasant and there isn’t too much you can do about it. Try not to share the gloves and periodically know that you are going to need to replace them. Dealing with the smell is the main thing for boxing gloves.
Gym Clothing
We all have workout clothes. If you’ve got a home gym, then chances are you’ve got certain clothing that you use time and time again.
Ever notice that over time these tops, yoga pants, and other clothes can start to smell. Even with regular cleaning, it’s possible for the odors to remain. Did you know that some fabric softeners actually lock in the smells, and keep the clothes dealing with that nasty odor? When you work out, try to clean your clothes thoroughly afterward, of course, but there are certain products you can use, such as deodorizing fabric conditioners.
A cup of baking soda can also do a spectacular job of getting rid of these smells, and killing any bacteria in the process. This helps to get rid of lingering smells by actually getting to the root cause and making sure that the odors don’t have the chance to keep spreading and growing.
Wash your gym clothes separately to ensure that any odors don’t spread to your best clothes, and experiment with certain products to leave your clothes as clean as they can possibly be.
Conclusion
There are so many reasons to keep all of your workout equipment clean. If you’re sharing the equipment then it becomes even more crucial, to make sure you aren’t spreading around germs or bacteria.
On top of that, an unclean workout space will almost always start to smell bad really fast. Any space within your home, even in your garage, that smells bad, is undesirable.
Use our steps to clean all of your gym equipment, as well as the clothes you wear to workout, and you can make sure that anyone who uses your home or commercial gym can rest assured that everything is as clean as can be. It doesn’t have to be difficult to get a clean workout space, but the longer you leave it, the more likely it is that your workout equipment will start to develop a smell, and could even spread diseases. In the modern age, you just can’t be too careful when it comes to thorough cleaning, and your guests will feel the exact same way.
