We know that going to the gym improves people’s health, but it is not worth it when the risk of getting infected with COVID-19 still exists. Therefore, keeping gyms disinfected, as well as disinfecting gym equipment, is vital for people's wellbeing once these facilities start opening back up.
Since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, many aspects of our lives have changed or have been influenced in one way or another by the health crisis. Everyone is now more conscious about keeping their surroundings clean and safe through disinfecting, especially when it comes to high-contact areas, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses, including the flu. Gyms are among the most important places that need to be sanitized and disinfected constantly, considering these are enclosed spaces where lots of people are constantly moving around, breathing heavily, and using shared equipment.
The first thing gym owners have to understand is how often they need to sanitize and disinfect gym equipment for the safety and health of their members. Although it may sound like a lot, this must be done before and after each use with a method proven to be effective and to provide consistent results. Given the circumstances, these days it is no longer enough to leave it to each member to wipe down the machines they use.
In addition, gym owners need to sanitize and disinfect the rest of their facilities several times a day, including washrooms, snack bars, hallways, counters, and other high-traffic, high-touch areas. Moreover, complete disinfection of all areas must be performed at the end of each day, to ensure the whole gym is ready for the next morning in the safest state possible.
Best Methods to Disinfect Gym Equipment
Since gyms have many different pieces of equipment and areas for exercise, most people are not entirely sure how to disinfect in there.
Let’s look at some of the ways you can sanitize and disinfect gym equipment fast and efficiently, even if it is a home gym. The method you use completely depends on the size of the gym, how many different types of equipment are present, and how often the gym equipment is used.
Sanitizing Wipes
The first method you can use to sanitize and disinfect gym equipment is sanitizing wipes. Most gyms offer some sort of disinfectant wipes for their clients that are a great tool to disinfect gym equipment that has come in contact with other member's bodily fluids like sweat. These wipes are designed to disinfect, which means the chemicals used will kill germs and bacteria on the surfaces they are used on and will also get rid of any accumulated dirt.
Sanitizing wipes are great for gym members to use on small gym equipment such as dumbbells or barbells but are also good for treadmills and elliptical machines’ high-touch surfaces, like handles, To use sanitizing wipes properly, gym members must wipe down the entire surface of each equipment they are going to use and then let the surface dry completely. The same should be done after finishing a workout session, to protect the next person using it.
Another piece of gym equipment that makes good use of sanitizing wipes are benches, but this method is not efficient at all for other surfaces like yoga and Pilates mats.
It should be noted that sanitizing wipes are good to be used for personal disinfection, but not as the main source of disinfection, because of how long it will take for you to sanitize every single piece of equipment in a gym and the number of wipes that would be needed to disinfect these larger surfaces. Therefore, this method is not that efficient and is quite slow and expensive in sanitizing gym equipment.
The Nano Atomizer
The second method you can use to disinfect gym equipment is a handheld sanitizing spray device such as the Nano Atomizer. This dry fogger takes a disinfectant solution and turns it into a “fog” that covers surfaces without leaving wet residues behind, which makes it perfect for disinfecting gym equipment because it allows users to quickly cover all of them, no matter the shape, completely and efficiently, as well as the air inside the space where it is used.
When paired with one of our recommended disinfecting solutions, the Nano Atomizer will also remove odors from equipment and even from carpets. This is a big bonus, as gym equipment such as benches and surrounding flooring can get covered in sweat and start to smell. The only disadvantage of using this method is having to wipe equipment first as disinfecting works best on clean surfaces.
Cleaning Detergents
Another method gym owners can use is cleaning detergents. However, this approach is not ideal to sanitize and disinfect gym equipment because many cleaning detergents don’t completely kill all the germs that are present on surfaces. This is the only method that you should avoid if you want to fully disinfect and sanitize gym equipment, although it is good for cleaning the equipment prior to disinfecting.
The Portable Electrostatic Fogger
The next method to disinfect gym equipment is using a cordless electrostatic fogger with a rechargeable battery, or the cordless Portable Fogger. These are high-powered electrostatic disinfecting devices that are great for medium spaces, don't need to be plugged in, and can be carried easily. Overall, they are the best way to sanitize gym equipment because they offer the best balance between power and size.
Wireless Portable Foggers work by charging disinfecting liquids as they pass through a sprayer nozzle. The electrostatic process uses an internal negative ion generator for capturing, killing germs (viruses, bacteria) in midair. For more information about this disinfectant machine, read "All About the Portable Fogger".
What is the Best Method for Disinfecting a Gym?
Sanitization and disinfection have become essential in every aspect of our lives, including going to the gym to exercise. To keep these spaces safe and secure, our best recommendation is to use devices like Portable Foggers and the Disinfecto Electrostatic Sprayer due to their reliability to disinfect surfaces quickly and efficiently. Hence, it is a good idea to invest in this technology to save time, reduce disinfecting costs and provide a safe and clean gym experience to all members and staff.
Another reason why these devices are by far the best for disinfecting gyms is that they also allow for effective airborne disinfection. Dry foggers are particularly useful at this since they are able to turn any disinfectant solution into microscopic particles that kill viruses and bacteria lingering in the air.
Airborne disinfection is an effective method for controlling the transmission of pathogens that cause severe respiratory diseases, such as COVID-19. In enclosed spaces like gyms, disinfecting the air is one of the best ways to lower the risk of infection.
What is the Best Method to Disinfect a Home Gym?
Home gyms are very popular at the moment due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While this is a great way to remain active and relieve stress for a lot of people, home gyms could also become a source of bacteria and other contaminants if not disinfected properly, just like in regular gyms.
But how could this happen if only the same members of a family use these spaces? Great question. It happens because of the same reason, moisture from sweat creates a good environment for bacteria to grow; bacteria that gets there by being transferred from people's hands to equipment handles and other high-touch surfaces since most people don't think of washing their hands when they are in contact with objects in their own home.
Read More: How to Disinfect Workout Mats?
To properly sanitize and disinfect a home gym, the best method is to use a cordless electrostatic fogger like our Wireless Portable Fogger, or a sprayer like the Disinfecto. These are both lightweight and easy-to-use handheld devices that are powerful enough to provide excellent coverage to disinfect any surface, as well as the air inside a room, which is equally important.
And that is it! What do you think of these disinfection methods? If you want to know more about our products and services, don’t hesitate to contact us.