A potential customer’s first impression of your gym is one of the most important factors in play when they consider whether to become a member. In fact, the cleanliness of your facility can make or break their decision. Maintaining a clean facility is crucial to keeping existing members happy. After all, if they are there working on their health, so you can bet they’ve noticed how well-maintained your gym is. But, cleaning a gym can be an involved process. For this reason, many facilities opt to hire a professional cleaning service to come and sterilize their gym regularly. Such a move would be beneficial for your facility as well, for reasons both seen and unseen.
In fact, the most important attributes of a clean gym cannot be seen. At 360clean, this is why we offer our JaniMed® Cleaning System and processes. The system consists of specialized training, hospital-grade disinfectants, touch surface disinfection, and state-of-the-art equipment, like micro-fiber technology and Hepa Vacuums with four levels of filtration. The best part is, many times, we can implement our JaniMed® system at the same price or even less than your current commercial cleaning service. To learn more, contact us today to receive a free quote for your gym.
Professional Cleanings Reduce the Spread of Bacteria
A professional cleaning company will clean, disinfect, and sterilize your gym. This process will eradicate bacteria and germs throughout your facility and keep them from spreading. Due to the nature of a gym, where people from all walks of life congregate to exercise, bacteria and germs can be found on just about everything, including:
- Free weights
- Machines
- Drinking fountains
- Yoga mats and blocks
If it’s a surface in your gym, the odds are it has bacteria on it. You may be thinking that you can just wipe the surface down and call it a day. Unfortunately, merely wiping down a surface does very little to combat the spread of bacteria. That is why it’s important to use commercial-grade disinfectants in your regular cleaning.
Contagiousness Isn’t Immediately Noticeable
When someone contracts the flu, they are often contagious before they begin to show symptoms. In this pre-sickness window, they live their life as they normally would, unknowingly spreading their illness around. Now, imagine if one or several of these people use your facility. They will be in there exerting themselves, sweating, and breathing. Any germs that escape into the atmosphere will land on surrounding surfaces and fester until those surfaces are cleaned and disinfected.
This is one reason why a daily cleaning schedule is so important, but it also points to a larger issue: Sometimes, a professional deep clean is needed.
Your Gym Equipment Will Last Longer
Have you ever considered how much people sweat when they’re lifting on one of your machines? If their sweat gets on the machine, it can get into the fabric and crevices. Wiping the machine down is of little help here, and it doesn’t accomplish much by way of killing germs, especially if that person is ill and contagious. A professional cleaning service will be able to treat each of your machines with powerful cleaning products that will keep them germ-free.
Don’t Forget the Mirrors
Mirrors are extremely important to gym members. For some of them, lifting weights in front of a mirror is a way to assure their form is correct. For others, it is nice to see the results of their hard work. Because of this, a dirty mirror can impact much more than members’ perception of your facility’s cleanliness. A professional cleaning service will be able to remove layers of dirt, grease, and smudges from your mirrors so your customers can see themselves in their best light.
You Have a Better Shot at Retaining Customers
This was mentioned earlier but simply cannot be overstated — a clean gym will help you retain customers. People do not want to work out in filth or feel gross when they exercise. A clean gym promotes confidence and a focused mindset that affords your members the space they need to get into the zone. The last thing anyone wants to be thinking about when they work out is whether they are going to get sick afterward.
How to Keep a Clean Facility
Keeping a clean facility is something every gym owner should strive for, but it has become even more imperative after the COVID-19 pandemic. As a business owner, the last thing you want is for your facility to serve as ground zero for a COVID-19 outbreak.
The nature of a gym involves multiple pieces of equipment being touched by different individuals throughout the day. The entire space is essentially a high-traffic area. This is why a proper cleaning routine is so important. Not only will it help customers feel good while they use your facility, but it will also prevent germs and viruses from spreading.
Wash Your Hands
When disinfecting your gym, first wash your hands thoroughly with water and soap. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and rub it in for a minimum of 20 seconds. Then, go buy some anti-bacterial soap, because every gym needs it 24/7!
Additionally, make sure to wash your hands every time you remove your gloves and before you touch your face. This will ensure that any bacteria or viruses that may have transferred from a surface to your hands are properly eliminated.
Wear PPE While Cleaning
Everyone should be required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) while cleaning. This applies no matter what is being cleaned. For example, if someone is wiping down a machine without gloves, the chances of them accidentally touching their face and contracting a virus are much higher than if they used gloves (and then properly discarded them before touching their face).
Exercise Proper Technique
If you are using wipes to clean any given surface, make sure you wipe in one direction rather than back and forth. This prevents contamination by orienting the debris in one direction as opposed to smudging it all around. Make sure to discard the wipe when it is visibly dirty — don’t try to keep using it or you might be spreading what you’re trying to remove.
Understand How to Use Disinfectants
All approved disinfectants can be found on the Environmental Protection Agency’s List-N. After you select the disinfectant that is right for the job, make sure to read all the instructions on the label. This will tell you whether the disinfectant needs to remain on the surface for a time and if so, for how long. Additionally, reading the labels will help you familiarize yourself with different products so you can make an informed decision regarding what chemicals are best for your facility.
Properly Dispose of Waste
Proper disposal of all waste, including used PPE, should be mandatory whenever a job is finished. Make sure to have a dedicated space where all waste can be safely disposed of. You will also want to train your employees in proper waste management techniques. For example, they should wear PPE when disposing of garbage bags and taking out other large trash receptacles.
Some Equipment May Need Extra Attention
Some equipment, such as machines, free weights, and yoga equipment, is handled by multiple people throughout the day. These items may need to be cleaned and disinfected several times throughout the day. Once you have finished disinfecting these items, make sure to wash them with soap and water so the disinfectant doesn’t accidentally find its way onto a customer’s skin.
Educate Your Customers
If your customers understand your expectations, they can help you maintain a clean facility. There is a simple process they need to follow that can save you a lot of headaches in the future and make cleaning much easier.
First, customers should be encouraged to cover the machine they are using with a towel. This provides a barrier between their body and the machine, making the transfer of germs somewhat more difficult. Second, they should use a fresh towel or approved disinfectant wipe to clean the machine after they use it. Finally, they should wash their hands when they are finished working out. But, it’s your job to encourage them to do so!
Disinfecting, Cleaning, and Sterilizing
Contrary to what some people believe, disinfecting, sanitizing, and sterilizing are not the same thing. Here’s a breakdown of what each entails.
Disinfecting
Disinfecting is a process that reduces nearly all the germs on a given surface by killing them.
Cleaning
Cleaning is a process that reduces the number of germs on a given surface by physically removing them.
Sterilizing
Sterilizing is a complex process that aims to eliminate all germs on a given surface. It is primarily practiced in hospitals and healthcare facilities. Sterilizing can be accomplished by thermal and non-thermal means.
Which Is Best?
Most facilities contain non-porous surfaces, meaning they do not allow air or liquid through. These surfaces can be sanitized or disinfected. As far as which method is best for your facility, disinfection is usually the preferred method.
360clean Is Here to Help
Keeping a gym clean alone can be a job in and of itself. Sometimes, it just makes sense to pass the task on to someone else so you can focus on other aspects of your business.
As a leader in the commercial cleaning industry, 360clean has developed a specialized approach to cleaning that consists of specialized training, hospital-grade disinfectants, touch surface disinfection, and state-of-the-art equipment, like micro-fiber technology and Hepa Vacuums with four levels of filtration. We call this the JaniMed® system, and the best part is that many times, we can implement this patented system at the same price or even less than your current commercial cleaning service.
To learn more, contact us today to receive a free quote for your gym.