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Germs at the Gym: Where Your Staff Should Be Extra Vigilant

August 1, 2016

To keep members healthy and coming back to your gym, it’s very important that you clean and sanitize regularly. With many people coming in and out and handling equipment, germs can quickly run rampant, leading to member illness, bad smells and other unpleasant things.

The Locker Room

The locker room is meant to let members to get clean, not dirtier. The hot, moist environment of a locker room combined with sweat and other organisms can lead to the growth of germs and viruses such as:

Advise all of your members to wear flip flops in the locker room. Stress the importance of using clean flip flops designated specifically for locker room use. That way, old flip flops aren’t tracking in germs and other organisms from the outside that can make your members sick. Also advise them to use a towel in the shower room as a barrier if they need to sit down.

Have your staff clean the locker room regularly from top to bottom with sanitary cleaners specifically designed for commercial use. They should clean every surface, including:

  • Floors
  • Counters
  • Benches

Don’t Forget the Towels

How clean are the towels provided at your gym? Towels can hold germs like E. Coli for days, especially if they’re super absorbent, which can lead to illness in members. If you provide towels at your gym, launder and sanitize them daily using a hot wash with bleach and a hot drying cycle. Doing so will keep them clean and prevent the spread of infection. You will have member who bring their own towels so advise them to bring fresh, clean towels only and never share them.

Wipe Down Fitness Equipment

With so many people using the commercial fitness equipment, it’s no surprise that it can make members sick with illnesses like the common cold. While a cold doesn’t seem so bad to some people, it can seriously harm the health of some members who may be susceptible to sickness, like seniors.

Implement a strict wipe-down policy at your gym and have sanitary wipes nearby for members to wipe down the machines with. Also advise members to keep their hands washed to minimize the spread of germs. For employees, have them monitor equipment to make sure they’ve been cleaned.

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