While washing hands remains the number one defense against germs, gyms can step up disinfection practices by offering stations with disinfectant wipes. These wipes kill the COVID-19 virus and are safe for high-touch surfaces.
Research shows that consumers now expect businesses, from gyms to restaurants, to maintain a higher level of cleanliness. That means your cleaning crew must disinfect high-touch surfaces and equipment regularly.
Disinfectant Wipes Have Become the New Normal
During gym sessions, members breathe heavily and sweat, touching multiple surfaces. It makes their equipment a magnet for bacteria and grime. Consistent sanitizing of high-touch characters will reduce germs and viruses. Gym equipment disinfectant wipes make it quick and easy to sanitize surfaces.
Ensure your cleaning team is using the correct wipes for sanitizing gym equipment. Look for a disinfectant that the EPA approves to inactivate and kill COVID-19 and other germs in a gym environment. Choose a quaternary ammonia solution that is safe and effective in killing bacteria and viruses. Wipe surfaces multiple times daily to remove visible dirt, sweat, and grime, then allow them to dry completely before allowing members to use the machines again.
Wipes should stay on the surface of a machine for a minimum of 2 to 3 minutes. Training your cleaning staff on dwell time will ensure that all areas are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
Hand sanitizer removes the majority of germs but doesn’t kill them all. Consider offering several stations with hand sanitizer throughout the facility as a backup to wipes. You can also provide spray bottles and rags that your members can use to clean and disinfect their equipment between uses.
They Save Time and Money
In a regular gym environment, wiping down everything you use before and after each use would make sense. After all, germ playgrounds like the ones on cruise ships can stay contaminated for up to 17 days with Covid-19 and other deadly microbes, so you’d want to ensure that every surface is clean.
But if you own a health club, you know how expensive and time-consuming it can be to clean and sanitize all that equipment after every usage. Maintaining the cleanliness of the facilities and providing everyone with sanitary supplies can be challenging, mainly when there are many members to consider.
Disinfectant wipes are an inexpensive and effective solution to this problem. Rather than spraying expensive electrostatic or atomizing disinfectant solutions, you can use disposable pre-saturated wipes to reduce your facility’s cleaning costs and minimize the overexposure of your members to these harsh chemicals.
When choosing disinfectant wipes for your fitness facility, look for a brand with EPA-approved kill claims and several dispenser options. Consider purchasing wipes in bulk to save money and guarantee that your customers always have wipes available. You may reduce the spread of illnesses, boost client happiness, and safeguard your costly gym equipment investment by making the appropriate wipes and dispenser investments.
They Are Easy to Dispose of
Unlike a spray bottle, disposable disinfectant wipes make it easy to sanitize surfaces and equipment without damaging them. Typical spray cleaners, like hydrogen peroxide, can damage surfaces or cause the metal to rust, especially on fitness machines. They can also be corrosive to specific skin types, so they may not be suitable for some individuals.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many gyms have implemented extra cleaning and hand sanitizer stations to protect their members from germs. These extra precautions can help reduce the number of infections that occur in these high-touch environments. But, the one thing that many gyms don’t consider is that germs can hide in little places — including on exercise equipment.
For example, the handlebars on ellipticals, stationary bikes, and weight machines are a hotbed for germs and bacteria. Even if the handlebars are cleaned regularly, they can still harbor bacteria from coughs, sneezes, and other respiratory droplets that may be spread in these spaces.
Disinfecting wipes can quickly eliminate these germs and bacteria and leave the handlebars ready for the next member to use. For the best results, these disinfecting wipes should be allowed to rest on equipment for about 10 minutes, killing all microorganisms and germs on the machine or furniture’s surface.
They Are Effective
Wipes are an effective way to kill germs, especially viruses like covid-19. They can be used on hard surfaces, such as equipment and walls, or soft materials, such as fabrics and towels. They are also a quicker option than disinfectant soaking. In a study, the wipe method was as effective in removing the virus from surfaces as soaking and significantly more convenient.
When selecting disinfectant wipes, look for ones that contain an EPA-approved disinfectant, such as dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride or perfluorocarbons. These substances immediately eliminate viruses, bacteria, and molds in the area they are applied to and are harmless to the environment and human skin.
Look for a more environmentally-friendly option. Many brands of wipes have developed alternatives that are free of these chemicals and still meet the high EPA disinfectant standards. While these options are slower, they can still be effective against the coronavirus and other contaminants. Read the product label and follow instructions thoroughly.