How to Clean At-Home Exercise Equipment

With COVID-19 still a concern for the United States, a number of former gym-goers have transitioned to working out in the comfort of their own home. Swamp Fitness has always provided in-home personal training, but many of our clients are just now considering purchasing their own equipment for added safety and sanitation. While using your own equipment can make it more sanitary, we need to remember to still clean and disinfect our equipment after every use - not only to avoid potential viruses and droplets, but also bacteria and microbes. Below are ways to clean popular at-home workout equipment.

Resistance Bands

When sanitizing resistance bands you have to be very careful to not diminish the material with harsh ingredients. Simply mix dish soap into a bowl of warm water, dip the bands in the water, rinse, and lay dry.

Free Weights

Free weights are easy enough to disinfect. Wipe them down with a disinfecting wipe or spray. Make sure the disinfectant liquid remains on the surface for a specific amount of time-based upon the product recommendations (NASM).

Machines

With treadmills, ellipticals, and any other machines, make sure they are unplugged before you disinfect! Wipe down handles and all surfaces with a disinfectant wipe and keep the liquid on the surfaces for the recommended amount of time.

Floor

Something plenty of people forget to clean is their floor! Think about how much sweat falls to the ground and you’ll never forget to sanitize it again. If you are working out on wood flooring, use a dust mop and complete it with a disinfectant solution (C|Net).

If you have rubber flooring, sweep away any dust or lint using a vacuum. Then, mop it with a gallon of warm water and a couple of drops of mild dish soap. Avoid harsh chemicals and vinegar because they can cause the rubber to deteriorate (C|Net).