When it comes to owning a gym, engaging a professional cleaner that is up for the job is critical to your success. Maintaining clean, hygienic equipment and change rooms is as important as having the latest equipment and great personal trainers. After all, cleanliness is a key determinant when it comes to attracting new clients and retaining existing members. It is a given that when your cleaning isn’t up to scratch, members will notice, and they will talk about it to others. There is nothing more off-putting than starting a workout, only to be greeted by unclean equipment.
While professional cleaning is optimal, there are simple cleaning practices your staff can use to ensure members always have a positive workout experience.
GT Cleaning’s Top Tips on How to Keep Your Gym Clean and Safe
1. Train Staff to Train Members
Fitness professionals have an intimate understanding of how “good habits lead to good outcomes.” As such, designate times to educate members on how their positive contribution to keeping the gym clean makes all the difference. The obvious times to do this is when a new member signs up or attends their first personal training session or class. Kindly remind members to clean down the equipment after their class – particularly after high-intensity classes, such as HIIT or spin, where sweat transfer onto equipment is unavoidable.
2. Establish a Membership Culture of Inclusion and Responsibility
Good gym hygiene is contagious, especially when a new member starts at a gym. New members will naturally observe the cultural practices of others, including how they use and look after the equipment. Ensuring your gym promotes cleanliness and respect for hygienic practices is the first step in cultivating a clean gym culture.
When members feel valued, they will naturally treat the place as their own to enjoy and keep clean. Valuing members can be easily encouraged through training of staff to welcome each member and build relationships over time.
3. Strategically place multiple cleaning workstations around your facility
Keep cleaning stations in line of sight and easily accessible. If members need to climb over equipment, pass through high traffic areas or constantly ask staff for supplies, they will ignore their responsibility to maintain the equipment.
4. Maintain good communication and processes with your cleaning company
Ask your cleaner to use Eco-friendly products that are both safe for the environment and filled with good bacteria to keep fighting germs long after surfaces are cleaned. Discover more about Eco-friendly cleaning products here.
Additionally, when you engage a cleaner or renew their contract, ensure their emergency call-out process meets if not exceeds your expectations. You want to know that if an unfortunate situation arises, such as a member falling ill on-premises, or a toilet blockage that the team can respond quickly and clean up the mess with efficiency.
5. Use signage around the gym that reminds users to keep “trouble-some” areas clean
Signage is especially useful in non-workout areas that users may not associate as their responsibility to keep clean, e.g. bathroom sinks and mirrors. Use soft, simple language such as “Kindly wipe down the sink and mirror after use” to encourage cleanliness in these areas and ensure members do their bit to maintain facilities.
6. Encourage staff and members to check the cleanliness of equipment and bathrooms regularly
Gyms can very quickly turn from great to awful, often unbeknownst to management. Use signage to encourage users to report anything not up to standard. When reported, ensure you fix the problem quickly and with minimal fuss. For issues that you can’t fix without professional cleaning assistance, contact us today.
If you’re looking for a more effective cleaner for your gym facility, childcare centre, medical facility or other commercial building, GT Cleaning can tailor a cleaning solution to meet your needs. Contact us today for an obligation-free quote, and we can discuss which cleaning solution is best for you.
