As a gym owner, you definitely want your fitness facility to be clean and well-kept. Thanks to this, it will make a good and encouraging impression on current and future customers. It’s like a specific part of gym marketing, isn’t it?
But how to organize a proper cleaning routine? How to plan it? How often should we sanitize gym equipment, yoga mats, clean the locker room (or rooms) and workout spaces? Wouldn’t it be worth having cleaning procedures and checklists always at your disposal?
In this article, we invite you to review the most important elements of your cleaning routine. You will also be able to download and personalize your cleaning checklist. We will also write about when it is worth cleaning on your own and in what situations it is worth hiring a professional company.
Key takeaways
- Cleaning and tidying up the gyms is a requirement for a gym health and safety, but also maintaining a good image that encourages people to visit your fitness facilities.
- Some gym cleaning procedures should be done daily, others weekly, monthly or once a year.
- For deep cleaning, have a professional company do it once a year or quarterly.
- To clean gym equipment, use disinfectant wipes or sprays to thoroughly wipe down all surfaces. Focus on high-touch areas like handles, seats, and adjustment knobs, and ensure the equipment is fully dried before the next use.
- To clean the gym floors, sweep or vacuum to remove debris, then mop with a disinfectant solution, ensuring you reach all corners and high-traffic areas for thorough sanitation.
- To clean other areas and items at the gym, such as mirrors, locker rooms, and benches, use appropriate cleaning solutions like glass cleaners for mirrors and disinfectants for surfaces. Ensure all areas are wiped down and sanitized regularly.
Cleaning gym rooms, floors and gym equipment
is essential to maintain hygiene, safety, and a welcoming environment for members.
- It involves regular disinfecting of basic gym equipment like treadmills, weights, but also cubes and mats to prevent the spread of germs.
- Floors should be swept and mopped to remove sweat and dirt, and mirrors cleaned for clear visibility.
- Locker rooms, showers, and bathrooms require deep cleaning.
- High-touch areas like door handles and water fountains should also be sanitized frequently.
- A well-maintained gym not only promotes better health but also enhances the overall workout experience for everyone. Best gyms are the cleanest ones, no doubt.
Fitness Center Cleaning Checklists
Here’s a comprehensive gym cleaning checklist that covers a broad range of tasks. It’s designed to be adaptable, allowing gym owners to adjust and personalize it according to their specific needs.
1. Daily Cleaning Checklist
A. General Areas
- Reception Desk:
- Wipe down surfaces with disinfectant.
- Clean and disinfect any equipment (keyboards, phones, etc.).
- Empty trash bins and replace liners.
- Floors (All Areas):
- Sweep and mop with disinfectant.
- Vacuum any carpeted areas.
- Clean high-traffic entryways and mats.
- Windows and Mirrors:
- Wipe mirrors with streak-free glass cleaner.
- Clean smudges and fingerprints from windows and doors.
- Water Fountains/Dispensers:
- Clean and disinfect the buttons and spouts.
- Wipe down any splash zones or drip trays.
- Locker Rooms and Showers:
- Disinfect all locker handles and bench surfaces.
- Clean and sanitize shower stalls, faucets, and drains.
- Replace used towels and stock fresh ones.
- Clean sinks and wipe down countertops.
- Empty trash and replace liners.
B. Equipment Cleaning
- Cardio Machines (Treadmills, Bikes, etc.)
- Wipe down touchpoints (handles, screens, buttons) with disinfectant.
- Vacuum or sweep under machines to remove dust and debris.
- Strength Equipment (Machines, Free Weights, Benches):
- Disinfect high-touch areas like weight handles, adjustment levers, and seats.
- Wipe down benches and racks after each use.
- Functional Training Equipment (Kettlebells, Dumbbells, Resistance Bands):
- Disinfect after each use.
- Organize and return equipment to proper storage locations.
- Mats and Flooring:
- Disinfect all workout mats after each use.
- Mop and sanitize rubber flooring and turf areas.
C. Group Fitness Studios
- Disinfect high-touch areas (barres, dumbbells, yoga mats).
- Wipe down any shared equipment like stability balls, resistance bands, or TRX straps.
- Sweep and mop floors, and sanitize door handles and light switches.
2. Weekly Cleaning Checklist
- Deep Clean Equipment:
- Remove and clean detachable parts (cup holders, trays).
- Inspect for wear and tear, lubricate moving parts.
- Locker Rooms:
- Deep clean grout lines and tile surfaces in showers.
- Sanitize and scrub all bathroom fixtures (toilets, sinks, mirrors).
- Deep clean and disinfect lockers (inside and out).
- Air Vents and HVAC Systems:
- Dust and wipe down air vents.
- Change air filters if necessary.
- High-Touch Surfaces:
- Sanitize door handles, light switches, handrails, and push plates.
- Clean all remotes, tablets, or shared electronics in common areas.
- Floors:
- Buff and polish hard floors if needed.
- Deep vacuum and shampoo any carpeted areas.
3. Monthly Cleaning Checklist
- Machine Maintenance:
- Check belts, resistance cables, and moving parts for wear.
- Lubricate and clean tracks on cardio equipment.
- Consider having the best gym equipment brands in your gym to ensure you stay away from wear and tear for longer.
- Ceiling and Light Fixtures:
- Dust and clean overhead lights, fans, and ceiling tiles.
- Replace burnt-out lightbulbs.
- Deep Clean Windows:
- Wash all interior and exterior windows.
- Storage Areas:
- Organize and clean storage spaces for equipment and supplies.
- Sanitize equipment not frequently used.
4. Quarterly/Seasonal Cleaning Checklist
- HVAC System Maintenance:
- Professional inspection and cleaning of HVAC systems.
- Change air filters and clean ducts to improve air quality.
- Deep Clean Floor Surfaces:
- Refinish or seal hard surfaces like wood or vinyl flooring.
- Deep clean and sanitize all rubber or foam flooring in high-use areas.
- Inspect and Clean Upholstery:
- Deep clean benches, chairs, and other upholstered surfaces.
- Repair or replace worn-out padding.
- Sanitize Wall and Ceiling Surfaces:
- Dust and clean walls, ceilings, and any decorative elements.
- Touch up paint as necessary to keep the space fresh.
5. Personalizable Elements
To tailor the gym cleaning checklist to specific gym needs, gym owners can adjust the following:
- Frequency: Increase or decrease the cleaning frequency based on usage patterns or local health requirements.
- Exceptions: If you know that a particular gym equipment is not used on a given day, skip the daily cleaning rule.
- Assigned Staff: Allocate specific cleaning tasks to designated staff members (or outsource to cleaning services).
- Custom Equipment List: Add or remove gym equipment sections based on the gym’s offerings (e.g., boxing bags, Pilates machines).
- Unique Spaces: Add any unique areas like saunas, steam rooms, or smoothie bars.
- Branding and Communication: Customize to highlight cleaning standards to members (e.g., “sanitized hourly for your safety”).
6. Supply Checklist
- Disinfectant sprays and wipes
- Microfiber cloths – different ones for gym equipment and other surfaces
- Mops, brooms, and vacuums
- Glass cleaner
- Antibacterial hand soap
- Hand sanitizer refills
- Floor cleaning supplies (mop bucket, floor buffer, etc.)
- Trash liners and recycling bags
Downloadable Cleaning Checklist for your Fitness Facility
We provide you with a downloadable gym cleaning checklist that will allow you to optimize the cleaning process and not to forget about anything important. It doesn’t matter whether you do the cleaning yourself or employ a company or an external person. This checklist will make the process efficient and the results – shiny 🙂
Cleaning Schedule - by Yourself or Outsource?
As a fitness professional, you might assume that you can do some cleaning tasks yourself. But when does the time come when it’s worth hiring a specialized company?
Your Resources vs Cleaning Staff
Gym owners or staff can handle regular cleaning tasks like wiping down workout equipment, cleaning mirrors, and maintaining locker rooms daily. They should clean frequently touched surfaces and address small messes immediately to keep the gym hygienic.
However, it’s better to hire professionals for deep cleaning tasks like sanitizing large areas, steam-cleaning carpets, or handling specialized equipment. Professionals are also ideal for periodic tasks such as deep cleaning showers, disinfecting high-traffic zones, or ensuring compliance with health and safety gym regulations.
Your Disinfectant Spray vs Professional Solutions
Maintaining a clean and hygienic environment is essential for any gym, both for the health of members and the longevity of equipment. Gym staff can handle day-to-day cleaning with basic tools to ensure cleanliness between workouts.
However, professional cleaners often bring specialized equipment for deeper, more thorough cleaning. Below is a breakdown of the typical cleaning tools that a gym should have on hand, as well as the advanced equipment and solutions professionals use for more intensive cleaning tasks.
Typical gym cleaning equipment:
- Microfiber cloths (most dust and minor dirt from workout equipment can be removed with warm water and a damp cloth)
- Disinfectant sprays or disinfectant wipes (use it to sanitize gym equipment like gym mats and have it in a spray bottle for an easy availability)
- Mops and buckets (for regular mopping floors)
- Vacuum cleaners (to avoid loose dust and excess debris)
- Glass cleaners (for any glass items and entire surface of windows or mirrors)
- Trash bags and bins (to keep the gym clean)
- Air fresheners (remembering about proper ventilation though)
Professional cleaning equipment:
- Industrial-grade disinfectants
- Floor scrubbers and buffers
- Steam cleaners for carpets and mats
- Pressure washers for outdoor areas
- High-efficiency vacuum cleaners
- Electrostatic sprayers for sanitization
- Harsh chemicals if necessary
- Specialized equipment for deep cleaning HVAC systems
BONUS: How to Effectively Manage Your Cleaning Routine?
Remember that these days, technology in the service of fitness centers helps not only in:
- gym member management,
- payments, thanks to gym billing software,
- class scheduling in a gym booking system,
- but also in managing staff (read more about staff management software for gym).
If your daily, weekly and monthly cleaning is performed by a gym owner and staff, use a gym management software with a gym staff management software. You can introduce the cleaning tasks into the schedule and effectively manage what your staff does.
What other useful features will you find in the WodGuru system?
- make your administrative tasks easier thanks to a gym automation system
- effectively reach new customers thanks to marketing software for gyms
- make the right market decisions thanks to gym reporting analytics.
- take care of your current customers by showing that you remember them through a gym CRM.
Check it now! No credit card required!
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FAQ
A gym should be cleaned daily, with high-touch surfaces like equipment, benches, and door handles disinfected multiple times throughout the day. Locker rooms, bathrooms, and floors should be cleaned daily as well. Deep cleaning tasks, like steam-cleaning carpets or sanitizing machines, should be done weekly or monthly, depending on usage and traffic.
Gyms typically use disinfectant sprays and wipes designed to kill bacteria and viruses on surfaces. Common cleaners include alcohol-based solutions, bleach-based disinfectants, and non-toxic, eco-friendly options like hydrogen peroxide or quaternary ammonium compounds (quats) for equipment, floors, and locker rooms.
To effectively clean your gym facility and equipment, follow a gym cleaning checklist. Start by wiping down exercise machines with disinfectant wipes after each use. Clean high-touch surfaces like weights, mats, and benches daily. Ensure bathrooms, locker rooms, and floors are sanitized regularly. A consistent cleaning schedule should include daily cleaning for high-traffic areas and weekly deep cleaning of the entire facility to maintain hygiene and prevent the spread of germs.
