The beginning of the year is generally a busy time for gyms as people try to meet their fitness goals and resolutions for the new year. As many as 58 million Americans regularly attend a gym or health club of some sort each year, but most gym-goers are unaware of the pathogens that lurk on the equipment and floors. As a gym owner, it’s your responsibility to keep members safe from potential infections inside your facility.
What’s the risk?
Most people associate gyms with fungi like athlete’s foot, but there is a much wider cause for concern. Gyms create the perfect conditions for bugs to be picked up by gym members who touch their shoes, equipment, and floors and then wipe sweat from their brows.
Staph and its more dangerous relative, MRSA, are both commonly found on surfaces in athletic facilities. These bacteria can live on used gym equipment, especially anything made of fabric, for over 24 hours — and could cause serious infections and even death. And, while less life-threatening, other nasty bacteria, like E. coli, are prevalent on gym equipment and can cause stomach ailments.
Viruses like rhinovirus, human papillomavirus, and COVID-19 can easily be transmitted to unsuspecting gym members. While viruses can’t live as long as bacteria, gym equipment is often handled by multiple people in under an hour, so viruses are a valid health concern.
Also, gyms are sweaty, humid places where mold can thrive and spread. As gym-goers huff and puff on the treadmill, they could be breathing in mold particles that can cause serious respiratory symptoms, like wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.
Odor is often a tell-tale sign that something is amiss in your sanitation game. As bacteria, mold, fungi, and viruses grow, they begin to emit musty, rank smells that should set off alarm bells for gym owners. Gyms rely on their reputation to retain current members and bring in new clients. If these diseases become an issue in your gym, you could face a huge loss of customer loyalty and revenue. Instead of risking your business, take a hands-on approach to disinfection.
What are the best products to sanitize a gym?
There are a number of practices that you can employ to make your gym safe for members. Most gyms rely on members to properly wash their hands and clean equipment before use, which leaves a lot of room for error and exposure. Instead, gym owners and managers should be proactive in their disinfecting efforts.
The EPA provides a list of all approved products that kill each type of pathogen, including COVID-19, MRSA, molds, and other common illnesses. Before you buy any disinfecting agent, make sure to check their website to ensure it will actually be useful in your fight against pathogens. When using any liquid cleaner, always gear up with PPE and carefully wash your hands before and after.
The best product to use is one that best suits your needs. When sanitizing your gym, make sure to use a method that is sustainable, practical for your business, and most of all, packs a powerful disinfecting punch.
The Gear Blaster Advantage
Ozone is a completely dry, environmentally-friendly disinfecting agent that is perfect for significantly reducing bacteria and viruses sanitizing large areas and expensive equipment. While traditional disinfectants can work well on non-porous surfaces, your gym needs a disinfectant that is also effective on porous equipment, like stationary bike seats and gym mats.
Ozone destroys pathogens’ cells with greater sanitizing power than hydrogen peroxide, iodine, and bleach — without the harmful effects of using liquid on equipment. With Global Ozone’s Gear Blaster, you can significantly reduce these pathogens. The Gear Blaster will treat up to 2,000 square feet and will significantly reduce mold, bacteria, viruses and the resulting odor. Unlike liquid disinfecting products, Gear Blaster requires virtually no effort to sanitize your facility.
Simply set the Gear Blaster in the area where you’d like to sanitize and close the doors to turn your gym into an ozone chamber that will destroy the molecular structure of pathogens like MRSA, staph, mold, and viruses. And on top of all the sanitizing benefits, Gear Blaster removes typical gym odors to leave behind a fresh scent.
Does Gear Blaster seem like the solution to your gym’s sanitizing challenges? Get a quote here.
