Who doesn’t love a good clean? And we’re not talking about a CrossFit barbell clean, we’re talking about deep cleaning your facility with soap, water, and disinfectants.
The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a lot of conversation about cleanliness, disinfectants, hand sanitizer, and other ways to prevent the spreading of harmful germs. Keeping clients safe and healthy is a top priority now more than ever.
If you’re an owner or manager of a fitness facility, understanding the importance of implementing cleaning and disinfecting best practices is essential. Preventing the spread of not only COVID-19 but also other infectious germs lingering throughout your facility is essential
No need to worry! We have curated the best tips and tricks to keep your facility running smoothly, and your clients happy and safe!
High-contact surfaces should be cleaned every day at the least. Fitness equipment that clients touch with their hands and bodies should be cleaned every time the equipment is used. High-contact surfaces can include doorknobs, light switches, handles on equipment, dumbbells, weights, and anything else that people touch consistently throughout the day.
Reminding your clients and members to implement cleaning and disinfection best practices is just part of the battle. Coaches, managers, and staff should also display these procedures in order for clients to understand the importance and participate in the cleaning themselves.
Pro tip: Wiping your sweat and germs off of the equipment is a good way to show good fitness etiquette. This Wodify blog outlines a few ways newbies can become considerate, responsible fitness experts!
A fitness facility that runs smoothly and keeps clients safe and satisfied is one that has policies in place. Schedules, appointments, and attendance tracking ensure coaches and employees are in place to help clients, run classes safely and on-time, and keep clients coming back. Just as you need policies for the facility, you also need policies for cleaning and disinfecting. When fitness facilities have a clear and concise policy in place, athletes feel safe and more apt to sign up and keep coming back.
Pro tip: here are some policies you can implement right away:
✓ Train Employees. Before expecting coaches and staff to clean and disinfect regularly, you must show them how to do it, and do it right. Hold a mandatory training session to ensure everyone knows the best practices for safely and effectively cleaning the facility and equipment.
✓ Create a Cleaning Schedule. You cannot assume that coaches and staff will clean regularly; you must be specific. Create a schedule, sign a person to each task and time slot, and keep the schedule where everyone can access it.
✓ Organize Inventory and Ordering. Keep track of cleaning supplies and equipment with regular updated orders to make sure you never run out.
To maintain a clean fitness facility, you must establish certain policies and a clean culture within your memberships. Let clients know what they are expected of before beginning their workout. You can offer towels or wipes for members to cover and wipe the equipment surfaces. Politely remind members of these policies immediately following the workout.
If you have a bigger fitness facility or don’t have the time to deep clean everyday, a suggestion is to hire a professional cleaning team to ensure your facility is in tip-top shape. Hiring a professional cleaning service can even be more cost-effective since it keeps the present equipment in good shape and avoids the purchase of new equipment.
You might also consider dual cleaning, which is doing some cleaning in-house for immediate purposes and relying on professionals to sanitize and thoroughly clean during non-peak hours. Lastly, cleaning professionals can provide the needed labor to quickly complete the cleaning duties.
If a fitness facility owner offers both professional cleaning and an hourly in-house cleaning, it speaks volumes about how important the members and clients are as well as the facilities overall cleaning and disinfecting practice.
Let us know your thoughts and be sure to tag us, @Wodify, so we can share your feedback!
Ready to start growing your fitness business? Give our team a call to learn more about how Wodify can help and get a free business consultation. Book your call here.
