3 THINGS YOU CAN’T IGNORE WHEN IT COMES TO KEEPING YOUR LEISURE FACILITY CLEAN

Even amid undeniable pressures like the COVID-19 crisis, the UK health and fitness industry has seemingly gone from strength to strength in recent years. 

Between the years 2011 and 2020, for instance, the number of gyms and fitness centres across the country more than doubled. And although there was inevitably a sizeable fall when the pandemic hit, it was forecast that the number of fitness establishments would exceed pre-pandemic levels in 2022. 

Still, whether your own leisure centre or similar facility is relatively new or a much longer-established venue, it can be easy to overlook certain crucial aspects of cleaning and maintenance. 

Our own experts in leisure cleans here at Nationwide Property Clean are well-placed to draw attention to some of those frequently missed, but nonetheless all-important aspects. So, for today’s blog piece, let’s put a spotlight on just three of them. 

The cleanliness of the lobby and reception desk area 

When many of us think of the importance of having a thorough cleaning regime in place at a fitness facility, we might be largely put in mind of the scope for bacteria and germs to accumulate in parts of the premises where people are actually working out. 

But are your own venue’s target service users even getting that far? If a potential customer walks into your leisure centre and sees a scruffy-looking reception desk where dirt might have accumulated and unpleasant odours have become apparent, they might well quickly turn around and leave. 

Here at Nationwide, we take pride in providing fastidious cleaning services, encompassing even parts of the venue – such as the lobby and reception area – where other cleaning contractors may not do such a thorough job. This, in turn, is likely to support your efforts to attract and retain customers for your fitness facility. 

The role leisure centre users can play in keeping the facility clean 

Of course, you shouldn’t be leaving sole or principal responsibility for the cleanliness of your leisure centre’s equipment to the service users. 

However, alongside your own routine of ensuring gym equipment is regularly wiped down, it can be a good idea to communicate to leisure centre users the good they can do to clean and sanitise equipment they have finished using. After all, none of us wishes to be responsible for someone else potentially falling ill. 

So, you might go as far as providing access to cleaning materials to the leisure centre users themselves, so that they can play their own part in wiping down equipment between uses. 

The safety element of leisure centre cleaning 

As we referenced earlier in this piece, there has been a big rise in the numbers of fitness establishments in the UK over the past decade or so. This might mean that not everyone running such a facility has the most responsible safety practices in place for during cleaning operations. 

Even such simple steps as always having prominent caution signs in place when floors are being cleaned, and always wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) when it may be needed, will go a long way to ensuring the safety of both staff and users of the facilities. 

Along similar lines, you should make sure gym machinery is always turned off or unplugged prior to cleaning, in addition to routinely checking cables, plugs, and machinery for any signs of damage. 

Here at Nationwide Property Clean, we recognise that various aspects of running a leisure centre or other fitness establishment can be overwhelming and stressful enough, without piling on even greater pressure as far as the cleaning is concerned. 

For this reason, you might be interested in arranging for skilled and responsible operatives – such as our own – to carry out thorough and regular leisure cleans at your venue. To learn more about how this could make even greater sense for you than you might think, please don’t hesitate to contact us to request a quote.