One of the most common of these is athlete’s foot, which is caused by a fungus and is usually acquired in a gym facility. In fact, according to the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA), “Skin infections, along with other infectious diseases, are extremely common” among people that use gym facilities.

Their study goes on to say that skin infections, usually contracted in a gym or locker room, lead to more than half of all infectious disease outbreaks occurring among participants in competitive sports.

The good news is that much of this is preventable. In fact, prevention is key to minimizing the spread of disease in gyms and locker rooms. Both tenants and facility managers and custodial crews need to know what steps they can take to improve prevention.

Communicate about the potential problem with building tenants

Tenants should be aware that infections can be transmitted in gyms and locker rooms. Managers should advise them to do their part by wiping down gym equipment before and after use, coughing or sneezing into their upper arm instead of their hands and washing their hands regularly while working out.

Showering after exercising

Studies indicate it is best for gym users to shower immediately after working out. Showering washes away germs and bacteria that can spread to other surfaces--and other people--if washing is delayed. Changing into fresh (non-gym) clothing is also advisable after a workout.

Managers should make sure soap dispensers are available and regularly replenished

All sinks and shower areas should have soap dispensers. Further, experts recommend installing soap dispensers that use cartridges instead of the older “pour-and-fill” systems. Soap from cartridges is less likely to become contaminated.

Cleaning concerns

Many gyms are cleaned once per day. Of course all gyms and locker rooms should be hygienically cleaned at least once per day, but for heavily used gyms, this may not be enough. Instead, "ongoing" cleaning may be necessary. This means custodial crews come by several times during the day – while the gym is open – to wipe down equipment and spot clean showers, restrooms and locker rooms using a broad-spectrum disinfectant.

Experts recommend that custodial workers use microfibre cleaning cloths instead of conventional cleaning rags or cloths because microfibre is much more absorbent. Further, microfibre cloths can be colour-coded so that a separate colour is designated for each task, such as wiping down gym machines and cleaning toilets and urinals.

Taking this a step further, “smart towels” are now available that can be folded into quadrants, ensuring that a fresh, unsoiled surface is used for each cleaning task. These measures all decrease the risk of spreading contaminants from one surface to another.

Finally, managers are advised to employ what are termed “no-touch” or spray-and-vac cleaning systems, which are commonly used in public and private gyms. Studies show that these cleaning systems are up to 60 times more effective in reducing bacterial contamination when compared to traditional cleaning tools like mops and cleaning clothes, which are more likely to spread contaminants than remove them.

Similar to indoor pressure washers, no-touch systems are machines that apply a chemical or disinfectant to all surfaces to be cleaned. Next these areas are rinsed with this same machine; lastly, the solution and soiled water is vacuumed up. This process has been found to be far more thorough and hygienic and, interestingly, faster than using the conventional cleaning methods mentioned earlier.

The end result of all these preventive steps is a clean, safe, healthy gym facility that building tenants can enjoy with confidence.

John Richter is the Technical Director for Kaivac, Inc., developers of the Kaivac No-Touch Cleaning® System. He is a frequent author and presenter discussing hygienic cleaning issues and related topics.