Another Gym Etiquette Question - wiping down equipment

deluxmary2000
deluxmary2000 Posts: 981 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I'm wondering if there's a standard protocol for wiping down equipment in the weight area at the gym. I’ve always taken the conservative approach to wiping (with a paper towel wet with disinfectant spray) any bench, mat, or other piece of equipment that I use, no matter what. But I finished with the assisted pull-up machine this morning, and when I came back to wipe it down a guy was using it and just looked at me holding the paper towel and said “Yeah, you really don’t have to do that”.

I really don’t sweat much until the very end of my workout – certainly not enough to leave sweat marks (not that I’m not working hard.. I’ve just never been a big sweater). And for things like rows, only my knee and hand are even touching the bench.

So what are your thoughts? Spray/wipe all the time, no matter what? Or just if you leave a sweat mark? Other?

Replies

  • mom23nuts
    mom23nuts Posts: 636 Member
    Wipe before with the mind set maybe the last person didn't and walked away. Wipe after as a courtesy to the next guy. Just keep a washcloth spritzed in the gym solution with you so you don't have to go back and forth with each new piece of equipment.
  • mom23nuts
    mom23nuts Posts: 636 Member
    I used to put down a towel on the equipment that had seats in came people might even have a gripe of sweat through clothing, so it was me, towel, then machine.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I wouldnt' wipe down the pull up machine- unless the pad where your knees were was extremely sweaty.

    I wipe down any bench I'm on and any cardio equipment.

    Cardio equipment seems to be the most consistent thing that gets attended to. Everything else seems totally optional to most people.
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
    I wipe it all down after I am done. It's a habit from working in healthcare. The number of microbes becoming antibiotic resistant is frightening and I grew out what was under my nails after a minute of sterile technique hand washing in microbiology class. We also swabbed and cultured money. I've never forgotten what's under my nails or on my money. My gym keeps the wipes on dispensers located within 10 feet of most equipment.
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
    mom23nuts wrote: »
    Wipe before with the mind set maybe the last person didn't and walked away. Wipe after as a courtesy to the next guy. Just keep a washcloth spritzed in the gym solution with you so you don't have to go back and forth with each new piece of equipment.

    Agree. My gym has several locations with disposable antibacterial wipes, so before I touch a piece of equipment, I am wiping it down before and after use.

    "Soap Box Rant"... Not saying I'm a germ freak, and outside of the sweat variable, I see too many men leaving the bathroom without washing their hands. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't want to purposefully; albeit, indirectly, touch other people's "junk". Wash your freakin hands!...."rant over".
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    cajuntank wrote: »
    mom23nuts wrote: »
    Wipe before with the mind set maybe the last person didn't and walked away. Wipe after as a courtesy to the next guy. Just keep a washcloth spritzed in the gym solution with you so you don't have to go back and forth with each new piece of equipment.

    Agree. My gym has several locations with disposable antibacterial wipes, so before I touch a piece of equipment, I am wiping it down before and after use.

    "Soap Box Rant"... Not saying I'm a germ freak, and outside of the sweat variable, I see too many men leaving the bathroom without washing their hands. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't want to purposefully; albeit, indirectly, touch other people's "junk". Wash your freakin hands!...."rant over".

    Lol. Was brushing my hair at the sink in locker room this morning. Dude leaves the stall after a major transaction, walks past 3 available sinks to the gym.
  • Dr1nkbleachndye
    Dr1nkbleachndye Posts: 441 Member
    edited May 2016
    I'm not usually sweaty per se`, but always leave a glute print whenever I sit on something for longer than 2 minutes after having been working out for 20 mins or longer. I usually wipe it down, but TBH I am from a very strange train of thought. Mine works like this, odds are, I am sweating more than you are, while it doesnt bother me if you leave a glute print on something and not clean up after, in my eyes, if you are dripping sweat, or starting to perspire to where it is saturating your clothes or you are starting to pool sweat, you should clean off the area you are working out in.

    As a barometer, if you are sweating enough to where when you get home the first thing you want to do is shower, probably best to wipe off area you were just working out in.
  • MonkeyMel21
    MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,396 Member
    Any cardio equipment I automatically wipe down. Everything else I don't really worry about and I've noticed most other people don't either. After I'm done I usually get a squirt of hand sanitizer on my way to the locker room and always shower with soap.
  • LeanButNotMean44
    LeanButNotMean44 Posts: 852 Member
    I always have wiped down equipment, but am even more vigilant about it after I got a staph infection in my arm from the gym. Believe me, you do not want one.
  • Meganthedogmom
    Meganthedogmom Posts: 1,639 Member
    I always wipe it down, no matter what.
  • MalcolmX1983
    MalcolmX1983 Posts: 214 Member
    Wipe it sir.
    I hate finding sweat on the bench.
    You are a good man.
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
    I do heavy cardio b4 lifting weights so I look like a came out of a pool. So I grab tons of wipes and wipe all the equipment I use b4 (set those aside) and after (with new ones) I use it. I'm kind of anal with wiping equipment down.
  • wilsoncl6
    wilsoncl6 Posts: 1,280 Member
    I typically grab a bunch of towels that my gym has and use them as barriers between myself and the weight benches if I use one. If I'm particularly sweaty that day, I'll grab one of the wetwipes that my gym has in dispensers all over the gym and wipe it down. I don't particularly care if someone else does, just don't leave a pool of sweat on the equipment. I wear gloves so I'm not really touching anything unprotected, I use hand sanitizer after my workouts and I shower immediately when I get home afterwards so I'm not too worried about it. I also purposefully refrain from touching my face until after I'm clean. The only equipment I wipe down before and after consistently is the cardio equipment I've used.
  • yayamom3
    yayamom3 Posts: 939 Member
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    cajuntank wrote: »
    mom23nuts wrote: »
    Wipe before with the mind set maybe the last person didn't and walked away. Wipe after as a courtesy to the next guy. Just keep a washcloth spritzed in the gym solution with you so you don't have to go back and forth with each new piece of equipment.

    Agree. My gym has several locations with disposable antibacterial wipes, so before I touch a piece of equipment, I am wiping it down before and after use.

    "Soap Box Rant"... Not saying I'm a germ freak, and outside of the sweat variable, I see too many men leaving the bathroom without washing their hands. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't want to purposefully; albeit, indirectly, touch other people's "junk". Wash your freakin hands!...."rant over".

    Lol. Was brushing my hair at the sink in locker room this morning. Dude leaves the stall after a major transaction, walks past 3 available sinks to the gym.

    Working with germy children all day, I am an avid hand washer, I never touch door knobs, etc. That being said, when I use the restroom at the gym, I don't wash my hands in the sink because they only have air dryers and it takes forever. Instead, I exit the restroom and use the hand sanitizer at the front desk. In that guy's defense, let's hope that's maybe what he's doing too! {fingers crossed}
  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
    edited May 2016
    If I'm not sweaty I won't wipe down the equipment. What's the point? Do you wipe down a chair after you sit in it at a restaurant?
  • KDar1988
    KDar1988 Posts: 648 Member
    My gym has wipes, I wipe everything after I'm done when I put the weights back (like the handles on the barbells) even if I plan to use the weights again. I figure it's a courtesy to the person coming after me. Especially the benches. I lay my towel down but it gets sweaty too so it all gets wiped.
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    cajuntank wrote: »
    mom23nuts wrote: »
    Wipe before with the mind set maybe the last person didn't and walked away. Wipe after as a courtesy to the next guy. Just keep a washcloth spritzed in the gym solution with you so you don't have to go back and forth with each new piece of equipment.

    Agree. My gym has several locations with disposable antibacterial wipes, so before I touch a piece of equipment, I am wiping it down before and after use.

    "Soap Box Rant"... Not saying I'm a germ freak, and outside of the sweat variable, I see too many men leaving the bathroom without washing their hands. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't want to purposefully; albeit, indirectly, touch other people's "junk". Wash your freakin hands!...."rant over".

    Lol. Was brushing my hair at the sink in locker room this morning. Dude leaves the stall after a major transaction, walks past 3 available sinks to the gym.

    Major transaction... Never heard it called that but I like it
  • DeWinn86
    DeWinn86 Posts: 2 Member
    I personally wipe down everything I use and every part of that machine that I touched lol. I even wipe down the yoga mats I used.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I wipe things but if somebody is hovering around waiting for the piece of equipment I'll say something like "All done. Give me a sec and I'll wipe it down." Nine times out of 10, the person will say "no need" and start using it.
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    edited May 2016
    deluxmary2000 wrote: »
    So what are your thoughts?

    When in doubt wipe it out.

    https://instagram.com/p/BCvTHIEp8MM/embed/


    Any suggestions for the floor? :p
  • Wicked_Seraph
    Wicked_Seraph Posts: 388 Member
    I'm very obsessive about cleaning. I use the towelettes they offer to wipe down cardio equipment, mats, and any machines that require me to sit or lean on them. I sweat very easily and (to my humilation) rather heavily, so it would be nasty as hell not to wipe things down. :neutral:
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    Nope. But I'm in a small specialized gym. The interns do a pretty good job of cleaning up, in fact currently any cleaning supplies are hidden
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
    Sweat has antibacterial properties (dermcidin), so you'd be doing everyone a favor by leaving it place >:)
  • cgvet37
    cgvet37 Posts: 1,189 Member
    I wipe before and after use of equipment.
  • RespectTheKitty
    RespectTheKitty Posts: 1,667 Member
    I always wipe down the cardio machines I use, and I also wipe the handles of the dumbbells I use because my hands can get kinda sweaty. For benches, I always put my towel down before using it.
  • Katerbels
    Katerbels Posts: 106 Member
    I wipe down every part of every machine / weight I touch. I don't bother to do it before, even though I have seen so many people sweat all over something and then just walk away, but I always do after. Always.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    yeah, you really don't have to do that.


    cosigned.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    MelissaPhippsFeagins wrote: »
    I wipe it all down after I am done. It's a habit from working in healthcare. The number of microbes becoming antibiotic resistant is frightening and I grew out what was under my nails after a minute of sterile technique hand washing in microbiology class. We also swabbed and cultured money. I've never forgotten what's under my nails or on my money. My gym keeps the wipes on dispensers located within 10 feet of most equipment.

    You're concerned about the number if antibiotic resistant microbes, so you're recommending everyone use antibiotic wipes/spray on all the equipment?

    *eye twitch*

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