Gym etiquette question
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Michael190lbs wrote: »As long as your not blocking the entire dumbbell rack doing side raises I could careless about some chemical that is more dangerous than sweat being left on a machine
Not sure if they're dangerous or not, (and I'm all for cleanliness), but I don't like when someone next to me cleans a cardio machine with WAY too much spray and I'm breathing in those fumes while trying to get in a tough cardio session. Sounds petty, now that I type it out, but it's hard to maintain my breathing pattern until those fumes dissipate.
This. So annoying when someone sprays the machine next to me and I need to breathe the fumes in. Spray the towel... away from anyone working out.
I also don't care if someone cleans the machine if they are not leaving visible sweat or if they don't smell nasty :-)
Wash your hands when you are done in the gym. Don't put your fingers in your mouth. Same advice I give to my kindergarteners at school.
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Thank you @MsJulesRenee and @italysharon! I thought I was alone on that issue.0
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Thank you @MsJulesRenee and @italysharon! I thought I was alone on that issue.
I have pretty bad asthma and its reactive airway asthma to weather changes and fumes from stuff so its a huge deal for me. I could sue bath and body works for the spew they have coming out of their store into the mall..
I worded that wrong I meant to say I could careless about some sweat its the chemicals that bother me0 -
You're all lucky. In UK gyms most people just leave their sweat on the seats.0
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VanillaGorillaUK wrote: »You're all lucky. In UK gyms most people just leave their sweat on the seats.
Do they?
My current one (and the three I've been a member of beforehand) must be the exception.0 -
Michael190lbs wrote: »Thank you @MsJulesRenee and @italysharon! I thought I was alone on that issue.
I have pretty bad asthma and its reactive airway asthma to weather changes and fumes from stuff so its a huge deal for me. I could sue bath and body works for the spew they have coming out of their store into the mall..
I worded that wrong I meant to say I could careless about some sweat its the chemicals that bother me
Gotcha. I don't have the serious medical issues and consequences that you do. I'm just super sensitive to smells over all, so I can see how that stuff would bother you.
As far as germs go, I've been going to gyms for years and as long as the first thing I do after a workout is wash my hands then I'm fine. I've never had any issues.
@VanillaGorillaUK, do the gym employees clean the machines? If not, I'd have to say ewwww to that. It's common courtesy to clean up after yourself regardless of what you are doing. But, things are done differently in different places.0 -
Packerjohn wrote: »I don't care. The wiping down thing is so overdone that it's ridiculous. AFAIC, if you leave a noticeable sweat stain, wipe it off. If you don't, just get up and get out of my way. And now we're spraying and wiping down the free weights too?
Did the pandemic begin and I just haven't noticed?
I had the opportunity to workout in one of the more famous gyms in the US, home to a Mr Olympia winner, and other high level athletes. There wasn't a spray bottle or wet wipe in sight. There was group of EMTs working out when I was in there. These trained medical professionals didn't seem to be concerned about germs in there.
There was a study released recently in my health region where only 70-odd percent of "trained medical professionals" in hospitals bothered to wash their hands, so I'd maybe not be taking my cues even from them. Ew.
It might not help, but it certainly isn't taking more than 10 seconds out of your day, so I really can't understand why anyone would be resistant to it. Of course, I realize that a lot of people just don't care, so I'm that person who gets a fresh wipe for every machine and wipes it BEFORE I use it as well as after because I don't trust people. It's not the sweat that I'm worried about, personally, but other people's potentially unwashed hands on stuff.
I bartended my way through university and I know a) how fast illness spreads when a lot of people are touching the same stuff and b) washing one's hands is really the only thing that helps, but wiping down stuff I touch in the gym is still better than otherwise because of how many people DON'T wash their hands, so...0 -
Meh. Clean up your blood if you've scraped yourself up. I'm not too bothered by sweat on a bench (maybe because I actually usually know whose sweat it is). I sometimes wipe my chalk angels off the bench, usually not though.0
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I don't care. The wiping down thing is so overdone that it's ridiculous. AFAIC, if you leave a noticeable sweat stain, wipe it off. If you don't, just get up and get out of my way.
I agree; I think it's BS. Only noticed all this disinfectant-wiping become a "thing" at my gym in the past year or so. The chemicals aren't on the equipment long enough to kill anything anyways, and it's probably encouraging the growth of super-bugs. It's just a show.0 -
Let's not forget ring worm, which seems to thrive in gym settings! It's definitely the right thing to wipe down a machine after use. I'm the kind of person that will give you a nasty stare down if I have to clean it before I use it because you didn't! Thanks for this post, brings awareness to others about etiquette. Just wiping down machines is very effective at killing most germs because many bacteria die just by drying out. There are plenty of things you can "get" by sitting in someone's butt sweat with very thin and tight gym pants. Gross. So let's all just follow suit. Stay healthy my friends.0
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Packerjohn wrote: »I don't care. The wiping down thing is so overdone that it's ridiculous. AFAIC, if you leave a noticeable sweat stain, wipe it off. If you don't, just get up and get out of my way. And now we're spraying and wiping down the free weights too?
Did the pandemic begin and I just haven't noticed?
I had the opportunity to workout in one of the more famous gyms in the US, home to a Mr Olympia winner, and other high level athletes. There wasn't a spray bottle or wet wipe in sight. There was group of EMTs working out when I was in there. These trained medical professionals didn't seem to be concerned about germs in there.
There was a study released recently in my health region where only 70-odd percent of "trained medical professionals" in hospitals bothered to wash their hands, so I'd maybe not be taking my cues even from them. Ew.
It might not help, but it certainly isn't taking more than 10 seconds out of your day, so I really can't understand why anyone would be resistant to it. Of course, I realize that a lot of people just don't care, so I'm that person who gets a fresh wipe for every machine and wipes it BEFORE I use it as well as after because I don't trust people. It's not the sweat that I'm worried about, personally, but other people's potentially unwashed hands on stuff.
I bartended my way through university and I know a) how fast illness spreads when a lot of people are touching the same stuff and b) washing one's hands is really the only thing that helps, but wiping down stuff I touch in the gym is still better than otherwise because of how many people DON'T wash their hands, so...
Yes exactly!0 -
Packerjohn wrote: »I don't care. The wiping down thing is so overdone that it's ridiculous. AFAIC, if you leave a noticeable sweat stain, wipe it off. If you don't, just get up and get out of my way. And now we're spraying and wiping down the free weights too?
Did the pandemic begin and I just haven't noticed?
I had the opportunity to workout in one of the more famous gyms in the US, home to a Mr Olympia winner, and other high level athletes. There wasn't a spray bottle or wet wipe in sight. There was group of EMTs working out when I was in there. These trained medical professionals didn't seem to be concerned about germs in there.
There was a study released recently in my health region where only 70-odd percent of "trained medical professionals" in hospitals bothered to wash their hands, so I'd maybe not be taking my cues even from them. Ew.
It might not help, but it certainly isn't taking more than 10 seconds out of your day, so I really can't understand why anyone would be resistant to it. Of course, I realize that a lot of people just don't care, so I'm that person who gets a fresh wipe for every machine and wipes it BEFORE I use it as well as after because I don't trust people. It's not the sweat that I'm worried about, personally, but other people's potentially unwashed hands on stuff.
I bartended my way through university and I know a) how fast illness spreads when a lot of people are touching the same stuff and b) washing one's hands is really the only thing that helps, but wiping down stuff I touch in the gym is still better than otherwise because of how many people DON'T wash their hands, so...
So even doctors think it's overhyped BS and can't be bothered but you know better?0 -
Packerjohn wrote: »I don't care. The wiping down thing is so overdone that it's ridiculous. AFAIC, if you leave a noticeable sweat stain, wipe it off. If you don't, just get up and get out of my way. And now we're spraying and wiping down the free weights too?
Did the pandemic begin and I just haven't noticed?
I had the opportunity to workout in one of the more famous gyms in the US, home to a Mr Olympia winner, and other high level athletes. There wasn't a spray bottle or wet wipe in sight. There was group of EMTs working out when I was in there. These trained medical professionals didn't seem to be concerned about germs in there.
There was a study released recently in my health region where only 70-odd percent of "trained medical professionals" in hospitals bothered to wash their hands, so I'd maybe not be taking my cues even from them. Ew.
It might not help, but it certainly isn't taking more than 10 seconds out of your day, so I really can't understand why anyone would be resistant to it. Of course, I realize that a lot of people just don't care, so I'm that person who gets a fresh wipe for every machine and wipes it BEFORE I use it as well as after because I don't trust people. It's not the sweat that I'm worried about, personally, but other people's potentially unwashed hands on stuff.
I bartended my way through university and I know a) how fast illness spreads when a lot of people are touching the same stuff and b) washing one's hands is really the only thing that helps, but wiping down stuff I touch in the gym is still better than otherwise because of how many people DON'T wash their hands, so...
Just curious, what do you do with the stylus or key pad on the credit/debit card machine at the pharmacy pick-up counter?0 -
Michael190lbs wrote: »Thank you @MsJulesRenee and @italysharon! I thought I was alone on that issue.
I have pretty bad asthma and its reactive airway asthma to weather changes and fumes from stuff so its a huge deal for me. I could sue bath and body works for the spew they have coming out of their store into the mall..
I worded that wrong I meant to say I could careless about some sweat its the chemicals that bother me
I don't spray because 1. the chemicals make me sick as well and 2. I don't sweat on the machines anyway.0 -
Packerjohn wrote: »I don't care. The wiping down thing is so overdone that it's ridiculous. AFAIC, if you leave a noticeable sweat stain, wipe it off. If you don't, just get up and get out of my way. And now we're spraying and wiping down the free weights too?
Did the pandemic begin and I just haven't noticed?
I had the opportunity to workout in one of the more famous gyms in the US, home to a Mr Olympia winner, and other high level athletes. There wasn't a spray bottle or wet wipe in sight. There was group of EMTs working out when I was in there. These trained medical professionals didn't seem to be concerned about germs in there.
There was a study released recently in my health region where only 70-odd percent of "trained medical professionals" in hospitals bothered to wash their hands, so I'd maybe not be taking my cues even from them. Ew.
It might not help, but it certainly isn't taking more than 10 seconds out of your day, so I really can't understand why anyone would be resistant to it. Of course, I realize that a lot of people just don't care, so I'm that person who gets a fresh wipe for every machine and wipes it BEFORE I use it as well as after because I don't trust people. It's not the sweat that I'm worried about, personally, but other people's potentially unwashed hands on stuff.
I bartended my way through university and I know a) how fast illness spreads when a lot of people are touching the same stuff and b) washing one's hands is really the only thing that helps, but wiping down stuff I touch in the gym is still better than otherwise because of how many people DON'T wash their hands, so...
So even doctors think it's overhyped BS and can't be bothered but you know better?
It's not overhyped, there's definitely a body of evidence to support hand washing. Take a look at hospital infections pre-Semmelweis somehow I think you'd rather not go back to that. How do you think infections in hospitals are spread? Because staff is too lazy to wash their hands. It's definitely in the patients interest for hands to be washed by staff. Are you saying you'd rather your nurses and doctors not bother washing their hands after they were just next door with a patient who had MRSA? Or Cdiff?0 -
Florence Nightingale would be mad at those doctors, too0
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Packerjohn wrote: »I don't care. The wiping down thing is so overdone that it's ridiculous. AFAIC, if you leave a noticeable sweat stain, wipe it off. If you don't, just get up and get out of my way. And now we're spraying and wiping down the free weights too?
Did the pandemic begin and I just haven't noticed?
I had the opportunity to workout in one of the more famous gyms in the US, home to a Mr Olympia winner, and other high level athletes. There wasn't a spray bottle or wet wipe in sight. There was group of EMTs working out when I was in there. These trained medical professionals didn't seem to be concerned about germs in there.
There was a study released recently in my health region where only 70-odd percent of "trained medical professionals" in hospitals bothered to wash their hands, so I'd maybe not be taking my cues even from them. Ew.
It might not help, but it certainly isn't taking more than 10 seconds out of your day, so I really can't understand why anyone would be resistant to it. Of course, I realize that a lot of people just don't care, so I'm that person who gets a fresh wipe for every machine and wipes it BEFORE I use it as well as after because I don't trust people. It's not the sweat that I'm worried about, personally, but other people's potentially unwashed hands on stuff.
I bartended my way through university and I know a) how fast illness spreads when a lot of people are touching the same stuff and b) washing one's hands is really the only thing that helps, but wiping down stuff I touch in the gym is still better than otherwise because of how many people DON'T wash their hands, so...
So even doctors think it's overhyped BS and can't be bothered but you know better?
It's not overhyped, there's definitely a body of evidence to support hand washing. Take a look at hospital infections pre-Semmelweis somehow I think you'd rather not go back to that. How do you think infections in hospitals are spread? Because staff is too lazy to wash their hands. It's definitely in the patients interest for hands to be washed by staff. Are you saying you'd rather your nurses and doctors not bother washing their hands after they were just next door with a patient who had MRSA? Or Cdiff?
I'm saying what I said before and what I've always said. People are incredibly overly concerned about germs these days. When people won't touch a workout bench or a shopping cart without wiping it down with an antibacterial wipe first I wonder how they plan to live in a world filled with other humans. Recently I dated a girl that wiped down movie seats with wipes that she carried. The....romantic time with her was AWFUL, but what would I expect from a germophobe?
Hospital infections ain't gym infections. Once the pandemic starts I guess I'll change my tune. Too bad the pandemic will be from a mutated strain that's antibiotic resistant thanks to all the people spraying chemicals on every damned thing. Nothing like insisting on buying organic food and then putting it in a shopping cart that you just coated with poison.0 -
This conversation reminds me of when I was in library school and one of my professors flippantly remarked that every library book has been in somebody's bathroom at one time or another.
People are just crazy about germs now. The local health department moved into our building at work because theirs is being remodeled. The number of people who were up in arms about all of the "new germs" coming into the building amazed me. You would have thought that Doorknob Lickers of America, Inc. was moving in.0 -
Good etiquette: if you left sweat, wipe it off.
And I agree with the posts above that "disinfecting" benches and machines are overkill many times. People have more germs around their face, eyes and nose to worry about rather than the benches and seats they sit on at the gym.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Tbh I really only care if there's sweat, or blood or something. I use a wipe on the handrails on the treadmill though because I get pretty sweaty when I run and I don't want to leave what little amount of sweat gets on the rails there, lol.
What REALLY rustles my jimmies more than the wiping issue, is when people leave the TVs on. Or trash left all over the bathroom.0
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