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My gym (like almost every other gym) has specific instructions that people must wipe down equipment after using it. This is in addition to the regular (daily) cleaning done by the staff.

The gym provides a cleaning solution which is 3.95% hydrogen peroxide. Other gyms I've been to provide other cleaning agents.

My question: does this actually stop the spread of disease, or is it mostly security theater done to assuage people's sense of "ew, that person's sweat is gross"?

(If anything, I wonder if wiping the equipment down with moisture might help diseases to stay alive longer.)

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  • I can't answer for how effective the cleaning is,, but transmission of disease does seem to be a valid concern: huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/13/…
    – Colin Pickard
    Commented Jan 27, 2014 at 14:22
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    For a while the gym I used stopped putting disinfectant into the "cleaning solution" (i.e. it was just water), which meant that the cloths then became a moist environment with every bodies sweat, skin flakes and germs on them, which were then wiped on all the equipment whenever somebody wiped them down. Why? What is someone sprayed someone else with the disinfectant?!?! Yes, disinfecting the equipment is a pretty good idea, unless everybody sweats distilled water. ;o)
    – user18604
    Commented Jan 27, 2014 at 16:09
  • Hydrogen peroxide is effective at killing germs, but they seem to block only one vector of infection. As effective as it may be in preventing the build-up of bacteria, it would seem to be best to wipe with the solution and then dry the surfaces with disposable absorbent material. The same thing happens with Doctor's surgeries that have a play-area for children. It's all about cross-infection control. Another vector would be droplet infection by inhalation, good air con, with filters should take care of that.
    – Jiminy Cricket.
    Commented Feb 26, 2014 at 3:31

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