How Electrostatic Disinfection is Keeping Athletic Facilities Safe
Ensuring a gym or athletic facility is safe and properly maintained can feel overwhelming. With all of the equipment, surfaces, rooms, and regular contact between people; it can be incredibly difficult to ensure the entire facility is disinfected and you are doing all you can to prevent the spread of harmful diseases. This has become even more relevant due to the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic where facilities have to go the extra mile to control the spread and remain open.
There is a growing need for disinfectant products that are efficient while being tough on germs and simple to use. Fortunately, electrostatic disinfection can fill that role and be the solution athletic facilities and gyms have been searching for.
Importance of Disinfection For Athletic Facilities
Due to the number of people who tend to use athletic facilities and the regular contact between both people and other surfaces; these locations are at a particularly high risk of spreading potential viruses and bacteria.
People come to athletic facilities to get healthy and improve their quality of life. As an owner or manager of a facility, it is your responsibility to ensure you are providing a clean and infection-free environment for them to work on themselves.
The Risk of MRSA in Gyms
From the high school to the professional level, outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections like MRSA are a growing concern. MRSA (or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is one of the most common bacterial dangers for athletic facilities. In certain cases, MRSA can be dangerous and potentially life-threatening.
Preventing the spread of these infections throughout your facility requires proper disinfection methods as well as solutions that can get the job done.
In order to prevent the spread of these infections, the CDC recommends ensuring proper cleaning and disinfection of athletic facilities. This is where electrostatic disinfection comes into play.
Here are a few tips from the CDC for athletic facilities trying to prevent the spread of MRSA:
- Whether an infection has occurred or not, make sure the facility is kept clean.
- Equipment that is damaged and won’t allow you to adequately clean it should be disposed of or repaired.
- Communicate with the cleaning staff regarding proper disinfection protocols.
- Pay close attention to high touched areas that come into contact with people.
- Remember to use EPA-Registered disinfection products and avoid cleaning products like common bleach which might lead to potential health issues.
- Remember to read the instructions before disinfecting for optimal results.
- Any shared equipment should be cleaned properly after each time it is used.
- For things like protective gear or helmets, remember to check and follow the manufacturer’s advice for cleaning and disinfecting.
Other Common Bacterial Infections Found in Gyms
MRSA is not the only potential infectious danger common to gyms and athletic facilities. In fact, a 2014 study exploring bacterial communities in fitness center facilities found that these facilities are particularly vulnerable to a range of different bacteria. A few other examples of some of the bacteria and infections commonly found and spread in gyms include:
- Staph bacteria
- Fungal infections
- HPV and other viruses
- Cold and flu virus
- E.coli and Hepatitis A
- Ringworm
- Pink eye
What is Electrostatic Disinfection?
Electrostatic disinfection entails the use of a sprayer to ensure maximum coverage for the disinfection process. An electrostatic sprayer contains a chemical solvent that helps fight and coat pathogens. The solvent released from the nozzle has an electrode to apply a positive charge. It then combines with air and attaches itself to any negatively charged space.
This technology has been in use for decades in manufacturing industries, but the cleanliness and disinfecting characteristics didn’t come into realization until later. Now schools, hospitals, athletic facilities, and other industries looking for a solution to safely and effectively maintain hygiene and safety are turning to these products.
Benefits of Electrostatic Disinfection For Gyms
Electrostatic disinfection has filled this void and has the potential to offer everything athletic facilities and gyms need to remain open and keep members safe. In fact, many educational facilities and schools have turned to electrostatic disinfection to maintain their gyms and locker rooms. Let’s explore some of the benefits of electrostatic technology and why you should be considering it if you manage one of these places.
Efficiency and Versatility
With electrostatic disinfection, your cleaning staff can safely and efficiently disinfect the entire facility, from locker rooms and saunas to showers and more, without needing to spend long hours wiping everything down.
Because these sprayers are electrostatically charged the disinfectant clings to and completely coats the surface. So you don’t have to worry about the hard-to-reach areas that often go overlooked with other cleaning products.
Electrostatic disinfection is also incredibly versatile and can be used on a wide range of areas and equipment throughout the facility. That means you won’t have to try to manually disinfect every surface being touched. It can be used on high-risk areas and equipment including:
- high touched surfaces
- locker rooms and showers
- mats
- sporting equipment
- weight training areas
- treadmills and bikes
Environmental-Friendliness
Unlike other household bleach and cleaning products, electrostatic disinfection is also an environmentally-friendly way of cleaning and disinfecting a surface or object. Using an electrostatic sprayer means less use of chemical solutions, which leads to less environmental damage. So, if you are a proud “green” service provider, electrostatic disinfection is the way to go for your gym and athletic facility.
Cost-Effective and Minimal Wastage
Compared to manual disinfection, electrostatic disinfection is a more cost-efficient and effective method for keeping your gym or athletic facility clean. With such a large number of people working out and sweating for hours in your facility, you no longer have to worry about the expensive or tiresome tasks of manual cleaning.
Additionally, while manual application may result in over or under-use, electrostatic spraying ensures even coating and disinfection of a surface.
Odor Elimination
Another major concern for athletic facilities is the spread of bad odors. Unfortunately, controlling and eliminating bad smells can be costly, time-consuming, and difficult. Luckily, electrostatic products can help by not just covering up the odor but effectively eliminating it.
If you are looking for an effective disinfectant solution that eliminates odor we highly suggest checking out one of the below:
- Effersan Tablets: These multipurpose effervescent tablets sanitize, disinfect, and protect against odor while kills 99.999% of bacteria in 60 seconds.
- Vital OxideDisinfectant Cleaner & Mold Remover — eliminates odor at a molecular level, not by masking with fragrance. It’s also great for mold remediation, commercial use in facilities and hospitals, and covering large areas.
- Prokure V — versatile product that can combat a multitude of germ and odor-related challenges with minimal contact time.
Here’s a brief summary of some of the benefits of electrostatic disinfection for gyms and athletic facilities:
- Less waste due to extensive control (nozzle pressure and spread)
- Disinfecting hard-to-reach places and corners
- Smooth sprays mean that there is no need for you or your staff to mop up the surface after disinfecting
- Lowered risk of infection (protection of tenants, customers, workers, etc.)
- Increased customer satisfaction, trust, and loyalty
- Higher employee morale
- Fewer workplace (gyms or athletic facilities) disruptions
With its efficiency, low risk, and simple-to-use components it’s no wonder why electrostatic spraying has become one of the most popular approaches for treating gyms and athletic facilities.
The Best Disinfectants For Gyms
Cleaning your facility regularly can be important, but it can be just important to make sure you are using the right products and solutions. Not only will the wrong products do a less effective job but some could even pose potential health risks. Electrostatic disinfection is FDA-Approved and generally safe to use so you can rest easy knowing you’re doing your best to keep members and staff safe.
For facilities and gyms, we highly recommend the Victory Electrostatic Backpack Sprayer. It can cover up to 23,000 square feet on a single tank of fluid; making it the perfect solution to spray a facility from top to bottom. It’s also designed to provide 360 disinfectant coverage while saving time and labor, spraying less liquid, and covering more surfaces.
Beginner Tips for Effective Electrostatic Disinfection
Before you start an electrostatic disinfecting routine, here are a few important precautionary tips to follow:
- Make sure there is sufficient ventilation to allow fresh air after disinfection
- Do not over-use or go over the recommended quantity on the label
- Eye protection and gloves can help prevent any personal contamination or health hazards (splashes, etc.)
- Ensure that the water solvent is at room-temperature
- Keep the solution, sprays, and other accessories labeled while keeping them away from pets and/ or children
- Prevent accidental intake of the solution or even the tiny amount of spray in the form of breathing, drinking, or eating
- Avoid mixing different solutions
Read more about proper disinfection for athletic facilities and where to find electrostatic products at the full article ‘Electrostatic Disinfection For Gyms and Athletic Facilities’
