Cleaning your treadmill helps increase the lifespan of the machine and makes it much nicer to use. That makes it worth spending a few minutes a day on it and here’s how you do it.
A treadmill should be wiped down after every workout. On top of that, it’s necessary to clean a bit more carefully once a week while every half year you should do a deep clean.
A sweaty treadmill is not very nice to use. Cleaning is the solution but what is the right way to do it? It’s not rocket science but there are a few things you should keep in mind;
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Treadmill Cleaning After Every Workout
After every workout, the best thing you can do is simply wipe down your treadmill. Use a microfiber cloth and wipe off all the surfaces you touched and any place sweat dropped. This takes 30 seconds but makes a big difference in the lifespan and looks of your treadmill after a few years.
Spraying a cleaning solution on the microfiber cloth before wiping helps remove even more dirt and sweat.
Once a Week
Once a week, you should clean your treadmill and space around it a bit more.
What you need:
How to do it:
Cleaning The Treadmill Belt
The belt needs a bit of special attention after you’ve cleaned the rest of the treadmill. It’s the spot that collects the most sweat so it has to be cleaned carefully.
This assumes you already cleaned and vacuumed the rest of the treadmill.
Here’s how to clean a treadmill belt:
It’s not difficult but it takes a bit of time.
Every 6 Months To One Year
On top of the cleaning mentioned above, it’s a good idea to clean at an even deeper level every 6 months to a year.
Unplug the treadmills and remove the plastic covers around the motor. Then carefully vacuum all the dust and dirt buildup that’s hiding under these covers. Just use a vacuum, don’t use any water. Also, be careful to not bump into any exposed electrical components.
If you let the dust build-up under the covers, it gets into the moving parts and increases the wear rate. On top of that, dust reduces the cooling capacity of the motor. That speeds up wear and tear and can even cause overheating.
Here are some more general tips and basics that will help keep your treadmill in good shape.
Mold
If too much water is used, you run the risk that mold builds up in certain spaces. Especially if liquid got into the treadmill. That’s why using less water and ventilating after cleaning is important.
If you notice mold forming, don’t use aggressive chemicals to remove it. The materials can’t handle them. Just wipe the mold off as best you can. Then, to remove any spores, wipe the area down with diluted vinegar. That should take care of it.
Using lubricant in the locations where you can (see above), will greatly reduce the chance that mold grows in those spots. Lubricants are chemical products that molds don’t really like.
In very humid climates, mold can just form even if everything is done right otherwise. Basements are often very humid and prone to mold growing for example. If that’s the case for you, you can do two things.
Suggested post: The full guide to home gym air quality.
Why Clean a Treadmill?
Treadmills are workout equipment and they make you sweat. Sweat can deteriorate the plastics and belt quickly and it’s just nasty not to clean it.
Another reason why you should take treadmill cleaning seriously is that dust and dirt buildup can affect the cooling of the motor and increase the friction which leads to more wear and tear. Nobody want’s to do more repairs or replace their treadmill faster than necessary, they’re expensive!
