Note: From time to time, I enjoy writing to you about things that aren't strictly "fitness," such as reviewing products or discussing lifestyle topics. If you ever have anything you'd enjoy reading about, please let me know!
I take great pride in trying to keep IAF as clean as possible. It was one of the things that was most important to me when I first opened - I have worked at gyms for a decade now and I know how hard this can be with the constant flow of people, shoes, and, of course, sweat!
Additionally, cleaning is a great form of what I call "Active Living," which is the base of the Inner Athlete Fitness pyramid (check out that post here). Cleaning isn't really exercise per se, but it's a fantastic way to get more steps in your day, reduce sitting time, and reduce the risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
Check out some of my favorite cleaning products here (Disclaimer: I know this is a very debatable topic and I respect everyone's opinion and beliefs; I think all-natural products are great and I use them, but I personally still like using basics like bleach and Lysol for deep sanitization, especially with lots of people using the equipment and the brutality of winter flu season, in addition to their simplicity and availability).
As many of you know, my number one favorite cleaning product is my Roomba! When I first saw one of my bosses using it, I thought, what a stupid waste of money. But then I saw that she could run it whenever - when she was working, when she left, and therefore she could run it more frequently. When you have a gym, or in the dead of winter when there's tons of salt, this is a huge blessing! I have had a Roomba at home for quite a few years now, and decided I definitely wanted to invest in one at my gym, so I did a little research and found the Roomba 675, which is one of the Wifi models. Again, I thought this was kind of dumb when I first heard of it - why would I need an app for my vacuum? But again, after using it, I love this feature! I can schedule cleaning on my phone, have it clean when I'm gone, and even use Alexa to start and stop cleaning! I am always amazed at how much stuff this thing picks up, even when I think the floors both at work and home look fine. It's awesome and picking up dirt and dust, getting under furniture, and even getting into the corners and edges. Most importantly, the ease of its use means I am vacuuming all the time, so the floors stay as clean as possible! (BONUS: Even though Winnie is non-shedding, it apparently is excellent at picking up pet hair.)
Also in the floor category and also from the iRobot company is my Bravaa Mop. My boyfriend kindly purchased this neat little gizmo for me for Christmas to help stay on top of mopping the floors. It is basically like an automatic Swiffer that you start and stop whenever you like. Just like a Swiffer, you can attach the dry cloth and dust the floors, or you can attach the wet cloth, fill up the water reservoir, and mop the floors. I went one step further and found out you can actually attach the disposable Swiffer pads - both wet and dry! - and not have to worry about washing them (I would totally wash them at home, but at work there's no washer/dryer and I don't really want to take them home). Again, I find that this little guy (I've fondly named him "Billy") helps me keep the floor super clean with salt, dust, and other outdoor grime.
Finally, in the floor category are good "old-fashioned" 😉 Swiffers. I especially like the WetJet, which does an awesome job of getting in all the nooks and crannies that Billy might miss.
In other cleaning products, I use Lysol to sanitize everything that makes contact with people's skin and especially sweat, but to just clean up the surfaces and make them shiny, I like Windex. Additionally, one of my lovely clients, Katy, who sells Young Living essential oils, brought me a sample of some of their Thieves cleaner. I will fully admit, I was quite the skeptic at first - how good could this possibly clean? Would it be like trying to clean with all the "natural home hacks" I always see on Pinterest but then find I'm still reaching for bleach to "actually" clean it? But I was pleasantly surprised - this stuff actually cleaned! Now, I haven't done any experiments with it to test bacteria, etc., but I was pleasantly surprised that it appeared to clean, shine, and leave no streaks or residue, and would consider adding to my arsenal of other standard cleaning products, such as Lysol, bleach, and Windex. (If you would like to try this product, please contact Katy here.)
Finally, three other things that help me get my cleaning done quickly and efficiently are (1) cleaning in a pattern (I move counter clockwise around the studio, starting at the bathroom), (2) running my two robot cleaners while I am doing all the wiping, and (3) having a cleaning schedule to help break up the tasks throughout the week. Cleaning efficiently = more time for fun and more time for fitness! 🏋🏽♀️
Cleaning isn't always fun and I am by no means a cleaning expert, but I try to keep your workout space as clean as possible. So the next time you have some sprucing up to do, not only will your home be healthier, but so will you!
In good health,
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