How to Maintain Your Fitness Equipment for Optimal Performance
Keep your treadmill, elliptical, rower, cycle, and free weights performing top-notch.
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A home gym is a game-changer, especially for anyone who WFH or has trouble getting to the gym. Having fitness equipment at home provides convenience and flexibility for your fitness routine, allowing you to squeeze in some training when time allows. Plus, the ability to choose your own music (or addictive TV series) is a huge bonus. However, maintaining your equipment is an often overlooked but crucial aspect of home gyms. Keeping your gear in top shape is essential for its proper functioning and longevity. says
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Below, learn expert tips on keeping your home gym machines in top-notch condition, ensuring problem-free workouts without the hazard of unexpected breakdowns.
Basic Maintenance Tips for All Home Fitness Equipment
Although specific issues will arise with individual types of equipment, there are some universal best practices to keep in mind for all of your home gym gear.
Safety Tip
Ensure electrical safety by using surge protectors for cardio machines, preventing power surge-related control board failures.
Routine Cleaning
"For cardio gear, like treadmills, ellipticals, and rowers, the biggest enemy is salt, not dirt," says Tim Steward, home gym expert and owner of Gym Crafter. Sweat is salty and corrosive, causing rust, degraded circuit boards, and other issues that will cause your cardio gear to stop working completely, according to Steward.
After each use, it's crucial to wipe down equipment to prolong equipment life, not only for aesthetic purposes, but to boost resale value should you decide to sell it down the road. In addition to corrosion, sweat can leave unsightly white stains all over your treadmill belt, rower seat, or elliptical handles. "Once set in, those stains don't come off," Steward warns.
To clean cardio gear, Steward advises never to use paper towels, opting for a soft microfiber cloth, a pH-neutral cleaner, or dedicated fitness and screen wipes instead. "Paper towels leave behind little bits and pieces on the belts and other mechanical parts, and they permanently scratch displays and screens," he says. Clean your cardio equipment immediately after use; don't leave it until the end of the day or week.
For weights and barbells, cleaning frequently is wise, as you will encounter build-up of not only sweat and dirt but also chalk, which you might use to absorb the moisture from your hands. As chalk absorbs moisture from the air, it leaves it on the bar. A bar left with chalk on it will rust at an alarmingly faster rate than a clean bar. "Chalk tends to get stuck in the knurling of barbells as well as on your squat racks and weight plates as well," says Steward.
In addition to wiping your bar, rack, and plates down with a microfiber cloth or using dedicated fitness wipes to disinfect, consider a barbell brush—a cleaning tool that easily gets all the chalk, skin, and other dirt out of the knurling and prevents corrosion.
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Conduct Maintenance Checks
To prevent potential breakdowns and costly issues, ongoing inspection of each piece of equipment is best. As part of the cleaning routine, Kyle Zagrodzky, previous owner of nine fitness centers and Founder and CEO of OsteoStrong says running through a quick check of all systems or parts of the equipment may identify a maintenance issue that needs to be addressed before it becomes a more serious and costly issue.
Inspect your equipment for loose hardware, such as screws or bolts, and keep tabs on any wear and tear. Be sure to tighten the hardware or replace it if the threading is worn. Checking up on the motor's condition and electrical parts is a good idea, but if you are unsure of what to look for, seek the help of a professional. Any unusual noises or smells should be addressed promptly.
Common Treadmill Issues
According to Steward, the biggest issue affecting treadmills is the belt stretching over time. This happens on the best treadmills, and causes two prevalent problems.
If the belt stretches evenly and becomes loose, the rollers underneath don’t have enough traction to move the belt and slip. If the belt stretches unevenly, from one side to the next, the belt can become uncentered and start rubbing against one of the sides of the tread. When a belt isn’t centered, one side begins to rub on the unit itself, which causes the belt to fray on the side.
Maintenance Tips
For optimal performance and safety, follow some basic maintenance checks for your treadmill. Periodically check the belt tension, which shouldn't slip but is not so tight it strains the motor, and adjust tension as needed by checking with the manufacturer's instructions. Steward recommends placing a cardio mat underneath to ward off dust and dirt, avoiding potential machine issues.
It's vital to follow all of the cleaning tips above, with particular attention to the following treadmill-specific maintenance tips:
Surface: Wipe sweat, dirt, and grime off the treadmill surface after each use to remove sweat and dust using a damp microfiber cloth or wipes.
Screen and console: Clean the console and buttons using a soft, slightly damp microfiber cloth, wipes, or neutral cleaner. Wiping away sweat immediately after use will prevent staining.
Belt and deck: Vacuum or wipe down underneath the belt to clear debris. Check for fraying or wear on one side of the belt, indicating unevenness. It's also vital to keep your treadmill belt lubricated to reduce friction that leads to fraying. "Regular lubrication of high-wear moving parts will extend the life of your investment," says Zagrodsky.
Tips for Using Machines Wisely
It's best to use proper footwear on all cardio equipment and ensure you use it on a level surface to prevent excessive stress on the machine. It's also vital to check for and obey the weight capacity of your machines, as overloading them can strain the motor and other parts. Only use your machine for its original purpose and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Common Elliptical Issues
Salt and sweat are problematic with all cardio gear, but the issue of sweat pools in the foot wells is specific to ellipticals. "Most ellipticals don't have drain holes in the foot wells, and heavy sweaters can easily deposit sweat there—over time, the gritty salt remains after the sweat dries and can not only stain the pads in the footwells but also reduce their grip and therefore safety," says Steward.
Another common issue Steward notes is the rubberized grips on ellipticals falling apart due to using a cleaner that is not friendly to rubber.
Maintenance Tips
It's important to follow all of the cleaning tips above, with special attention to the following elliptical maintenance tips:
Surface, handles, and frame: Wipe down the surface, handles, and frame after each use with a damp cloth to get rid of sweat and dust. Steward recommends using a neutral pH cleaner to avoid the cleaner degrading rubberized parts and coatings.
Tracks and wheels: Clean the elliptical tracks and wheels regularly with a soft, damp cloth to prevent the buildup of grime and debris. Lubricate the tracks, wheels, and rails per the manufacturer's recommendations to avoid friction and irritating squeaking or scraping sounds.
Pedals: Ensure you clean out any pooled sweat or gathered dirt and dust from the pedals and footwells. Check them for wear and cracks or any signs of loose parts.
Screen: Clean the screen to prevent sweat, moisture, and grime from damaging it. Steward says to stick with screen wipes on the control screen or a microfiber cloth with a dedicated screen cleaning solution.
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Common Cycle Issues
Depending on the technology, bikes and cycles can have belts or chains (mostly belts these days) that stretch over time. "Chains stretch much more and faster than belts, but belts still do stretch over time," says Steward.
With sweat, bikes are at a greater risk than many other cardio machines, as spin classes often have people standing up and leaning forward over or at least much closer to the screen. That leaves more saltwater falling on the screen and a lot more opportunity for corrosion or improper cleaning of the screen itself.
Maintenance Tips
Use the same cleaning tips for your cycle as mentioned above, but include the following cycle maintenance tips:
Belt or chain: Some bikes have a tensioning adjustment, but others do not. If you notice slack in your belt, be sure to adjust them. Also, ensure belts or chains are cleaned and lubricated or greased as the manufacturer dictates.
Frame, seat, handlebars: Clean the frame, handlebars, seat, and any exposed surfaces after each use to prevent sweat and dust buildup. As always, use a neutral cleaner and a gentle cloth. Don't forget about the pedals and straps, tightening them as necessary and adjusting the seat and handlebars to suit your body.
Flywheel and brake pads: Clean the flywheel and brake pads routinely using a dry cloth on the flywheel and inspect the brake pads for any residue or dust that can prevent them from working efficiently.
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Common Rowing Machine Issues
The most common physical part of a rower that wears out is the return cable that pulls the seat back into the “catch” position at the start of the movement, according to Steward. "When that wears, it becomes harder to row and to get back to the catch position, especially for newer rowers," he says.
As with any machine that has belts and chains, they can stretch over time. Some rowers allow for adjustment, others require repair. "I always recommend people use a water rower as not only do water rowers match the feeling of actually rowing better than any other type, but there are far fewer moving parts and a lot fewer places for your machine to fail," advises Steward.
Maintenance Tips
Apart from the general cleaning and maintenance tips, rowers have some additional details to keep on top of:
Rail, handles, seat, and foot straps: Wipe the handles, foot straps, and seat after use to clean off sweat and dirt using a damp cloth or neutral cleaner. The rail can accumulate grime and dust that stops it from sliding as easily, so watch for build-up. Check these parts routinely to ensure they are adjusted well and tightened appropriately.
Consol or screen: Wipe down as necessary with a screen-friendly wipe or microfiber cloth.
Common Free Weight Issues
Well-made free weights and kettlebells will generally last a very long time with little maintenance. "Since most are made from iron, moisture and sweat are the biggest enemy; simply wiping these down regularly does wonders for their longevity," says Steward.
Steward recommends sticking with powder-coated kettlebells instead of the versions with a shiny or plastic coating. "Those coatings crack and chip off over time, and the iron underneath rusts very quickly," he says.
Maintenance Tips
Barbell maintenance is the most crucial because it has moving parts, which makes it more likely to encounter issues. A clean towel for the daily wipe-downs and a barbell brush, plus some food-grade/environmentally friendly lubricant, are useful to have on hand.
There are three steps to barbell care and maintenance that will keep bars working like new for a lifetime, according to Steward:
Wipe the bar down after every use. If you use chalk, use a barbell brush to clean all chalk out of the knurling after each use.
Regularly (every 1-6 months, depending on bar material) clean and lubricate the bar. This entails a thorough brushing to remove all skin, chalk, sweat, etc., and adding a few drops of lubrication to the sleeves to maintain their spin.
Store bars horizontally, not vertically. Vertical bar storage allows the lubrication to leak out of the bearings or bushings in the sleeves and cause premature wear in those areas.
When to Clean Your Barbell
For bare steel bars, which corrode the fastest, weekly maintenance is recommended. For stainless steel bars, which are the most corrosion-resistant, once every 6 months or so is adequate.
Getting Fitness Equipment Help
Zadgrodsky recommends considering manufacturer servicing programs for efficient maintenance. "No one knows your equipment better than the manufacturer, and replacing parts with excessive wear is something they will normally handle as part of their service calls," he says.
Using these types of services often satisfies any warranty requirements and, in some cases, extends the warranty. If this is not an option, search for a fitness equipment retailer in your area that advertises home calls or in-store drop-offs for maintenance and repairs.
Related: Shape Best In Fitness Awards 2023: Best Large Home Gym Equipment
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