Off Topic Gym Cleaning?

[Art]

Hi all, just got a question for you all.

How does your gym handle the cleaning, and what do you use?

At our gym we currently get it cleaned every weekend other than competition weekends.
Thing is though, the vacuuming takes forever! I am always hearing people complain that the vacuum is clogged up with all the chalk dust, which stops it from working properly. Now apparently we have once tried commercial vacuums as well but they had the same trouble.

I was wondering, does anyone use the Shark Navigator Lift-Away? They advertise that its totally sealed and demonstrate some of its ability. It seems good to me and was sorta wondering if I should recommend the gym buying it.

 

[Moxiegrl83]

Our staff does the cleaning. The coaches have jobs on the gym floor before they leave, vacuuming, wiping down mats that need it, etc. and the office staff cleans the parents area and front desk. We have a few vacuums, and the one for the gym is just a basic bag model. The only issues we've had with it are from the new facility, but it was never meant to be used in a construction site. Haven't heard of a Shark Navigator, sorry.

Sometimes I think the basics are better, something that's easy to take apart and clean, or use's a canister you can empty. Plus, around our bars and beam where most of the chalk is, there are huge blue mats. These mostly get wiped down, because to move them and vacuum would take a LONG time. We mostly vacuum preschool area's and the floor area.

 

[ALgymMom]

I have NEVER been at a gym that paid for cleaning!!! The Gymnast are the cleaners at our gym. I have been at 3 different gyms due to moving to a diff state for job reasons, always the gymnast cleaning. They mop, scrub mats, vacuum, clean mirrors, take out trash every Saturday.

 

[Moxiegrl83]

Our girls must be lucky then, they get away with only putting up all the mats and straightening up the gym area before they leave each night. If we're having a meet or fundraiser, then they get put to work getting the gym ready, but we end up doing most of the cleaning.

 

[Art]

Well at our gym the coaches and gymnasts are just supposed to put things back where they belong after use. Especially at the end of the day. But the rest of the cleaning was generally done by parents who were either rostered on, or at times the parents would volunteer and get a bit off their child's fees.

Currently I think its a gymnasts grandparents who are contracted for it. Its just that everyone always says the vacuums are useless because the chalk dust clogs it up. Our chalk is generally on the same type of matting/carpet as the gym floor. Emptying it does no good as the dust seems to get into the engine or somewhere deeper? As for the Shark Liftaway, well you could look it up if you really wanted to, but basically its advertised to be able to keep suction after taking in a months worth of dust or something, then keep going even with its pipe full of pool balls to slow it down.

 

[SuperGirlmlm]

We gymnasts and staff clean the gym once a month on Saturday. We all have to do a certain job, when we finish, we get to go home. Since I go to a big gym, our jobs aren't super huge. For example, one job would be to clean 2 sets of bars, vacuum the floor, tidy up the vault and runway, ect.

 

[BlairBob]

I have never worked at a gym that required gymnasts to clean much less heard of any that do. I have worked at gyms where staff members had jobs they would have to sign up to do. Generally when they clock in 15 minutes prior they would do these tasks before going on shift (sometimes after shift). They are being paid to do them.

Only time we've had kids clean is generally pit cleanings or spring cleaning. Kind of a fun group cleaning activity.

Most of the time it's contracted out to cleaners or a gymnast's family might contract to do it in lieu of monthly fees or something.

Occasionally, I've had some of the kids do some gym chores if they wanted a snack from my snack stash in the fridge or the snack vending machine or snack bar.

 

[flipflopcrystal]

if your talking about cleaning as in "picking up mats and stacking them where they belong" ...the kids kids do it during practice because 24 hands are better than 4 hands. after practice coaches are responsible for making sure the gym is arranged as it should be after their classes are over.

as for cleaning as in "mopping and vacuuming" then a cleaning service does that. i always tell the kids they have to mop the mats when they drag their feet on bars though

 

[kimskids]

Other than carrying mats around out gymnasts do not do the cleaning. The gym is closed once a year for deep cleaning and I see our coaches cleaning and vacuuming when they have spare time.

 

[rgmom]

I can't imagine our team girls mopping, scrubbing and vacuuming the gym. Keeping their cubby area neat, yes. Cleaning up after themselves after a snack break, yes. While I certainly am willing to pitch in to make sure the gym sparkles for a special event, at the end of the day we are paying customers.

 

[GymBeeMom]

Our gymnasts straighten mats and equipment but do not CLEAN. Our gym has a cleaning service to clean the gym.

 

[ALgymMom]

Typical Saturday in our gym. I love it!

 

[HimekoAndy]

It’s our responsible at our gym to put away the equipments we have used and everyone must take part in the cleaning process at last.

 

[cbifoja]

I'm very conflicted about this. On one hand, I very much see the "paying customer" argument. On the other hand, I feel like we have more than a business relationship and I know how busy our head coach is and how little money she takes home at the end of the month. So if I can help this dear woman out with some cleaning, if she asked, I would do it without hesitation.

 

[007Cole]

We have a paid company come in one day a week to do bathrooms and vacuum our lobby, and as a parent I am in charge of the rest. Right now I clean several days a week (the inside and outside of gym), and there are 2 other parents that clean once a week, and I have a list for them to check off on. We will be adding probably 1 or 2 parents on the cleaning staff. But I have the same problem. We have gone through a million vacuums. I am actually searching for a vacuum that won't die because of the chalk. We have 2 Orecks that won't work, and then another really good vacuum that died on us due to chalk, and a shop vac that is some-timey. I took in my Dyson and it eventually started blowing out chalk, so I had to wash it all out and dry it. My excellent Dyson cannot even get the job too.

So, my question is this......can anyone tell me what the best vacuum that will not quit on me is to use in the gym? I know it is going to have to be commercial or industrial, but I really need some advise in this area as well. It is so frustrating to try to vacuum and the vacuum will not work. Our owner is willing to purchase something that works, but I just have to find it. Please help if you have a successful vacuum in your gym!!!!!!!

Thanks,
Dotty Cole

 

[Lovepandas]

At our gym, we have to straighten up mats, picking up our trash from our snack, etc. every practice. About once a month or so, we spend 15 minutes at the end of practice really cleaning and picking up trash, reorganizing mats, picking up ALL the bobby pins, hair clips, ponytail holders, etc. I'm pretty sure the coaches, and dance teachers (since our gym is also a dance studio, and a gym), vacuum, sweep, mop, etc. I think we may have someone who comes in once every 2 weeks to clean, but I'm not sure.