6 Things Every Fitness Junkie Forgets to Clean

The holiday season is in full swing, but so is the flu and every other virus, and cold too. I’m still getting over a pesky cold and that had me thinking about all the things I touch every day. Germs are everywhere and I’m sharing how to clean fitness essentials you probably haven’t cleaned in a while.

Think about how often you work out and how frequently you use your phone, headphones, or water bottle. In a gym setting with other people touching the equipment, the transmission of germs is bound to happen and your stuff will get groddy. So here are some quick tips to clean your gym stuff and prevent the ickies.

Water Bottle/Shaker Bottle:

Your fav reusable water bottle is the bomb. It’s eco-friendly, saves a few plastic bottles from going in the trash and if you shelled out some money, probably keeps your water cold and is really cute. But how often do you really wash it? When I’m in a rush, I’m guilty of just the quick rinse and go. But if you don’t give your bottles a real scrub, bacteria will grow (along with mold and other gross stuff). Same goes for your shaker bottles.

Here’s what you’ll need: Get a soft bristle brush (think baby bottle cleaner). In addition to soap, you can use baking soda, 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar and a cup of water to create a paste and let it soak for 15 minutes before scrubbing. Give a little extra attention to the lid and the spout where you drink from.

Headphones and Ear buds

Stop to think about where your headphones or earbuds have been aside from inside your ears. At the bottom of your gym bag? In your pocket? As frequently as we use them in and outside of the gym, it goes without saying, they need to be cleaned often. There’s already enough bacteria in your ears anyway, you don’t need anymore to cause an annoying ear infection.

To clean your headphones: Make sure it’s unplugged (obvi), use a soapy water mixture and a dampen a cloth before wiping down your headphones or earbuds. Use a dry toothbrush to scrub out the dust or earwax particles.

Weightlifting Gloves:

Guys, think about how often your sweaty palms are soaking into your gloves. Grosss. Between workouts, keep them out so they can air dry between workouts. Don’t just toss them in the bottom of your gym bag. To wash, you can soak them in soapy water and turn them inside out. You can check to see if your gloves are machine washable. If so, you can wash them in a gentle cycle and let them air dry.

Smart phones:

Our phone harbors tons of germs from constant use and contact with your hands. I used to make the mistake of taking a disinfectant wipe to my phone like armageddon, but turns out that’s definitely not the way to go. The wipes are actually very abrasive to the phone and using hand sanitizer will deteriorate the touchscreen fibers. Boo. After some research, the best way to keep your phone clean that’s easy and low cost is to create your own diluted alcohol solution. In a spray bottle, mix 1/2 water with 1/2 rubbing alcohol. Spray it on a micro fiber towel and rub down your phone. Don’t ever spray it directly on your phone. It’s recommended to do this once a week.

Your Fitness Tracker:

Your wearable fitness accessories fall under the same category as your phone. Using the spray bottle of diluted alcohol and wiping down your gadgets will go a long way to keeping them clean and free of germs.

Gym Bag:

Our gym bags hold our fitness essentials like all the items listed above, fresh set of clothes, sweaty clothes, shoes, snacks and more. But how often do you clean your bag? If your bag isn’t machine washable, taking a disinfectant wipe and give the bag a good and thorough wipe down will do a long way. Pro tip: add a few dryer sheets to keep it fresh.

Hope these tips were helpful. If you have any fitness life hacks you’d like share, comment below! I’d love to how you keep your stuff squeaky clean.