A gym should have high-touch equipment, change rooms, showers, toilets and floors cleaned every day, with members wiping equipment after each use. Equipment detailing, rubber floors, mirrors and vents are usually weekly jobs, and high dusting and detail cleans monthly. Clean with detergent first, disinfect only on a clean surface, and keep a Safety Data Sheet for every chemical on site.
The checklist below is for commercial gyms, fitness studios and health clubs. It says who cleans what, how often and with what. Use it as a template for your own cleaning schedule, or as the scope you give a cleaning contractor. The last section covers what a gym cleaning contract should include.
Disinfectant doesn’t work well on a dirty surface. The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care advises using disinfectant only after removing dirt and body fluids with a neutral detergent, unless you use a combined detergent–disinfectant product. The advice is written for health care, but it applies equally to sweaty benches and handles.
In practice:
Wipe surfaces in an S-shaped motion rather than scrubbing back and forth, so dirt isn’t spread back over a cleaned area. For more on the terms, see the difference between cleaning and sanitising.
| Area | Tasks | Frequency | Who |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reception and entry | Clean counters, door handles, touch screens, access pads; vacuum or mop entry matting; empty bins | Daily; touch points more often at peak times | Staff / cleaner |
| Cardio equipment | Wipe handles, consoles, seats and frames | Members wipe after each use; full wipe-down daily | Members + cleaner |
| Strength area | Clean bench pads, grips, bars, dumbbell handles, cable attachments, machine seats | Members wipe after each use; full clean daily | Members + cleaner |
| Functional / mat areas | Clean shared mats, foam rollers, kettlebells, boxes | After classes and at close | Staff / cleaner |
| Gym floor | Vacuum rubber flooring; mop hard floors; spot-clean spills straight away | Daily | Cleaner |
| Group fitness studios | Clean equipment used, mop floor, spot-clean mirrors | After each class and at close | Instructor / cleaner |
| Change rooms | Clean benches, lockers (outside and handles), vanities, mirrors; mop floors | At least daily; more often on busy days | Cleaner |
| Showers | Clean floors, walls, fixtures and drains; remove hair | At least daily | Cleaner |
| Toilets | Clean toilets, urinals, basins and touch points; restock | At least daily; check during the day | Cleaner |
| Wipe stations and dispensers | Refill wipes, spray, paper towel, hand sanitiser and soap | Daily, and check at peak times | Staff |
| Bins | Empty all bins, including sanitary units (by service contract) | Daily | Cleaner |
| Water fountains | Clean the spout area and surrounds | Daily | Cleaner |
According to healthdirect, you can catch tinea from the floors of showers and shared changing rooms. The fungus can live on the floor and spread from one person’s foot to another. Daily cleaning and drying of change room and shower floors is the most important line on this checklist. Signage can also remind members to wear thongs in the showers and not to share towels.
| Area | Tasks |
|---|---|
| Equipment detail clean | Clean under and around machines, seat rails, frames, weight stacks (exterior), rack uprights and storage pegs. Follow the manufacturer’s care guide for upholstery, belts and screens |
| Rubber flooring and mats | Machine scrub or deep mop with a product approved by the flooring supplier; lift and clean under movable mats |
| Mirrors and glass | Full clean of mirror walls, internal glass and glass doors |
| Vents, fans and returns | Dust grilles and fan blades |
| Lockers | Clean inside empty lockers; remove items left behind (per your policy) |
| Showers and change rooms | Descale fixtures; detail clean grout and corners; clean drains and grates |
| Soft furnishings | Vacuum lounge seating and carpets in reception or lounge areas |
| Staff areas | Clean kitchenette, fridge and staff toilets |
| Frequency | Tasks |
|---|---|
| Monthly | High dusting (light fittings, beams, tops of lockers and racks); clean walls and doors in high-traffic areas; deep clean bins; inspect flooring and mats for damage and trip hazards; review chemical stock and Safety Data Sheets |
| Quarterly | Steam or extraction clean carpets and upholstery; full detail clean of the change rooms (grout, behind fixtures); external glass |
| As scheduled by contractors | Air-conditioning filter service (HVAC contractor); equipment servicing (equipment supplier); hard floor restoration |
If your facility has a pool or spa, cleaning alone isn’t enough. NSW Health says public pools include pools that the public uses as a club membership entitlement. Under the Public Health Regulation 2022, these pools must be:
NSW Health’s Guidelines for Managing Water Quality in Public Swimming Pools and Spa Pools set out the details. Water treatment is a specialist job for your pool operator or technician. Keep pool and spa water management separate from your cleaning scope, and give the cleaning team responsibility for the surrounding concourse, change areas and sauna surfaces.
If you’re comparing gym cleaning companies, give each one the same written scope. The tables above work well. Ask:
A checklist tells cleaners what to do. The contract decides what happens when it isn’t done. For a gym, make sure the agreement covers:
We don’t quote prices without seeing a site. The main cost drivers are floor area, opening hours (24/7 or staffed hours), number of showers and toilets, visit frequency, equipment density, and whether periodic work such as carpet extraction or floor scrubbing is included.
Clean high-use areas such as equipment touch points, change rooms, showers, toilets and floors at least daily, with members wiping equipment after each use. Deeper equipment, floor and glass cleaning is usually weekly, and high dusting and detail cleaning monthly. Busy or 24/7 sites often add a touch-up during peak hours.
Wipe down handles, grips, seats and pads after use. healthdirect advises wearing thongs in communal showers and not sharing towels, because tinea can spread on shower and changing room floors. Gyms help by keeping wipe stations stocked at every zone.
A contract cleaner usually handles the daily clean of change rooms, showers, toilets and floors, the full equipment wipe-down, bins and restocking, plus periodic deep cleans. Staff and members handle touch-ups during opening hours. The exact split should be written into your cleaning schedule.
Vacuum loose debris daily, then mop or machine scrub with a cleaner the flooring supplier approves. Avoid oily products that leave a slippery film, and lift movable mats regularly to clean underneath.
If you’d like a contractor to quote against the checklist above, B&K Services provides gym cleaning in Sydney, Wollongong and Nowra. We walk the site with you first, free of charge, and agree the scope, frequency and cleaning times in writing before we start, including the off-peak windows your members need. Scheduled quality checks follow. See how we work, request a free quote or call 1300 136 954.