| First of all, locate where the equipment has been | | | | your old sweat. Besides, the vinegar will also help |
| stored in the back of the garage and remove the | | | | tackle any staining that is trying to happen. To |
| bike helmets, seed packets, watering cans, | | | | improve the germ-killing powers and the scent of this |
| screwdrivers and tins of paint off it. Now get to | | | | home-made cleaning spray, add some lemon essential |
| work with a duster and some hot soapy water and a | | | | oil - it will also make you feel more alert when you |
| brush or three- you might actually be able to find out | | | | breathe it in. One of the real beauties of this spray is |
| what colour the machine was. You probably also | | | | that it's not just good for cleaning the sweaty bits of |
| need to apply a bit of spray-on lubricant to get all the | | | | the home gym equipment, but it's also good for |
| moving parts moving again, as they've seized up. | | | | cleaning the chrome/metal bits and for a host of |
| Oh sorry - you're in the minority of people who | | | | other cleaning jobs such as window cleaning and even |
| actually uses their home gym equipment regularly and | | | | toilet cleaning. |
| has kept up the good work for more than six | | | | You can also prevent a lot of the sweat getting all |
| months. Your self-discipline and dedication is to be | | | | over the machine if you put a towel down on the |
| congratulated. Either that, or you're one of the smart | | | | seat or other pad to soak up your shed body fluids, |
| folk who has hired a machine of some kind. But | | | | and use the dry bits of this towel to wipe things |
| either way, you want to clean the machine and have | | | | down (including yourself) after your workout. Wash |
| it looking sparkling. | | | | the towel after each use, and add vinegar to the |
| The main cleaning issue when it comes to home gym | | | | final rinse to keep it smelling fresh and feeling fluffy - |
| equipment is sweat. As the seats and other places | | | | you can even use about half a cup of the vinegar |
| that come in contact with your person are probably | | | | spray mentioned above. This is also a good move if |
| covered in vinyl or some synthetic material, staining is | | | | you don't have home gym equipment and go to a |
| unlikely to be a problem as it would be with natural | | | | "proper" gym so you don't wallow in someone else's |
| fibres. Old sweat will make your machine sweaty and | | | | sweat and don't leave yours for other people. |
| sticky, so regular house cleaning is important. Your | | | | If you have had the machine for a long time, it pays |
| best bet for cleaning this is to use a natural domestic | | | | to make sure that the moving parts are well |
| cleaning product - after all, your skin will be in contact | | | | lubricated so you don't have to work harder than |
| with the surface with your pores wide open, so you | | | | you have to (OK, this may be a bonus, but you may |
| don't want unpleasant chemicals getting in. You want | | | | damage the machine). While natural products are |
| to use the machine to improve your health, after all. | | | | usually best, you really can't beat mineral oil for |
| A home-made vinegar based cleaning spray is your | | | | lubricating moving parts. You can use the old oil from |
| best bet for cleaning home gym equipment. If you | | | | your car for lubricating this (it's also good for |
| use a strong solution of vinegar, you will be more | | | | lubricating bike chains) - apply it carefully and sparingly |
| able to kill any bacteria that (yummy!) are feeding off | | | | with an old rag or with an old toothbrush. |