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Keep Nasty Odors out of Your Home Gym

Image: a person tying their shoes next to a hand weight, cover image for Keep Nasty Odors out of Your Home Gym.

Working out in your home gym has its benefits – a place you can set and forget, convenient access, and privacy. But after working out in a humid or sweaty environment, that home gym smell can leave you feeling a little queasy.

The good news is you don’t need to place a peg on your nose each time you hit the weights. Instead, follow our top tips for keeping your home gym smelling fresh and avoid the post-workout stink.

What Makes a Home Gym Smelly?

Your body produces sweat during exercise, which is totally normal. The problem comes when you don’t wash your clothes or wipe down your equipment after each use. This can give off an unpleasant odor that will seem especially strong if you’re doing any cardio or weight training in tight spaces like basements or garages where there isn’t much ventilation.

Image: a woman working out with her cat in a home gym.
The main culprits for the odor are bacteria, mold, and mildew on mats, equipment, and floors. And spillages from protein or energy drinks can also cause smells if not cleaned up quickly.

Make Sure to Clean Your Equipment After Every Workout

Cleaning your home gym equipment is a must to prevent stinky odors. Exercise creates sweat, but it also leaves behind dirt, bacteria, and other impurities that can build up on your equipment over time. This can lead to unpleasant smells when you use your home gym.

Fortunately, keeping your equipment clean is easy with a few simple steps-

  • Wipe down equipment before and after use.
  • Keep a towel handy to wipe away sweat as it forms and stop it from dripping over the machines.
  • Use a disinfectant spray to help destroy bacteria.
  • Once a week, carry out a full clean. Dust, wipe and hoover floors.

Choose a Space with Good Ventilation and Air Circulation

For your body to function properly and recover from workouts, it needs oxygen-rich air. While you might think that exercising in smelly gyms is no big deal, poor ventilation will likely mean your gym contains more bacteria and other germs.

Image: a man working out in his own home gym with good ventilation.
What’s more, exercising in a hot room causes the body to sweat profusely — which is great when the climate outside is cold! However, keeping your fitness equipment clean requires controlling moisture levels within the space where it is located.

Choose a space in your home where you can open some windows or allow air to circulate freely.

Use an All-Natural Air Freshener

The best way to ensure that your home gym smells nice is by using an all-natural air freshener.

Most people think they need to spray some chemical or artificial scent to make their home gym smell nice, but that isn’t necessarily true. Plenty of all-natural fragrances will make your place smell great without adversely affecting your health or the environment around you.

Make sure to ALWAYS clean your towels

This is one of the most important things to do to keep your gym smelling fresh. If you have a workout towel that smells bad, it will spread that smell through the room. Washing them regularly with detergent will remove any sweat and bacteria, which will help prevent bad smells from developing.

Image: a basket full of dirty gym towels.

Consider a dehumidifier and air purifier

Dehumidifiers and air purifiers are two of the best investments you can make in your home gym.

Dehumidifiers help prevent mold growth and mildew, which can be dangerous for people with allergies or asthma. The right dehumidifier can also help control temperature levels in your home gym by removing excess heat from the air.

Air purifiers work by filtering out pollutants from the air using a HEPA filter or similar filtration mechanism. They’re designed to remove dust, pollen, pet dander, smoke particles, bacteria, and other airborne particles that may affect your health if inhaled.

Check for Mold

Mold is a fungus that can grow on many surfaces and places, including gyms and exercise facilities.

Mold can cause health problems in some people, especially those with allergies or asthma. If you have symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath after working out at home, it may be due to mold spores.

If you suspect your home gym has mold growth, you should have it tested and removed as soon as possible.

Keep Your System Up to Date with Regular HVAC Tune-Ups

HVAC systems can be expensive, so it’s important to keep them in good shape and running efficiently. If your HVAC system isn’t cooling and heating your home gym as it should, you could be wasting money on energy costs.

Image: a person changing an air filter as part of regular HVAC maintenance.
A working HVAC system will ensure your home gym stays well-ventilated and odor-free. What’s more, it’ll prevent any nasty smells from seeping into the rest of your home.

Need an HVAC tune-up for your Los Angeles home? Contact the HVAC pros at Adeedo for all your HVAC needs.

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