That Gym Smell

Most of us have experienced walking into a modern looking gym and being turned off by ‘that gym smell’.

Odours are often not only caused by the myriad of hot bodies using the area, it is often coming from the equipment and the air conditioners.

This applies to school halls, home gyms and holiday resort fitness areas as well.

If your gym’s air conditioning system has not been properly cleaned or is not functioning properly, it can make the environment hot and humid. This happens because the system does not remove enough moisture from the air and this often happens when the filters and coils are clogged with dirt and contaminants.

Poorly maintained air conditioners can create some pretty nasty conditions:

Hot and humid air will become breeding ground for growth of mould
Humid air can create musty smells
Air Conditioning system breakdown
Bacteria and viruses thrive in humid air
There can be pollen build up
Higher energy bills

Found inside an air conditioner by one of our technicians.

Air conditioners can also harbour other nasties, such as dead animals, animal faeces, live animals and dust mites. The contaminants from these can be blown into the air you breathe and we all end up breathing quite deeply during a workout.

A study published in the journal Building and Environment reported that Portuguese and Dutch researchers put air-quality monitors in 11 gyms’ weight rooms and exercise studios when they were most crowded and found levels of airborne dust, contaminants, formaldehyde and carbon dioxide exceeded most accepted standards for indoor air quality.

There is not widespread air quality testing in fitness centres, resorts or schools, but there is one study (from Malaysia, which has a similar climate to Queensland) showing that mould contamination was common in schools there, and it was associated with adverse respiratory symptoms.

Mould is the most common contaminant in gyms because they are full of moist air. The swimming pool area, the sauna, the showers are in use all day long, the windows steamed up with sweaty air; all of them provide enough humidity for indoor mould to take hold and begin producing mould toxins.

Poor air quality in a gym can be easily remedied with proper air conditioning maintenance, regular cleaning and good ventilation.

Why not ask the question? When were the air conditioners last cleaned in your gym, home, resort, sports club or school?

HydroKleen are one of the most highly respected and professional air conditioner cleaning companies in Australia. The success and stellar reputation of HydroKleen, has even seen Global expansion and we are now in several countries.

With exclusive approval from the National Asthma Council’s Sensitive Choice Program, we provide the highest quality service using only approved products and practises.