Gym, locker room and mat disinfection

What this involves

Gyms and athletic facilities are built around shared surfaces: mats, benches, weight equipment, pads, gloves, showers and locker rooms. Contact sports such as wrestling, jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts add skin-to-skin and skin-to-mat contact. That combination is why staph infections, including MRSA, and other skin infections such as ringworm can spread among athletes. Injuries also leave blood on mats, padding and equipment. Combat sports gyms face this most often, because training mats are used every day by many people and skin contact is constant. Locker rooms, saunas and shared towels and equipment add to the risk.

Why professional remediation matters

CDC's guidance for athletic facilities focuses on routine cleaning and disinfection of surfaces that contact bare skin, using EPA-registered products with label claims for staph or MRSA, and following product directions, including contact time. It also emphasizes that athletes with open wounds should cover them, and that people, not just surfaces, are the main source of spread. A deep disinfection makes sense after a known case, after blood on mats, or as periodic support to daily cleaning. It needs products compatible with mat surfaces and equipment, since harsh chemicals can damage vinyl and padding.

What to avoid before help arrives

• Do not use products that are not labeled for staph or MRSA when treating after a case.
• Do not wipe disinfectant off mats or equipment before its labeled contact time.
• Do not let athletes with uncovered wounds or skin infections use shared mats or equipment; follow their doctor's guidance.
• Do not use harsh solvents or abrasive cleaners on mats; check the manufacturer's care instructions.

How the work is done

1. Scope. We ask about any known infection case or incident and which areas and equipment were involved.
2. Product selection. We choose EPA-registered products with label claims for the organism, compatible with mats and equipment.
3. Cleaning. Mats, benches, equipment, locker rooms and showers are cleaned to remove soil.
4. Disinfection. Disinfectant is applied and kept wet for its full contact time, focusing on surfaces that contact bare skin.
5. Blood on mats and equipment. Blood is removed and the surface disinfected; damaged mat covers or padding that hold contamination are flagged.
6. Summary. You receive a written summary of areas treated and products used.

Waste handling

Most waste from gym disinfection goes to ordinary disposal. Blood-contaminated materials are handled as medical waste.

Afterward

Daily cleaning by staff, wound coverage, showering after practice and not sharing towels or razors are what keep infections from coming back. Professional disinfection supports, but does not replace, those habits. Gyms often post hygiene rules, such as showering after training and covering wounds, and some ask members to stay off the mats while a skin infection is being treated.

Rules that apply in Tennessee

• OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard 29 CFR 1910.1030 · checked 2026-11-03

Where we provide this service

Throughout our Middle Tennessee service area, including:

• Nashville
• Murfreesboro
• Clarksville
• Franklin

Related

• Infectious disease disinfection
• Blood cleanup
• School and campus biohazard cleanup

Questions