A clean facility can positively affect a member’s experience and even alter a new member’s decision in joining. To ensure best cleanliness practices, the JCC of Syracuse instills a daily, weekly and monthly checklist for its staff to follow.
“This helps keep us organized and on track with what needs to be cleaned when and how often,” said Patrick Scott, the sports and fitness director at the JCC of Syracuse. “It also helps if someone new starts, so they can easily look at the checklist and see what has been done and what hasn’t, then pick up without missing a beat.”
If your facility does not already have a cleaning checklist, or if it’s time to re-evaluate, the best place to start could be picking your busiest day. “I think every rec center should clean and mop their floors Sunday night after close, or Monday morning first thing,” suggested Scott. “You want your facility looking great for Monday morning, which tends to be a busy time of the week, especially if you are a facility that has limited staff working the weekends — you want to start the week with a clean facility.”
While a clean facility can be a positive first or recurring impression, the upkeep of cleanliness is just as important to keep your members happy and coming back. “People notice when the gym isn’t as clean as it should be, so once you start with the reputation of a clean facility, you need to be extra diligent to keep that reputation,” said Scott.
Once you have a cleanliness plan in place, it’s vital to make sure all staff are included and willing to participate. This can involve altering or rearranging tasks determined by the amount of staff you have available to commit time to cleaning.
“A clean facility doesn’t come from one person — it really takes a team effort to keep up with everything that needs to happen to maintain a clean and well-stocked facility,” said Scott. “Members will join or quit the gym based on the cleanliness of your facility, so it is extra important for the staff to be on board with cleanliness.”
