How to Clean Rubber Gym Floor: The Best Way to Clean Rubber Gym Floor Mats

Your members notice when your floors get dirty - and beyond leaving a bad taste in their mouths, poor cleaning standards can slowly but surely degrade the floors themselves. Don’t worry, though. We’re going to show you how to clean rubber gym floors in this guide! 

But the best way to clean rubber gym floor mats is probably not what you’ve been doing up to this point - no vacuums, mops, or any other manual methods. We recommend investing in a gym floor scrubber to streamline the process, saving time while getting better results.

SweepScrub is your one-stop shop for all things commercial floor care. We’ll show you how to clean rubber flooring the smart way below. Or just connect with our team today for one-on-one support!

What You’ll Need For Cleaning Gym Mats

You can’t effectively clean gym floor mats if you don’t have the right tools and supplies on hand. And like we just said, you’re going to want to look beyond the typical rubber mat cleaning methods. 

The Problem With Brooms and Mops

You see, brooms and mops just move the mess around. They don’t actually lift sweat and gunk off the floor and make sure it’s fully removed from your facility. That’s not to mention how long they take. It’s well worth the investment in a commercial floor cleaning machine.

Why Invest in a Gym Floor Scrubber?

These machines save you time, money, and effort. They’re one of the smartest investments you can make in your facility. Your members will notice you’ve taken steps to improve cleanliness and hygiene in the main gym area, and that goes a long way with retention.

A commercial floor scrubber puts down a wet cleaning solution, scrubs it into the floor using rotating brushes/pads, and then sucks it back up using a vacuum and squeegee recovery system. All that dirty water goes into a separate tank, so every square inch of the floor is receiving fresh chemical cleaning agents. 

The best part is you don’t have to close sections off for nearly as long. You can do some of your cleaning while members are around. The machine leaves your rubber gym floor spotless and dry in a single pass.

Protecting Your Floor

But, can you use a floor scrubber on a gym floor? Or will these machines cause more harm than good? That’s a very good question, and one we get asked all the time here at SweepScrub. The floor scrubber itself is never the problem. It’s one of two other things:

1. The pad your scrubber uses: Some can be a bit more aggressive than others and potentially strip away the rubber, little by little. 
2. The cleaning chemical you use: The wrong cleaning chemical can eat away at the rubber material or leave behind unsightly stains. You obviously need to use some sort of disinfectant and cleaning agent with your scrubber, though.

SweepScrub carries everything you need to learn how to clean rubber gym floors the right way. The machines, the pads, and even the cleaning chemicals themselves. Don’t hesitate to connect with our team today for one-on-one support in building the right cleaning arsenal.

Our Advice on the Best Way to Clean Rubber Gym Floor

The machine we’re seeing most facilities choose right now is the SweepScrub Walk Behind Floor Scrubber. It’s great for covering the main open areas with a 20” cleaning path and 12.5-gallon tanks. You get up to 2.5 hours of runtime with the maintenance-free gel batteries. It punches way above its weight class in terms of price. 

But, you’ll want a tool to fill in the nooks and crannies between machines, under equipment, and in the tighter corners of your facility. We recommend something like the Tornado Mop Microburst. You’ll operate it more like a bigger, beefier vacuum - but it’s still a floor scrubber. Just a 17.5” cleaning path and 1.3-gallon tank. It’s incredibly nimble. 

As for your cleaning chemicals, check out our wide selection from Tennant - a well-respected brand in the industry. You can find everything from neutral pH daily cleaners to degreasers. 

Stock up on all the essentials before you learn how to clean rubber gym floor. Then, come back to our guide and read through the actual process itself below. 

DIY Rubber Gym Floor Cleaner

If you’re in a bind and have to clean your floors right now - but don’t have time to wait for your new floor care supplies to arrive - there are a few DIY solutions you can try.

The one we’ve seen work well is a combination of warm water, dish soap, and some lemon juice. Don’t expect the same powerful cleaning action or disinfectant properties, but it works just fine as an emergency solution. 

What NOT to Use on Rubber Gym Floors

We’ve talked about how to clean rubber gym floor, but knowing what to avoid using on your flooring is just as important. You don’t want to cause more harm than good. These are the no-nos:

• Pine Sol
• Lysol
• WD40
• Murphy’s Oil Soap
• Paint thinner

Basically, any solvent or oil-style cleaner. They’ll break down the rubber and leave your floor in complete disarray, especially if you use them on a regular basis. 

How to Clean Rubber Gym Floor: Step-by-Step Guide

Actually cleaning rubber gym mats is easy when you have the right equipment and supplies. Then, it’s a classic case of working smarter rather than harder. Here’s how to clean rubber gym floor mats. 

Start With Dry Sweeping

You can’t use your scrubber just yet. You have to deal with all the dry debris on the floor. Otherwise, your scrubber will simply grind these into the rubber mats and act as an abrasive, ultimately causing more harm than good.

You can use a push broom, a wide-area vacuum cleaner, or better yet, invest in a commercial floor sweeper machine. These are just like a floor scrubber, but specifically for dry messes. They save a ton of time and prevent pushing dust and dirt around.

For what it’s worth, there are also sweeper-scrubber machines that consolidate these pieces of equipment for a more versatile machine. This way, you don’t haveto purchase, maintain, and use two separate machines. They sweep and scrub in one motion. 

 

Follow-Up With Scrubbing

Now comes the fun part - putting your floor scrubber to the test. Fill it with fresh water and cleaning solution, make sure you’ve selected the right pads/brushes, and find the right time to actually clean your rubber gym flooring. You’ll probably want to do this in off-peak hours to avoid disrupting members.

Work in slow, overlapping passes so you don’t miss any section. You might find it easier to do a deep cleaning once a week, and move all your equipment out of the way. Make sure you’re paying attention to your recovery tank and emptying it when it gets full.  

Give the Floor Time to Dry

This is only really an issue if you’re mopping rubber gym floors. Your floor scrubber is going to leave them pristine and dry in each pass, so you can re-open the area you’ve cleaned fairly quickly. Otherwise, you’ll need to put out wet floor signs or potentially even close the area until it’s dry to avoid any sort of slip-and-fall risk. 

Spot Cleaning Rubber Gym Floors

Messes happen in the gym. Someone spilled their pre-workout or a protein shake got dropped on the floor. That super sweater member left a bodyprint on the ground after doing some stretching. 

Whatever the case, it’s great to have a micro-scrubber in your arsenal (like the Tornado we mentioned earlier) specifically for these cases. You can rush out to clean the spill before it has time to set into your flooring and become a permanent stain. This is especially important if you haven’t sealed your rubber floor mats. Speaking of which…

Have You Been Sealing Your Rubber Gym Flooring?

A good sealant makes it easier to pick up messes from the floor so they don’t actually work into the porous rubber material. This will make your cleaning procedure way easier.

Most facilities with black rubber gym mats won’t need to bother with this. But it can help your colored floor mats look more pristine for longer. There are specialized rubber floor finishes out there worth investing in.

Actually applying them is simple. Use a sponge mop saturated with your finish of choice, and apply at least 2-3 coats on your floor. Give each layer time to dry before applying the next, and don’t rush the process with fans. That won’t let the finish fully dry. 

Frequently asked questions

What is the best mop for a rubber gym floor?

We actually don’t recommend a mop - these just spread the mess around, so your floors don’t get clean. A floor scrubber is a far better rubber gym floor cleaner. 

Can you use steam mop on a rubber gym floor?

Yeah, but you’re working harder than you need to. We don’t think it’s worth it. Invest in a really good floor scrubber for your gym instead. You’ll wish you’d done so sooner when you realize how much easier it makes your life!

What cleans rubber without damaging it?

You can try to clean rubber gym floor with a mild dish soap and warm water combination if you’re in a pinch. Otherwise, you should get a neutral rubber floor care chemical from SweepScrub.

What do gyms use to clean rubber floors?

A lot of things, actually. Brooms, mops, sweepers, scrubbers, and of course, the cleaning agent itself. You’ll have a whole janitorial closet filled with supplies and equipment. 

What makes my rubber gym floor shine?

Clean more often! Frequency is the best way to ensure your floors look pristine day in, day out. You should also apply a finish if you haven’t already. 

Does vinegar work for cleaning rubber gym floors?

Nope. It’s too acidic, and could cause some degradation - especially if you use it undiluted.

Can I use bleach to clean rubber gym floors?

Definitely not! It can damage the floor, so even though it’s a powerful disinfectant, skip it. 

Closing Thoughts on How to Clean Rubber Flooring

There you have it, how to clean rubber gym floor. We hope this guide leaves you feeling confident in overhauling your current process for the better. Take the next step at SweepScrub and work smarter, not harder!

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