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It’s the standard routine at boutique studios and fitness centers nationwide: the class wraps up, the music fades, and attendees are handed a single disinfectant wipe to frantically scrub down their machines for the next gym-goer.
Now, a viral complaint has ignited fierce debate over who should actually be responsible for cleaning gym gear — the paying member or the business itself.
In a video posted to social media, beauty expert Nikol Johnson Sanchez has called out the fitness industry for turning high-end reformer Pilates and boutique studios into a “self-service cleaning arrangement.”
“When did a luxury Pilates class become a self-service cleaning arrangement?” Sanchez asked in an Instagram clip.
“We have the lighting is beautiful, the branding is impeccable, and the price is a premium … and then the class ends, and you’re handed this tiny little square of a wipe to prepare the machine for the next paying client.”
She argued patrons wouldn’t be expected to bus their own plates or wash cutlery at an expensive restaurant, nor sweep up hair after a salon haircut.
“Why is the cleanliness of an expensive studio dependent on how thoroughly the woman before me felt like wiping?” Sanchez said, noting that shared props like reformer straps and Pilates balls placed under sweaty heads and between thighs rarely get properly disinfected.
“A courtesy wipe from a client shouldn’t be a cleaning standard,” she argued.
‘The one percent let-down’
Industry experts admit the complaint hits uncomfortably close to home.
Simon Ngo, Creative Director and Director of Pilates & Yoga at Flow Athletic, agreed that leaving cleaning entirely to patrons undermines high-end fitness brands.
“She has a valid point that how come everything part of the boutique experience process is so thought out until the cleaning and transitions between classes,” Ngo told news.com.au.
“So on this point I agree that it’s the one percent let-down, especially when it’s a luxe and boutique experience.
“Because absolutely those straps are a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t look, don’t acknowledge’ kinda vibe, though I’m sure most businesses do put them through deep wash and sanitization periodically.”
Ngo noted that while wiping down gear is good etiquette, studios cutting corners on cleaning supplies only worsens the problem.
“It’s just good etiquette too to clean up after yourselves,” he shared.
“Especially educating the users to put away weights and equipment nicely and where they belong. This is culture building.
“I get it that those disinfecting wipes can add up in terms of cost, but a ‘singular square’ is absolutely way too stingy and insufficient. Let people have two or three.”
Ngo added that the “one percent” can “make or break” the experience for a gym-goer.
The hidden health risks lurking on gym gear
Beyond client convenience, medical experts warn that lax turnover cleaning presents genuine health and hygiene risks.
Dr. Shreya Andric, Principal Dermatologist and co-director at North Sydney Dermatology, warned that fitness equipment provides prime conditions for spreading communicable skin conditions.
“Gym equipment is high-touch surfaces, with multiple people using the same machines, weights and mats throughout the day,” Andric told news.com.au.
“Bacteria, fungi and viruses can be transferred onto these surfaces, potentially spreading skin infections such as folliculitis, staph infections and ringworm.”
Dr. Andric stressed that studios cannot simply rely on a quick morning clean or assume every client cleans effectively.
“Cleaning equipment just once a day isn’t sufficient, as surfaces can become contaminated again with each use,” she said.
“Regular cleaning and disinfection throughout the day, alongside encouraging gym users to wipe down equipment after use, is important to minimize the risk of infection.”
