It’s a novelty to have a treadmill in your own home. It saves you time on countless trips to the gym and will save a considerable amount of money on a gym membership. It’s also a great idea to have a home gym as it gives you more motivation to work out if your treadmill just happens to be in your living room.

One of the only downsides to having a home treadmill is that you’ll have to maintain and clean it yourself, rather than allowing friendly gym staff to do the work for you. Your treadmill will inevitably get dirty as you’re running on it constantly; the heat coming from the motor will collect dust, and you’re likely to sweat a lot while using it too. Read More: 10 Best Nordictrack Treadmills

There are some easy ways to clean your treadmill and ensure it’s in full working order. You just need to understand when your treadmill needs cleaning, what products to use, and how to maintain it so it remains clean for as long as possible.

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When Does a Treadmill Need Cleaning?

To maintain the cleanliness of your treadmill, you should wipe it down after every use to remove any dirt from your shoes and any sweat that might be on the belt or handles.

It would help if you looked to clean off any dust from the treadmill around once per week and look at a deep clean once per month to keep it in full working order. Read Here: The Best Treadmill For Heavy Person Reviews

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO CLEAN A TREADMILL REGULARLY

how to clean a treadmill belt
  • Safety

Your safety is the most important thing when it comes to your home gym. Using a dirty treadmill could mean that it doesn’t work quite as well, especially if it’s greasy or there’s dirt clogging up your treadmill belt.

If you don’t clean regularly, the belt may become stuck or jolt unexpectedly, meaning you may fall off if you’re running.

  • Bacteria

If multiple people in the household are using your treadmill, you’ll need to constantly clean off the germs and bacteria between runs to avoid passing on any illness to the people after you.

Bacteria grows quickly, especially if it’s coming from sweat and you don’t want to make the people around you ill.

  • Money-Saving

Thoroughly cleaning your treadmill regularly helps you keep it in full working order for longer. If you fail to maintain it correctly, it could cause your treadmill to fault or even break. That’s a massive cost to have it repaired or buy a whole new one.

  • Keeping Efficiency

Cleaning around the motor and the deck where the belt runs will allow you to keep the treadmill at maximum efficiency and reduce friction. This will give you a better workout and ensure that the treadmill’s speed doesn’t diminish over time.

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HOW TO DEEP CLEAN A TREADMILL

1. Wipe Down

It would be best if you wiped your treadmill down after each use with a damp (not wet) cloth or a sanitizing wipe.

2. Hoover

Use your hoover attachments to remove as much dust as possible from around the treadmill and underneath. If there’s too much dust allowed to remain under the belt, it may affect the rotation speed. Most treadmills will lift up on a mechanism to allow you to safely clean underneath.

3. Cleaning the Motor Cover

You’ll have a motor cover towards the front of your treadmill, where your belt is fed from. This cover is ordinarily removable to allow you to look at the inner mechanisms underneath. Gently use your fabric hoover attachment (the one with the bristles) to clear away any dust or grime from the mechanism.

You could use a duster if you don’t have the correct hoover attachment, but always make sure you unplug your treadmill while you do this. Your motor is a powerful piece of electrical equipment, and you don’t want to cause a short circuit or electrocute yourself.

Cleaning under the motor is necessary every couple of months, but if you have a dog or cat that sheds excessively, you might need to consider doing this more frequently. A motor that’s clogged with dust or hair won’t work as well, and leaving it as it is will only cause your treadmill to age faster. Read Here: Top 10 Best Treadmills Under $1000

4. Cleaning the Belt

Your treadmill belt is the part of your treadmill that will get the dirtiest and will need to be kept clean at all times. An excellent hack for this is to take a cloth and wipe the belt while the treadmill is running. This ensures that you clean every bit of the belt, even the parts that aren’t on display at the position where you dismounted. Plus, it’ll speed up the process a little for you.

HOW TO GET GREASE OFF A TREADMILL BELT

Your treadmill may become greasy if you’ve overused the lubricant needed to keep it running smoothly. Your treadmill will often need to be lubricated using silicone oil or wax to help the belt move freely and build up the speed you need it to. When you add the silicone wax, you’ll always need to put it on the underside of the belt by loosening the belt itself.

However, you may accidentally get some of the wax on the upper side of the belt, which can make it greasy, slippery, and very unsafe while you’re running. If you do get some on the upper side of the belt, it’s essential that you remove it as soon as possible. The longer you leave it, the harder it is to get off.

  • Firstly, try to remove the lubricant using a damp cloth, hot water, and dish soap. Use a non-abrasive cloth if possible to avoid damaging the belt further and dry with a clean towel at intervals to stop the belt from becoming waterlogged, as this can cause deformities.
  • If hot water and soap didn’t do the trick, use a small amount of rubbing alcohol. This alcohol is used in cleaning products and shouldn’t harm your treadmill in small quantities. Rub in the alcohol to try to clean the grease, then use your hot water to finish the job and dry.
  • The cleansing foam used for cleaning appliances can help. You’ll need to spray on the foam and leave it for a couple of minutes before washing it off. The cleansing foam is specifically formulated for cleaning the screens of computers or tablets, so it is well equipped for removing greasy marks. But you may need to go through a couple of applications before you notice a significant difference. Read Here: Best Treadmill Machines For Walking
  • If your belt only has a tiny bit of lubricant remaining, you may still be able to use it as normal. As the belt goes through the mechanism, it will eventually wear off. However, if there’s still a large amount on there, it’s obviously not safe to use, and if you’ve tried everything to clean it, unfortunately, you may need to shell out for a brand-new belt.

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HOW TO GET SWEAT STAINS OFF A TREADMILL

Sweat is an inevitable part of owning a treadmill. If you’re doing an intense workout, you’ll sweat a lot; it’s only natural. But because your sweat is removing toxins from your body, it can often cause stains on your treadmill if it’s not wiped away immediately.

It would be best if you always wiped your treadmill with a damp microfiber cloth immediately after your workout. If you don’t, you’ll start to notice light or white spots appearing on the treadmill belt. Because of the rubber material that your treadmill belt is made from, it’ll absorb your sweat quickly, and the salt in your sweat will crystalize. Read Here: Top Five Best Treadmills For Seniors – Reviews & Buyers Guide

Unfortunately, if you’re already noticing the white spots, it’s too late. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to remove them, no matter what you use to clean your treadmill. You might be looking at a costly replacement belt. That’s why it’s so important to clean up immediately after every workout.

HOW TO MAINTAIN A TREADMILL BELT

how to clean a treadmill belt

Regular cleaning is the key to keeping your treadmill looking new for longer. However, there are some things that you can do to maintain its original look without having to go through the constant cleaning process.

  • Treadmill Shoes

Having a clean pair of running shoes that you only use when you’re on the treadmill will help you to stop dragging in dirt or mud from outside and dirtying your treadmill belt.

  • Treadmill Mats

Placing your treadmill on a treadmill mat will stop your treadmill from moving around while you’re running. This not only keeps you safe but protects your treadmill from scratches and scuffing as it moves across the floor.

  • Lubrication

It would be best to lubricate your treadmill deck where the belt runs every 150 miles or so. You can do this by turning the belt bolts near the head of the treadmill with an Allen key to loosen the belt.

Drop an ounce or 28 grams of silicone wax or oil onto the belt deck by lifting the belt itself and placing your lubrication nozzle underneath. It would be best if you placed the nozzle as close as possible to the middle of the treadmill underneath the belt to allow for it to spread without damaging the upper side of the belt.

You’ll need to squirt a little of the lube in 5 or 6 places down the whole length of your treadmill to make sure you cover the entire underside of the belt. If you miss a section, it may cause your belt to become juddery, as there will be more friction in some places than others. Always ensure you’ve covered the whole area from the center to the edge of the belt, avoiding getting any on the top side.

This keeps the belt running smoothly and won’t wear away the belt surface, making your run smoother and maintaining your belt for longer. NEVER use lubricant on the top of your belt where you run. This can make the belt slippery and unsafe. It’s also advisable that you check your user’s manual. Some more modern treadmills are self-lubricating, so you wouldn’t have to do this.

  • Belt Tightening

You’ll need to periodically tighten your treadmill belt to ensure your run stays smooth and effective. You can tell that your belt needs to be tightened if you stand on your treadmill while it’s off, then gradually turn up the speed. If you can hear the rollers struggling to move the belt – it’s because there isn’t enough friction to get them going, so a slight tightening is required. You can tighten the belt by turning the bolts at the front end of the treadmill. Don’t let your belt become too loose, as it may become damaged.

  • Belt Alignment

The belt may slip from time to time with frequent use. Every time you loosen your belt to clean, you should make sure that it goes back to the original position to allow you to run with ease.

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WHAT PRODUCTS SHOULD I USE?

Using hot, soapy water and a microfiber cloth should always be your go-to cleaning style. Make sure you ring out your cloth enough so that it doesn’t make your motor rusty if any water gets away from you. Read Here: Best Folding Rowing Machines: Top 7 Editor’s Picks

If you’re worried about the water, you can also purchase a glass cleaning towel or a device cleaning kit that contains specialist equipment for cleaning your phone or tablet screen. These tools will work perfectly on your treadmill too.

NEVER use a cloth with a hard edge that might scratch your treadmill, and avoid using window cleaner or products with bleach as they’ll cause streaks in your treadmill screen or plastic covering, which you’ll never be able to buff out.

Summary

Learning how to clean and maintain your treadmill correctly is particularly important. It’ll mean that your treadmill will last longer, you’ll get a better workout, and you’ll feel much safer doing it. Always ensure you clean your treadmill using the proper materials and check and double-check that you’ve put everything back together correctly before you take another run.

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