How to Clean your Home Gym Equipment – Such as Weights and Barbells
Kal Kozomos
23 March 2021
To understand how to clean your rusty weights from your home gym equipment, first check what material they’re made of. In the past they were exclusively made of cast iron and were not coated with any material. Today they are also produced in steel and various heavy alloys and are also available with special resilient and shock-absorbing coatings. Over time cast iron weights, especially if stored in environments with a certain humidity or which are poorly ventilated, can show traces of oxidation and must therefore be properly treated.
Barbell rods can also have various problems. This is why you need to spend a little bit of time on a few simple maintenance steps that will help you keep your weights perfectly efficient and looking good.
How often you should perform this maintenance depends on where and how often you use your home gym equipment during this lockdown.
Things you will need
Brass brush
Sandpaper
Microfibre cloth
Nylon brush
Step 1
OXIDISED WEIGHTS
Traces of oxide can appear on both barbell weights and dumbbells. To clean them effectively, if the rust is already in an advanced state, first work with a brass brush and then refine the removal with medium-fine-grained sandpaper (No. 240-400). After thoroughly cleaning the metal, apply a generous amount of WD-40 Multi-Use and leave it to act for a few minutes. The product protects the metal from rust and corrosion, penetrates and lubricates the blocked parts. This eliminates and protects any surface from moisture. Use a microfibre cloth to spread the product well, which dries rapidly.
Step 2
BUSHINGS AND CLIPS
Weights that are slid onto rods are held in position with different systems: clamps, spring clips, screwed ferrules, sleeves, etc. It’s important to maintain these components too. A thorough cleaning of any foreign elements with a rag soaked in WD-40 Multi-Use will see to the task quickly and durably.
Step 3
BARBELL ROD MAINTENANCE
Weightlifters usually sprinkle their hands and the barbell shaft with talc powder to improve grip. When the magnesium in this powder mixes with sweat, it tenaciously creeps into the knurling present on the shaft and must be eliminated. It can usually be removed with a brush with nylon bristles from most items in your home gym equipment.
Step 4
BEARING MAINTENANCE
Olympic and higher-quality barbells come with sleeves with bearings that greatly reduce the friction that forms in the rotation of the bar during lifting. Many sleeves have the bearings already greased, so they don’t require particular maintenance. But if the barbell is used very frequently, it’s best to periodically disassemble the sleeves, clean the dirt with a rag and spray some WD-40 Specialist High Performance PTFE Lubricant. This lubricant doesn’t attract dirt and has excellent lubricating properties in order to ensure the perfect movement of the parts. You can also use this on all moving parts in your home gym equipment for an excellent performance.
Step 5
MAINTENANCE OF OTHER TYPES OF CLAMPS
Screw-on type clamps can be lubricated with some WD-40 Specialist Anti-Friction PTFE Lubricant. This product contains PTFE, which leaves a dry film on the hinge that allows better lubrication without attracting dust, dirt and grease. It dries quickly and is compatible with all metals, thus it’s ideal for cleaning gym weights.
Step 6
WEIGHT AND BARBELL STORAGE
It’s very important to properly store this equipment in order to prevent mechanical damage. The barbells must be placed on the appropriate rack, which also lets you optimise the space available for training, especially if your home gym isn’t very big. Barbells can be stored horizontally or vertically. Take care of the humidity level of the air and, if necessary, use a dehumidifier. Very important: when you’re done exercising, thoroughly clean the equipment you used, especially if it has gotten wet with the sweat of those who used it.
Job Done Right!!
Now that you finished maintaining your home gym equipment you can go back and do that training session you have been putting off for a while. You can read some of our other blog posts to get some House DIY done.
Happy Lifting.
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