Best Way to Clean a Treadmill Belt – Cleaning a Tread Belt

If you own a treadmill, you’ll want to know how to clean the belt the right way. If you want to keep your treadmill in good shape, you should probably learn the best way to clean a treadmill belt. 

Running on a treadmill saves you time, money, and effort. So, keeping your treadmill in good shape is one of the most important things you can do to stay positive. 

If you have a treadmill at home, it shows that you take exercise seriously. In either case, it’s a good idea to know how to clean a treadmill’s belt the right way. So, here you are!

Why Do You Need to Clean Treadmill Belt?

You can make a treadmill last longer if you take care of it well. People who own treadmills often forget to clean the belt, even though they know how important it is to keep the mechanical and electrical parts in good shape according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 

Because of this, your machine may not last as long and you may have to replace it more often out of your own pocket. You’ll get more out of your time and money if you clean your belt as part of your weekly workout routine.

If you take care of your treadmill, it can last for many years. Owners often forget to clean the treadmill belt, even though it’s important to put the treadmill on a mat and follow the maintenance schedule for the mechanical and electrical parts. 

This can shorten the life of your machine or cost you a lot of money to fix. If you clean your belt once a week as part of your workout routine, you will get more out of your investment.

If the belt of your treadmill feels sticky or slow, it’s probably time to clean it. This is a pretty easy thing to do, and you only need a few things from around the house.

The only bad thing about having a treadmill at home is that you’ll have to clean and maintain it yourself instead of letting the friendly gym staff do it for you. The user decides how fast the belt at the bottom of the treadmill moves. 

If you run on your treadmill all the time, it will get dirty. The heat from the motor will gather dust, and you will probably sweat a lot while using it. Because of this, treadmill belts sometimes need to be cleaned after being used a lot.

Why Do You Need to Clean Treadmill Belt

How Often Should I Clean a Treadmill Belt?

Basically, it depends on how you use it. If you use your treadmill roughly, you will need to clean it often. You can get a good result by following these tips.

Every Day

If you run or walk on your treadmill every day, you should clean the belt and deck of the treadmill once a day. This will help keep dust, dirt, and other things from getting on the belt and make it wear out faster than it should.

Every Week

If you only use your treadmill a few times a week, you should only have to clean the belt once a week.

Every Month

If you only use your treadmill sometimes, once a month should be enough to clean the running belt.

Each Time of Year

If you live in a place with a lot of dust or pollen, you may need to clean your treadmill belt more often at certain times of the year.

How to Clean a Treadmill Belt Properly?

If you want your treadmill to work perfectly every time you and other people use it, you need to know how to clean the belt. To do this, you need to remember to do certain things, since you don’t want to hurt your investment. In other words, if you want your machine to work right, you need to know how to clean the treadmill belt. 

Cleaning a treadmill belt is simple and doesn’t cost much money. It can, however, make your machine last a lot longer. It can also help it work better and prevent problems with dirt buildup in the future.

Most people think it’s hard and expensive to clean a treadmill’s running belt, but it’s actually easy and cheap to do. Still, it can make a big difference in how long your treadmill lasts. Also, it can help keep it in the best shape possible.

When you want to clean your treadmill belt, there are a few steps you need to take. With these steps, you can easily clean the outside of a treadmill belt.

This is the most important and necessary step you need to take when learning how to clean a treadmill belt. Don’t forget to unplug your treadmill from the power source before you clean it. Since the method for cleaning involves liquids like water or a glint, it could cause a small electric current or damage to the machine.

Before you start cleaning the treadmill’s belt, make sure you have a rug big enough to reach the whole length of the belt. With a rag and the width of the belt, you can clean every part of the machine. You should put the rag on both sides of the belt, making sure to keep it parallel to the running surface. Then, you can use a t-shirt to wipe the belt clean of any dirt or dust.

How to Clean a Treadmill Belt Properly

Common 3 Best Ways to Clean Treadmill

The best way to clean the belt of a treadmill is to wipe it down with water and soap. This will get rid of any dirt that has built up under the belt and keep it from wearing out too fast. Then, you can wipe the belt with a wet rag if you don’t want to use the liquid. 

This will let the silicone-based lubricant get into the surface of the belt, which is the most common part of a treadmill. If you use your treadmill often, it might get too dirty to use. If you want to clean your treadmill the way most people do, look at the ways below.

Use an anti-static Duster

You can use an anti-static duster to clean the treadmill belt and get rid of the excess dust on it. The anti-static dusters help clean the treadmill belt without leaving any marks or reducing its quality. As of now, it is the best treadmill belt cleaner for getting rid of dust.

Using wet or dry cloth for cleaning

Take a damp or slightly wet piece of cloth (you can also take a dry cloth and spray glint on it). Then you can start to clean the belt of the treadmill. If you push the treadmill belt backward hard with your hand, you can clean the whole thing at once. 

Make sure you don’t leave any extra water drops on the treadmill belt, which could keep it wet for a longer time and cause the slippery treadmill belt surface.

Dry paper towel for cleaning treadmill belt

In the last step, you can clean the treadmill belt with a dry paper towel or any other dry cloth. To make sure the whole belt is dry, move it back and forth again.

What to Use to Clean a Treadmill Belt?

Here is a short list of what you can use to clean treadmill. Cleaning the treadmill with the following substance will provide outstanding results-

Vinegar

If there is a fungus, you will need to clean even more deeply. To do this, wipe down the moldy area with a solution of vinegar and water (1 part vinegar to 1 part water). 

Mold spores will die because of this. Most bathroom mold cleaners are too harsh for most treadmill parts, so we don’t recommend using them.

Vinegar

Baking Soda 

You can use baking soda to get rid of the sweat stains. To do that, you must fill a spray bottle with 1 cup of white vinegar and 1/2 cup of baking soda. 

Spray the homemade cleaner on a paper towel, and then use the towel to wipe down the equipment. After each use, do it again, and then let the machine dry by itself.

Vacuum Cleaner

You can also clean the belt by removing any dirt or debris with a vacuum cleaner. Turn on the vacuum cleaner and use it to pick up a little bit of the dirt.

Brush

For belts that are really dirty, you can scrub the top of the belt with a nylon tire brush. Do not use a metal brush of any kind.

Remember that you are going to clean not only the top of the treadmill belt but also the bottom.

How to Clean Under the Treadmill?

This is one of the most important things to do when cleaning the treadmill belt, but most people don’t think about it much. As important as it is to clean the top of the belt, it is just as important to clean the bottom. Here are the steps to cleaning the walking belt under the treadmill.

Step 1

Put a piece of clothing, like a T-shirt or a towel, under the belt of the treadmill. Make sure you hold the end of the rag tightly on both sides.

Step 2

Move the rag from left to right and then from top to bottom to clean the whole belt.

Step 3

Take the piece of cloth out of the machine and turn it 180 degrees. Repeat the process from step one until the whole of the belt is cleaned.

You can use a big-sized towel that sits fully under the belt and extends from the top, bottom, left, and right end. Start the treadmill while firmly gripping the towel. With a couple of turns, the lower part of the belt will be clean.

You’ll notice that the rag on your belt has some dust and foam on it after using the methods described above. As a result, these are some of the most useful answers to the question of how to clean a treadmill belt.

A rubbing alcohol solution can be used to lubricate the belt after it has been cleaned. Rags should be at least as wide as your belt’s width. Treadmill motor dust and wax will be removed by wiping it with a cloth. 

It is possible to remove excess moisture from a surface without a rug. This will make it much easier to clean off the belt of any dust.

What Should You Avoid When Cleaning a Treadmill Belt? 

Because of the friction created by dirt and dust on the walking belt, it is possible that future treadmill maintenance will be more difficult. Preventing them from happening is the most important step. There are a few things you should keep in mind when cleaning a treadmill belt to avoid damaging the machine.

  • Ensure that the treadmill is unplugged from the power source before beginning cleaning.
  • The treadmill belt and other components can be damaged if harsh chemicals or cleaners are used on them.
  • The treadmill’s electrical components should not be exposed to water.
  • Too much lube or silicone spray can make the belt slippery, increasing the risk of an accident.
  • While the treadmill is unplugged and cleaned, keep children and pets away from it while it is unplugged and cleaned.

Regardless of whether they know it or not, treadmill owners attempt to disinfect their machines in a variety of ways, resulting in equipment damage. There are a few things you should avoid while cleaning your treadmill:

Hydrogen Peroxide 

Disinfecting with hydrogen peroxide, as opposed to other methods,   is thought to be less hazardous. But our gym equipment can also be severely damaged by hydrogen peroxide. In addition to aluminum, copper, iron, steel, and tungsten, hydrogen peroxide oxidizes a variety of other base metals and base metal alloys.

This means that using hydrogen peroxide to clean Pilates reformers, rowing machines, or stationary bicycles could severely damage the surfaces of your equipment made from these metal types.

Bleach

As far back as anyone can remember, bleach has been marketed as the go-to disinfectant. Bleach conjures up images of “gold-standard clean,” but in the gym, it can spell disaster. The use of bleach-based products can cause equipment and surfaces in the gym to fade and discolor.

Alcohol 

Alcohol is a common disinfectant found in household cleaners. Isopropyl alcohol and ethyl alcohol are the most common forms, and each has a different concentration range that kills different germs and bacteria. 

Alcohol is present in many common household cleaning products. such products as wipes and sprays. But when it comes to your gym’s valuable equipment, alcohol is one of the worst chemical disinfectants to use.

When you use alcohol-based cleaner, it damages vinyl benches, rubber grips, steel weights, and treadmill monitor screens.

Ammonia

Even if you’ve never smelled ammonia before, the word itself may immediately conjure up images of its pungent aroma. Ammonia can be found in everything from toilet cleaner to floor polish, and it is used to clean a wide range of surfaces. 

Since it evaporates so quickly, ammonia is typically reserved for cleaning surfaces that are at risk of becoming streaky. With regards to gym equipment, ammonia can cause discoloration and crack if not used correctly.

Final Verdict

Now as you have a good idea about the best way to clean a treadmill belt, you can start cleaning yourself.  Treadmills can cost a lot of money, but they’re worth the investment. 

As a result, regular upkeep can extend its lifespan by several years. Owners typically take a number of other precautions to ensure the machine’s long life, but they often overlook the belt, which can result in a costly repair or replacement.  

Treadmill belts are easy to clean and will last for years if you follow these simple guidelines. Simple instructions for cleaning a treadmill belt at home are provided above.

James Manley

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