Helping to keep gyms Covid-safe with sustainable chemical free cleaning by Toucan Eco

Analise is a fully certified strength and conditioning coach who works in The Box fitness studio in Leeds. She provides one-to-one coaching as well as small group sessions in the state-of-the-art training studio, as well as nutritional programmes.

During the coronavirus pandemic Analise had been working from home providing online training courses and just recently started to get back into the swing of things at the studio, making sure they were Covid-safe for her clients.

Preparing for reopening during Covid-19

Analise explained, “When the gym reopened, I was looking for hand sanitiser and other cleaning products and came across the website for Toucan Eco. 

“At the same time, I heard about Toucan Eco from a physiotherapist who works with athletes in Leeds, who also rents out the physio room at my gym. She suggested using Toucan Eco as they had already started using it at their other clinic for disinfecting. 

“And that’s how I ended up trying it out as we’d been using chemicals, such as Dettol sprays, but it was staining the black non-slip rubber gym floor where chemicals were bleaching the surface.”

What is Toucan Eco?

Toucan Eco applies a small electric charge to electrolyse water and salt into a multipurpose disinfectant cleaner that wipes out over 99.999% of germs. The active compounds are hypochlorous acid (HOCl), which is also made by your immune system to fight infection, along with a very low concentration of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO). This creates a powerful, eco-friendly, non-toxic and hypoallergenic solution that you make yourself.

The model used by Analise is the Toucan Eco 3, which makes one litre of hypochlorous disinfectant in just five minutes. The solution can be used to spray, wipe or mop any surface, and when you run out you simply make some more. 

How is it being used?

Analise continues, “With the current Covid-19 guidelines for gyms, we’re having to frequently clean any touched surfaces or equipment my clients use. So, I simply create the solution and use it on equipment such as resistance bands, dumbbells, rowing machines, watt bikes, training mats and screens in between uses. 

“With the leftover solution at the end of each day, I also spray down the astro running track to help sanitise that area too. 

“We’re going through quite a lot of it on a daily basis, with people being in and out of the gym, but it’s also reduced the amount of blue roll we’re using. For example, if I’m using a rubber band it doesn’t need wiping down after spraying the solution as it’s so safe. While on bars and the like we’ve been wiping those down as we don’t want them to rust. We’re also using it for rugby balls and footballs, as well as cleaning cones. I think it’s absolutely brilliant, to be honest.”

With the requirements for gym customers to now clean up after themselves, this means spraying the equipment you’ve touched such as barbells and free weights on the floor. This means an increasing amount of chemicals are being sprayed and left on gym floors, creating potential slip hazards as users tend to just wipe the weights and not the floors, and leaves more potentially harmful chemical particles in the air. 

Saves money and plastic waste

In terms of savings, once Analise returned to the gym she was going through about five or six chemical spray bottles a week, which starts to add up over time for any small business. 

Analise explained, “I was previously spending nearly £50 a month on sprays. Having switched to Toucan Eco, in less than six months you’ll get your money’s worth and it will have paid for itself. After the initial product purchase, it’s just water and salt that’s needed to make as much disinfect cleaner as I need.

“But it’s more than just about money. I’m now saving around 24 single-use plastic spray bottles a month – that’s nearly 300 bottles a year.”

What do your clients think about it?

Analise continues, “I tell customers we’re using chemical-free solutions made from just water and salt to create an antibacterial, antiviral spray and they’re really impressed with it. 

“It’s really gone down well with them. Before at the gym, they were touching bleach solutions left on equipment and I’ve also seen gyms where their metal parts are going rusty from the frequent use of harsher chemicals you put on them. I’ve not seen that at my gym at all. 

“One of my clients has got an acupuncture practice and I’ve recommended Toucan Eco to them too.”

Proven to perform

For general surface cleaning and disinfecting the solution activation is certified to antiviral EN 14476 and EN 16777 tests, including coronavirus, as well as antibacterial EN 1276 and EN 13697 tests. It’s also registered as an EU Biocide for disinfectants.

Toucan Eco can also be used as a hand sanitiser and is tested to EN 14476:2013+A2:2019. This is great for people with dry or cracked skin conditions as the solution isn’t as tough on your skin as alcohol-based alternatives. And it’s also good for people with breathing difficulties like asthma as feedback shows it also helps to alleviate problems using harsher cleaning chemicals on a daily basis.

But please note that the Toucan Eco solution, like alcohol gels, doesn’t replace the guidance of frequently washing your hands with soap and water, but it’s an effective alternative when this isn’t possible.

For more information about Analise and her coaching services please visit Moran Personal Training on Facebook, Instagram or www.moranpersonaltraining.co.uk/