Once you have acquired a treadmill for your home, you do not need to be dependent on gym time schedules anymore. That means no time is wasted getting to the gym and waiting for your turn to use a treadmill. Now all you need to do is to enjoy your treadmill at your own pace and keep it running smoothly for as long as possible. Treadmill maintenance will not take much of your time and if you look after it regularly, you won’t even notice any effort. So how to maintain a treadmill? Let’s have a look.

Why Do I Need To Maintain My Treadmill?

The reason why it is important to look after your treadmill is that you want to make sure that it doesn’t break down anytime soon after you have purchased it and that it was worth your invested money. Even if you have one of the most expensive models, it is still a machine and like any other machine, it requires regular maintenance. Your workouts, especially if you intend to practise seriously, will be affecting some parts of your treadmill, which will require more attention. It is also very important to inspect and maintain your treadmill in order to avoid any accidents, which could result in causing yourself an injury.

Daily Maintenance

When asking yourself how do you maintain your treadmill, first of all please read the instructions of the manufacturer of your treadmill for any specific advice regarding your particular model of treadmill. Generally, you should clean your treadmill lightly after each use. Take a dry cloth and wipe any sweat left after your workout. Wipe the handrails, display and any other parts you notice sweat or dust on. It is especially important to wipe liquids off the metal. Lightly wiping your treadmill after each workout will prevent an accumulation of dust as well as any bacteria, which could result in damaging your machine over time. Moreover, it will be much more pleasant to workout next time, especially if you are sharing the machine with your family members.

Weekly Maintenance

Once a week you should do a quick clean of your treadmill with a damp cloth. This will make sure you remove any leftover dirt and bacteria. Here it is important for you to note, that it is best to use plain water rather than any chemical spray. Chemicals and substances containing alcohol could destroy your electronic screen and generally damage the treadmill, so do not use anything other than water. In order to prevent excessive accumulation of dust, it is important to vacuum your exercise area regularly. You can also use a hoover to extract any hidden dust in the area between the frame of your treadmill and the belt. Cleaning that area will make your belt run smoothly. Do not forget to vacuum under your treadmill, as dirt and debris form there too.

Monthly Maintenance

To avoid any serious breakage of the machine, it is helpful to have a thorough check of your treadmill once a month. Turn your treadmill off and unplug it. Then let it rest for a while, 10 to 20 minutes should be enough time. You are doing it to prevent electrocuting yourself when checking the parts of the machine. Gently remove the motor and carefully hoover the inside of the motor. You can also use a damp cloth instead of the hoover, but make sure it is not too wet. After the cleaning is done, put back the motor and make sure you screw it back properly as instructed in the manual. Now you can plug the treadmill back in. In your monthly maintenance routine, you should also check if the belt is tight and aligned. To maintain the belt is crucial and that is what we are going to discuss next.

Lubricating The Treadmill

For your treadmill’s endurance, it is important for you to lubricate the belt. For specific instructions, you can turn to your manufacturers manual, as different models can have different guidance regarding lubrication of the belt. You might not need to lubricate it every month and some models require lubrication only once a year, but it really depends on your treadmill model and how often you use it, so please refer to your manual. There you will also find out about how and where exactly to apply the lubricant.

Belt Maintenance

After a while, you might notice that your belt is not as straight as it was. That doesn’t mean that your treadmill is flawed. It is a common thing that will happen after the treadmill was in use for some time. All you need to do is align your belt so that it runs at the centre of the deck. You can do that by locating the bolts on each side of the machine. You can refer again to your manual to do so. Another important aspect of the belt maintenance is the tightness of the belt. If you feel too many vibrations while working out or it feels like your belt is slipping under your feet, it is most likely that you need to tighten it. One more way to check if the tightness level is right is to lift the belt. You shouldn’t be able to lift it higher than 10 centimetres. To adjust the tightness of the belt you will need to tighten the bolts. Usually, they are located at the back of the treadmill, but if you cannot locate it, refer to your manufacturer’s manual. There you should also be able to identify how tight the belt needs to be for your particular treadmill model.

Additional Tips

In case you have pets, it is recommended to perform vacuuming more often, especially if your pets shed a lot of fur. Make sure you remove any dirt and fur from behind the motor of your treadmill. This is especially important as the fur can, and will, get caught in the motor and do damage to the motor in the long run. To prevent extra dirt building under the treadmill, you can get a treadmill mat.

Conclusion

If you have your own treadmill and wish to use it for as long as possible, it is very important to perform a regular maintenance of the machine. Maintaining your treadmill is also important to make sure it is not a health hazard and you don’t cause yourself injuries. A treadmill is easy to maintain and it does not take much time. All you need to do is regularly wipe the dust off it, lubricate it, align and tighten treadmill’s belt. Once you know how to maintain a treadmill, you can start exercising and live a healthy lifestyle. You may also want to find out why do you need a treadmill and how to workout on a treadmill on our blog.