By: Jessica Klamut and Lauren Cherney

Importance of Cleaning

There has never been a time more relevant to talk about cleaning adapted equipment. It is something that is done season to season to ensure equipment is always ready to be used. As we navigate this time surrounding COVID-19, we find ourselves discussing cleaning protocols in every conversation within our workplace and how to keep our participants safe, while still providing the opportunities at hand. Now that we must clean equipment after each use, it is important to make sure we follow the correct guidelines to kill any harmful germs and bacteria, while at the same time, not damage the equipment. We have consulted with many organizations and professions within our field of Adaptive Sports and Recreation on the best practices related to disinfecting and cleaning different surfaces of adaptive equipment.

To start, it is good idea to look at all your equipment and identify high touch areas. Many areas are touched during a transfer from an assistive device to a piece of equipment. Some areas of contact are more noticeable than others. High touch areas may include the cushion, chair frame, footplate, tires, hand rims, etc. In addition to noticeable areas, you want to be mindful of the areas you do not typically think are being touched. These areas may include, but are not limited to, back post, bike cables, etc.

There is a wide variety of adaptive equipment out there but for the most part the equipment is made from similar materials. Common adaptive equipment might include sports chairs designed for wheelchair basketball rugby, tennis, etc. handcycles, recumbent bikes, racing chair, throwing chair, power soccer chairs, active hands, core wraps, and/or ace bandages. Sport specific equipment will also need to be cleaned. This includes, but is not limited to, basketball balls, footballs, tennis balls, helmets, bike flags, field throwing implements. When you look at the different pieces of equipment you use, the surfaces that need to be cleaned are metal surfaces, rubber, and different types of upholstery: porous, mesh, Velcro. We are going to breakdown these different surfaces and talk about the cleaning procedures we have adopted here at Lakeshore based off the CDC suggestions, along with recommendations from professionals within sport specific fields. In addition to the cleaning products and protocols we use, you can find approved cleaning products on the EPA and CDC website. It is important to read over the cleaning protocols as they vary per product – kill time and necessary PPE equipment are just a few examples. If your program does not have access to an EPA or CDC approved cleaning product it is highly recommended to still clean your adaptive equipment after each use with soap and warm water.

Types of Surfaces

Primary cleaning products typically used are Virex, Lysol wipes, and Clorox wipes. The following cleaning procedures have been recommended for specific materials:

Metal Surfaces

The most common metal surfaces include the frames of sports chairs, workout machines, and electronic devices. The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee recommends uses Oxivere, an oxide-based disinfectant, with a kill time of 30 seconds. It is recommended to wear gloves when cleaning with this product. The use of an EPA approved disinfectant is the quickest, most reliable cleaner to us if you want immediate results. If you do not have access to an EPA approved cleaning agent, you can use a fresh towel with soap and clean, warm water. Keep in mind, over time chemicals can breakdown powder coating that covers the metal frame.  Consider wiping down these surfaces with a warm, wet towel after cleaning with chemicals.

Important Note: When cleaning Power Chairs – Pride Mobility Products and Quantum recommend keeping the electronics as dry as possible. You can do this by lightly spraying the product onto the equipment and drying with a towel or using a Clorex/Lysol wipe. Do NOT soak the unit – this applies for all areas of the chair – motor, joystick, etc.

Rubber

The rubber found on hand rims and tires can be easily forgotten even though it is one of the most touched surfaces on a chair or cycle. These areas are often touched when pushing the chair or transferring to and from the piece of equipment. Not only should the equipment be cleaned, but we should highly encourage individuals to clean their everyday tires and wheels as often as possible. Like metal surfaces, rubber can be cleaned with Oxivere, Virex, Lysol, etc. Keep in mind that rubber will breakdown overtime when exposed to certain cleaning agents. Consider wiping them down with warm water after cleaning with chemical disinfectants.  

Upholstery

Surfaces that include different porous, mesh, or Velcro surfaces need to be washed after each use if possible. If you are unable to wash upholstery after each use, consider using an EPA approved disinfectant. The USOPC recommends Pure and Clean which is a natural disinfectant that does not leave a residue.

Ace Bandages, Waist Straps, and Active Hands (Quad Grips)

The cleaning protocols for ace bandages, waist straps, and active hands (quad grips) is similar to the upholstery cleaning protocols. It is highly recommended to machine wash these materials on a warm, delicate cycle after each use. If you are unable to machine wash after each use, use Pure and Clean and another EPA/CDC recommended disinfect like Lysol or Clorox. Be careful not to spray too much cleaner on these materials as they easily become oversaturated.

Other Adapted Equipment

There are a few pieces of equipment that have special requirements to clean them.  Consider bicycle helmets, leather sport balls, electronic devices, and other similar equipment.

Bike Helmets – In order to keep the integrity of the helmet, Trek Bicycle’s recommends a 3-bucket cleaning system.
     1.    First you will dunk the helmet in a bucket of clean warm water,
     2.    a bucket of soapy dawn dish soap,
     3.    into a clean bucket of water, and hang dry.

If you don’t have the ability to do the 3-step process, you can also bring your helmet into the shower with you and let soap and water run through it.

Leather Sport Balls – Wilson breaks down the different leather sport balls into three categories – composite leather, leather, and PU leather.

• Composite leather – basketballs and volleyballs
  • Lysol Clean & Fresh Multipurpose cleaner
  • Lonza Disinfectant Wipes Plus
  • BTC 2125 M 10% Solution
  • Clorox Disinfecting Wipes
• Leather – footballs
  • BTC 2125 M 10% Solution
• PU Leather – soccer balls
  • BTC 2125 M 10% Solution
  • Clorox Disinfecting Wipes

Wilson also mentioned these products may dry out the leather, so you can use a leather conditioner as a secondary step if you would like to. You may also find that these products leave a residue.  You can get rid of the residue by using soap and warm water.

Wear and Tear

Overtime these surfaces will breakdown, some faster than others, when exposed to certain cleaning agents. Consider cleaning all surfaces with a clean towel, soap, and warm water a couple times a week to rid the surfaces of chemicals.

Most importantly, practice proper hand hygiene after cleaning equipment. We hope you find this information helpful as school and sports pick back up. If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out to us at jessicak@lakeshore.org, laurenc@lakeshore.org, or email@nchpad.org.