How to Clean a Treadmill Belt

A treadmill is an amazing piece of equipment. It allows you to run as many miles as you want, at any pace you want, all from the comfort and safety of your home. Just step on your belt, press start and off you go. However, like all machines, a treadmill needs maintenance to ensure it is working properly. There are a few quick and easy ways to maintain your treadmill to increase the chances that everything will be running smoothly when you press the start button. One of the best ways to extend the life of your treadmill is to regularly clean and lubricate the treadmill.

Where’s the treadmill?

The treadmill is the rubber surface that you walk on. When you turn on the treadmill, the motor drives the belt to move in a circular motion around the treadmill deck. The deck is the stationary platform under the band. As the treadmill belt rotates, it slides across the deck and creates friction. Lubrication applied between the bottom of the belt and the top of the deck reduces this friction. Keeping your belt clean and lubricated to prevent the engine from working harder than it should to move the belt.

There are two steps to cleaning your treadmill: clean the top where your feet touch and clean the bottom, which rotates around the deck. Cleaning the top of the band is as easy as wiping down your kitchen counter. However, cleaning the underside requires a little more attention to detail to ensure there is adequate lubrication when you’re done.

How to clean the top of the treadmill

Treadmill belts most commonly get soiled from the bottom of your running shoes and sweat dripping onto the belt. Both dirt and salt from your sweat can accumulate on the surface of the belt over time. Scott Eastman, senior test lab manager at Nautilus, recommends proactively wiping down the belt and foot rails after each use. “This prevents dirt and salt buildup and minimizes the need for more time-consuming cleaning.” He recommends using a towel and a mild cleaner like Simple Green to thoroughly scrub the belt’s surface. It is important to wait until the belt is completely dry before using it.

Jon Fasulo, owner of treadmill fixation, a full-service treadmill repair company based in the Philadelphia area, believes that cleaning the top of the treadmill is primarily cosmetic. He ran engine stress tests before and after cleaning the top of a dirty belt and found that the engine ran no less after cleaning. However, he sees value in cleaning the underside of the belt, especially if the treadmill has been exposed to a job site where dirt and debris have become airborne.

How to clean under the treadmill

To clean under the belt, Fasulo recommends taking a clean, dry terry towel or hand towel and slipping it between the belt and the deck, leaving the edges of the towel protruding on either side. Then, grab both ends of the towel and give it a few shakes before pulling it out. Shake out the towel to remove dirt and turn on the treadmill to spin the belt. Slide the towel back under the belt and repeat the back and forth motion.

Fasulo warns you to be careful when cleaning the underside of the belt as this can also remove a lot of the good lube that the belt needs to perform well. He has seen situations where “someone gets a good amount of lube on the belt, cleans it, and re-lubricates it generously, and there’s actually less lube than when you started.” Only clean the treadmill if you suspect that the treadmill has been exposed to exceptionally dusty and dirty environments. If this is the case, consider applying lube.