From its inception until today, weightlifting has completely evolved.
Evolution is especially evidenced by changes in the materials used to make the weights. Former weight plates made of iron and steel are now largely replaced by bumper plates.
Because of their rubber lining, which provides durability but also preserves the barbell’s quality, and the surface on which they land, many people decide for them.
Like all gym equipment, you must clean bumper plates. In this article, I will explain how to adequately clean your bumper plates so that they last as long as possible.
How to Clean Bumper Plates?
To clean bumper plates, wash them with warm soapy water and dry cloth and rinse well once you have grime and dirt off. After that, leave it to dry or remove the water with a separate and clean cloth or a towel.
Quick Summary
- Regular bumper plate cleaning will extend their life, save money, and provide an enjoyable workout.
- Bumper plates are constantly exposed to serious exercise, often fall on the floor, and are prone to wear and tear.
- Constantly monitor the status of your payments so that they do not become unsafe and you cannot use them anymore.
- You don’t need anything more than warm soapy water, powdered cleaner, and dry soft cloth to clean the bumper plates.
Why Is Proper Maintenance and Care of Bumper Plates Important?
Proper maintenance and care of bumper plates is important because it extends their lifespan, creates a habit of cleaning gym equipment, and saves us money.
Bumper plates are one of the gym equipment we use every day. They are often used for severe and difficult exercises such as deadlifts, so it often happens that we suddenly drop them to the ground. Regular maintenance makes it possible for them to last as long as possible.
Regular cleaning of bumper plates with us can create a habit of taking care of gym equipment. If we treat these weights the right way, we will need to treat the rest of the equipment the same way, enabling us to train in a hygienically clean and quality space.
When purchasing, manufacturers often provide a warranty on weight plates. However, our guarantee will not be valid if the weights show that they have not been taken care of and that they have not been used adequately and safely.
Quality bumper plates are not cheap. By constantly cleaning and taking care of them, we save money.
How to Clean New Bumper Plates?
To clean new bumper plates, you need warm soapy water, or if you want to advance it, add powdered cleaner and dry soft cloth.
Pour hot water into the bucket.
There is no difference between cleaning brand-new bumper plates and old, rusty ones.
The basic principle of cleaning heavier bumper plates is to pour warm water into a bucket, take a dry cloth (or a dry towel), dip it in water, squeeze it out, and wipe your weights.
Take a dry cloth and dip it into the hot water.
Then leave them to dry. That is the easiest way to remove dust and oil from your weights.
If you want to go a step further, it is enough to put any powdered cleaner or dish soap in warm water and repeat the procedure.
Put powdered cleaner into the hot water for better results.
This procedure will make it even easier to clean your weights because it will be easier to wash away all the fat deposits from them.
Best Ways to Clean Bumper Plates
The best way to clean a bumper plate is to use warm water, powdered cleaner or soap, and dry cloth.
This principle is quite simple and shows the best results. You must pour dish soap or powdered cleaner into warm water, mix, dip a dry cloth, squeeze out excess water and wipe your bumper rubber plates.
You can repeat this process as often as you want until you are delighted with the cleanliness of your weights. It is important to add that there is no difference between cleaning old and new weights.
Where to Purchase Bumper Cleaning Liquids and Plates?
You can purchase bumper cleaning liquids and plates in your local gym equipment store, or buy them online. You can use dish soap or powdered cleaner if you can’t find specialized cleaners.
Using soap or powdered cleaner can make your cleaning more effective.
There are plenty of fitness stores that sell this type of product. You should always buy them from a respected and well-reputed seller. Thus, you will ensure yourself the purchase of a quality and useful product.
Inspecting Your Bumper Plates
Due to constant and intensive use, monitoring your bumper plate condition is necessary.
First, it is important to monitor the wear and tear on your weights. Due to intensive use, it is practically normal for this to occur. If you clean your weights regularly, they will last longer.
Over time, wear and tear can change the shape of the weight, and then it’s time to buy new ones.
Monitor your weights for scratches or damage to the rubber surface layer of the weights. Over time, there may be cracks in the protection, which can make your weights unsafe.
Follow the sound of your weights. If you hear something rattling or cracking during exercise, your middle inserts have gotten loose. It is enough to take a hex key and tighten the steel inserts.
If you don’t do this, you can permanently damage your weight.
How to Store Bumper Plates
You can store the bumper plates on racks, and weight plate trees, have them wall-mounted, or put them on squat rack or bike racks.
Most importantly, you don’t keep your weights scattered around the gym or stacked on top of each other because that makes your space messy and cluttered and affects the quality of your weights.
I will present you with solutions for storing your bumper plates.
Weight Plate Trees
Weight plate trees are a good solution for storing your weights.
In addition to keeping your weights in one place, raised off the floor, and allowing you to store them however you want, it takes up much less space than other solutions.
The negative thing about weight plate trees is that, like other gym equipment, it requires us to allocate specific funds for their purchase.
Although it is not cheap, buying this for your gym is a total hit because you will have all your weights in one place and manage to create additional free space.
Wall-Mounted
A wall-mounted rack, a bar for weights placed on the wall, is an excellent solution because it doesn’t take up any space on the floor, but it can be inconvenient if you doubt the strength of your walls and plan to place a lot of heavier weights.
A-Frame
A-frame is an excellent solution for storing all your weights at the cost of taking up a lot of space.
Vertical
These tall racks are an excellent solution for saving space in your home gym. If you manage to find models on wheels, it will make your daily training much easier.
Squat Rack Pegs
Squat rack pegs can be a temporary solution for storing your plates. They are solid and available if you have a squat rack.
Their problem is that they are not intended for storing multiple weights, so that you can put an average of two bumper plates on them.
Bike Rack
This is the right solution for those who like DIY variants. You can find bike racks in any hardware store or on the Internet.
The diameter of the bike rack matches that of the bumper plate, and you can place your plates on it.
FAQs
Can Bumper Plates Rust?
No, bumper plates cannot rust. Most of this weight is coated with protection, so rusting is not the issue. The only thing that can rust on them is the steel collar on the inside of the plate.
What Is the Best Bumper Cleaner?
The best bumper cleaner is warm water, powdered cleaner, soap, and dry cloth.
How Do You Clean Oily Bumper Plates?
Clean the oily bumper plates by mixing warm water with soap or powdered cleaner, dip a dry cloth in it, squeeze the water out of it, wipe your weights, and leave them to dry or wipe them with another dry cloth.
How Long Do Bumper Plates Last?
Bumper plates last from 3 to 4 years to twenty years, depending on the type, quality, amount of use, and cleaning.
What Is the Best Way to Clean Bumper Plates?
The best way to clean bumper plates is to grab a bucket of warm water, mix it with soap or powdered cleaner, dip a dry cloth and clean your bumper plates.
Wipe them as many times as you think necessary until they shine. Then you can leave them to dry or wipe them with a dry cloth.
Regular cleaning and monitoring of the condition of your bumper plates will extend their life, reduce the cost of buying new bumpers and create a training atmosphere with clean and shiny equipment.
