In this article is a complete guide to treadmill desk maintenance and care that should be followed to ensure your treadmill base works to the best possible level. Plus, following these steps will also ensure you achieve a longer lifespan for your precious treadmill.
Knowing when to oil your treadmill desk and what to do when something goes wrong will be a significant advantage towards keeping your treadmill base in the best possible condition.
After all, they are an investment and so you’ll want to knock as much life out of it as possible.
Fortunately, you can find out all this and more by reading on.
Plus, as is customary in all my blogs, get your hands on expert tips and tricks which will make caring and maintaining your treadmill workstation a walk in the park.
Did you know? Research has shown that people spend as much as 50 – 86% of their workday completing seated activities. Source
Do treadmill desks require maintenance?
Treadmill desks require minimal care and maintenance. Each manufacturer should give guidance on how often the treadmill should be oiled. The Treadly under desk treadmill should be lubricated every 100 – 125 miles to ensure that the belt works to optimal performance and to minimize wear and tear on the treadmill.
Every month or so, the treadmill and the standing desk fittings should be checked to ensure that they have not come loose.
The treadmill running surface may indicate signs that it needs to be adjusted:
- If the running surface is loose, it may need to be tightened
- If the running surface is tight, it may need to be loosened
- If the running belt has shifted to the left or right, it may need to be recentered
If the treadmill desk feels shaky or sounds squeaky, then components should be checked as soon as possible to prevent damage or injury.
Casters and non-skid pads should be checked to ensure they are intact and not wearing. In addition, dirt and hair can often clog up casters, so this should be removed to ensure a flowing wheel motion.
The Sunny Health and Fitness website have some excellent tutorials and videos for their products, from maintenance to troubleshooting guides to running belt alignment and even workout videos! It’s worth a look!
If you’re concerned about the manual handling of the treadmill during maintenance and cleaning or portability is a priority for you, then you should review the weight of the most popular treadmill desks to narrow down your search in seconds!
The lightest under desk treadmill weighs 40 pounds.
Tip: Lubricating your treadmill frequently will help extend the lifespan and encourage a smoother performance.
Can you use WD-40 to lubricate a treadmill?
Most treadmill manufacturers advise against using WD-40 or generic household lubricants for oiling your treadmill. There are oils specifically designed for use on treadmills for optimal performance. Some manufacturers will also recommend a specific brand of lubricant for their treadmills.
The treadmill should be lubricated with a 100% silicone oil.
How to clean a treadmill desk?
The primary area that requires cleaning on a treadmill is around and underneath the belt. Since the treadmill desk will not be subject to outdoor environments, the majority of cleaning will consist of wiping away the dust, stains and spills. This can be accomplished in the most part with a damp cloth. However, if stains occur, soap and warm water can also be used to wipe the treadmill and standing desk.
Materials that could damage the treadmill include:
- Acetone
- Brushes
- Chemicals
- Furniture polish
- Glass cleaner
- Harsh cleaning agents
Ensure that the treadmill is plugged out before you clean it.
With treadmill desk bases, it’s recommended to clean them regularly. They should be cleaned after each day or after each user if the treadmill desk is shared.
Spills around or on the treadmill workstation should be cleaned immediately.
In addition, the area where the treadmill desk is positioned should also be kept clean. Particular emphasis should be placed on cleaning the floor where the treadmill desk will be positioned or wheeled through.
The user manual should highlight what cleaning agents can be used to clean the treadmill.
This will minimize the amount of dirt and hair that can become trapped in the caster wheels.
When people realize the sheer multitude of uses and benefits of using a treadmill workstation, others may start using it too. This may mean that a more frequent cleaning regime is required.
Tip: Using dedicated runners or shoes for use only on the treadmill will ensure no dirt gets transferred to the treadmill.
Can you sanitize treadmill desks?
Treadmill desks can be sanitized and this is good practice, especially if the treadmill desk is shared or after an intense workout. To disinfect a treadmill desk, wipe down the touch points with an alcohol wipe or spray alcohol onto a cloth and wipe the treadmill down.
Ideally, desk treadmills should be sanitized every day that it is used.
The primary touch points include the:
- desk tabletop
- running belt
- height adjustment buttons
- treadmill control buttons
- remote control
- safety clip
- handles
The best place to position your treadmill desk may be near a window or away from heaters if you want to minimize sweating.
Tip: Avoid spraying IPA directly on to the desk treadmill.
Do treadmill desks come assembled?
Most desk treadmills are sold as flat packs so they generally require minimal assembly; The assembly process can usually be completed within about 10 – 15 minutes.
After receiving your treadmill you will need to:
- Unpackage it from the box
- Position it in the desired area
- Plug it in and confirm that it is functioning correctly
- Lubricate it if it has not already been oiled
- Attach foldable handrails
- If the product is a treadmill workstation, then the standing desk will also need to be put together.
Often, if you purchase from a reputable store, this assembly is executed by a technician.
Once assembly is complete, height adjustments to the desk need to be completed to ensure it fits your height.
Safeguarding the lifespan of a treadmill desk can be achieved by properly assembling the treadmill base and standing desk. That along with knowing the common mistakes to avoid when using a treadmill desk properly.
Tip: If the casters provided on your treadmill desk become worn out, are unsuitable for the flooring or are simply just poor quality, you can sometimes get replacement casters separately.
Are treadmill desks noisy?
Most treadmill desks are very quiet and range from an average noise level of 6 – 70dB. Some of them are so quiet that you could use it next to a colleague or family member and they would barely notice you using it. You can expect slightly more noise from your feet pounding on the treadmill than the treadmill noise itself. If desk treadmills are positioned on a creaky floor or moves during use, the user can expect noise to be generated. However, a treadmill mat or rug can dampen the noise from a floor.
Noise can also be minimized by preventing the desk exercise treadmill from moving. Fortunately, there are some simple but extremely effective hacks to minimize noise when using a treadmill.
Some of the quietest under desk treadmills are ridiculously silent.
However, treadmill desks can noise if they are not adequately lubricated, components become worn, develop a fault or are not well maintained.
Adhering to the manufacturer’s guidelines for maintaining the treadmill desk and treadmill desk attachments will keep such squeaks to a minimum.
Tip: Check with the manufacturer or user manual to determine if they recommend any specific oil brands for use on the treadmill.
Do treadmill desks have a long warranty?
A treadmill desk should have a minimum of a 1-year warranty. The warranty on treadmill desks can be broken down based on the components. For example, the Sunny Health & Fitness guarantee entitles you to one of the longest warranties of treadmill desk manufacturers with:
- 5-year warranty on the structural frame of the Sunny treadpad slim under desk treadmill
- 180-day warranty on other parts and components
The WALKINGPAD warranty lasts 1 year and covers all parts.
Treadly are one of the top-of-the-range under desk treadmills. They offer a 12-month warranty on the frame, engine and labor costs.
Conclusion
While maintenance requirements for a treadmill base are relatively low, they are nevertheless vital to ensuring the treadmill runs smoothly and you reap years of use from the unit.
Following these steps and tips along with the manufacturer’s maintenance requirements will ensure you follow the right path to keeping you and your treadmill safe and healthy.
With treadmill workstations considered a positive intervention, and helping to avoid sitting disease, the last thing you want is for your treadmill to break down due to lack of lubricating the unit frequently enough.
For more FAQs, check out Treadmill Desk FAQs – Ultimate Guide To 17 Common Issues!
Knowing how to clean and maintain a treadmill workstation properly is essential. After that, the next most important thing is to know how to use a treadmill desk properly.
If you’re keen about discovering more about one of the most active workstations available or you are still in the process of selecting a treadmill workstation, then this article will help to ensure you choose the right one first time around: How to choose a treadmill desk and what to watch out for!
If the incredible health benefits of using a treadmill desk sound like something you need in your life (and who wouldn’t want extra energy and better health!), then check out my personal recommended products listed below for the under desk treadmill that I would buy.
Nevertheless, treadmill desks are not suited to everyone or their environment, and far be it from me to try and recommend something to you that won’t suit.
If you’re looking for alternative active workstations, fortunately for you, I have been looking into the many other ways which can be employed to create movement in your workstation.
The below items are what I’ve looked into so far in order of preference:
- Treadmill desks
- Standing desk converters
- Ergonomic chairs
- Standing desks
- Desk bike
- Kneeling chairs
- Standing desk chairs
- Anti-fatigue mats
- Balance boards
My personal favorite products so far are the:
- Sunny treadpad slim under desk treadmill 20740
- Sunny Health & Fitness SF-T1407M (high quality, compact, low-cost treadmill)
- Ergotron WorkFit-LX
- Bush Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk
- CoolMesh Pro Multi-Function Chair
My aim with this website is to help you on all matters related to your home office and your work area. With that in mind, if you have any questions or comments on the above, please drop them in the box below. I’d love to hear them!
