A Story from the Field: Coach Ek and the Court That Went Silent for Three Weeks

Coach Ek runs an indoor sports center in Ongkharak District, Nakhon Nayok. It is the kind of place every community wishes it had: a hardwood gymnasium used for basketball and volleyball, a small fitness room with treadmills and weight machines, separate men's and women's locker rooms, and an indoor swimming pool where local children come for lessons every evening after school. The last quarter of the year is always the busiest season. Schools hold inter-school tournaments, and students from the nearby colleges and universities rent the court for training before their competitions.

In early October 2026, water from the canals and rice fields around Ongkharak spilled into the area. It entered the sports center to a depth of almost half a meter, flooding the wooden court, the locker rooms and the deck around the pool. Brown, cloudy water poured into the pool until the bottom could no longer be seen. The water stayed for nearly three weeks.

On the day the water finally drained away, Coach Ek walked into the gym with a flashlight. Several floorboards had cupped and lifted. A thin film of mud covered the entire court. The gymnastics mats and crash pads that had been stacked against the wall were swollen with water and speckled with black spots. The locker rooms smelled of stagnant water, old sweat and damp so strongly that he had to hold his breath. The steel lockers were starting to rust. Towels and sports shoes that members had left behind were covered in green patches of mold. In the shower rooms, mud had settled into the grout lines, and a foul smell was rising back up through the floor drains.

His phone started to buzz with messages. Parents wanted to know when their children could return to swimming lessons. A university team that had booked the court for pre-tournament training called every single day. Coach Ek knew that reopening too early, without proper disinfection, could leave athletes sick or with skin infections. And if that happened, the trust he had built over many years could disappear overnight.

This situation is not unique. School gymnasiums, fitness centers, badminton halls, futsal courts and swimming pools across Ongkharak, Ban Na and Mueang Nakhon Nayok faced the same problem after this year's floods. The question is no longer whether to clean, but how to clean in a way that is fast, thorough and safe enough to let people back in with confidence.

Why Sports Halls and Locker Rooms Are Especially Risky After a Flood

A sports facility is a place where many people touch floors, mats and equipment directly with their skin. They sweat, they breathe hard, they walk barefoot in showers and around the pool. Sweat, warmth and humidity in locker rooms and shower areas already create ideal conditions for bacteria and fungi in normal times. When floodwater brings mud, wastewater and sewage into the building, the risk multiplies.

Floodwater is not clean rainwater. As it flows through fields, roads, drains and septic systems, it picks up bacteria, animal waste, fertilizers and chemicals. When it recedes, it leaves all of that behind in a layer of silt on every surface it touched. In a sports center, those surfaces include the court where players dive for a ball, the benches where swimmers sit wet, and the mats where children practice forward rolls.

Health risks for athletes and members

• Skin infections such as athlete's foot, itchy rashes and infected cuts, from walking barefoot on shower floors and pool decks or lying on contaminated mats. Athletes often have small scrapes and blisters that give germs an easy way in.
• Floodwater bacteria such as E. coli that remain on court floors, handrails and exercise equipment. Hands touch these surfaces, then touch water bottles, towels and faces, which can lead to diarrhea and stomach illness.
• Leptospirosis is a real risk for staff and volunteers who clean up mud by hand, especially if they have open wounds or work without boots and gloves.
• Airborne mold spores in closed fitness rooms and locker rooms can trigger allergies and asthma. This is especially dangerous during intense exercise, when people breathe deeply and rapidly through the mouth.

Risks to income and reputation

Sports centers and gyms survive on regular members, parents who send their children for swimming lessons and teams that rent the court. If the facility reopens and the locker room still smells musty, or if a child develops a rash after a swimming class, the news spreads through parent chat groups within hours. On the other hand, staying closed too long pushes members to sign up somewhere else. Recovery has to be fast and correct at the same time, and that balance is hard to achieve without a clear plan.

Risks to equipment and the building

A damp hardwood court will cup, warp and eventually rot. Gymnastics mats and yoga mats grow mold from the inside. Steel lockers rust at the seams and hinges. Fitness machines with motors and circuit boards may fail. Ceiling boards above the locker rooms absorb humidity and start to sag. If moisture and mold are not dealt with systematically, repair costs keep rising month after month, long after the water has gone.

Why Ordinary Cleaning Is Not Enough

Most facility managers start with the obvious steps. These steps are necessary, but on their own they leave important gaps.

Hosing down the mud and mopping the floor. This is the essential first step, but it does not kill germs. Worse, water that seeps into the gaps between hardwood boards adds even more moisture, which helps mold continue to grow beneath the surface.

Pouring bleach in the shower rooms. Bleach can help on glazed tiles, but its fumes in a closed room irritate the eyes and airways of the people doing the cleaning. It is also unsuitable for wooden floors, synthetic leather mats and metal equipment, which it can discolor or corrode.

Spraying air freshener in the locker room. This masks the smell for a few hours at most. The musty odor from inside the lockers, the floor drains and the ceiling space comes back as soon as the weather turns hot and humid again.

Turning on fans and waiting for everything to dry. At the end of the rainy season, natural drying takes a very long time. Fans also do nothing to destroy the mold spores embedded in mats, walls and ceiling boards. They can even spread spores around the room.

Repainting stained walls. Fresh paint over damp, moldy plaster looks good for a few weeks, then bubbles and peels as the moisture and mold underneath push through.

What is missing from all of these methods is a step that actually reduces germs on every surface, including the hidden ones, and a step that treats the air and the odor at their source.

The Solution: Chemgene HLD4H Disinfection Fogging and Ozone Treatment for Sports Centers

World Health Disinfection (WHD) restores sports centers after floods with its disinfection service, using CHEMGENE HLD4H disinfectant applied through ULV (ultra-low volume) fogging machines. The fine droplets reach the court surface, the base of the walls, the spectator stands, the inside and outside of lockers, benches, shower rooms and the deck around the pool. This helps reduce bacteria, viruses and fungi on the surfaces that skin touches most often.

For rooms that can be closed, such as locker rooms, shower rooms, the fitness room and equipment storage, the team adds the ozone treatment service. Ozone is a gas, so it spreads into places that sprays and cloths cannot reach: inside lockers, through the foam of mats, behind ceiling boards and into the gaps of wooden benches. It helps destroy mold spores and breaks down the molecules that cause musty smells, old sweat odors and the smell of stagnant water. After the treatment, the room is ventilated and the ozone breaks down back into oxygen, leaving no chemical residue behind.

Using fogging and ozone together covers both halves of the problem. Fogging puts disinfectant directly on surfaces, and ozone treats the air and the porous materials where odor and spores hide. For a facility with both open courts and closed rooms, this combination is far more complete than either method alone.

A note about the pool water itself: Treating the swimming pool water, which includes draining, cleaning the pool floor, servicing the filtration system and adjusting chlorine levels, should be done by an experienced pool maintenance technician. WHD's service focuses on the pool surroundings, changing rooms, shower rooms and the building, so that the whole facility is clean at the same time as the pool is brought back into balance.

Step-by-step service process

1. Site survey. The team divides the facility into zones: open courts, closed rooms and the pool surroundings. They check which areas are still damp, where mold is visible and which equipment needs to be disinfected or protected.
2. Clean-up advice. Before the service day, the team advises on removing mud, carrying mats outside to dry, throwing away heavily molded towels and personal items, and arranging for an electrician to check the wiring and fitness equipment.
3. ULV disinfection fogging across the gym, spectator stands, locker rooms, shower rooms and pool deck, paying special attention to the places people touch: handrails, benches, door handles, locker doors and equipment grips.
4. Ozone treatment in closed rooms. Doors are closed, and the time and concentration are set according to room size. Locker doors are left open so ozone can reach inside.
5. Ventilation. Doors, windows and exhaust fans are opened until the ozone has fully dissipated before any staff return to the area.
6. Re-check. The team checks odor and moisture levels and gives advice on care before the facility reopens to members.

Places Sports Centers Often Overlook After the Water Recedes

Even a hard-working cleaning crew can miss the spots where problems hide. These are the areas that most often cause odors and complaints after reopening:

• Inside the lockers. Towels, shoes and sportswear left behind by members grow mold and send odor through the whole room. Each locker needs to be opened, emptied and treated.
• Tile grout and floor drains in the shower rooms. Mud settles into the grout, and foul smells rise back up from the drains. Drains may need flushing before disinfection.
• Under the spectator stands and stage. These dark corners hold water the longest, and nobody goes there to clean.
• Gymnastics mats, yoga mats and punching bags. They soak up water inside, and mold grows from the core outward even when the surface looks fine.
• Rubber floor tiles in the fitness room. Water seeps underneath and stays trapped for a long time. Lifting a few tiles to check is worth the effort.
• Ceiling spaces above locker rooms. Humid air rises, and ceiling boards can become a hidden mold source that drops spores back into the room.
• Equipment storage rooms. Balls, nets, rackets and training cones are often stored in small, closed rooms that stay humid long after the main hall dries out.

How to Plan Recovery Zone by Zone

One of the biggest worries for sports center managers is how long the whole facility must stay closed. In many cases, it does not have to close completely. A zone-by-zone plan can let some activities restart sooner while others are still being treated.

Zone 1: The main court and stands. This is a large, open space. After mud removal and drying, it is mainly treated by ULV fogging. If the floorboards are sound, this zone can often be ready first, allowing team training to restart.

Zone 2: Locker rooms and showers. These are the most sensitive rooms because people undress, shower and walk barefoot there. They need thorough cleaning, fogging and ozone treatment. Until they are ready, teams can be asked to arrive already changed.

Zone 3: The fitness room. Machines need to be checked by a technician first. After that, fogging handles equipment surfaces and ozone handles the room air and rubber flooring, with electronics covered.

Zone 4: The pool surroundings. The pool deck, changing area and spectator seating are treated in coordination with the pool technician's schedule, so the area is ready when the water quality is back to normal.

Planning this way also makes it easier to communicate with members. Instead of one vague message saying "we are closed," the center can share a clear timeline of what reopens and when.

10 Reasons Sports Centers in Ongkharak Choose WHD for Flood Recovery

1. Reduce the risk of skin infections and athlete's foot with ULV disinfection fogging that covers every surface skin touches.
2. Ozone treatment removes locker room odors that ordinary sprays cannot handle.
3. The team uses CHEMGENE HLD4H, a disinfectant suited to surface disinfection in real working spaces.
4. Fine droplets reach under the stands, between lockers and into tile grout.
5. Both open courts and closed rooms are handled in a single appointment.
6. Mats, rubber flooring and equipment are protected through controlled ozone dosing.
7. Facilities can reopen sooner, in time for the year-end competition season.
8. Parents who send their children to swimming lessons gain confidence in the facility.
9. A clear, step-by-step process that managers can explain to members and boards.
10. Add the mosquito spraying service around the building, because mosquitoes usually multiply after floodwater recedes.

Before and After Sports Center Recovery

Customer Voice

"The locker rooms were what worried me most because the smell was so strong. After the team fogged and ozone-treated them, the smell was gone. I could tell parents with full confidence that we had cleaned properly before reopening."

— Manager of an indoor sports center, Ongkharak District (a story from the field)

Checklist Before Reopening Your Sports Center

• Have a qualified electrician inspect wiring, water pumps and powered fitness equipment.
• Ask the pool technician to drain, clean and test the water quality before reopening the pool.
• Discard heavily molded towels, shoes and personal items, and notify members in advance.
• Make sure staff wear rubber gloves and boots while removing mud, and cover any wounds completely.
• Check wooden courts and rubber tiles for warped or slippery spots to prevent injuries.
• Restock hand soap and paper towels in the restrooms, and place hand sanitizer at the entrance and in the fitness room.
• If anyone develops a high fever, calf pain or red eyes after wading through floodwater, they should see a doctor, following the advice of the Department of Disease Control.

Keeping the Facility Fresh After Reopening

Once the center is open again, the goal is to stop mold and odors from returning while the surrounding area is still drying out. A few simple habits make a big difference:

• Run exhaust fans in locker rooms and showers for longer than usual, especially in the evening after the last session.
• Ask members to take towels and shoes home rather than leaving them in lockers for the next few weeks.
• Wipe down shared equipment such as dumbbells, bench seats and mats at the end of each day. For quick spot cleaning, the CHEMGENE HLD4H 750ml spray is convenient to keep at the front desk.
• Pour water into rarely used floor drains once a week so the trap stays full and sewer smells cannot rise.
• Watch for new black spots on walls, ceilings and mats, and schedule a follow-up treatment if they appear.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: The gym has a very high ceiling and a huge floor area. Can it be treated with ozone?
A: Large open areas are mainly treated with ULV disinfection fogging. Closed rooms such as locker rooms, shower rooms, the fitness room and equipment storage are treated with ozone as well. The team assesses each space and chooses the most suitable method.

Q: Does the service include treating the pool water?
A: Pool water treatment should be handled by a pool technician. WHD takes care of the pool surroundings, changing rooms and the building, so both jobs can be coordinated and completed together.

Q: Do moldy gymnastics mats need to be thrown away?
A: If a mat is torn, or water has soaked into the foam and mold is heavy inside, replacement is worth considering. Mats with an intact surface can be cleaned, dried in the sun, then disinfected and ozone-treated.

Q: How long will the center need to close?
A: It depends on the size of the facility and how damp it still is. After the survey, the team gives an estimated timeframe and plans the work zone by zone so that some areas can reopen as quickly as possible.

Q: Can schools and government agencies use the service?
A: Yes. The service covers school gymnasiums, agency sports facilities and fitness rooms in condominiums and housing estates.

Q: Is the fitness equipment safe during ozone treatment?
A: The team controls the ozone dose and recommends covering or removing sensitive electronics such as display panels. Rubber and elastic parts are protected by keeping the dose and duration appropriate to the room.

Q: How do I get in touch?
A: Call 065-556-6294 or add LINE @whd268.

Get Your Sports Center Back in Play, Safely

Talk to the World Health Disinfection team to plan disinfection fogging and ozone treatment for your gym, indoor sports hall, locker rooms and pool surroundings in Ongkharak, Nakhon Nayok and nearby areas.

See Disinfection Service, Click Here

Book Ozone Treatment, Click Here

Call 065-556-6294 · LINE @whd268 · worldhealthdisinfection@gmail.com

Related Articles and Services

• Ozone treatment for odors and chemical residue
• Master Ozone Generator
• Mosquito spraying service
• Read all articles

Sources: WHO – Floods and health and the Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health