I’m sure you’d want to keep your massage gun in tip top shape, especially if you’ve ever felt any of its benefits to your health and fitness.
I’ve used massage guns for a few years now and I’ve gotten to know quite a bit about them.
Here are some tips I learned on how to take care of a percussive massager – to make sure yours works for years to come.
Let’s begin with the basics.
Basic Maintenance: How do you maintain a massage gun?
Some time ago, I had to retire my first massage gun due to battery problems. It was a cheap no-name model and it just wasn’t charging much anymore.
I can’t say I’ll have the same issues for my Musclegun because of its massive 3400mAh Samsung battery with 4-8-hour battery life.
But still, it’s important to treat your tools right.
Cleaning your massage gun
Maintaining a percussive massager or massage gun is simple.
First and foremost, it involves keeping it clean after each use.
Step one. You should probably wash and dry your hands first, especially if you used the massage gun after your workout.
Next, get a clean cloth (microfibre or cotton, take your pick.)
Keep the cloth damp with a few drops of water if you’d like to have a bit more cleaning power, although this is optional.
And then, while it’s turned off, get a firm grip on the massage gun and wipe each part of it: handle, body, and other external bits.
That’s pretty much it, but it’s also important to make sure it’s sanitised as well, especially in this day and age.
Don’t use any household cleaning products like bleach or any strong acids: they may react to the device, causing stains or corroding its surface.
I use a spritz of mild hand sanitizer on a clean cloth to disinfect the massager attachments or heads, as well as the grip.
Never spray directly on the device because it may get into the electronics.
If you do this basic cleaning with each use, you’ll avoid anything encrusting onto the device’s surface: like residue from lotion, moisturiser, or other body-care products (or maybe even crystallised sweat).
Simple enough, right?
However, aside from cleaning, there are still other considerations in a massage gun’s maintenance.
Considerations when taking care of a massage gun
Taking care of your muscle massager’s battery
Battery issues plague a lot of devices’ longevity these days.
My first deep tissue massager gun had to be retired after less than two years because it would only last 10 minutes after a supposed “full charge.”
From personal experience, don’t fully drain your massage gun’s battery. The battery researchers at Battery University found that:
“If at all possible, avoid full discharges and charge the battery more often between uses [emphasis added]. Partial discharge on Li-ion [batteries] is fine.”
- Battery University by Cadex Electronics (source)
So, if you see the battery indicator getting low, give it a break and charge it.
No one likes a massage session being cut short, but giving your muscle massager a much-needed recharge is definitely worth it.
The good news is, if you get our Musclegun, you’d barely have this annoyance of constantly charging again and again: that’s another benefit of our 4–8-hour battery life.
Because with technology and industrial design these days, things like massage guns can be made more compact, as well as have much longer battery life—feats that would be difficult if the batteries were removable and not intimately part of the product’s core design.
Therefore, taking care of your massager’s battery is the number one thing to ensure that it can serve you (and your sore muscles) for years to come.
Maximising the lifespan of your charging cable
Another best practice is to keep your charging cable and charging port unstressed.
That is, when your muscle massage gun is charging, leave it alone to charge.
Because a lot of people ask this:
Can you use a massage gun while it’s charging?
Avoid using your massage gun while it’s charging, because that will introduce all sorts of stresses to the charging cable which might cause it to break after repeated bending, due to a process called “metal fatigue.”
Metal Fatigue can cause charging cables to just fall apart one day.
It’s ideal to leave your massage gun charging on top of a hard, solid surface such as a wooden table, granite countertop, or plastic desk because charging generates some heat.
Leave some space around both the charger and the device so that fresh, cooler air can circulate around it.
Don’t mistakenly leave a cloth or towel over your massager because excessive heat can damage batteries.
Our Musclegun is constructed from aerospace-grade aluminium material.
This can better dissipate heat throughout the massager’s body versus other brands that can leave you with a burning plastic smell.
However, in extreme conditions like a really hot day, batteries of pretty much every type can be vulnerable to extreme heat.
Needless to say, don’t use your massage gun when it’s overheating, especially when it starts to get too hot to the touch.
Thankfully, the Musclegun automatically turns off after 10 minutes to avoid overheating.
Overheating can cause your percussive massager to (temporarily) stop working through a built-in failsafe, depending on the severity of the problem.
Prolonged use while a massager is hot can cause problems with its structural integrity down the line:
Therefore, it’s very important to wait for it to cool down before using it again.
Can you overcharge a massage gun?
Unless you’re buying a bottom-of-the-barrel, excessively cheap device, in general, you can’t really “overcharge” a massage gun, provided you’re properly using the included charging cable and adapter. A dependable and solid massage gun like our Musclegun has a charging protection circuit that keeps its Lithium-Ion battery safe from dangers such as overcharging.
You might not get the same level of protection if you buy a cheap no-name China brand.
However, like we mentioned earlier, battery failure can stem from excessive heat.
If the battery died while the device was plugged in, it might even appear as “overcharging” was the culprit, so watch out for that.
One last thing to keep in mind with your massager’s lifespan are its accessories and attachments:
Keep all the massage gun attachments together!
It’s always frustrating when attachments for one of our many devices around the home go missing or get lost.
Just one moment of indiscipline—not keeping things where they should be—can lead to hours of searching for a part or accessory underneath a couch or household appliance that hasn’t been moved in years.
It’s easier said than done, but it still needs to be said: keep those attachments together at all times!
The Musclegun makes it easy with its included protective carry case which carries everything it needs, including the charger, so you don’t even have to think about it after an intense workout session.
And with that, you should be well-equipped with the knowhow in keeping your massage gun maintained.
Summary
In summary, basic maintenance of your massage gun will allow it to fulfil your–and your muscles’–expectations for years to come.
All it takes is a quick wipe down with a clean damp cloth, keeping in mind the best practices when it comes to charging your massage gun, as well as storing the attachments safely together. Have fun using your massage gun!
If you’re tired of losing your massage gun’s attachments, take a look at our Musclegun: with included carrying case, a Samsung 3400maH battery for up to 8 hours of massaging use, and more—delivered overnight straight to your door NZ wide.