Practice Good Pool Hygiene With These 6 Tips

You’ve opened your pool and got all the chemical levels exactly where they need to be; now it’s time to discuss pool hygiene. It’s not enough that your pool is swimmer ready, the swimmers also need to pool ready. Throughout the years you may have heard pool myths or rules that seem made up. Those rules, however, were created to keep yourself and other swimmers safe. It may seem that these rules are put in place to hinder your pool experience, but they are there for the opposite reason. These pool etiquette steps should be taken in order to keep the pool a safe and clean area for all swimmers. Read on to learn how to practice good pool hygiene with these 6 tips.

1. While some may think of pools as large bathtubs, that’s not true. You’ll want to be properly bathed before and after pool use. Yes, that means with soap and non-chlorinated water. The likelihood of tracking unwanted dirt or anything else that can stick to your skin into the pool is significantly less. A thorough shower may also help to maintain your pool’s chemical levels. Without combining cosmetics (and other items commonly found on the skin) with pool water, the levels are likely to remain in the proper state to provide ideal swimming conditions. 
2. Be sure to take bathroom breaks. This may seem obvious, but children need to be reminded. Hourly bathroom breaks can elongate pool fun. This time should also be used to reapply sunscreen, re-hydrate, and eat. The pool isn’t going anywhere, a few minutes away will do your body good. You’ll also want to make sure you and your children thoroughly wash your hands before returning to the pool. 
3. Babies in bathing suits are cute, poolside diaper changing, not so much. In order to keep pool goers safe, be sure to make those diaper changes far away from the pool. You’ll also want to closely monitor your child’s diaper while in the pool.  Swim diapers aren’t leak-proof; limit the spread of germs by changing your young one’s diaper more frequently.
4. Know when not to swim. If your child is suffering from a cold or has an open wound, swimming is not the best activity for them. Whether suffering from a cold or an open wound, the risk of spreading germs is higher. In order to keep the pool a safe space for everyone, those with a cold or open wound should stay away from the pool. This will allow their body time to heal without interrupting the delicate chemical balance in the local pool.
5. Pool levels are constantly being monitored, but there’s no harm in a quick check before diving in. Check the chemical levels in the pool before each swim. If you are enjoying a day at the public pool, don’t hesitate to ask a staff member about the latest pH measurement. This will ensure that if something isn’t right, you find out before swimmers start splashing around.
6. Trust your instincts. If something seems off with the pool, don’t swim. If there is an overwhelming smell of chlorine, that’s a sign something isn’t right. That smell typically arises when bodily fluids mix with the chlorine in your pool. Be sure to notify the proper people to look into the problem.

A day of swimming and lounging in the sun is a summer day well spent. However, don’t let your eagerness to cool off jeopardize the safety of yourself and other pool goers. Follow these tips to have more of those days than not during the warmer months.