Why You Should Shower Before You Swim

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Have you ever seen those signs posted in public pools that say you must shower before entering the pool? Have you ever wondered why many pool owners want you to shower before diving in for a cool dip in the water?

Showering before entering a pool is one of the least practiced habits before swimming in most countries around the world. In many ways it is understandable. After all, you are about to jump into a pool. What is the point of taking a shower first?

There are actually several reasons why you should take a shower before entering a pool.

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Common Courtesy: Shower Before You Swim

Being considerate of others is always important. Showering before you jump into somebody else’s pool will remove anything on your body that could dirty their pool. If someone is letting you use their pool, you should try to do everything you can to make sure it stays as clean as it was before you got in. Taking a quick shower before you get in is one of the best and most considerate things you can do for pool owners and other swimmers.

Remove Contaminants from Your Body

Unless you just stepped out of the shower, there is a good chance that your body will have substances on it that will contaminate a pool. These include sweat, soap, perfume, shampoo, deodorant, urine and even feces.

While you may not want to admit that there is urine and feces on your body, they could be present in such small amounts that you would never even notice. However, once they come in contact with pool water, they will contaminate the water. Now imagine if every swimmer in the pool for that day had a little urine or feces on them. The amounts would begin to add up, wouldn’t they?

A simple shower with water only can wash these substances from your body so they don’t get into the pool water when you go for a swim. This will help the pool remain cleaner for much longer.

Easier on the Pool

The more contaminated the water becomes because of what you introduce to the water, the hard the pool has to work to be sure it is clean. More chlorine has to be added to be sure the water is clean and safe and the pool’s pumps and filters will have to work hard to remove these contaminants in the water.

It’s also easier on the pool owners as well. The less they have to do to keep the pool clean, the easier it is on them both in terms of their time and their money.

Cleaner is Safer

While this may be last on our list, it is probably the most important reason of all. Think about why pools use chlorine to keep them clean? Chlorine is used to kill potential harmful bacteria and other pathogens that not only impact how clean the water looks, but also how safe it is. Water that is filled with this bacteria can cause you to become sick if you spend enough time swimming in it.

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Most people associate the smell of chlorine as a sign that a pool is clean. However, they couldn’t be more wrong. The smell generated by chlorine is only present while it is oxidizing contaminants. Therefore, a pool that is completely clean will have very little, if any, odor at all. The stronger the smell the more work the chlorine is having to do meaning the pool is actually dirtier.

As you can see, showering before swimming is one habit that everyone should try to develop. Not only is it common courtesy and better for the pool, but in the end it means that less chlorine will have to be used to make sure that it is safe and clean for everyone.

So before you decide to take a dip in either a public pool or your own, take a few minutes to take a short shower to be sure your body is properly clean. That way, you can do your part in helping the owner of the pool maintain a clean pool that is free from both harmful chemicals and contaminants on your body.

Happy Swimming!

Last Updated: Tuesday, July 14th, 2015