Why Shower Before Swimming?

It’s a common question many swimmers ask – do I really need to shower before getting into the swimming pool? The idea of showering before jumping into a giant bath may seem redundant to some. But that quick wash in the shower is actually really important. Showering removes dirt, sweat, personal care products, and other contaminants from your body that can negatively impact water quality if introduced into the pool.

Learn more about why you should shower before swimming in our guide.

Reduce contaminants

Taking a thorough shower before diving into the pool significantly reduces contaminants like sweat, cosmetics, and natural oils, ensuring the water stays cleaner for everyone. Start by rinsing your entire body with soap, focusing on areas that produce more sweat and oils. This simple act is crucial in maintaining pool hygiene and reducing the ‘yuck’ factor for all swimmers.

By washing away the day’s build-up of personal care products and natural body residues, you’re preventing these substances from reacting with chlorine. This reaction not only compromises the pool’s cleanliness but also contributes to that strong chlorine smell many mistakenly associate with cleanliness.

Avoid health implications

Skipping that pre-swim shower can significantly increase your risk of encountering unpleasant health issues, such as skin infections and swimmer’s ear, due to bacteria lingering in the pool water.

Here’s how showering before swimming helps you avoid health implications:

1. Reduces Skin Infections: Your skin is your largest organ and acts as a barrier against infections. When swimmers shower before entering the pool, they wash away most of the bacteria and fungi that could potentially cause infections.
2. Prevents Swimmer’s Ear: This painful condition is essentially an infection in your ear canal. It thrives in moist environments, especially where bacteria are present. Showering helps remove the bacteria from your body that could contribute to this infection.
3. Lowers Risk of Waterborne Illnesses: From diarrhoea to skin infections, the bacteria and viruses causing these illnesses can be significantly reduced if everyone washes their sweat, oils, and cosmetics down the shower drain.

Improve water quality and maintenance

By showering, you’re keeping yourself clean and actively contributing to the overall maintenance and quality of the pool water. It’s a simple step that significantly reduces the introduction of contaminants which are unpleasant and a burden on the pool’s filtration and chemical balance.

When you wash off these impurities, you’re directly affecting the chlorine demand in the pool. Less organic matter means chlorine can do its job more effectively without being overly consumed in reactions with contaminants. This ensures a healthy pool and reduces the need for excessive chemical treatments.

Enhance environmental benefits

Showering before swimming not only keeps the pool clean but also significantly reduces the environmental impact by lessening chemical demand. When you take that extra couple of minutes to wash off before diving in, you’re actually doing a huge favour for our planet. Here’s how:

1. Reduced Chemical Usage: By showering first, you directly decrease the amount of chlorine and other sanitising chemicals needed to keep the water clean and safe. Less chemical usage means a smaller environmental footprint.
2. Cost Savings for Pool Operators: Fewer chemicals not only benefit the environment but also lead to significant cost savings for pool operators. Money saved on purchasing expensive water treatment chemicals can be redirected to other environmental or community-enhancing projects.
3. Lower Energy Consumption: Processing and producing pool chemicals is energy-intensive. By reducing the demand for these chemicals, we indirectly cut down on energy consumption and the associated carbon emissions.

Enjoy a clean swimming pool at Bluecoat Sports