Most never want to shower before getting in a tub. However, showering is a good practice and should be done consistently if you are a recreational or an avid swimmer. The pool is one large tub metaphorically speaking. And, the concept of washing before you get in may seem silly, but we wanted to give you some insight how vital this is to your health and others with whom you share the pool.

Believe it or not, your body picks up a lot of dirt and oil from interacting with the everyday world, and the pre-swim shower helps minimize the irritating and smelly substances that can develop. The impurities introduced on the bodies during the day can combine with the chlorine when they interact. The concept of “shower before the swim” is for health reasons and maintains the open bath water (pool) with care for future swimmers or current swimmers.

Many people identify with the smell of chlorine. Some people believe the characteristic chemical odor is an indicator of a clean pool. But, in fact, that stringent odor is not from chlorine. It is from irritants produced when chlorine reacts with impurities. We may not like to admit it but many people urinate in pools as well. Our skin is interacting with liquids that can contaminate the body by seeping into it. This is a good example of the negative’s pools can have with different swimmers. So, the less contaminates the better when we educate people how important it is to shower before you swim as a responsible pool swimmer. When swimmers shower away impurities, they help reduce the risk of waterborne illnesses, such as diarrhea, swimmer’s ear and skin infections. Fecal matter, in particular, contains germs that may be ingested when swimmers swallow contaminated water. Ultimately, chlorine and other swimming pool disinfectants help protect swimmers from waterborne germs. Germ destruction is not instantaneous but a swimmer can assist this process by showering before they go in. Additionally, if a swimmer is sweating, high levels of impurities go in the pool and can create contagious illness in some cases. It is obviously hard to protect every instance of everything we do but a quick simple shower prior is just another step we can take as mankind to be kind to safety for ourselves as an example for other swimmer’s good health.