Keeping Clean: Bathe Before Swimming

Do you bathe before swimming? You should. In fact, you’d probably be surprised to learn how many people consider the swimming pool to be a quick-and-dirty replacement shower. Unfortunately, “dirty” is the operative word there. According to a new study, over half of Americans don’t bathe before swimming. In fact, they’d rather take a quick dip instead of showering. Unfortunately, this can be rather unsafe for everyone who uses the swimming pool.

Nasty Habits: Bathe Before Swimming to Keep the Water Clean

We get it, the summer can be hot! Activities like yard work, or even a family party under the blistering heat of the sun, can make a quick dive in the pool seem refreshing. Unfortunately, all that sweat and grease that clings to us in the summer heat can seriously damage the quality of the water. It’s better to bathe before swimming in order to keep the health of your fellow swimmers in mind. That goes for your backyard pool as well as for community pools.

That study we mentioned above, conducted by the Sachs Media Group, showed some pretty interesting findings. It was specifically meant to assess the common behaviors of 3,100 American adults, as related to swimming.

Here are a few of the most interesting results:

• 48 percent of the people surveyed report that they never bathe before swimming.
• 24 percent of the participants would jump into a pool within one hour of having diarrhea.
• 40 percent of Americans admit that they’ve peed in the pool as an adult. As you can probably imagine, this just leads to more germs in the water. Above all else, don’t drink the water. Ingesting either home or community pool water can be hazardous to your health.
• Nearly 64 percent of Americans report knowing that pool chemicals do not eliminate the need to shower before swimming. To this end, people are aware of the unclean nature of taking a dip before showering.
• Still, 51 percent reportedly use a swimming pool as a communal bathtub. That’s more than half. These folks view swimming a few laps as a worthy replacement for a thorough shower.

As you can see, the risks are real. If you’re concerned about your health or the health of your fellow swimmers, bathe before swimming.

Protect Yourself from Dirty Water

• When it comes to community swimming pools, you should always check on the pool’s latest inspection results.
• If you or a loved one is currently sick, stay away from the pool. It’s easy to catch or spread germs at a public pool.
• Always bathe before swimming. A clean body is considerate to other swimmers.
• Once again, don’t drink the water. You’ll never know what’s in there. As the old saying goes, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Finally, you should also check out this list of health departments from the Water Quality & Health Council. It offers online access to public swimming pool inspection reports. Above all, think before taking a dip. When we all do our part, we can make the water safer for everyone.