Do you, or someone you know, have a habit of swimming in the pool with your street clothes on? We are sorry to say that pools and street clothes don’t mix. A once-in-a-while dip in the pool with regular clothing may not make much of a difference. But, if you have a lot of people in your pool with everyday clothing, it brings a negative impact to water clarity, quality and, eventually, may damage the swimming pool’s drains and filter. How can this happen?
Fibers and Strands
Most everyday street clothing is made of cotton or a derivative of cotton called denim. Clothing made from cotton can damage a pool easily due to pieces of the material falling off. Think off things such as stings from a pair of cutoff jeans getting left behind in your pool. If you have one-too-many people wearing jeans as a swimsuit, imagine the number of strands that could be left behind in your pool. Eventually, the strands will clog up the drain, filter or pipes. This means extensive cleaning and possibly a repair needing to be done to have your oasis working correctly.
Clothing Dyes
Some clothing dyes are not of high quality, and don’t mix well with the chlorine in your pool. If you notice that your pool appears a little cloudy the following day, you probably had a big group at your pool party, and some party goers had heavily dyed clothing. The explanation for this issue is simple; the chlorine interacts with dyes, causing them to dissolve into the water. This will give the pool a cloudy and unhealthy appearance.
Health Issues
Did you know that public pools ban the use of regular clothing in the pool? There is a reason for it. Cotton fibers, although a refreshing material, harbors bacteria and fibers much longer than other types of swimsuit materials. How well you think you know someone? It doesn’t matter; you have no idea where they have been or what they were doing before jumping into the pool. Not only are some harmless bacteria hiding, but there are also viruses that can cause your guests or relatives to get sick after a dip in the pool.
O.K. We know that chlorine can kill some bacteria, but there are some bacteria strong enough to survive and make its way to an unsuspecting swimmer. This is THE reason why public pools ban the use of the regular clothing in a pool.
Comfort and Safety
If you think that some clothes can wear you down, imagine how much more they will wear you down while in a swimming pool? Clothing, when wet, becomes heavy. Thus making it more difficult and uncomfortable to swim. This is especially true if you are wearing jeans. And, what about safety? If you are in a bit of an aquatic pickle, swimming to a safer area will be more difficult. This is because your clothes soak up more water and are heavy, meaning double the effort needed to swim to safety.
Nylon Spandex Polyester
Most swimsuits made of nylon, spandex or polyester are appropriate for safe swimming. These materials also resist the effects of chlorine. Synthetic fabrics are long-lasting and help prevent health issues unlike your average street clothes would in a swimming pool. To top it all off, swimsuits are also a lot more comfortable.
So, next time you want to take a dip in your pool, grab a swimsuit and put it on. Remember, an occasional jump in the pool with street clothes won’t cause any problems. But regular use of it can damage your pool’s drainage, filters, and other parts.
For twenty years, Platinum Pools has been building the best swimming pools and spas with family in mind. Call us at 281.870.1600 (Houston), 409.898.4995 (Beaumont), or 361.576.0183 (Victoria) for an appointment, or get a free quote by visiting our website.