Common Swimming Pool Myths Debunked

You’d be surprised at the amount of swimming pool myths that exist. You’d be even more surprised that most of them are inaccurate, despite the large number of people who not only believe them, but also think they are common knowledge! We’re here to set the record straight, so read on to learn the facts!

1. “Chlorine turns your hair green!” We’re sure you’ve heard that one, right? Well, this is false. When people with blonde hair end up with green hair after a swim, it is actually because of another chemical that exists in water – copper sulfate. While chlorine is NOT the chemical that turns your hair green, it CAN dry it out, so it is important to wash your hair after swimming to rinse out any of the chemicals still hanging around in there.
2. “Don’t open your eyes underwater at the pool! The chlorine will burn them!” This is such a common myth, but again, FALSE. The real cause of this is the contaminants that chlorine works to remove. When chlorine levels are too low in your pool, there are contaminants left in the water that will burn your eyes. 
3. “Don’t get in the water for an hour after eating!” How many of you remember sitting around on the pool deck for an hour after eating lunch to avoid getting cramps? I’m sure we’ve all been there; however, it is not true. Hitting the pool after eating will not cause cramps or anything of the sort. Obviously, engaging in ANY intense physical activity after eating will definitely cause cramps, though, regardless of where you are. Whether you plan to swim laps or run them, you should probably not do so right after eating a meal. But getting in the pool to float around is completely fine – even if you’ve just eaten. 
4. “We don’t heat our pool because doing so is way too expensive!” If you grew up with a pool in the backyard, did you often hear your parents say this? They were wrong. There are plenty of cost effective ways to heat a pool that will absolutely NOT break the bank. You really don’t have to spend much money for warm pool water. 
5. “It’s starting to get cold outside…time to close the pool!” This is quite believable, and really, whether or not you keep your pool open in the winter is up to you. But just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you HAVE to close up shop! There are actually lots of  benefits of keeping your pool open all year, so go ahead and kiss that myth bye-bye. 
6.  “It’s too expensive to make our residential pool luxurious!” Guess what? This is FALSE. There are so many cool things you can do to step up your pool game – even on a budget! 
7. “Don’t pee in the pool because it will turn the water blue and everyone will know!” This one is so common. Peeing in the pool definitely does not turn the water blue…but still don’t do it! We have toilets for that! 

We could honestly debunk swimming pool myths for hours, but you get the point. Avoid the hassle of worrying about separating fact from fiction this summer by calling Pool Scouts. We’ll maintain the pool while you relax and enjoy. Perfect Pools, Scout’s Honor.