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Study Finds That 50% of Americans Use Swimming Pools as Communal Bathtubs


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According to a new survey presented by the Water Quality and Health Council, 51% of Americans reported using a swimming pool as a communal bathtub — using the pool as an alternative to showering or rinsing off after engaging in exercise or yard work. Even though 64% of Americans know pool chemicals don't eliminate the need to shower, people continue to do it anyway.

 

Along with not showering before entering a pool, 40% of Americans admitted they have peed in the pool as an adult. Urine reacts with chlorine, reducing the amount of chemicals available to kill germs.

 

The survey also revealed that 24% of Americans would go in a pool within one hour of having diarrhea, and 48% reported that they never shower before swimming. Most people did not know that pool chemistry can be impacted by personal care items such as makeup (53%) and deodorant (55%).

 

https://www.freep.com/story/news/health/2019/05/14/swimming-pools-cleanliness-water-chemicals/3669016002/

 

Good job America!

 

🤮

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>> 51% of Americans reported using a swimming pool as a communal bathtub — using the pool as an alternative to showering or rinsing off after engaging in exercise or yard work.

Nope.

 

>> The survey also revealed that 24% of Americans would go in a pool within one hour of having diarrhea..

Man, I won't even leave my house within one hour of having diarrhea.  Hard no on going swimming.

 

>> 40% of Americans admitted they have peed in the pool as an adult.

Nope.

 

>> ..48% reported that they never shower before swimming

Yeah I'm in this group.  When I go swimming I just grab my trunks and go.  I always shower first thing afterwards.

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I've now seen this posted twice with the wrong tense for the title - 50% of Americans have used swimming pools as communal bathtubs.

 

When you change it to the correct tense (have used in the past, including only once) then it doesn't sound so bad. How many of us have been outside on a hot day and have jumped in a pool to cool off/get a bit cleaner from sweat? That doesn't mean we use the pool as an actual tub 50% of the time.

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Putting a pool in is the capper to our long renovation project at the house. But I don’t particularly enjoy swimming and the way people treat pools is part of it. The hot tub will be off limits to everybody else though!

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8 hours ago, CitizenVectron said:

I've now seen this posted twice with the wrong tense for the title - 50% of Americans have used swimming pools as communal bathtubs.

 

When you change it to the correct tense (have used in the past, including only once) then it doesn't sound so bad. How many of us have been outside on a hot day and have jumped in a pool to cool off/get a bit cleaner from sweat? That doesn't mean we use the pool as an actual tub 50% of the time.

 

Ok, thank you. I was really confused how this could be a thing and didn’t make it past the headline.

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Yeah I’ve never showered before going in a pool. Ever. 

 

My parents had a big pool pool and I used to do landscaping as a summer job in college. Guess what I did the second I got home almost very day. Yep. I did usually shower after though. 

 

During the Blackouts throughout the northeast 15 years ago a bunch of friends came over after work because it was crazy hot and no one had running water. 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

I have in fact never peed in a pool or the ocean. That’s gross. 

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6 hours ago, sblfilms said:

Putting a pool in is the capper to our long renovation project at the house. But I don’t particularly enjoy swimming and the way people treat pools is part of it. The hot tub will be off limits to everybody else though!

 

Get yourself a salt water pool and hot tub system.  Way easier to care for than chlorine systems and better for your skin.

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So, if you want to know what kind of capitalism driven hell hole we now find ourselves in...

 

This survey is presented by the Water and Health Council, which sounds nice and official yeah?  Well if you go to their website... 

 

"The Water Quality & Health Council is an independent, multidisciplinary group sponsored by the Chlorine Chemistry Division of the American Chemistry Council, an industry trade association."

 

Yes, that's right, the survey about how your pool is gross and full of germs is brought to you by... motherfuckers that sell chlorine for pools.  Peeing in the pool, makeup, and deoderant can make chlorine less effective, and people are doing that in your pool as we speak!  Buy more chlorine!  

 

A chlorine industry group paid for a survey to ask people leading questions to make you think your pool is a disgusting cesspool, so you will run out and by more chlorine so you feel safe.  Fuck this world.

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53 minutes ago, LazyPiranha said:

So, if you want to know what kind of capitalism driven hell hole we now find ourselves in...

 

This survey is presented by the Water and Health Council, which sounds nice and official yeah?  Well if you go to their website... 

 

"The Water Quality & Health Council is an independent, multidisciplinary group sponsored by the Chlorine Chemistry Division of the American Chemistry Council, an industry trade association."

 

Yes, that's right, the survey about how your pool is gross and full of germs is brought to you by... motherfuckers that sell chlorine for pools.  Peeing in the pool, makeup, and deoderant can make chlorine less effective, and people are doing that in your pool as we speak!  Buy more chlorine!  

 

A chlorine industry group paid for a survey to ask people leading questions to make you think your pool is a disgusting cesspool, so you will run out and by more chlorine so you feel safe.  Fuck this world.

I mean, you can buy only so much chlorine and put it in your pool before it is hazardous to swim in the chlorinated water.

 

Sometimes industry groups publish information for all to see to raise awareness, not necessarily to sell a product. My company regularly publishes costs of certain services from across the country that even our competitors can use. Does this drive sales of our insurance product? Probably, because the costs can be ruinous if you're not prepared. But it also helps keep vendors honest and prices in check as well.

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17 hours ago, mclumber1 said:

 

Get yourself a salt water pool and hot tub system.  Way easier to care for than chlorine systems and better for your skin.

Eh, don't agree.  Salt water pools can require chemical maintenance just like chlorine, particularly if the hardness levels get low which leads to a slimy feeling.

 

There's nothing difficult about maintaining a chlorine pool: keep your chlorine around ~3ppm and alkalinity around ~150ppm (neither of which is difficult once you go through a little initial tinkering) and a majority of your problems are covered.  Hardness is a concern if you have an inground pool, but otherwise, it should track to alkalinity.  If you like to geek out over the chemistry, you can play around with or monitor pH (which shouldn't be an issue if alkalinity is kept stable), cyanuric acid levels, and anything else that common test kits monitor, but you really shouldn't have to worry about water cleanliness or clarity if your chlorine and alkalinity is under control.

 

And while the idea of bathing in pools is nasty, anyone who has one and has had pool parties knows you make a point of adding some shock the night before, and after, since any surge in traffic is going to impact pool chemisty...which again is no big deal if you're paying attention.

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