Breathe Easier

In college, I was chased out of the pool area for not walking in already wet from an apparent shower. Showering before entering the pool was strictly required at the university gym, and I was berated for being the dirty one polluting the swimming environment.

It was a good idea, since people seem to think that chlorine is a magic eraser of dirt, oil, sweat, and other bodily goods that create a giant human soup in the swimming pool. And, more recently, these same organic materials are making headlines by polluting the air above the swimming pool with di- and trichloramines, the byproducts of chlorine.

Most recently, the Great Wolf Lodge in Mason, Ohio, has been hit hard with such headlines. Guests of the waterpark resort have been complaining about rashes and respiratory problems, sending in the health department and NIOSH to investigate what’s wrong.

Even if chloramines aren’t the culprit behind the Great Wolf Lodge mystery, aquatics facilities should encourage guests to shower before entering. At the very least, the act will put clean people, sans dirt, into the water. While hotel resorts are a service industry catering to guests’ needs, patrons need to learn a little etiquette. Just like wiping your feet before entering someone’s home, taking a shower before entering the water shows respect for the establishment and for the surrounding customers in the pool.