Swimming season is here. If you are a homeowner with a backyard pool, it is time to be sure your pool water is properly balanced. Your guests will go home happy. Their eyes won’t burn, their skin won’t itch, and their hair will not turn green. At Goodall Pools & Spas, we want to help you make the summer swimming experience of your guests the best they have ever had, free of these after-swim irritations.
Chlorine Gets a Bad Rap
When swimmers get out of the pool with itchy, irritated eyes, they say, “Too much chlorine.” When swimmers later notice they have itchy skin, they say, “Too much chlorine.” If swimmers notice their hair turns green, they say, “Too much chlorine.” All are wrong! Not one of these after-swim maladies is caused by too much chlorine.
Eye and skin irritations. Although it is common for people to attribute these irritations to too much chlorine in the pool, that is a myth. The real cause may be an incorrect pH level of the water. The ideal pH level is between 7.4 and 7.6. Eye and skin irritations are often due to a pH level below 7.4.
In fact, it is likely that the pool water needs more chlorine, not less. Nitrogen combines with hypochlorous acid resulting in the formation of chloramines. When this happens, the chlorine is no longer effective in killing bacteria and the chloramines give the water an overpowering chlorine smell, plus the water may irritate the eyes and skin. That is why if you’re at a public pool or water park there is always a strong smell of chlorine. The solution to this problem is to add more chlorine or a non-chlorine oxidizing shock.
Green Hair. Hair sometimes turns green after swimming in a backyard pool. This happens more often to blondes, and the blame has been placed on too much chlorine. This is another myth. Copper in the water is the real culprit. If your guests mention their hair turns green after swimming in your pool, have the pool water professionally tested. If there is too much copper in the water, there are chemicals that can be added to remove the copper and help prevent the green hair problem.
When you hear that your guests suffer from eye and skin irritation, or their hair turns green after swimming in your pool, contact us at Goodall Pools & Spas. Our trained water care experts can test your pool water and determine preventive measures to avoid any of these common complaints.
