Here Is How You Can Protect Your Pool from Lotions Such as Sunscreen and Tanning Oils
Sunscreen and tanning oils often get used poolside, and when you jump in the water, these go in with you. They can have a negative effect on your water quality and equipment. You can't go without applying sunscreen regularly, but you can put measures in place to prevent them from harming your pool. Here's how to do it.
How Do Lotions Such As Sunscreens And Tanning Oils Affect The Pool?
Poor Water Quality
When you have sunscreen or tanning oil on and go in the pool, the chlorine and other chemicals needed to maintain safe and healthy swimming water reacts with them and breaks them down. This can cause your pool’s chemistry levels to become unbalanced. If it’s not seen too quickly, it can cause your pool water to become cloudy, and it can cause eye and skin irritations. To keep on top of it and to ensure you don’t end up with a green pool in the middle of summer, you need to be mindful of the effects lotions such as sunscreen and oils have on your pool and treat it accordingly.
Oily Film On The Surface Of The Water
In summer, when the pool is being used a lot, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll end up with an oily film on the surface of the water. You may notice this more if swimmers are applying their sunscreen or tanning lotion and are not waiting the recommended time before entering the water. Upon entering the water, the sunscreen or oil essentially slides off the skin, and this drastically affects its ability to work.
Blocked Filter
When a pool is exposed to excessive oils and residue from sunscreen and tanning lotions, a black grimy-like substance can form in the filter and prevent it from cleaning the water adequately. When your pool filter is compromised, it can cause an array of issues for your pool, and one of them is algae growth. If you notice your pool walls are starting to feel a tad slimy, it’s time to clean out your filter.
How To Prevent Sunscreen And Tanning Oils From Affecting Your Pool
If you can prevent sunscreen and oils from affecting your pool, this is always better than having to fix it. A simple way of doing this is by ensuring that the product is sufficiently rubbed into the skin and wait 20 to 30 minutes after applying before getting in the pool. This will limit the number of oils that end up in your swimming pool, and you are less likely to have major water quality issues or problems with your swimming pool. Another way to reduce contaminants from entering the water with swimmers is by installing an outdoor shower. While sunscreens and tanning oils are the main culprits, other body products such as deodorant, moisturiser and make-up can all contribute to the amount of oil that ends up in your pool. By washing these off before applying sunscreen or tanning oils, you can cut down on the number of products that end up washed off and in the pool water.
How to fix a pool that has too much sunscreen or tanning oil in them
There are several ways you can fix a pool with too much oil in it. Here are some of them:
Throw some tennis balls in the pool
It may sound unusual, but this trick works. Tennis balls are covered in a felted material which is great at absorbing oil. As they bob around the pool, they will collect the oil that is floating on the surface. For the best results, you should use new tennis balls, not an old one that’s been chewed up by the dog. Put them in as soon as everyone is done swimming for the day and leave them to do their thing.
Treat The Pool
If your swimming pool isn’t as clear as it normally is and there’s a good chance that there’s too much residue and oils in it, using a suitable pool shock and clarifier can help to clear it up again. The shock adds more free chlorine to your pool, this is what kills bacteria and pathogens, and the clarifier works by condensing the microscopic particles of oil into larger ones. This makes it easier for your pool filter to pick them up. In conjunction with treating your pool, it’s a good idea to clean out your filter.
Keep On Top Of Your Pool Maintenance
If your pool is going to go cloudy or green, it’s going to in the summer. The pool is typically used a lot more, extra contaminants are entering the water and combine this with heat, you’ve got the perfect environment for algae and bacteria to flourish. This is the time of year you do not want to drop the ball on pool maintenance as neglecting it for even a brief period can see you with an unsanitary pool that is time-consuming to fix. Along with your regular pool maintenance, we recommended shocking the pool once a week at the minimum. If you have questions about the maintenance requirements for your Factory Pools Perth fibreglass pool, you can contact your pool builder or refer to your user manual. If pool care isn’t up your alley, it is worth hiring a professional pool cleaner to take care of it for you. This takes out the guesswork and frees up your time for other things such as swimming in your pool.
Test Your Water
Testing your pool water is an easy and effective way to see where your pool chemical levels are at. You can take a vile of your pool water to a pool shop for analysis, or you can do it yourself with a water testing kit. The kit typically comes with testing strips and a chemical chart for comparison. They are straightforward to use and can give you an instant reading. If your pool has recently been exposed to heavy use and the potential of sunscreen and tanning oils being in the water is high, testing your water is advisable.
Looking after your skin when swimming should be a priority, so should looking after your pool
Many pool owners are under the impression that their pool equipment and the regular doses of chemicals added to the water will be enough to clear up any sunscreens or tanning oils; however, this isn’t always the case. Using sunscreen is non-negotiable if you want to protect your skin against the harsh Aussie sun. By taking the necessary precautionary steps and keeping on top of your pool maintenance, you can minimise the effects of body lotions such as these and ensure your pool stays crystal clear and ready to dive all summer long.
Conclusion
We hope this post has shed some light on sunscreens and tanning oils and the effects they can have on your swimming pool. Haven’t you already got a swimming pool? Contact our friendly team here at Factory Pools Perth or come visit us at our display centre, we fit and install stunning fibreglass pools right across Perth, and we have something for every home.
Here Is How You Can Protect Your Pool from Lotions Such as Sunscreen and Tanning Oils
Sunscreen and tanning oils often get used poolside, and when you jump in the water, these go in with you. They can have a negative effect on your water quality and equipment. You can't go without applying sunscreen regularly, but you can put measures in place to prevent them from harming your pool. Here's how to do it.
How Do Lotions Such As Sunscreens And Tanning Oils Affect The Pool?
Poor Water Quality
When you have sunscreen or tanning oil on and go in the pool, the chlorine and other chemicals needed to maintain safe and healthy swimming water reacts with them and breaks them down. This can cause your pool’s chemistry levels to become unbalanced. If it’s not seen too quickly, it can cause your pool water to become cloudy, and it can cause eye and skin irritations. To keep on top of it and to ensure you don’t end up with a green pool in the middle of summer, you need to be mindful of the effects lotions such as sunscreen and oils have on your pool and treat it accordingly.
Oily Film On The Surface Of The Water
In summer, when the pool is being used a lot, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll end up with an oily film on the surface of the water. You may notice this more if swimmers are applying their sunscreen or tanning lotion and are not waiting the recommended time before entering the water. Upon entering the water, the sunscreen or oil essentially slides off the skin, and this drastically affects its ability to work.
Blocked Filter
When a pool is exposed to excessive oils and residue from sunscreen and tanning lotions, a black grimy-like substance can form in the filter and prevent it from cleaning the water adequately. When your pool filter is compromised, it can cause an array of issues for your pool, and one of them is algae growth. If you notice your pool walls are starting to feel a tad slimy, it’s time to clean out your filter.
How To Prevent Sunscreen And Tanning Oils From Affecting Your Pool
If you can prevent sunscreen and oils from affecting your pool, this is always better than having to fix it. A simple way of doing this is by ensuring that the product is sufficiently rubbed into the skin and wait 20 to 30 minutes after applying before getting in the pool. This will limit the number of oils that end up in your swimming pool, and you are less likely to have major water quality issues or problems with your swimming pool. Another way to reduce contaminants from entering the water with swimmers is by installing an outdoor shower. While sunscreens and tanning oils are the main culprits, other body products such as deodorant, moisturiser and make-up can all contribute to the amount of oil that ends up in your pool. By washing these off before applying sunscreen or tanning oils, you can cut down on the number of products that end up washed off and in the pool water.
How to fix a pool that has too much sunscreen or tanning oil in them
There are several ways you can fix a pool with too much oil in it. Here are some of them:
Throw some tennis balls in the pool
It may sound unusual, but this trick works. Tennis balls are covered in a felted material which is great at absorbing oil. As they bob around the pool, they will collect the oil that is floating on the surface. For the best results, you should use new tennis balls, not an old one that’s been chewed up by the dog. Put them in as soon as everyone is done swimming for the day and leave them to do their thing.
Treat The Pool
If your swimming pool isn’t as clear as it normally is and there’s a good chance that there’s too much residue and oils in it, using a suitable pool shock and clarifier can help to clear it up again. The shock adds more free chlorine to your pool, this is what kills bacteria and pathogens, and the clarifier works by condensing the microscopic particles of oil into larger ones. This makes it easier for your pool filter to pick them up. In conjunction with treating your pool, it’s a good idea to clean out your filter.
Keep On Top Of Your Pool Maintenance
If your pool is going to go cloudy or green, it’s going to in the summer. The pool is typically used a lot more, extra contaminants are entering the water and combine this with heat, you’ve got the perfect environment for algae and bacteria to flourish. This is the time of year you do not want to drop the ball on pool maintenance as neglecting it for even a brief period can see you with an unsanitary pool that is time-consuming to fix. Along with your regular pool maintenance, we recommended shocking the pool once a week at the minimum. If you have questions about the maintenance requirements for your Factory Pools Perth fibreglass pool, you can contact your pool builder or refer to your user manual. If pool care isn’t up your alley, it is worth hiring a professional pool cleaner to take care of it for you. This takes out the guesswork and frees up your time for other things such as swimming in your pool.
Test Your Water
Testing your pool water is an easy and effective way to see where your pool chemical levels are at. You can take a vile of your pool water to a pool shop for analysis, or you can do it yourself with a water testing kit. The kit typically comes with testing strips and a chemical chart for comparison. They are straightforward to use and can give you an instant reading. If your pool has recently been exposed to heavy use and the potential of sunscreen and tanning oils being in the water is high, testing your water is advisable.
Looking after your skin when swimming should be a priority, so should looking after your pool
Many pool owners are under the impression that their pool equipment and the regular doses of chemicals added to the water will be enough to clear up any sunscreens or tanning oils; however, this isn’t always the case. Using sunscreen is non-negotiable if you want to protect your skin against the harsh Aussie sun. By taking the necessary precautionary steps and keeping on top of your pool maintenance, you can minimise the effects of body lotions such as these and ensure your pool stays crystal clear and ready to dive all summer long.
Conclusion
We hope this post has shed some light on sunscreens and tanning oils and the effects they can have on your swimming pool. Haven’t you already got a swimming pool? Contact our friendly team here at Factory Pools Perth or come visit us at our display centre, we fit and install stunning fibreglass pools right across Perth, and we have something for every home.
