10 Common Myths About Pools… BUSTED!

We’ve all heard some of these before… often from our own mothers. Now that you are old enough to own your own pool, it’s time to dismiss these common rumors about swimming pools (except for the one that’s true).


You must wait an hour after eating to swim, or you’ll get cramps — FALSE! Swimming after eating is fine and has no negative effects—just don’t do anything too strenuous afterward. Go ahead and let your kid do that cannonball. Or maybe you’re the one doing the cannonball, we won’t judge.

A pool that smells like chlorine is clean — FALSE! Properly balanced pool water should not have an odor. Water that smells like chlorine is a sign of excess chloramines, which are a byproduct of disinfection and a sign that the active chlorine in the water (FAC) has dropped. This is actually a pool that needs more chlorine, not less.

It’s OK to pee in the pool, the chlorine will take care of it FALSE! First, ewww… do we really need to explain this one? Technically yes, the chlorine is there to disinfect pollutants in the water… but urine in particular creates a lot of chloramines which smell and can irritate the eyes.

Peeing in the pool will turn the water dark blue around you FALSE! While a lot of parents have fibbed about this one to discourage/shame their kids from doing it, unfortunately there are no pool additives that will actually react like this.

Taking a shower before swimming is a good idea TRUE! Rinsing off first will remove sweat, skin oils, and other pollutants that will keep your pool water cleaner, longer. Excessive sunscreen is also bad for pools, so use moderately and buy the waterproof ‘sport’ kind.

Chlorine turns hair green FALSE! It’s primarily the copper in algaecides in pool water that can turn lighter hair greenish. To help prevent it, wet your hair before getting in the pool and wash your hair immediately after going swimming.

Red eyes are caused by chlorine FALSE! Chloramines and imbalanced pH are the culprits. Well-treated pool water should not smell or make your eyes sting or turn red. No goggles needed!

Clear water is clean water FALSE! While it looks more inviting than a cloudy pool, clear water can still contain bacteria and pathogens. Proper chemical balancing and filtration are crucial for safe swimming conditions.

Swimming in the rain is bad — FALSE! It’s safe as long as there’s no thunder, though it can make the pool deck slippery. However rain disturbs the surface of the pool water and makes visibility difficult, so for safety reasons lifeguards will prohibit swimming during rain.

Swimmer’s ear is caused by water in the ear FALSE! You don’t even need to go swimming to get it. However, improperly balanced pool water can introduce bacteria which will increase the likelihood of contracting an inner ear infection.


At Amenity Pool Services, we know a lot about pools. Many of the issues above are caused by poorly treated water. A thoughtful pool maintenance program will leave you and your kids without red eyes or smelling like chlorine. Call us today if your pool could use some TLC!

Keeping people from peeing in the pool is up to you, but go ahead and tell them it’ll turn the water blue… we won’t correct you 🙂