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Original poster

Do your kids have a proper body and hair wash after their swimming lesson?

108 replies

OohAhJustALittleBit · 10/09/2023 10:08

Mine do because we tend to go straight out after instead of going home. The chlorine is terrible for their hair, and I figure they might as well have a quick wash while they're at it. Whole thing takes about 5 mins but I notice the vast majority just do a quick rinse off. Am I breaking some post swim shower etiquette or am I just the odd one out?

OP posts:
MendedDrum · 10/09/2023 11:20

4 yo DS is currently terrified of showers (Hmm) so there's no way I'd get him washed properly at the pool. I stick him in the bath when we get home.

inappropriateraspberry · 10/09/2023 11:34

No. I tell myself the chlorine has washed them!

DatumTarum · 10/09/2023 11:35

DysmalRadius · 10/09/2023 11:16

How do poolside showerers get clean under their swim suits? This is always the main issue for me!

You're not. It's a quick rinse to get the bulk of the cholorine off

Lemonademoney · 10/09/2023 11:36

I think I should probably clarify there is a separate shower poolside for people wanting to prerinse before swimming. We shower/shampoo in the cubicles in the chafing rooms

Tinybrother · 10/09/2023 11:37

My children don’t bath every night anyway unless it’s very hot (like now), so a hair wash plus rinse to get the chlorine off is enough for them until the next bathtime.

Original poster
OohAhJustALittleBit · 10/09/2023 11:58

I think there must be staggered lesson times because we don't get one big influx of kids in, one big influx out. It all works out nicely with no one waiting around for showers.
It's literally quick shampoo, rinse, conditioner, body wash, rinse hair and out. 5 mins tops, not half an hour as pp suggested 🤨

OP posts:
RedRobyn2021 · 10/09/2023 11:59

Me and my DD have a shower together and wash our hair before dressing and leaving. It's more a time thing for me though. I notice most people don't though.

FuckingHellAdele · 10/09/2023 12:02

Nope. It was Saturday mornings for us. Quick rinse off of the chlorine and keep it moving.

Anoisagusaris · 10/09/2023 12:03

My dd has really thick hair, not a chance you could get a proper hair wash done under a crappy shower in 5 minutes. There are 4 showers in a little corridor exiting the pool to the female changing rooms, same for the males, and 30 children. Really annoys me when they can’t even have a rinse as some kids are taking ages washing and conditioning their hair.

shivbo2014 · 10/09/2023 12:07

I would do proper showers but there is usually a queue and dd has long really thick hair that needs a condition so I bath them as soon as we get home.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 10/09/2023 12:09

We didn't have a shower at home and kids had type 2c hair, so we always did a poolside rinse, then proper shower and hairwash in the changing rooms' private shower area, perfunctory dab of moisturisers, followed by a rough blow dry. It would be entirely different for anybody with 3/4 hair or dry/delicate skin.

Probably took about 20 minutes for the three of us to be walking out the doors, as I wasn't going to rush them, but they had the motivation of food to focus their minds.

Did use extra moisturising shower gel/shampoo/conditioner, though, rather than harsh ones, as I wasn't going to trash skin and hair in favour of speed.

Original poster
OohAhJustALittleBit · 10/09/2023 12:15

@NeverDropYourMooncup This is my thinking. My kid has 3c hair down to his bum when wet and I can't justify the days spent trying to tame his mop if he doesn't wash it properly. He still gets a rinse when we get home because I put a hair mask on and throw it up in a bobble, but that's done when hes dry and dressed.

OP posts:
Iammetoday · 10/09/2023 12:16

We always do proper hair wash and shower, but definitely in minority, most rinse and go.

Colinswheels · 10/09/2023 12:23

I attempted to shower my 4 year old at the pool after swimming once, got absolutely soaked - never again. My 10 year old washes her hair at the pool with her swimming costume on and has a quick body only shower when we get home.

hazelnutlatte · 10/09/2023 12:24

My kids have their lessons at a gym with plenty of private shower cubicles so they always shower and wash hair there afterwards. They used to do lessons at a pool with only communal showers so it was a quick rinse then home for a proper shower.

PlusOneTwoThree · 10/09/2023 12:30

Our pool has shower cubicles so they keep their swim caps on, but take swimwear off and have a proper body shower with shower gel
I don’t wash their hair but it’s protected under a cap anyway

KvotheTheBloodless · 10/09/2023 12:33

I always do a proper shower, it takes less than 5 mins! Much simpler to do than faff about with a shower/bath at home. DH does the rinse-and-run though, I don't get it but it's his choice.

AnIndianWoman · 10/09/2023 12:34

We tend to rinse off then he has a proper shower at home. He needs a deep conditioning treatment afterwards (Indian hair is thicker and more porous) so needs more time.

Justme10 · 10/09/2023 12:38

Quick rinse and then a shower/bath at home. I don't think you can get a proper wash when costumes are still on.

TeddyBeans · 10/09/2023 12:42

Our local pool has quick wash open showers and cubicles for those that want a deeper clean. Appreciate that plenty won't have those facilities but it's nice to have the option. I don't think it's weird to have a proper wash when you're finished swimming

Pleaseme · 10/09/2023 12:44

We do, blonde hair so washed and conditioned or it's like straw. I do wonder if it's partially the shower set up. We have six showers, normally kids going in wait under them and then swap around with the exiteers. I have twins so they can share but rarely need to itd seem a faff to rewash at home tbh

Natsku · 10/09/2023 13:45

DysmalRadius · 10/09/2023 11:16

How do poolside showerers get clean under their swim suits? This is always the main issue for me!

If its poolside showers where you have to keep your costume on you could get your hair clean but surely not your body. Maybe if you kind of pull things to the side but who'd want to do that at the poolside? Thankfully not an issue for us, showers are in the changing area so you can shower properly naked.

UndercoverCop · 10/09/2023 13:51

We've always showered DS properly after swimming, I have eczema so was careful with his skin from the beginning, although his skin seems more robust than mine. Our pool has poolside showers where you can't use products, and loads of cubicles for changing then sex based shower changing rooms for proper showering. There are 6 in the ladies and max 8 children per lesson and at least half don't shower properly so not a queue. We've recently had to change his lesson time to accommodate school and DH takes him now, so takes him into the men's which is completely empty. It means not having to dry and dress then instead, get wet and dry again. Previous lessons were in the morning and we'd often be going straight out so didn't want to go home and shower. Now they're after school, but it's still easier to just shower, dress and come home for dinner.

avocadotofu · 10/09/2023 14:08

We just do a quick shower afterwards and a bath at home later.

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 10/09/2023 14:14

Our brand new, state of the art leisure centre opened this year. They have doubled the number of lessons available for swimming plus another pool for adult lane swimming. Each swim class has about 5 kids.
Yet we only have 4 showers for everyone to use.

I do think I might feel differently if DS had long hair but he likes it short.