Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to not wash my kids after swimming?

150 replies

siblingrevelryagain · 04/08/2017 12:17

I seem to be the only one who doesn't-lots of threads I've seen in the past seem to have 50% of parents showering at swimming pool, with the other half talking about bringing them home and throwing them in bath or shower.

I do neither; they get dressed (onesie and pj's in winter!) and come home, and later go to bed without showering.

In my defence, they all have good skin and strong constitutions so I can't see any outward effects of this, but equally I'm prepared to be told if im being dirty/unhygienic.

OP posts:
Sprinklestar · 04/08/2017 12:44

Of course not - we call it pool clean! But then we don't live in the UK and the kids are in and out of the pool all day at the mo. Never recall them getting infections from the water...

noeffingidea · 04/08/2017 12:44

I always have a full shower and hair wash after swimming, and I do the same with my daughter when I take her. We're lucky though, our changing village is very clean and up to date with individual lockable shower cubicles. If it was just a communal shower or really manky I would just rinse off thoroughly and hairwash.
So I guess it depends on what facilities are available.

sprinklesofweirdness · 04/08/2017 12:45

We don't shower at the pool, but we most definitely do at home. No way would it be a different way that's just grim.

Nearly10to9 · 04/08/2017 12:47

you dont do a rinse shower at the pool? thats a bit grim to be honest,

MoiraRosesMeltdown · 04/08/2017 12:47

My DD has awful chlorine build up in her hair from swimming with her dad and the school and not washing it afterwards. It's horrendously tuggy and unmanageable.

UserX · 04/08/2017 12:47

How on earth do you comb out their hair if you don't wash it? My 2 would have dreadlocks!

Proudmummytodc2 · 04/08/2017 12:48

I shower mine at the swimming pool when we get out.

I think it's horrible to make them sit with chlorine over their skin, kids have delicate skin plus swimming pools are manky I'd rather wash the kids in shower when we get out the pool I find it grim not too it only takes a couple of minutes.

Gooseberrycrumble4 · 04/08/2017 12:51

Personally I'd shower off the chlorine with a bit of water and put them in PJs.

PurplePidjin · 04/08/2017 12:51

I don't after swimming lessons because it's a 5 minute walk home, dinner which I've usually cooked before we went, bath and bed. If we go as a family in the morning I give them a quick dunk on the way out

Gooseberrycrumble4 · 04/08/2017 12:52

If the pool was free of chemicals and very clean I wouldn't think twice doing what your doing. It's just the chlorine for me.

Shattered04 · 04/08/2017 12:54

Not just for their hair (which ends up manky without at least a rinse, preferably a shampoo) but for their costumes. They last a lot longer and stay a lot brighter if the chlorine is rinsed off right away as opposed to after being forgotten about in the bag once we get home

MissSingerbrains · 04/08/2017 12:56

I've never understood why a lot of people in the UK have such awful public pool hygiene. I shower before and after the pool, and make my children do the same. It's not hard.

puddingpen · 04/08/2017 12:56

Personally every bath/shower is a battle for us (apparently I was the same as a child, so probably my fault!), so I find it easier to get them washed post-swimming when they're already wet and skip the bath the next couple of nights.

AnaisB · 04/08/2017 12:56

Goodnes, I had no idea what an emotive topic this is.

HotelEuphoria · 04/08/2017 12:57

I never did with DS but I showered at the pool quickly with DD and myself but more a hair wash rather than a body wash and only because of the long hair and knots rather than the need to wash off the chlorine.

I have always found that bleachy smell on the skin after swimming rather comforting

NicolasFlamel · 04/08/2017 12:57

I like to wash chlorine off mine and my kids skin and hair especially It makes me feel very dry otherwise and we're mixed race and our hair doesn't cope very well with pool water left in it.
Wouldn't bother me if others don't wash though!

LurkingHusband · 04/08/2017 12:58

If you knew what was floating in the top 6 inches (you'd probably never go swimming again) ...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimming_pool_sanitation

toastandbutterandjam · 04/08/2017 13:00

We often bath at home, but that's because I don't like the smell of chlorine. Our pool is really clean (we don't swim in a standard swimming pool) and only 3 people are allowed in the pool at one time.
Our changing room (with only 3 cubicles) is heated, so I find it too hot showering there.
We didn't shower after swimming this week though because we had unexpected plans - we did the next morning though. I did spray some de tangling spray in our hair and wash our hands, so I couldn't really smell the chlorine and it was fine!

caffeinestream · 04/08/2017 13:04

I don't after swimming lessons because it's a 5 minute walk home, dinner which I've usually cooked before we went, bath and bed.

You are washing them in the bath, though :) so at least they're not going to bed covered in swimming pool gunk/chlorine. I totally understanding wanting to get home for dinner and washing them in the bath - probably far nicer/cleaner than the pool showers!

PinguDance · 04/08/2017 13:06

I swam up to three times a week as a child/young teenager - hair by mid teens was a wreck, hairdressers could spot me from about 10 metres away. Took years of not swimming to get hair back to looking nice and now I don't dare. Soak hair before and rinse after if you want to avoid this fate. Swimming pools are gross too, and you're supposed to shower before you get in to at least get the worst of your sweat and grub off. Though the main reason I had a quick rinse after was to get the smell and stickiness off.

000PuraVida000 · 04/08/2017 13:06

What is grim is when people don't shower before going into the pool. No concerns about not doing afterwards, although might smell of chlorine?

PurplePidjin · 04/08/2017 13:11

caffeinestream the mn collective would still judge me for being a skank though Wink

archersfan3 · 04/08/2017 13:13

The showers at our local pool seem to be really hot for a 3 year old, much hotter than I'd have a bath for him at home. So I don't really feel I can force him into it. Not sure what the solution is to that...

harleysmammy · 04/08/2017 13:15

In my eyes, you don't know what skin issues all them people in the pools have. You've been swimming in all there bacteria as well as your own. Not all pools are as well chlorinated as others, I personally would clean my son after swimming and tbh I love the showers afterwards haha

abigcupoffuckyou · 04/08/2017 13:22

I'm about as far from a clean freak as it is possible to be, but even I think that is weird. Children pee in the pool, and the chlorine...I don't know why you wouldn't shower, you're already wet and with a towel in your hand, it takes 60 seconds extra?