Holidays in the sun mean a few things. Cocktails.. Less layers. Plenty of Lays and Fanta Lemon. And a dip in the pool, of course.
And we all know pools aren’t the most hygienic of places. People unfortunately do pees, are sick and even do number twos from time to time, spoiling the light, summer vibe somewhat.
But something you might usually find quite reassuring is the strong scent of chlorine. The chemical is used to treat pool water and kills germs and any nasties that might be floating around in there.
For some, it can turn their new blonde dye job a lovely verdant shade of green, or can irritate skin and eyes. Unfortunately, there’s not really any way around it if you want to swim in clean water.
However, if your holiday pool smells quite pungently like chlorine, and you’re feeling assured that everything is very hygienic and clean, you might want to think again.
Because apparently the smells could be caused by things called chloramines. And they’re only really produced when the water meets the sweat, urine, body odours and oils of everyone in the pool. Lovely!
Let’s get down to the science. I failed science in school, so I’ll try my best. Chlorine that’s used in swimming pools reacts with ammonia’s hydrogen ions. One ion, you get monochloramine, two produces dichloramine and three creates trichloramine.
The monochloramine is what’s used as a pool disinfectant. The American Chemistry Council says that the other two produce the chlorine type smell you sometimes get in pools.
So if the pool smells really strongly of chlorine, it’s probably actually time to add some more in. Yeah, I don’t get it either.
You’re probably best not to get in a pool when it smells like this, though. The Water Quality and Health Council advises, “It is good advice to stay out of the water when a strong chemical smell pervades the air around any type of pool, indoor or outdoor.”
And with that – enjoy your holidays!