Hygiene in Swimming Pools

Guess I must be, me and all the other acrobats with their towels!
Indeed - judging by your reaction to the nakedness of others I too reckon that you are a prude and maybe even have some irrational problem with same:
 
One thing I like in my gym - is that there are two floors in the changing rooms - And kids aren't allowed in the upstairs section (or anywhere after 7). I am prudish when kids are around. And even if I am staying downstairs - I always change upstairs.
 
In the mens changing room of Total Fitness Coolock, there are some family changing cubicles where fathers can change their daughters in to and out of swimwear with some privacy.

It really annoys me to find men changing in that area when there is plenty of room in the rest of the changing room. Slobs with their undercarriage flopping around is not what my 4-year old daughter or anyone would choose to look at.

I complain to the desk but sure you might as well be talking to the wall.

With regard to hygiene, according to Ray D'Arcy , there are more harmful bacteria on an average mobile phone than on an average toilet seat. When asked which would he rather lick, he said if he had to he would have to go with the science and lick the toilet seat.

Point is .. it is better not to think too much about private hygiene in public places. What about people who leave the toilet without washing their hands ? You wash your hands and then touch the same door handle that they touched .
 
Indeed - judging by your reaction to the nakedness of others I too reckon that you are a prude and maybe even have some irrational problem with same:


I think it's been established by now that I am a prude - and I'm quite glad that I am - I'm also happy that I appear to have joined the right gym
 
Just wish all pools would pop in that special dye in that goes red when you take a pee. Would stop most people from doing it.
Whole hyiene thing wouldn't bother me too much but I take my 15month old girl now and again and having to keep a constant eye on her picking things up etc, almosts puts me off going.


Recreate the fun of a visit to a public swimming pool in your home by
filling the bath with cold water, adding two bottles of bleach, then
urinating into it, before jumping in.
Pat Short
 
I'm beginning to worry about some people around here!

To be fair - I help teach some kids and some mentally disabled adults in outdoor sports. And purely from a self preservation perspective and to make sure that I am never in position i can be accused of improper behaviour I will not change in their vicinity, or let them change in mine. Especially where in some people minds - homosexuality = paedophilia, or single (non-parental) male in vicinity of kids = paedophilia etc etc.

Anyway - Back to original topic!
 
Now you have me started ranting about gyms.

Another thing that gets me irritated is the guys who shave in the sauna/steam room. Where do they think their hair is going - I actually have been in a place where a previous sauna user must have rinsed their blade in the water bucket - Cos as soon as the water went on the fire there was a strong smell of burning hair! There's a member in our place that has been reported and warned about it - but still tries it on if none of the regulars dont say anything!
 
Especially where in some people minds - homosexuality = paedophilia, or single (non-parental) male in vicinity of kids = paedophilia etc etc.
Fair point. It's a shame but probably a fact of life right now that men, and probably gay men in particular, have to go to such lengths to studiously prove that they don't represent any threat to children...
 
Fair point. It's a shame but probably a fact of life right now that men, and probably gay men in particular, have to go to such lengths to studiously prove that they don't represent any threat to children...

Going through my instructor course - Child protection is such a big deal - So much so that even on a wet winters day we will get changed outside while the kids/students use the changing room. Better to be paranoid than be accused.
 
My particular fear in toilets.

Someone comes in. Makes a mess/ has an accident, whatever. The person goes to the tap. Turns it on. Washes their hands. Turns the tap off, leaves the bathroom. I coome in a moment later and use the same tap. I get my hands dirty turning it on.I then get them dirty again turning this filthy tap off and I don't realise it. I now believe my hands are clean and go off and prepare a salad, or a babies bottle, or handle glasses or cutlery or whatever.

Why doesn't that stupid crowd on TV that warn us about poisioning people with poor food preparation warn us about this not insignificant danger.

Personally, I would love to see all taps in toilets replaced with taps that have stalks, like in hospital.

Murt
 
Sounds like a prude's gym! If you can't be naked in the gym dressing/locker room then something's wrong...

It's nothing to do with being a prude. It's a basic issue of hygiene. If you visit a naturist camp (at least those in the UK) you are given a towel to carry with you, and you are supposed to sit on the towel when you sit down. People who sit bareassed on shared benches in locker rooms show a total lack of respect for the hygiene concerns of others.
 
If there really was such a genuine risk of infection from the type of contact described presumably toilet seats would have been done away with years ago? Or am I missing something here?
 
If there really was such a genuine risk of infection from the type of contact described presumably toilet seats would have been done away with years ago? Or am I missing something here?

Yes you're missing something...a toilet seat has a hole IN it, so only the cheeks touch, whereas, the OP is describing a h*** ON a seat, if that's not too rude.
 
Yes you're missing something...a toilet seat has a hole IN it, so only the cheeks touch, whereas, the OP is describing a h*** ON a seat, if that's not too rude.

But how can you be sure? You can have no idea of what does or doesn't touch for each individual out there. From a personal point of view I am one of those women referred to as being on the large side, wobbly etc..(hence my reason for going to the gym) letting it all hang out..I must remember not to talk to anyone the next time I go and practice at home how to cover up.
 


Well there is one way to be sure - sit on a towel then nobody has to guess whether or not your nether regions were touching the bench as you dried your feet. Re talking to people etc - talk away to people if you like but if you see some people trying their best not to make eye contact with you and getting dressed under a towel - they would probably (like me) feel more comfortable if you didn't strike up a conversation while you were naked.
 
sit on a towel then nobody has to guess whether or not your nether regions were touching the bench as you dried your feet.

Here in switzerland they are anything but prudish in the gym (most of the women stand around chat at length, blow dry hair, apply makeup completely naked its a constant source of amusement to many expats but thats another thread) but it is regarded as basic hygiene to lay a towel down on a seat before sitting on it naked, as is wearing flip flops into the shower, or showering before swimming in the pool. Even lakeside there are showers available before you go swimming.

They have cartoon diagrams showing this in our gym as many expats frequent it and wont necessarily speak German. To be honest it (laying down a towel on a bench before sitting on it naked) hadnt struck me before I came here but now that Im used to it I really would regard it as basic hygiene.
 
Personally, I would love to see all taps in toilets replaced with taps that have stalks, like in hospital.
Yeah - because this obviously works in hospitals now that MRSA has been eradicated. Er, um...
 
I was mainly referring to people walking about etc. in the nip since ney001 and others seem to have problems with this. But people sitting down in the nip doesn't bother me personally either. The chances of some sort of contamination are miniscule I would imagine.