Professional swimming can be quite difficult and time-consuming, with swimmers spending countless hours practicing their swimming techniques. Whenever the weather conditions do not allow swimmers to practice swimming in open water, they resort to swimming in pools. However, most pools contain chlorine that can leave an unpleasant taste in the swimmer’s mouth.
So, how can a swimmer get rid of the chlorine taste from their mouth after pool swimming? What about the smell of chlorine, how long before it goes away?
Chlorine has an unpleasant taste and even worse smell but is also quite risky to ingest or leave on a person’s skin as it might lead to chlorine poisoning or skin irritation. Should a swimmer have contact with chlorine-infused water, they are advised to rinse their mouth and body immediately to wash away the chlorine.
How Long Does It Take For Bleach Taste To Go Away?
A lot of the swims happen in public pools. While they are a great place for swim practice, swimmers do not always know if the water is being treated properly and if there are harsh chemicals added to it.
When swimming, swimmers might accidentally swallow some of the pool water or at least get it in their mouths. If the water contains chlorine or bleach, it will leave a strong and unpleasant aftertaste in the mouth. To remove that taste, the swimmer must rinse their mouth thoroughly. It usually takes a few minutes to an hour for the taste to fade away.
We have mentioned that there might be chlorine and bleach in pool water, but what exactly separates one chemical from the other? Is one more dangerous than the other? Let’s look into that before we talk about the best ways to remove bleach from the mouth:
Is There Difference Between Bleach and Chlorine?
Chlorine is a chemical that exists in nature and while it is quite unpleasant, it is not that harmful to people. if used in moderate quantities. It is added to pool water as well as tap water to disinfect it. When added in large quantities, it might cause skin irritation or chlorine poisoning in people.
On the other hand, bleach is a type of chemical that is a combination of chlorine and other chemicals. Bleach is not something that you can find in nature โ it is a manufactured product. It is arguably the more problematic of the two chemicals and can cause irreversible damage to the skin or internal organs if ingested. If not treated immediately, bleach poisoning can even cause death. (Source)
Many public pools use chlorine for disinfection. There might be small quantities of bleach in the chlorine, so it might make its way into the water as well.
If you feel a strong aftertaste or smell after swimming in a public pool, chances are that the water is treated with bleach or chlorine. In both cases, you will need to remove the chemicals from your body by rinsing your skin or mouth as soon as possible.
Best Method to Remove Bleach / ChrolineTaste
If you accidentally get some bleach or chroline in your mouth, you need to rinse it out immediately. You should not wait for the taste to go away on its own as that means you will be unintentionally swallowing the bleach.
If you feel the taste of bleach in your mouth, start rinsing your mouth with clean water right away. Do several rinses if needed, but remember not to swallow the water. You need to get all of the water out of your mouth or you risk making things even worse.
In addition to the mouth rinse, wash your teeth with toothpaste and use some mouthwash to further remove the bad taste. It is a good idea to give yourself a full bath as a way to remove any remaining bleach from your face or hands.
How Long Does It Take For Bleach Smell To Go Away?
Bleach not only tastes bad, but its smell is also quite repulsive. Both the smell and the taste can linger around for a while if you do not try to remove them. It could take up to 24 hours for the smells to disappear.
The good thing about bleach is that you can easily remove the smell or at least mask it to make it less noticeable. Some of the convenient smell removal methods can work on clothing, skin, hair, and even entire rooms. So, if you want to prevent or remove the smell of bleach, here is what you can do:
Best Methods to Eliminate Bleach Smell when Swimming in Pools
Use a Swimming Cap
To prevent the bleach from getting into your hair, you can always swim with a swimming cap on. These are convenient caps that will help you protect your hair from the chemicals in the water while also keeping it dry. Whatโs more, you can pair the cap with some nice goggles and look like a real professional while you are swimming.
There are a ton of swimming caps on the market, and most of them are not even that expensive. You can look for a quality cap that will fit you well. It is always a good idea to go with one from well-known companies like Speedo, Adidas, Arena, and so on.
If you do not like how the swimming cap feels on your head, then you can revert to swimming without it. In that case, to keep the smell of bleach out of your hair, make sure you wet your hair before going into the actual pool. Most public pools have showers that you can use for this purpose, but remember to also rinse your hair and body after each swim.
Take a Steaming Shower
After your swim, it is a good idea to take a long hot shower at home, where you can dedicate as much time as you need to your body. If your hair or skin smells like bleach, do not wait around for the smell to go away on its own. Get into the shower, grab the nicest smelling shampoo and body wash, and start scrubbing the smell away.
If you shower after each swim, you will not have a problem with your skin or hair smelling like chemicals. So, remember to take a shower as soon as you get out of the pool as a way to prevent smelling bad.
Use Strong Scents
Finally, we recommend using some scents to give your hair and body a nice smell after pool swimming. You can apply the scents to your body, hair, or any clothing that might smell like bleach. (Source)
As for the scents, you do not need to spend hundreds of dollars on expensive perfumes or body mists โ you can make some at home. Get your favorite essential oil, mix a few drops of it with some water, and put the solution in a spray bottle. Then, spray it all over your body, hair, clothes, or wherever else you want to.
If you have some fresh mint leaves, lavender, or even a few drops of lemon, you can also mix them with water to make a fresh-smelling body mist. Whatever you use to make the body mist will depend on your preference!
