Spring Break
The Daily OrangeFact or Myth: Do pool chemicals turn colors with urine?
By Heather Mayer
Posted: 9/8/06, 12:23 AM EST Section: Feature
It's a hot summer day when you and your crew are relaxing away the afternoon in the backyard pool. Suddenly, nature calls. The bathroom is light-years away. OK, 100 feet. But on top of walking to the house dripping wet, when you get there you'll have to peel off your bathing suit and slip and slide across the porcelain seat. You mull over your options: take the arduous journey or swim around a bit and relieve yourself, treading water in the deep end. While pondering the latter, bladder burning, you wonder if the pool is treated with chemicals that will turn your pee red or purple. Do you make the trip, or alert all your friends you just peed everywhere and hope they haven't swallowed any water?
If you can hold it, first consider this: Are there really chemicals that will "leak" your secret?
Troy, an employee of Leslie's Swimming Pool Supplies -- a national chain of pool products, equipment and chemicals -- who asked not to have his last name published, said, "No, they don't exist."
Chlorine is a simple, yet unnoticeable solution which eliminates bacteria growth, but doesn't color your excretion, Troy said. That's good news to all those little kids who can't hold it in while enjoying a refreshing swim, and yes, even to those college students who don't feel like making the 100-foot trek to the bathroom.
If you can hold it, first consider this: Are there really chemicals that will "leak" your secret?
Troy, an employee of Leslie's Swimming Pool Supplies -- a national chain of pool products, equipment and chemicals -- who asked not to have his last name published, said, "No, they don't exist."
Chlorine is a simple, yet unnoticeable solution which eliminates bacteria growth, but doesn't color your excretion, Troy said. That's good news to all those little kids who can't hold it in while enjoying a refreshing swim, and yes, even to those college students who don't feel like making the 100-foot trek to the bathroom.
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 6
Jack Harper
posted 8/04/08 @ 3:08 PM EST
All you people should be ashamed of yourselves. I will never swim in a public swimming pool ever again. And I will never ever go to a water park again, you people make me sick!
Losing Weight
posted 8/04/08 @ 4:30 PM EST
I did not think that there were chemicals like that. There may be but they are not going to be safe to use in swimming pools. For some reason, the body makes the urine completely sterile so there is no bacteria in it at all. (Continued…)
Kaylen Thorpe
posted 8/08/08 @ 10:03 AM EST
If you've ever cleaned a pool filter, you would quickly realize that urine should be the least of your concerns...
URintrouble
posted 9/26/08 @ 9:46 PM EST
seems awfully warm this end of the pool...hmmm...
Sarah
posted 1/13/09 @ 2:48 PM EST
If you are afraid of a little clean urine in a pool treated with chlorine and shocked with muratic acid then I sincerely hope you do not live anywhere that you drink city water treated with chlorine. (Continued…)
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