As Bert Lancaster in "The Swimmer" journeyed through the back yards of his suburban neighbors, dipping into their well-chlorinated swimming pools, he trusted that the disinfectant would protect him from whatever menacing bacteria that might have found their way into the water. What he didn't know was that a pool's chemical immune system demands careful tending — and mishandling those chemicals can make us humans pretty sick!

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 5,000 cases of illness and injuries to skin, eyes, and lungs are reported in the U.S. annually because of improper handling of swimming pool chemicals (many, many more go unreported). These happen from mixing the wrong chemicals or chemicals that are incompatible, accidental spills, and improper storage. So here are a few tips to help you and your kids stay safe while keeping the pool clean:

• Read every label on every chemical, and follow all manufacturers' recommendations precisely.

• Keep all pool chemicals locked away and out of children's reach!

• Keep pool chemicals stored at temperatures below 95 F and away from dampness and open flames.

• Do not store pool chemicals around other garden and household products, such as gasoline, oil, grease, fertilizer, herbicides, paint, or turpentine.

• When handling pool chemicals wear protective clothing.

• Don't mix individual pool chemicals together or with any other substances before putting them in the pool.

• Add individual pool chemicals to the water; never add water to the chemicals.

Now jump in the pool and have some good, clean(ing) FUN!


© 2012 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.