The CDC recommends the following practices to protect swimmers from water-related illnesses:
- Don’t swim when you have diarrhea.
- Shower with soap before swimming and wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers.
- Don’t swallow pool water and avoid getting water in your mouth.
- If the pool has a strong chlorine smell, it is usually an indication that the water is unhealthy. The smell comes when the chlorine is combined with bodily fluids such as saliva, urine, feces, sweat or body oils.
- Take your children on bathroom breaks and check diapers often.
- Change diapers in a bathroom or a diaper-changing area, not at a poolside.
- Wash your child thoroughly (especially the rear end) with soap and water before swimming.