Pool care articles
How to prevent swimmer's ear after a swim
This guide from Sullivan's Pool Service summarizes the cited guidance. Dry your ears thoroughly with a towel after swimming, since that alone goes a long way toward preventing swimmer's ear. It also helps to shower for at least 1 minute before getting into the water, and to avoid swallowing pool water. Keeping the water properly disinfected and at the right pH protects swimmers from germs and irritation.
Why ears can come away from the pool irritated
The water in a well-maintained pool or spa does more than look clean. Keeping the right disinfectant level, whether that is chlorine or bromine, is the first line of defense against the germs that cause swimming-related illnesses. Along with disinfectant levels, pH plays an equally important role in keeping that protection working the way it should.
When pH drifts outside its proper range, it can interfere with the chemistry. Water that is too acidic or too alkaline can make chlorine or bromine less effective at doing their job of killing germs, which means the sanitizer may not be able to keep up.
Out-of-range pH also has effects swimmers can notice directly. It can irritate skin and eyes, and over time it can damage the pool equipment itself. That is why pH and disinfectant levels are checked together, as a pair, when anyone evaluates whether pool water is in good shape.
The drying step that matters most
Getting the water out of your ears right after you climb out of the pool is the step that matters most. Trapped moisture in the ear canal creates the kind of damp environment where irritation can set in, and it lingers if nothing is done about it. A towel takes care of this well. Tilt your head to each side to help any water run out, then dry the outer ear gently and thoroughly with the towel, working around the opening of the canal without pushing anything inside.
It helps to think of drying as part of the swim itself rather than an afterthought. The few minutes it takes with a towel is what stands between damp ears and the discomfort that can follow. Keep a towel close to where swimmers get out of the water so the habit is easy to keep, and repeat the process every time, whether the swim was a quick dip or a long afternoon in the pool.
Making the drying step a habit
Habits stick when they are attached to something you already do every time. Treat the rinse before swimming as part of getting ready, the same as grabbing a towel. A shower of at least a minute before you get into the water washes off dirt and anything else that might be on your body, so less of it ends up in the pool. Doing it every visit, without deciding each time whether it is needed, is what turns it into a routine.
The same idea applies in the water itself. Make not swallowing the pool water a standing rule for the household rather than a reminder given at the poolside. When the whole family knows the expectation ahead of time, nobody has to think about it mid-swim.
Small steps repeated without exception are what keep ears comfortable, swim after swim.
What the water itself has to do with it
The water chemistry in a pool does a lot of quiet work behind the scenes. Disinfectants like chlorine or bromine are what keep germ levels down, and they only do that job properly when they sit within the recommended range. That is why checking both the disinfectant level and the pH matters so much, and why those checks should happen at least twice a day, with more frequent checks on days when the pool is getting heavy use.
There is also a simple reason the disinfectant can fall short. Chlorine does not only target germs. When it comes into contact with dirt, sweat, pee, or poop in the water, some of it gets used up dealing with those things instead. That leaves less chlorine available to handle the organisms that can actually cause trouble for swimmers.
Keeping the chemistry balanced, then, means the water stays in better condition for everyone who gets in it.
Keeping everyone comfortable in the water
Nothing takes the fun out of a swim faster than eyes that burn and look pink. That irritation is not just about chlorine on its own. When chlorine meets the things swimmers bring into the water with them, like dirt, sweat, pee, and poop, it reacts and forms chemicals that are the real reason eyes get red and sting.
Those reaction chemicals build up as the water gets used, which is why a busy afternoon can feel different from an early morning dip. Someone who swims with their eyes open and comes up blinking may simply be noticing how much has accumulated in the pool.
Keeping everyone comfortable is mostly about keeping what gets into the water in check. A quick rinse before swimming means less sweat and dirt for the chlorine to react with, and it is one of the easiest habits a family can adopt.
Sources
In Austin
Fill water matters here. Austin Water reported finished water leaving its three plants in the second quarter of 2026 at pH 9.65 to 9.74, total hardness of 76 to 77 mg/L as CaCO3, total alkalinity of 51 to 60 mg/L, and 2.52 to 2.69 mg/L of chloramines. Those are averages for tap water, not readings of your pool, so test the pool itself after a top-up.
Related articles
- Why swimmers stay out during equipment service
- Why swimmers' skin itches after your pool
- Why swimmers' eyes sting in your pool
Sullivan’s Pool Service maintains pools in and around Austin, including Northwest Hills, South Austin, West Lake Hills, Tarrytown, Great Hills, River Place, Crestview, East Austin, North Austin, West Campus, Hyde Park, Downtown Austin and St. Johns, and in Bee Cave, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Leander, Pflugerville and Round Rock. See every service area.
Weekly residential service has one fixed monthly price, set by pool size: see pool service pricing for what each size tier covers.
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