Why a whirlpool foams

Foam is created by substances that lower the surface tension of water. They arrive in the whirlpool mainly with people:

• Soap and shower gel residue on skin and in swimwear – by far the most common cause. Swimwear washed in a machine with fabric softener is a classic.
• Cosmetics – creams, oils, deodorants, sunscreen.
• Sweat and skin oils, especially when several people bathe one after another.
• Old water saturated with dissolved matter – after two or three months practically every whirlpool foams.

1. Check the pH. Above 7.6 water foams far more readily. Bring it down to 7.0-7.4.
2. Clean the filter. A clogged filter does not hold back the oils, and they keep circulating.
3. Use an antifoam. It works within minutes, but it is a plaster – it treats the symptom, not the cause.
4. If it still foams, change the water. For water older than two months that is the fastest fix.

Rinse without soap before bathing. A rinse is enough – it removes sweat, cream and deodorant residue.

Rinse swimwear in water only, not in a machine with detergent.

Keep to the water-change interval – two to three months depending on use.

Do not overdose the chemicals. More product does not mean cleaner water – often the opposite, and more foam.