CLEANLINESS AND HYGIENE

Our sports facilities remain comfortable and clean through cooperation between customers and staff. For example, did you know that all Urheiluhallit locations have their own cleaners who, during their shifts, tidy up the places according to a precise schedule? Below are some tips on how you, as a customer, can influence cleanliness and hygiene. We will also briefly tell you about our own work to promote cleanliness.

What can you do as a customer?

Swimming and water exercise

• Always take a cleansing shower without swimwear before entering the sauna and swimming pools. Remember to rinse your hair also and leave swimwear in the bathing area while visiting the sauna.
• Shaving, hair coloring, hair cutting, nail and foot care are not allowed in our facilities.
• Enter the pools only in appropriate swimwear. Tie up long hair or wear a swim cap. Aquajoggers may also wear a shower cap.

 

Appropriate swimwear?

The use of beach shorts as a swimwear is prohibited, but short (not more than knee-length) swim shorts that are clearly intended for swimming in the swimming pool are allowed. There should be no underpants under the swimsuit. The material should be thin, quick-drying material, for example, lycra. Skirts and dresses are not allowed. If necessary, you can rent an appropriate swimwear from the the swimming hall customer service point. You can wear a swimming cap if you do not want to wet your hair. You can also use a shower cap for water exercise. Long hair needs to be tied up. You can borrow a hair loop from the life guard station if you have forgotten your own.

Gym

• Please wear appropriate sports clothing and footwear. Outdoor shoes are not allowed.
• We encourage that you to bring a workout towel with you.
• Please wipe down the gym equipment after use with the disinfectant spray and hand wipes we have provided.

Group exercise

• Please wear appropriate sports clothing and footwear. Outdoor shoes are not allowed.
• We encourage that you to bring a workout towel with you that you can, for example, use as a cover over the exercise mat.

Ball sports

• Outdoor shoes or shoes that have been worn outside are not allowed in the ball sport halls.

How does our personnel contribute to cleanliness?

Cleaning

Our own cleaning staff tidy up the premises according to a set timetable, for example, in the following ways:

• During rush hour, our cleaners mop and clean all dressing room floors and bathing areas, hourly.
• In the evening, after our customers have vacated, all sauna, bathing, dressing and pool areas are cleaned thoroughly.
• Steam saunas are cleaned twice a day, which guarantees cleanliness and hygiene.
• Gym equipment are wiped down twice a day.
• Ball sport halls are mopped and cleaned up to three times a day depending on the hall utilization rate.

Pool water purification

The cleaner you are when you enter the pool, the less water and chemicals must be used to keep the facilities and pool water clean.

• The dirty water exits through the pool gutters along the plumbing to the rough and sand filters, that collect hairs and other dirt from the water.
• The dirtier the pool water is, the more frequent purification it needs.
  • The rough filter is cleaned manually.
  • The sand filter is cleaned by backwashing.
• When the water is cleaned from most of the dirt, chlorine is then added. Chlorine kills even the smallest of bacteria.
  • The chemical pumps add chlorine automatically to the water depending on its purity level.
• After the chlorination, the water is then returned to the pool.
• In many swimming halls, water treatment is also enhanced with active charcoal, ozonation or UV light. Additionally, an external laboratory monitors the purity of the water at least once a month. Ozonation is used at Mäkelänrinne and Malmi but chlorine is also always added to the pool water.
• The results of the water measurements are on display at the swimming halls and on our website.