Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

Former Member — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 14:07:42 GMT

Hi everyone, can you please comment on smontanaro's question about just dumping some ascorbic acid crystals into shampoo? I think that might work well for my kids -- one fewer step to do in the shower. Thanks.

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

Former Member — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 09:50:20 GMT

Something else you might want to try is a pre-treatment. You just rub it into your hair and let it absorb 3-5 minutes and it does a good job of preventing the brittle green hair. The kind I like is called Aqua Guard Pre-Swim Hair Defense and I get it here: www.underwateraudio.com/.../ They make waterproof ipods and headphones, but the Pre-Swim Hair Defense is good and it is only $8.

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

Former Member — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 15:19:06 GMT

Just made my second batch - 4 ounces of water and 1/4 tablespoon of Vitamin C crystals (from Trader Joe's) mixed up in a 4 ounce spray bottle. Works great. Thank you all for info on this thread. David K

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

Bobinator — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 11:51:59 GMT

And are you now a redhead? :) Hi Jayhawk! Yes, my hair is sort of reddish but it always has been. When I sweat copiously I do smell a bit like lasagna though!!

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

Jimbosback — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 04:54:21 GMT

HEY !!! My bloody mary has a hair in it ???? Waste not, want not. :-)

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

orca1946 — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 02:17:56 GMT

HEY !!! My bloody mary has a hair in it ????

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

Former Member — Thu, 01 Jan 2015 11:59:31 GMT

While we're on the $$$ saving note....instead of expensive hair treatments 1X per month to remove chlorine from hair I learned that applying a 6 ounce can of tomato paste every other week to your hair works as well or even better. I just smear the stuff and work it through my hair, cap it with a large zip-lock bag, and let it set for 15 minutes. Afterwards I rinse and shampoo well and my hair look great!! And are you now a redhead? :)

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

philoswimmer — Thu, 01 Jan 2015 07:24:16 GMT

Just a note for the lazy among us... after learning about this vitamin C trick (I think from Elaine on a different thread), I discovered that some shampoos have ascorbic acid in them and seem to do a good job at chlorine removal, e.g., a number of the Burt's Bees shampoos do (just check the ingredients label).

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

Elaine Krugman — Thu, 01 Jan 2015 06:25:58 GMT

Hi Elaine! Do you use this solution before/after any shower soap or as a replacement altogether ? Hi, Mauro! :welcome: I would use it before using soap or body wash. Most of the time, I use it as a replacement, because I swim in a saline pool that uses much less chlorine in the water. If I'm at a heavily chlorinated pool, I'll use the solution first and follow up with my body wash.

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

Bobinator — Thu, 01 Jan 2015 06:05:56 GMT

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

Former Member — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 17:20:24 GMT

Hi Elaine! Do you use this solution before/after any shower soap or as a replacement altogether ? There is a product on the market to remove chlorine from hair and skin (Swim Spray) that costs $12.95 for a 4oz bottle, on their website. If you look at the ingredients of Swim Spray, there are only two: Water and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). After doing a few minutes of research online, I learned that I could make my own spray by adding 1tsp. of Vitamin C crystals to a pint spray bottle of water. I just purchased a bottle of Vitamin C crystals from Trader Joe's for $11.99. I am going to use my empty 2oz. free sample of Swim Spray to refill it with my own mix for a cost of about $0.13 per bottle (there are 908- 1/8 teaspoons in the bottle of crystals)! $0.13 vs $6.50 for 2 ounces of Swim Spray. That gives you an idea of how much $ goes into packaging, marketing, salaries, and all of the other overhead expenses to bring a product to market. :afraid: By the way, if you there is not a Trader Joe's near you, Vitamin C crystals can be purchased online. Just use an empty travel size hairspray bottle, mix up a batch, and throw the bottle in your swim bag. After your swim, briefly rinse off in the shower, spray your hair and skin, wait a few seconds, then rinse. Now you can use your shampoo and body wash or soap as usual. Edit: I previously typed in 1/4 tsp., rather than 1tsp. (in bold). Sorry for the mistake!

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

Bill Sive — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 09:19:15 GMT

Elaine, Are you using your homemade spray on your swimsuit too?, to remove the chlorine smell.

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

Elaine Krugman — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 02:19:59 GMT

Elaine, Are you using your homemade spray on your swimsuit too?, to remove the chlorine smell. No, I'm not, because I am not sure how the fabric would react to ascorbic acid. I just follow the care instructions of the suit which suggests just rinsing in cold water.

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

Former Member — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 16:15:10 GMT

Thanks, Swimark. My powder is a bit more potent than the Trader Joe variety, but not so much that I think I need to mix my formula any differently. :)If a 1gram serving of Trader Joes Vitamin C contains 1000mg, then it is 100% pure vitamin C. Your stuff can't be any more potent. If you get more vitamin C for the same volume, your vitamin C might just be more dense.

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

Bill Sive — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 09:12:01 GMT

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

debaru — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 07:32:58 GMT

And, while I'm thinking of it, Debaru (on this thread) is the other gal you met at the Belmont outdoor pool, back in January 2012. She will be at Nationals, as well. Let's meet up on deck, if you are still planning on being there! :agree: That would be :cool:.

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

Elaine Krugman — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 07:01:40 GMT

Thanks for all your work Elaine. I've been following this thread closely. I will make a batch of your downhome version for myself. With all my pool time I need something like this. I've been thinking about purchasing Swim Spray, and have now decided not to. You're welcome, Bill! Making your own batch will save a lot of :2cents:! And, there are a lot of Trader Joe's in Long Beach, so it should be convenient enough to pick up a bottle of Vitamin C there. Hey, it looks like I will be joining you on the sidelines, August 7, since the 1500m was my 6th event :doh: Somebody from the home office, who shall remain nameless :D, was sure the attendance would be very low at Mission Viejo. So, I gambled and lost. :badday: And, while I'm thinking of it, Debaru (on this thread) is the other gal you met at the Belmont outdoor pool, back in January 2012. She will be at Nationals, as well. Let's meet up on deck, if you are still planning on being there! :agree:

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

swimark — Sun, 14 Jul 2013 12:28:06 GMT

A single serving (one teaspoon) of the SolaRay vitamin C powder contains 5000 mg of vitamin C. BTW - I learned that "crystals" and "powder" are the same. :) I tried to find this information online, but how many milligrams of vitamin C per serving are in the Trader Joe's crystals? If you're using 1/4 teaspoon per 4 oz of water, but your vitamin C from Trader Joe's has a lower (or higher) potency, I will want to adjust my formula accordingly. From the label of Trader Joes Vitamin C Crystals: Serving Size 1/4 teaspoon (1g) Amount per serving - Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid) 1000 mg

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

debaru — Sun, 14 Jul 2013 12:10:49 GMT

:applaud: Definitely a less expensive option than SwimSpray! But, Trader Joe's Vit C is still the least expensive option I have seen; $11.99 for a 1 lb. bottle. I'm glad it worked for you! :agree: A single serving (one teaspoon) of the SolaRay vitamin C powder contains 5000 mg of vitamin C. BTW - I learned that "crystals" and "powder" are the same. :) I tried to find this information online, but how many milligrams of vitamin C per serving are in the Trader Joe's crystals? If you're using 1/4 teaspoon per 4 oz of water, but if the vitamin C from Trader Joe's has a much lower (or higher) potency, I may want to adjust my formula accordingly.

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

Elaine Krugman — Sun, 14 Jul 2013 05:57:09 GMT

Thanks, Swimark; you beat me to it! :D Today, I conducted a very unscientific (but effective) experiment. After swimming, I dunked myself in the spa for an extra dose of chlorine. I then rinsed off (as the SwimSpray instructions advise), before spraying just my left arm with my homemade spray. After letting it sit for a minute, I showered only with water; no shower gel or soap. After I dried off, I smelled my left arm and my right arm. Results: Left arm - :bliss:, Right arm - :afraid: Verdict: I am, again, convinced that my own swim spray works great! :banana:

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

debaru — Sun, 14 Jul 2013 05:32:52 GMT

From the label of Trader Joes Vitamin C Crystals: Serving Size 1/4 teaspoon (1g) Amount per serving - Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid) 1000 mg Thanks, Swimark. My powder is a bit more potent than the Trader Joe variety, but not so much that I think I need to mix my formula any differently. :)

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

__steve__ — Sun, 14 Jul 2013 01:30:02 GMT

Ascorbic acid is commonly used in food and pharmaceutical industries. One should be able to purchace bulk quantities (55 gal drum for less than $400) fairly cheaply. No need to worry about vitamin C spoilage either, it's chiefly used as a natural preservative:D.

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

Elaine Krugman — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 08:26:57 GMT

I mixed up a batch of home-made "anti-chlorine spray" (1/4 tsp powder to 4 oz of water), but instead of using vitamin C crystals, I used powdered vitamin C, which I purchased at Sprouts ($15.99 for an 8 oz bottle -- good for a 6 month supply of spray). The powdered version is meant to be mixed with liquid and consumed as a drink and since Sprouts didn't have the crystal version (unless powder and crystals are the same thing), I figured that powdered vitamin C would work just as well, if not better. Well, I am happy to report that it did. I tested it out today after my noon swim, and after arriving back at work, I asked a couple of co-workers if they could smell chlorine. Their answer -- a resounding "No". :cool: The vitamin C powder I purchased is manufactured by SolaRay (8 oz, 5000 mg, 100% pure ascorbic acid), which is available on-line through various sellers. Here's a URL to one particular vendor: www.vitacost.com/solaray-vitamin-c-powder. :applaud: Definitely a less expensive option than SwimSpray! But, Trader Joe's Vit C is still the least expensive option I have seen; $11.99 for a 1 lb. bottle. I'm glad it worked for you! :agree:

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

debaru — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 05:19:28 GMT

Awesome, Elaine. Thanks for going the extra mile and testing your remedy. :agree: I'm going to have to give this a try. I swim at noon outdoors, so I'm wondering how the Arizona heat may affect the mixture. I use a small cooler to keep my water and recovery food chilled, so I think it would be a good idea to keep my home-made spray in it as well while I'm swimming. I'll be sure to report my findings. I mixed up a batch of home-made "anti-chlorine spray" (1/4 tsp powder to 4 oz of water), but instead of using vitamin C crystals, I used powdered vitamin C, which I purchased at Sprouts ($15.99 for an 8 oz bottle -- good for a 6 month supply of spray). The powdered version is meant to be mixed with liquid and consumed as a drink and since Sprouts didn't have the crystal version (unless powder and crystals are the same thing), I figured that powdered vitamin C would work just as well, if not better. Well, I am happy to report that it did. I tested it out today after my noon swim, and after arriving back at work, I asked a couple of co-workers if they could smell chlorine. Their answer -- a resounding "No". :cool: The vitamin C powder I purchased is manufactured by SolaRay (8 oz, 5000 mg, 100% pure ascorbic acid), which is available on-line through various sellers. Here's a URL to one particular vendor: www.vitacost.com/solaray-vitamin-c-powder.

RE: Very Inexpensive Chlorine Remover

Water Rat — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 12:37:47 GMT

I love the smell of chlorine in the morning!