We’ve all heard them; there are simply tons of strange myths surrounding hot tubs. We thought it would be interesting to do a little sleuthing to see if any of these are actually true or if they are as ridiculous as they sound!
First up is whether or not you can cook spaghetti in a hot tub. This one sounds ridiculous, and it is! Hot tub water is usually around 40ᵒC (any higher than this is unsafe), and pasta requires boiling water in order to cook properly. If you left it in a hot tub long enough, the pasta might soften a bit, but it would also turn into a gloopy, yucky mess! Not to mention the fact that hot tubs are full of chlorine – not exactly a yummy pasta sauce.
Next up – can wearing jeans in a hot tub cause death or serious injury? The story goes that people attempt to shrink their jeans by wearing them into a hot tub for several hours, but the combination of swelling legs and shrinking jeans results in blood clots, which can be fatal. Mythbusters tested this one themselves, and deemed it “busted”! While the situation could hypothetically be dangerous, during their tests the subjects encountered no ill effects from shrinking jeans! Visit Mythbusters results here…
Another myth we’ve seen about the dangers of hot tubs is that you can get suctioned to the bottom of a hot tub, causing drowning. This one seems to be true. There have been incidents in swimming pools where people have blocked the drain, and been suctioned to it, resulting in serious injuries or death. Newer model pumps should have automatic shut-offs that turn the suction off when the drain is blocked, but you may want to check with your manufacturer to ensure your hot tub pump has this function. Never sit on, or block a drain in any way, and be especially careful with long hair, which may get caught. Never remove the grate from the drain.
Finally, there is the debate over whether sweating helps to remove toxins from the body. Both sides of this argument have some good points, and we can’t tell who is right! But since hot tubbing is so relaxing, you might as well enjoy it anyways, and if you sweat out some toxins, that’s just icing on the cake! Just remember to drink enough water, or sweating can do more harm than good.
While some of these myths may sound silly, there’s something to be learned from all of them. So keep your food out of your hot tub, wear your bathing suit (who likes wet jeans anyways!), stay hydrated and never, ever mess with hot tub or pool drains!
Tags: hot tub, hot tub water, hot tubs, myth, mythbusters, myths, spaghetti, swimming pools
