6

My 9th grader has swimming every other day and loves it -- but the bathing suit and towel are a constant problem, getting forgotten, growing mold in a plastic bag in the knapsack, etc. What's a good way to manage these items? I suggested hanging them up in the school locker, since the lockers have vents, and my son rejected this idea, saying that the vents aren't big enough to allow for enough air circulation to prevent mold growth. But I feel like the bag is at least as bad, and the darned stuff gets left at home more often than not, because PE is every other day.

If this question is not kosher, don't downvote me into oblivion please, just let me know, and I'll start fresh somewhere else, maybe Lifehacks. Thanks.

aparente001
  • 163
  • 4
  • Do you mean he’s forgetting them at school, wet and bagged up? If so, doesn’t that mean they’re in his locker anyway? Besides, I could see how having a bathing suit hanging in one’s locker might seem like a normal adult thing, but teens can be self-conscious about that sort of thing. He’ll probably fight you on that and you’ll never get him to do it. Buy some extra suits and towels and do an exchange. He brings you a wet suit and towel and you hand him a fresh suit and towel. Failure to do so is on him. If he prefers to swim in moldy trunks then so be it! – Frank Nov 29 '17 at 21:46
  • @Frank - Thanks. So far he forgets to get it out of the plastic bag kept in the knapsack, to dry. Also once it's dry he forgets to put it back in the knapsack to take to school. I'm not sure he feels self-conscious. He said he doesn't think they will dry in a locker. What do you think about that? // There are allergies to mold (both of us), and the swimming unit will be over soon, so I don't want to buy another suit. – aparente001 Nov 29 '17 at 21:49
  • 1
    Ahhhh..... I do the same thing and I’m 35. My wife is probably looking for a solution to this as well. :-) The best system we’ve come up with so far is a bag that is netted on one side and plastic/vinyl on the other. It allows the material to breathe so that when I do forget it, it can still air out. It’s not ideal, but it does help. It’s somewhat similar to this: https://m.swimoutlet.com/p/tyr-big-mesh-mummy-backpack-iii-8118725/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google-shopping&color=10770&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIruj95uPk1wIVmoWzCh2kPAeyEAQYASABEgK3jfD_BwE – Frank Nov 29 '17 at 21:56
  • @Frank - So he'd have to carry an additional bag beyond his knapsack. // Let me ask you this -- would the suit and towel dry, or stay damp, if hung up in a locker? – aparente001 Nov 30 '17 at 03:17
  • 1
    I can't honestly say for sure, but if it's a standard style locker like what most high schools have, it most likely does have those vents. It doesn't need a lot of air flow to dry although air flow would make it dry faster. As long as the temperature is above freezing, the moisture should dry. At what speed, I am not sure. – Frank Nov 30 '17 at 03:31
  • @Frank Thanks for sticking with me. As lovely an answer as JohnP wrote, I would accept your answer if you could transfer your last comment to an answer. He only has swimming every other day, so if the vents work slowly, it should be okay in the locker. – aparente001 Nov 30 '17 at 21:47
  • If swimming is as often as any other day, why not buy a second set of bathing suite /towel for your kid. Then, one can dry for more than one day or, if forgotten, has the chance to dry. The second one can then be packed dry in the evening , so you/he/she won`t forget it in the stress of the morning.... – Julian Dec 04 '17 at 09:53
  • @Julian - It dries quickly at home, that's not the problem. If he were swimming every day, then it would be a problem. – aparente001 Dec 04 '17 at 21:36
  • I think your problem is that you are expecting a ninth grade boy to behave like a civilized human being. You have a couple of years before that might happen. – Pete B. Jul 31 '18 at 19:27

1 Answers1

2

Your son is somewhat mistaken. As long as the suit is not in a completely closed container, it will dry. It may take a while, but it will dry. More likely he doesn't like putting on a slightly damp, cold swimsuit. The solution for that is to run it under some warm water before putting it on.

For a bag, one idea is to get a backpack designed specifically for swimmers. There are several different varieties, including duffel bags, and almost all of them have a mesh pocket in the bottom for damp items:

enter image description here

Bottom line, though, is that if he really likes swimming that much, he needs to get used to taking care of his equipment. Once you get in a routine, it's not that hard.

JohnP
  • 23,013
  • 4
  • 46
  • 87