General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Your stuff & the locker room floor... Rss Feed  
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2008-02-13 12:03 AM

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Expert
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Woodland, California
Subject: Your stuff & the locker room floor...
I swim at the Y. As soon as I get out of the pool I put on my flip flops, go into the locker room, and take a shower. Of course at this point, I am soaking wet, and still wearing my flip flops. I dry off with one towel, and then dry my flip flops with another towel that goes straight into the laundry (or a paper towel if they are out of towels). However, the flip flops are still somewhat wet and gross, so I don't want to just stick them in my locker. I've been tossing them in a grocery bag and taking them home with me so they can air out, but that's gross too because then I'm handling them more than I want to, plus if I ride my bike it's a pain to carry them.

So my question for all you BTers.... what do you do with your gross wet shower sandals???? And for that matter, how do you prevent your stuff from touching any moist or wet surface in the locker room (shampoo bottles, etc) and what do you do when the inevitable contact is made?

I'm not a germophobe by any means, and I don't think my locker room is exceptionally bad, but it is still a locker room and it is nasty and moist, particularly the floor, so I would like to minimize the amount of contact my stuff and I have with it. Any tips are appreciated.


2008-02-13 12:17 AM
in reply to: #1208705

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Veteran
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NYC
Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...
I don't wear sandals, just bare feet. Over time the sandals get gross.

I just shower well and dry off well, haven't had athletes foot or any other issues in years.

HTFU
2008-02-13 12:25 AM
in reply to: #1208705

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Pro
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Los Angeles, CA
Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...
I put it in a grocery bag too. If swimming was the last thing I do, I sometimes just wear it home and it dries by then.

The previous poster who doesn't wear sandals...that's nasty. You might catch some crazy fungus or something.
2008-02-13 1:27 AM
in reply to: #1208705

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Expert
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Plano, TX
Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...

I hate, hate, hate for anything I own or that touches my skin in some way to touch anything in a bathroom or the floor of a locker room.  It's not a phobia, per se, but I would just rather not go there.
That being said, I use Lifetime Fitness and they provide a spindle with small plastic bags right next to the bathing suit spinner/dryer thing.  I exit the shower with my shower sandals on, walk to the spinner and grab a bag and head to my locker.  One towel for the body, one for the sandals.  LTF provides at least 98 towels per guest.  I dry the sandals off and put them into the little courtesy bag and then into my gym bag.  They haven't gotten nasty yet.  Maybe I use a higher end shower sandal?   
Perhaps I am spoiled with my locker room, because I have read some serious horror stories.

Chris

2008-02-13 1:38 AM
in reply to: #1208705

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Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...
If I remember my sandals I just rinse them off in the shower after I am dressed, yes they are still wet but a whole lot more clean then they were.
2008-02-13 5:31 AM
in reply to: #1208705

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South Florida
Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...
Another vote for bare feet. Quality gyms these days are sanitized daily, at least mine is. Usually it's at 6 am when I'm trying to shower. My gym also has rubber mats on the floor, my feet never touch tile. Don't know if this helps, but it's a nice touch.


2008-02-13 6:16 AM
in reply to: #1208705

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Expert
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London, UK
Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...
LOL. Thanks for that OP. Don't worry about what's on the floor. Worry about WHAT'S IN THE POOL!!!
2008-02-13 6:21 AM
in reply to: #1208732

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A Husker stuck in VA
Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...
Bah, quoted wrong person. I barefoot it too.

+1 I have been in the Navy for 16 years and used shower shoes in those stalls, but when it comes to thew Y I bare foot it. People don't do the same things in the Y shower as they do in the Navy shower alone on a 6-9 month deployment!!

Edited by NavyTRIChief 2008-02-13 6:23 AM
2008-02-13 6:23 AM
in reply to: #1208843

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London, UK
Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...

NavyTRIChief - 2008-02-13 12:21 PM
auto208562 - 2008-02-13 1:25 AM I put it in a grocery bag too. If swimming was the last thing I do, I sometimes just wear it home and it dries by then. The previous poster who doesn't wear sandals...that's nasty. You might catch some crazy fungus or something.
+1 I have been in the Navy for 16 years and used shower shoes in those stalls, but when it comes to thew Y I bare foot it. People don't do the same things in the Y shower as they do in the Navy shower alone on a 6-9 month deployment!!

To quote that classic band 'The Village People': "In the Navy!"

Sorry  

2008-02-13 6:46 AM
in reply to: #1208705

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Evergreen, Colorado
Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...

My gym bag has a lot of compartments.  One of the ones on the side holds my brush, hairdryer, and.....shower shoes!

Yup, that's all I do.  Wear them until I'm dressed then shove them in the side pocket of the gym bag.  I don't have any problems with them.  They never get gross....and I've been doing this for years!

2008-02-13 6:49 AM
in reply to: #1208705

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Master
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Centennial, CO
Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...
I barefoot it.  I've been in and out of locker  rooms for the last 30 years (since I was a kid).  Never had any problems.  I shower after my swim and just make sure to dry my feet off well before putting socks and shoes back on.  Sandals seem to become gross quickly, and I do also shower at home before I go to bed if I have swam earlier in the day.


2008-02-13 7:17 AM
in reply to: #1208871

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Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...
another barefoot. after towling off I put the towel on the floor and stand on it while dressing, dry off my feet and use a bit of hand-sanitizer anti-bacterial gel on 'em and I'm good to go.

to the OP, take along one of those gallon size ziplock bags to put your flip-flops in, and put all your small items in ziplock bags as well and then you don't have to worry about spillage, or other stuff getting wet.

edit:
how do you prevent your stuff from touching any moist or wet surface in the locker room (shampoo bottles, etc) and what do you do when the inevitable contact is made?

-if you are that paranoid, take along a canister of Clorox Bleach wet wipes (or something similar) and wipe your stuff down before putting them back into your gym bag.



Edited by G-Moose 2008-02-13 7:21 AM
2008-02-13 8:22 AM
in reply to: #1208705

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Olney, MD
Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...

I definitely wear sandals.  I'm not so concerned about getting fungus.  It's more of a safety issue.  I saw a woman a few months ago in the locker room, who wasn't wear sandals, slip and fall on her face after she got out of the shower because the tiles were wet and she lost her footing.  It wasn't pretty and I can still remember the sound of her body hitting the floor..ugggh   

I bring my own towel with me because the towels at the gym are big enough to dry off.. ohhh.. one of my legs.  I just wrap all the wet stuff together in the towel after I'm done with it and stick it in my bag that has a compartment for wet things.   If something happens to touch the floor, no biggie.  If it's a shampoo bottle or brush, I'll just rinse it off in the sink.  If it's clothing, I'll just throw that stuff in the washer at home.



Edited by vball03umd 2008-02-13 8:23 AM
2008-02-13 8:23 AM
in reply to: #1208818

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Alpharetta, Georgia
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Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...
MikeTri37 - 2008-02-13 5:31 AM

Another vote for bare feet. Quality gyms these days are sanitized daily, at least mine is.


x2. At least I hope mine is. My gym is actually ridiculously sparkling clean. It's a 'high end' gym where you pay more than usual but get more than usual. Stuff like complimentary shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, razors, deoderant, body lotion, etc. I assume I'm also paying for clean facilities.

I've only seen one or two people in about 10 years use flip flops in those showers.
2008-02-13 8:37 AM
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A Husker stuck in VA
Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...
vball03umd - 2008-02-13 9:22 AM

I definitely wear sandals.  I'm not so concerned about getting fungus.  It's more of a safety issue.  I saw a woman a few months ago in the locker room, who wasn't wear sandals, slip and fall on her face after she got out of the shower because the tiles were wet and she lost her footing.  It wasn't pretty and I can still remember the sound of her body hitting the floor..ugggh   

I bring my own towel with me because the towels at the gym are big enough to dry off.. ohhh.. one of my legs.  I just wrap all the wet stuff together in the towel after I'm done with it and stick it in my bag that has a compartment for wet things.   If something happens to touch the floor, no biggie.  If it's a shampoo bottle or brush, I'll just rinse it off in the sink.  If it's clothing, I'll just throw that stuff in the washer at home.



I remember the time I was in the womens shower and.... oh, wait, that was a dream I won't get into!!
2008-02-13 8:40 AM
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Ottawa, Ontario
Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...
I do not use flip-flops or any kind of footwear in the dressing room.  I simply dry off with my towel then proceed to the dressing area.  I wipe off the seat next to my locker and put the towel on the floor to stand on while I dress.  Once I am dressed, I roll my wet bathing suit in the towel -- I could easily put flip-flop in there -- and put it in my backpack.  When I get home, both the towel and bathing suit go into the laundry basket to be washed.


2008-02-13 8:47 AM
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2008-02-13 9:20 AM
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Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...
Why worry about germs and bacteria on the floors? What about all the body fluids ingested while actually swimming in the pool? Ever seen unidentifiable entities floating in the water? I think our immune systems are pretty hearty and apparently resistant to most garden variety "gym germs".
2008-02-13 9:36 AM
in reply to: #1208705

Master
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West Jordan, UT
Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...

I personally don't worry about it.  Barefoot has worked for me for a long time.   Your feet were made for walking on the ground, which is always dirty almost everywhere.    Also,  I would think sandals would start growing their own fungus after a month or two of being constantly wet and then thrown in a plastic sack.   

Maybe we should invent some disposable foot condoms that you can wear in the gym/pool and then throw away.  

 

2008-02-13 9:45 AM
in reply to: #1208705

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Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...
I hover in the locker room. Problem solved.
2008-02-13 9:54 AM
in reply to: #1208705

Expert
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Woodland, California
Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...
Good point about worrying about what's in the water rather than what's on the floor in the locker room. My Y isn't busy at all, at least in the evenings when I swim, so I don't really think about that. I guess in my fantasy world, the chlorine kills all the buggies.

The dry part of the locker room has mats everywhere and seems pretty clean, so I don't worry about walking barefoot in there... plus I have to, since they frown upon tracking a bunch of water in there, which is what happens with sandals on. However, the shower area is always moist, I know it gets cleaned but it is always moist and it just reminds me a lot of the dorms I lived in my first year of college, and they made a point of recommending that everyone wear shower sandals in there (in the women's bathroom).


2008-02-13 9:55 AM
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2008-02-13 9:55 AM
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Kansas City, MO
Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...
you shower after working out.......    
2008-02-13 9:57 AM
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Whizzzzzlandia
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Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...

I used to go barefoot, but I had a pretty nasty case of athlete's foot last year (Left foot only, oddly enough....) so I have taken to using shower flip flops or my Crocs.

I either put them in the plastic bags provided, or I put them in the water proof part of my gym bag after I'm done using them and bring them home. They are usually dry by the time I get home.

2008-02-13 10:00 AM
in reply to: #1208705

Master
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Sunny Southern Cal
Subject: RE: Your stuff & the locker room floor...
Rinse your flip flops in a sink afterwards and then wipe them dry with paper towels.  I stopped walking barefoot in locker rooms a long time ago.  High-end gym, low-end gym, public pool, doesn't matter.
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