Why it's perfectly normal for an adult to spend the entire weekend in an inflatable pool

The intention is to break a record this week. It needs to be hotter than six days in a row, and if we are to believe the weather gurus, we will easily manage that. By the way, in the Netherlands, you refer to a heatwave when the temperature is above twenty-five degrees for five days or longer. Whatever it becomes: I'm in the pool.

In an inflatable pool, yes. As soon as I think of the beach, it's already too crowded, they start closing roads, and I don't find the thought of being stacked in Zandvoort or Katwijk aan Zee very appealing either. Suddenly, I saw a deal at an online wholesaler that I couldn't resist, I thought. An inflatable pool, with four spacious seats and two holders for a refreshing drink. I still find the ratio of four seats to two holders difficult, but other than that, I'm a satisfied person.

The calculation regarding the inflatable pool was as follows for now: 1 day of enjoyment with 4 people = 5 euros for a day of water fun and cooling off. You wouldn't drive from the Gooi to the nearest beach for that. You don't have to haul a cooler, stand in line at a beach tent, swim with a detour of at least one and a half meters, and last but not least: I can quietly and without onlookers let my rather white belly tan in the sun.

With a bit of luck, there’s still an inflatable one at the local toy store, and otherwise, I would put it online so you can have it at home tonight or tomorrow. To enjoy your inflatable pool optimally and especially hygienically, I have tips and commandments. You could almost call me an inflatable pool expert. Make the most of it.

1. The first commandment is that no other liquids than pool water are allowed in the inflatable pool. This ranges from white wine to what people sometimes tend to do in a pool.

2. What also helps: go into the pool with clean feet. I saw somewhere that you should put a basin of water for that already large basin of water, which sounds very laborious to me, but flip-flops will surely suffice.

3. Cover it up. I forgot this the first night and spent about an hour scooping insects out of their watery grave.

4. Speaking of scooping: if you have a net at home, then you belong to the inflatable pool pros as far as I'm concerned. If you're not there yet: a kitchen sieve works too.

5. If you're talking about a lot of cubic meters of water in an inflatable pool, then I would google how much chlorine you need to keep it fresh. But if you, like me, consider yourself a beginner with your children's inflatable pool, then one drop of chlorine is fine.

Oh, enjoy the cooler night tonight and tomorrow, by the way, starting Monday it seems to be sticky and sleeping will be a challenge. But luckily you and I have an inflatable pool in the garden or on the balcony to cool off in.