Pool cleaning companies are creating a huge following on social media. Researchers say they’re getting millions of views on their pool cleaning videos because these kinds of short films satisfy a deeper element within our human nature.
Sociologist and City University senior lecturer Stephanie Alice Baker told the New York Times that pool cleaning videos have a well-established trick of the trade that simply make for really compelling videos. She says that the shock factor of witnessing the complete transformation of a dirty pool into a clean one is something that is very satisfying to viewers on an emotional level.
One popular pool cleaning professional Miles Laflin, also known as The Pool Guy is located in the U.K. and has racked up hundreds of thousands of subscribers and followers along with over 69 million video views on YouTube alone. He’s equally if not more popular on Instagram and TikTok.
“It’s long been known in the fitness industry that one of the most successful ways to build an audience is a before-and-after post,” Dr. Baker said.
She also mentioned that one of the videos’ most appealing aspects was the way it affected the audience’s feelings.
When a pool company is able to revitalize a filthy pool, folks watching may feel some sort of sense of accomplishment, according to Dr. Baker. Baker suggested that viewers may get a sense of success, order, and mastery while watching these types of videos.
It’s nothing new for pools to take the spotlight on social media. We’ve written time and again about videos involving pools that set social media on fire. The fact that there may be some type of therapeutic benefit from watching them is pretty new information though.
This new short-form video emphasis that TikTok focuses on has helped propel this particular video genre to new heights with a younger demographic. More than 45 billion people have watched videos with the hashtag #oddlysatisfying on TikTok.
Researchers like Dr. Richard believe that for our ancestors, witnessing someone work with their hands taught them a skill. Richard believes watching films of individuals working activates a region of our brain that, according to him, keeps us captivated.
Dr. Richard thinks that we are hard-wired to look at people’s hands when they are teaching us or explaining something because subconsciously we believe that doing so will help us survive.
Richard said watching pool service videos and the action of someone working with their hands while providing professional advice, coupled with a soothing voice and the sound of flowing water triggers an autonomous sensory meridian response. A.S.M.R videos are said to provide a relaxing, even sedative sensation. Viewers claim the feeling begins on the scalp and moves down the body.
Miles Laflin – @thep00lguy has become an overnight celebrity with his pool cleaning videos.
While we can’t vouch for the tingly feelings, we can say without a doubt that some of these pool cleaning videos are absolutely mesmerizing to watch. Today Miles Laflin has gone from a run-of-the-mill pool guy to being approached on the street daily for autographs and selfies by followers. Despite the fame his videos get, he’s not a rock star or a famous athlete. All Miles had to do to get famous was to start cleaning pools.
Pool News coverage brought to you by Pool Magazine's own Marcus Packer. Marcus Packer is a 20 year pool industry veteran pool builder and pool service technician. In addition to being a swimming pool professional, Marcus has been a writer and long time contributor for Newsweek Magazine's home improvement section and more recently for Florida Travel + Life. Have a story idea or tip you'd like to share with Pool Magazine? Email mpacker@poolmagazine.com your story idea.
A man was found dead after being swallowed by a sinkhole that opened up in a private swimming pool. The incident transpired in Israel where authorities are still trying to figure out what caused two men to be swept away by the receding water after a sinkhole sprang up within an inground swimming pool at a private property in central Israel. One was recovered dead at the scene on Thursday afternoon.
The body was located by search crews in the town of Karmei Yosef after a four-hour recovery operation conducted by rescue personnel who were lowered deep underground. The search was hampered by concerns that tunnels extending from the sinkhole could lead to a second collapse.
It took rescuers several hours of searching before they were able to uncover the body of the man who had gone missing. The other 34-year-old man who had been trapped for some time, was saved and treated for minor injuries to his lower body.
Rescuers worked for hours to find the missing victims body. – Photo Credits: Fire and Rescue Services
Employees of a private company were having a pool party when the incident occurred. About 50 people were present at the time of the accident, according to one guest.
“The water level suddenly started receding and a hole opened up, creating a vortex that swept two people inside,” the guest told news sources.
She said a sinkhole opened a vortex formed which swallowed up the victim in a matter of seconds. She yelled at her coworkers to get out of the pool as the sinkhole emerged, but they initially assumed it was a game. Authorities say, fortunately, there were only 6 people in the pool at the time or injuries and casualties could have been far greater.
“Seconds later, the ground just dropped… I watched two people just disappear,” she added.
According to police, an investigtion into the incident is currently underway, and they plan to find out if the pool was operating with the proper license.
‘Hero coach saves swimmer’ was the headline splashed all over the news today. After losing consciousness during the FINA World Aquatic Championships in Budapest, Hungary, American swimmer Anita Alvarez was rescued from drowning at the bottom of the pool by coach Andrea Fuentes.
On Wednesday, Fuentes dived into the water after seeing the 25-year-old artistic swimmer plummet to the bottom of the women’s solo free event.
Coach Indicated Life Guards Slow To React
Andrea Fuentes, coach to two-time Olympian Anita Alvarez, told Spanish newspaper Marca that she dived in to haul the 25-year-old to the surface because no one else lifted a finger to do so.
“I jumped into the water because I saw that no one, no lifeguard, was diving in,” she said.
The dramatic rescue unfolded when Ms Alvarez was participating in the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest on Wednesday night.
This wasn’t the first time that Fuentes has come to Alvarez’s rescue. During an Olympic qualification event last year, a similar incident occurred where Fuentes leaped into action to her and swim partner, Lindi Schroeder to safety.
Who is Andrea Fuentes?
Fuentes is a four-time Olympic medalist in synchronized swimming and the most decorated swimmer on the Spanish National Team. The world champion rescued Alvarez from the bottom of the pool and swam her to the surface before swimming her to safety at the edge of the pool.
“I got a little scared because she wasn’t breathing, but now she’s fine,” Fuentes told news sources.
Swimmers often hold their breath for long periods of time as a way to develop their lung capacity but never defy medical advice, according to their instructor, who explained that the occurrence was not out of the ordinary in the sport of swimming.
Fuentes became concerned when she observed Alvarez’s feet appeared paler than usual toward the end of her routine on Wednesday. While Alvarez was descending instead of ascending to take a breath, she dove in.
Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images
Swim Coach Saves Swimmer, Quick To Respond To Distress
Fuentes remarked, “I was already paying attention, and then I saw her sliding down. In the end, “I didn’t even ask myself if I should go or not, I just thought that I was not going to wait.” “I know Anita very well and I know the sport very well.” Fuentes replied when asked if she thought lifeguards were too slow to respond to the incident.
Coach Saves Swimmer – Says ‘I Did My Job’
Fuentes concluded by saying, “They did their job, I did mine,” The sport’s governing body, the International Swimming Federation (FINA), did not react to calls for comment on reaction speed of the rescue.
After what it called a “medical emergency.” FINA said in a statement on Thursday that it has been in contact with Alvarez, her teammates, and her medical personnel. In the words of the release, “Ms. Alvarez was immediately treated by a medical team in the venue and is in good health,”
Oli Scarff, the underwater photographer who used a remote robotic camera to capture the breathtaking images of the rescue, told reporters that he heard noise as he was looking at his computer toward the end of Alvarez’s routine. He observed the swimmer at the bottom of the pool on the screen of the robotic camera.
Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images
According to the photographer, it was “It was kind of a shocking thing to see because as soon as I looked back down at the robotic camera I had this kind of clear view of the scene while everyone in the arena was watching it through the surface of the water,” as he put it.
At first Scarff was capturing “beautiful” images of a “amazing” athlete in action, only to find himself “in a heartbeat” photographing “a near-death situation.” “Actually, I was rather rattled up by the whole thing.
Swimmer Says She’s Ready To Compete on Friday
“The doctors checked all vitals and everything is normal: heart rate, oxygen, sugar levels, blood pressure, etc. All is fine,” Fuentes stated. Other high-endurance sports, such as running and cycling, also experience this.” Whether it’s a marathon, a bike race, or a cross-country race, we’ve all seen photographs of racers who didn’t make it to the finish line being helped by others. Swimming is just like any other activity in that we push ourselves to our limits and sometimes find them.”
As an avid observer of interesting pools and spas, we’re keen to point out interesting projects that are going viral. One huge canal-style pool that is actually a shared pool experience connecting a series of villas at a resort in China, has captured the imagination of viewers on social media and is being shared all over the internet.
Travel the globe and you’re bound to see some incredible sights. This is especially true when traveling to China. A visit to Yingde, a historical city in the Guangdong Province of China will bring you to a picturesque locale better well known for its world-famous black tea than its resorts. Located approximately 10 miles from Yingde Railway Station sits an incredible sight to behold and one of the more interesting footnotes on any traveler’s log.
Baodun Lake also known as “the water city of Venice in Guangdong”, is where you’ll find the Baodun Lake Hushan Hot Spring Resort. One of the more remarkable features is the gigantic canal-style pool which encircles the entire property of this charming family resort.
Photo Credit: Trip.com
The swimming lane which stretches from the backyard of each building in the resort is 4.2 meters wide (13.7 feet), 1.2 meters deep (3.9 feet) and 1.3 kilometers long (0.8 miles).
Photo Credit: YouTube
There has been plenty of footage taken of both the resort and the pool, however one of the more popular videos that we’ve seen lately is the aerial drone footage that is being shared on YouTube.
While resorts with these types of pools are becoming incredibly popular in places like Southeast Asia, they still have yet to really catch on in the west. Perhaps because of the fact that our ideal of the over-water bungalow experience is more in line with places like Fiji.
Have you visited any resorts like this? What was the experience like? How much do you think a pool like this costs to maintain? Tell us in the comments below.
Connect with
Login with Facebook