27 Jan Our Clean Team Gets the Job Done Every Day
Keeping Iron Mountain Hot Springs spick and span takes a whole team of people. Meet the Clean Team and find out how we sanitize our pools to provide you with a safe environment in which to relax.
Technically known as our Maintenance Department, this “Clean Team” of hard-working individuals ensures that guests who come to soak in our 100% pure mineral water always have prime conditions for relaxing. With the emergence of the coronavirus, vigilant sanitization practices are more important than ever. Even before the pandemic, the cleanliness of our water and our facility has always been a top priority.
“We get so many positive comments about the cleanliness of our pools and facilities,” Maintenance Manager Landon Langer said. “It’s really a labor of love. We do our best every day to be as thorough as possible.”
Take a sneak peek behind the scenes to see how we keep all those hot spring pools hygienic and find out what upgrades we have planned for the future.
Bright & Early
Thankfully—Will, David, Alex, Charles and Chase—our maintenance department employees are early risers. They have to be. No matter the season, their shift starts at 5 a.m., long before the first guest arrives. In the dead of winter, it’s not uncommon for temperatures to be in the single digits!
Getting Started
Despite the weather, the first order of business is to place a submersible pump in the pool to be drained. Once all the water is removed, a topical cleaner is applied that breaks down the mineral deposits left behind by the water. Iron Mountain Hot Springs’ water contains 14 dissolved minerals and buildup occurs quickly. On occasion, crews have to bring out a sander to remove extra tough mineral deposits!
The next step is an application of a state-approved cleaner that goes to work removing algae and any residue left behind. While we take steps to prevent algae growth, it’s not a huge problem at Iron Mountain Hot Springs. Algae likes to accumulate in areas with poor circulation; the water in our pools has a turnover rate or flow rate of about two hours, meaning it’s completely refreshed in every pool every couple of hours! At this stage, crews also take the time to scrub handrails and other hard surfaces that guests come into contact with regularly.
Under Pressure
Pressure washing the pools is the final step before refilling. This is no tepid quick rinse. We power wash the pools, as well as the surrounding capstones and sidewalks, with water that is 160°F. At that temperature, you could poach an egg! How often does this whole process happen? The pools are cleaned on a rotating basis six days per week and the main walkways and deck area once per week. Except for a few holidays, crews work every day of the year from 5 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. just on pool sanitization.
It’s Not What You Think
When asked what the white specks are that can sometimes be seen floating in the pools, Langer said. “It’s not skin. That’s what most people think it is. Rest assured, that IS NOT the case,” he emphasized. “Our water comes straight from the geothermal spring and goes through sand filters which eliminate most of the naturally-occurring solids, but some of the minerals get through and that’s what people are seeing.”
Not Done Yet!
On top of all that, when guests arrive beginning at 9 a.m. our Clean Team stays on the job making sure the water quality in the pools is top-notch. You may see them making their rounds and taking water samples as well as monitoring temperatures. Every week Iron Mountain Hot Springs submits water samples to a state-approved third-party vendor to ensure that we remain in compliance with state guidelines. To date, Iron Mountain Hot Springs has exceeded all guidelines. In addition, our staffers make it their mission to spray down and disinfect surfaces everywhere on the property. One recent guest made that exact observation:
“Crews could be seen sanitizing regularly,” an online comment left by Sean, an Iron Mountain Hot Springs guest in January 2021.
Coming Soon!
You may have noticed we’ve been doing some digging up river from Iron Mountain Hot Springs. The expansion will include more soaking pools and new experiences. Stay tuned for updates, information and photos as the project progresses. Part of the addition is a new pump house which will enable us to install an ozone splitter, formally referred to as an AOP (Advanced Oxidation Production). According to Langer, “Ozone is the world’s strongest oxidizer. The way it works is the AOP splits atmospheric oxygen (O2) into atomic oxygen (O). When released into the pools, the oxygen atoms bind to and neutralize any organic compounds in the water. These inert particles are then filtered out. Our pools are exceptionally clean now; when the AOP becomes operational even that will get bumped up.”
There you have it. Cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting is a huge job, but our Iron Mountain Hot Springs Clean Team knows the drill and gets up extra early every day to make sure the pools and property are shipshape for guests all day long.
Visit Iron Mountain Hot Springs online today to make reservations to soak in our 100% pure mineral water.
Karin Gamba
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