Being the owner of a pool comes with a great many rewards. There are so many health benefits associated with swimming.
Having a pool is also wonderful because it’s a great way to entertain at home. A pool means lots of memories with friends and family in your backyard.
But if your pool isn’t cleaned properly, it can also be a source of costly health or repair problems. Every homeowner should know the ins and outs of pool cleaning to ensure a happy and safe summer.
Keep reading to learn how to clean a swimming pool properly.
Why Pool Cleaning Is Necessary Even With Chemicals
Some people make the mistake of believing that if they simply add pool cleaning chemicals like chlorine and bromide to their pool, they’re safe. While adding chemicals aids in swimming pool cleaning, it’s not enough.
Think about taking a shower. Typically, shampoo, condition, and soap are used. While the person taking the shower is now clean, that doesn’t mean their bathtub is.
Instead, all that extra stuff ends up building up on the walls and floor of the shower. The same is true of a swimming pool. There are extra steps to take in order to learn how to clean a swimming pool.
The Equipment Needed to Clean a Swimming Pool
In order to find out how to keep a pool clean, the right equipment must first be purchased. Then it’s just a matter of learning how to use them properly.
Pool Skimmer
A pool skimmer will help keep debris like leaves and twigs out of the swimming pool. This is something every pool owner should immediately invest in. The pool skimmer should be used once a day to prevent problems and to make cleaning the rest of the pool easier.
Pool Brushes
For those wondering how to clean the bottom of a pool, investing in a pool brush will make that task much easier. However, make sure to purchase a pool brush made of the right materials for the type of pool being cleaned.
For unpainted concrete pools, use a brush with both stainless steel and nylon bristles. A pool made from gunite is cleaned best with a brush made from stainless steel bristles.
For fiberglass, painted concrete or vinyl pools, opt for a brush made with only nylon bristles. Use pool brushes at least twice a week to keep the pool clean.
Pool Vacuum Cleaner
For those looking to find out how to keep a pool clean, investing in a decent vacuum cleaner is half the battle. There are several choices when it comes to pool vacuums, so let’s take a look to find out type will work best.
Manual Pool Vacuum
A telescopic pole is a good investment to make for pool cleaning purposes. It’s easy to attach many items to the end of the pole in order to keep a pool clean.
Skimmer nets, vacuum heads, and brushes are all easily attached to a telescopic pole. For those looking to invest in a telescopic pole, opt for one that’s at least eight-feet and can extend out to 16 feet.
That will allow for easy cleaning for both the walls and the bottom of the pool. Opt to clean the pool using a manual pool vacuum every other day to keep the pool clean.
Keep in mind that a manual pool vacuum is also labor-intensive. This isn’t the most effective tool for everyone.
Robotic Pool Cleaner
A robotic pool cleaner is a great choice for anyone looking to learn how to clean a pool with much less effort. The robot does most of the hard work while the owner sits back and watches.
Of course, the pool must be kept clean of extra debris for the robot to do its job effectively, but it’s much easier than trying to clean the pool manually.
While swimming pool cleaning with a robotic pool cleaner is more expensive, it’s often worth it. Try looking for a high-quality robot cleaner with a good warranty.
Pool Filter
Don’t forget that part of learning how to clean a swimming pool is regularly cleaning out the pool filter. If the filter is dirty, no matter how much cleaning and scrubbing happens, it’s still a dirty pool.
Cleaning a pool filter properly depends on what type of filter is being used. Make sure to find out whether it’s a D.E. filter, sand filter or a cartridge filter and then clean it out according to its proper specifications.
In between regular cleanings, keep an eye out for debris and remove anything as soon as it’s spotted.
Cleaning the Deck
It’s not all about how to keep the pool clean. The deck of the pool also needs regular cleaning. Otherwise, it can become slippery and dirty from the water in the pool spilling out.
For cleaning and disinfecting, try using a special pool deck cleaner. Trisodium phosphate also works. Make sure to read and follow the manufacturer’s directions for safe cleaning and to use the right type of brush.
For those who don’t care to spend a lot of time or energy cleaning the deck, try investing in a quality power washer.
Tackling Algae
When the summer months get warm algae is a big problem for pool cleaning. Do not let the algae get too bad or it may end up costing extra time, effort, and money to get the pool back into proper working order.
If the pool is looking green, check the water chemistry to ensure it’s still fixable. Test the pool water to determine the current pH balance.
If needed, shock the pool. Then pump and filter the pool so it regains proper chemical balances. Next, brush and filter the pool once again to remove any extra algae and other unwanted substances.
Last, continue to maintain a balanced chemistry. Test the pool daily or at least weekly and add chemicals when necessary. Consider doing regular shock treatments to keep the pool clear of algae, bacteria, and dirt.
More DIY Suggestions
Once pool cleaning becomes easier, it might be nice to add a lovely birdbath near the pool so that the birds have their own safe area to get and keep clean.
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