Have you ever heard someone say, “The biggest regret I is buying a swimming pool!†“You just can’t keep the things clean.â€
Pool cleaning is a subject of angst for many people who thought installing a pool at home would be a ticket to the good life, but it doesn’t have to be such a sore subject.
Developing a pool maintenance plan and finding affordable, quality pool cleaning solutions are the keys to ensuring your pool is a stress-reliever and not a stressor in your life.
The good news is, you can keep pool cleaning from becoming an overwhelming and overly expensive chore by ensuring it receives simple, regular maintenance throughout the season.
While you should have your pool inspected at least once a year by a professional, basic cleaning can be done by the owner—although many owners choose to hire the experts to take care of the regular maintenance as well.
If you do plan on going it alone in the interim, even every once in a while, here are five easy steps to help keep your pool a clean, enjoyable amenity.
1. Wash the Deck First
It would seem to be common sense, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t think to wash the deck first.
If you have dirt and lawn debris on your deck while you are cleaning the inside of your pool, chances are those things will end up in your pool during or after the cleaning process.
Ensuring the area around the pool is clean first will give you the peace of mind that debris won’t simply reenter your clean pool from its dirty surroundings.
To wash your deck properly, first sweep the area surrounding your pool to remove debris, dirt, grass clippings, and leaves, being careful to sweep these things away from the pool and not into it. Then, use a pressure washer or high-pressure hose to remove any chemical residue and algae growth.
You can purchase specially formulated pool deck cleaner and apply a stiff brush to remove any bacteria and algae growth that may have accumulated.
2. Skim Your Pool’s Surface
Once you have cleaned your deck, you will want to skim your pool’s surface using a skimmer net attached to a telescopic pole.
This is a step you’ll not only do when you are thoroughly cleaning your pool, but every day to help reduce the required frequency of those more thorough cleanings by keeping the floating debris from becoming sinking debris that is more difficult to remove.
Simply sweep the skimming net across the entire pool’s surface, pausing to shake the debris onto the ground or into a trash receptacle each time the skimming net gets sufficiently dirty.
3. Use a Brush Attachment to Clean the Walls
That telescopic pole is your most useful, versatile cleaning tool, and it will not only attach to your skimmer net, but should also have a brush attachment. Use this brush attachment to remove any algae growth, chemical residue, and dirt that has accumulated on the interior walls of your pool.
Make sure you reach the corners, ladder, and any other tight spaces where debris may become trapped or algae may grow. Once you get this algae, dirt, and debris loose from your walls, the next steps will help remove them from your pool altogether.
4. Clean the Floor with a Manual Vacuum Attachment
Using that handy telescopic pole once again, you are now going to attach a manual vacuum attachment.
Once you have eliminated the air from the system and attached the vacuum hose to the suction port at the bottom of your skimmer, you are going to run the vacuum across the entire pool floor slowly to avoid stirring the debris above where the vacuum cleaner will reach.
Once you have finished vacuuming, you can turn on the filtration system to finish removing any unwanted debris particles from the water.
5. The Key is a Clean Filter
The key to getting your pool as clean as you want and keeping it that way as long as you can is having a clean filter. If your pool’s filter is not clean, you will notice decreased circulation, cloudy water, and your pool getting dirty more frequently than before.
Even worse, a clogged filter will cause your pump to work harder. Eventually your pump may get hot, noisy, cause alarming spikes in your electric bill, or quit working all together.
There are three common types of pool filters: a sand filter, cartridge filter, and DE filter, and each has a cleaning method specific to its type.
Cleaning a pool filter is not a one-size-fits-all task, which is why it is very important you follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the pool filter you own.
*BONUS*
In addition to keeping a pool free of dirt and debris, an important part of pool maintenance is keeping the pH balance of your pool at consistent levels. Too low of a pH level indicates high acidity, which can cause skin irritation, corrode metal equipment, and cause chlorine to dissipate too quickly. Too high of a pH level indicates high alkalinity, which can cause scaling on the pool surface and inhibit the chlorine from killing dangerous pathogens. A pool’s ideal pH level should be between 7.2 and 7.8. This can be maintained by frequent monitoring and the addition of chemicals to the water to correct the imbalance.
The Best Pool Cleaning Solutions
The five steps described previously can help a pool owner tend to their own pool between professional inspections, but a lot of times, owners would much rather allow the professionals to implement a weekly pool maintenance plan and save themselves the hassle.
Nothing wrong with leaving the pool cleaning to the experts, right?
Third Coast Home & Commercial Services has 12+ years of experience servicing thousands of pools, taking care of everything from weekly pool maintenance plans to pool repair, leak detection, and even pool remodeling.
Our weekly pool cleaning services remove unwanted leaves, debris and collecting sediments before they are allowed to accumulate and clog your filter.
With our expert technicians, you’ll have the peace of mind that every part of your pool equipment is being maintained according to the manufacturer’s specifications. Don’t wait any longer, contact us today to set up your inspection and pool maintenance plan!