During the hot dog days of summer, it’s very refreshing to take a dip in your cool swimming pool. Your pool is also a great way to get exercise for all family members and friends with limitations or arthritis that makes it hard for them to exercise. There are a few pool maintenance tips that can make your tasks in keeping your water clean and sparkling clear an easier job.
Pool Maintenance Tips for Summer
Neglecting to keep up with your pool maintenance can cost you thousands of dollars in damages, and ultimately render your pool unsafe to swim in. We spoke with a few pool professionals to offer seven sustainable pro pool maintenance tips to keep you happy and keep your pool under control all summer long.
Use Your Vacuum To Drain Your Pool
Most all in-ground pools have a drain in the floor at the deepest end of them. They help to pull water into the filter for cleaning the water. If your pool doesn’t have this technology, which is common in above-ground pools, you can use your vacuum to remove all the debris from the water which will help to keep it clean, but it is quite time-consuming. So, you’ll need to set aside several hours for this task to clean your pool out.
Add D.E. Powder to Your Sand Filter
Cloudy water in a swimming pool is an indication that the water isn’t as clean as it should be. If you have a sand filter for your pool, it may not draw out all the very tiny particles very well. You can get the same results of a Diatomaceous Earth (D.E.) filter while using a sand filter. You can put D.E. powder from a swimming pool supply store in your sand filter and get better and faster results. You simply add a small cup of D.E. to your skimmer and let it run through the entire system to get rid of fine particles in your water.
Remove Oils With Tennis Balls
Some of the most common water contaminants in your swimming pool are oils of all types, such as body oil, residue from shampoo, other hair products, and makeup. If you haven’t cleaned your water in some time, these oils build up. You can simply place a few tennis balls in the pool and let them float around. Tennis balls will absorb all of the oils in the water, and eventually, you just remove the tennis balls when they look dirty. Instead, you can put tennis balls in your skimmer as long as you have the skimmer basket in place.
Baking Soda Paste for Shiny Pool Tiles
The area around your swimming pool also needs to be cleaned, or the debris and dirt will find their way into your pool water. The tiles around your pool need to be cleaned thoroughly to prevent dirty water. You can make an inexpensive cleaner for pool tiles out of baking soda and a small amount of water to form a paste. You put some of the baking soda paste on a brush or sponge and scrub the tiles around the pool. This is a very inexpensive DIY cleaner that doesn’t affect the water quality or chemicals in your swimming pool at all.
Warm Your Water With Solar Rings
Solar rings can help to warm the water in your pool and it also decreases the electricity costs needed to keep the water warmer. Commercial solar rings can be quite an expense, but you can make solar squares for very little money. All you need is PVC pipe, 90-degree elbows, pipe glue, and a solar blanket. Cut your PVC pipe into four equal sections and glue the four corners to make a square shape. Set your frame on top of a solar blanket and cut it along the inside of the frame. Poke holes in the solar blanket and zip-tie your blanket to the frame. Rinse off your project and you are ready to add it to your pool maintenance!
Keep Bugs Away Naturally
Late in the summer afternoons close to dark is when gnats and mosquitoes come out and invade your pool party. You can keep them away naturally so they don’t bother your family and guests. You can either plant lemongrass around your pool area, or even plant them in large decorative pots to keep those pesky bugs at bay.
Clean Winter Covers The Easy Way
Most everyone uses a winter cover over their pool when they are not using it so it stays cleaner and takes less time to disinfect it before the first use in the spring. The simplest way to keep your pool cover clean is to use your leaf blower and just blow off debris. The cover and debris clean much faster if they are dry, rather than wet after a storm.
These tips can help you to keep your pool clean and safe while saving you time. At Aqua Guard 5000, we have over 30 years of experience in installing, repairing, and helping homeowners with their pool maintenance of all types. We are your one-stop shop for a pool paint, restoration, and repair products. Contact us for any questions you may have about pool maintenance.
