Swimming Pool Maintenance: How Much Do You Know?
No doubt that having a swimming pool is great. You can swim in the morning, or in the middle of the night – whenever you want. You can even throw a party at the pool or simply spend a relaxed and interesting day at the pool.
But, what most people don’t know is that having a swimming pool isn’t as naïve as TV shows may it look like. In a TV show, there’s always a sexy guy who maintains the pool. But, in reality, the only sexy guy will probably be you because you’re gonna have to clean the pool regularly – by yourself. Unless you want to spend a fortune on swimming pool maintenance service.
Cleaning a swimming pool is not fun. Not at all. But, it’s worth it. Because while your friends are dying from the heat (figuratively speaking of course), you’re the one who gets to jump into the pool and enjoy the summer. Now, THAT’S fun.
While we cannot make swimming pool maintenance fun, we can at least help you out. Below you’ll find steps to clean your pool in a much easier way.
6 Steps to Easy Swimming Pool Maintenance
If you leave your pool dirty for a few weeks, we assure you that won’t be a smart idea. The key to a clean pool lies in your determination. You just have to clean your pool regularly.
That being said, here’s how to clean a pool.
1. Clean the Surface
Logically, the first thing to do is collect debris, leaves, bugs, and whatever else can be found on the surface of your pool. The best and least painful way to do that is with a large leaf skimmer.
You should repeat this every 2-3 days.
It’s important that you don’t skip this very first step, because it all starts with it. How can you get to the bottom of the pool if you can’t even see it?
2. Clean the Walls
But, before you get to that bottom, first you need to start cleaning swimming pool walls, corners, and ladders. Use a brush to scrub the sides of your pool and remove (or prevent) calcium and algae buildup.
Scrubbing your pool is rather simple, though you should know which brush to buy. Otherwise, you may damage the surface of the pool.
In order to know which brush to pick, you first must know which material is used for making the pool surface. Fiberglass? Gunite? Unpainted concrete? Or something else?
If the surface is made of fiberglass, painted concrete or vinyl, go with a brush that features nylon bristles.
Then, if the surface is made from gunite, buy a brush with stainless steel bristles.
And finally, if the surface is made from unpainted concrete, use a brush with nylon and stainless steel bristles.
Do this step once (ideally twice) a week.
3. Now, Let’s Get to the Bottom
As far as cleaning the bottom of the pool is concerned, there is a hard and easy way to do it.
The hard way is cleaning your pool manually. Now, this is NOT going to be exciting. Not to mention all the sweat and effort you need to invest in this job.
But, here what you need for this task: a telescopic pole, vacuum head, vacuum hose, and a skim vac. You have to reach every side of your pool, making sure that every inch is thoroughly cleaned.
Still, if the first way doesn’t seem appealing, there’s also an easy way to do this. And it can be done with a robotic swimming pool cleaner.
This is a self-contained device that will do the hardest part of cleaning for you. You will only have to clean the stairs and areas that are tricky to clean, such as corners. Even though this is a big investment, it’s also the best way to clean a pool.
4. It’s time to Shock Your Pool
Shocking the pool is the best way to keep the pool clean by eliminating algae and bacteria from the pool. How is this done? Simply – by adding 3 or more pounds of Granular Shock Chlorine.
Make sure to follow the instructions when adding chlorine. And also, adjust pH and alkalinity level in your swimming pool.
But, apart from shocking your pool, you’ll need to use chemicals and products to keep the pool safe for you.
Pool test kit, chlorine tablets, chlorine stabilizer and conditioner, algaecide, sodium carbonate, pool winterizing kit, are just some of the essential products as far as pool maintenance for beginners is concerned.
5. Keep an Eye on the Pool’s Circulation System
Thanks to the pool’s circulation system, your pool will remain clean and safe for swimming. And this is exactly why checking skimmer, drains, pump, filters, and pump strainers is important. Make sure to keep each part clean and undamaged otherwise the system won’t work properly.
Also, run the pump every day for a few hours so the water can be filtered properly.
6. Clean the Deck around the Pool
Once you’ve taken care of your pool, it’s time to clean the deck around the pool. This is important because dust, debris, and garbage on the deck may end up in your pool.
Conclusion
And we came to the “bottom” of this article. As you can see, swimming pool maintenance isn’t that much complicated. However, it does require dedication. All parts of your pool are connected, and if only one of them gets dirty, soon the entire pool will be dirty as well.
Consequently, be serious about cleaning your pool from the start so you can enjoy swimming all summer long!
