When you hop into a blue pool, you never think about all the work it takes to make it that way. Why? Well, because swimming in a pool is much more fun than cleaning one.
Many people don’t get the science that goes behind that clear blue water. They expect it. Sometimes, but it’s not so simple.
If you struggle to get that clear blue water you want in your pool, we’re here to help teach you how to clean your pool as the professionals do.
Table of Contents
How to Clean Your Pool
The pros agree on one thing, to keep a pool clean, you have to do more than shock it. There is a delicate balance of a few things that should be done on a regular basis to help keep that pool water clean, blue, inviting.
To clean your pool the right way, you’ll need more than just chlorine (sorry, not sorry!).
1. Get the Right Tools
There are a few tools every professional pool cleaner uses for pool water cleaning. These items are essential to keep that nice blue effect that people love so much.
Here are the tools you’ll need:
- Telescopic pole
- Skimmer net
- Vacuum head
- Vacuum hose and skim vac
- pool brush
It’s essential to have the right pool brush for your type of pool.
Unpainted Concrete: Use a pool brush with both stainless steel and nylon bristles.
Gunite: You’ll want to use a pool brush with stainless steel bristles.
Fiberglass, Vinyl, or Painted Concrete: The best tool for the job is a pool brush with nylon bristles only.
2. Brush Your Pool at Least Twice a Week
Getting out there and putting in a little elbow grease prevents huge problems from occurring later. To make sure your pool is clean well-maintained, you want to brush the walls, ladders, and the corners of your pool twice a week.
You want to make sure you hit every part of the pool. That will make sure you stop algae from building up in your pool. Brushing your pool twice a week will brush the algae into your pool. Thus, making it easier for your sanitizer to neutralize it.
3. Vacuum Debris Every Other Day
Let’s face it. Algae isn’t the only problem your pool has. Debris can often find it’s way into your pool, and that should be vacuumed up to ensure it doesn’t lead to any issues.
While vacuuming every other day may feel a little bit tedious and overboard, leaving things in your pool is just asking for trouble down the road when it comes to caring for your pool.
Make sure to take your time while vacuuming. Brushing will kick up debris. If your pool becomes cloudy, let it resettle for a few hours, and come back to vacuum it again.
If your vac heads become stuck, or your filter pressure gets too high, switch off the pump for a second. You may also need to backwash your pool filter. When you are finishing vacuuming the pool, it’s essential to remove the vacuum head from the pole and drain the vacuum hose.
Last, attach your brush to your telescopic pole and give your pool a gentle scrub. If vacuuming every other day sounds too complicated, you may want to invest in an automatic pool cleaner.
Though expensive, they can pay off in the long run. They are great for regular maintenance, but you’ll want also to do some work if there are more significant issues.
4. Put Your Pool Filter to Work
If you notice that you have a lot of debris to clear when you vacuum, you’ll want to adjust your pool filter first. For instance, if you have a lot of leaves in your pool after a storm, or you have used flocculant to clear up your water, both can rest on the bottom of the pool. That can be a LOT to vacuum up.
On your multiport valve, they have a setting called waste. It keeps things like debris and flocculant from clogging your filter. Using the waste setting, your pool level will drop.
You’ll want to use a garden hose with a hose filter as you vacuum. Be sure to keep air out of the skimmer inlay. Make sure to switch the valve back to the filter setting.
Last, be sure to backwash the pool filter after you have vacuumed the pool.
5. Test Your Pool Water
After you have brushed, vacuumed, and topped off your pool with water, you’ll want to test the levels of your pool water. You’ll want to test your pool for alkalinity, PH, and chlorine levels.
You’ll want to make sure you test these as needed throughout the week.
6. Clean the Pool Filter
It doesn’t matter how much you brush and vacuum your pool if your filter is dirty, your pool will be dirty as well. The method you use to clean your filter will depend on the type of pool filter you have.
No matter what type of pool filter you have, you should clean your filter on a regular basis and keep an eye out for debris.
7. Clean the Pool Deck
You may hose down your pool deck as part of your regular maintenance (if so, bravo!). Either way, once and while, you’ll need to disinfect your pool deck. There are two ways:
- Use a liquid pool deck cleaner
- trisodium phosphate with a water-soluble powder
Whichever you use, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s description. Using a pressure washer or a high-pressure attachment for your garden hose are handy tools for the job.
Be the Envy of All Your Neighbors
So now you know how to clean your pool like a pro. Using these seven tips consistently will leave your pool as one of the most desirable pools to swim in on the block!
It’s not always easy to know how to clean a dirty pool, but we hope this helped.
If you’re looking for more tips for your home, lifestyle, and more, please check out our blog for the latest and greatest to help you be your best.
