When you own a pool, cleaning it is part of the deal. If you want your pool usable 24/7, the water needs to be clean as well as the bottom and walls. Although everyone knows they have to clean their pool, not everyone knows how often they should do it and the proper way of doing it. Let’s take a look at some tips you can use when cleaning your pool.
What do I Use to Clean My Pool?
Knowing what to use to clean your pool is important if you want it done correctly. From the equipment to the chemicals, you need to have the right stuff on hand.
Pool cleaning equipment
You may be surprised to discover the amount of pool cleaning equipment you’ll need if you want your pool cleaned thoroughly. Here’s a list of some of the most important items:
- Pool Filter
- Your filter should run for a minimum of eight hours a day. You should set a timer so that it runs at night when the sun is down and no one is using it. When your filter is running properly, it will eliminate much of the debris that’s in the water.
- Telescoping Pole: This pole can be used for skimming, brushing, and vacuuming because you can switch the attachments at the end of it. They come in different lengths and materials. The most durable ones are made from fiberglass, although you’ll find many made from aluminum. Most poles have two small holes at the attachment end for different pieces of cleaning equipment.
- Vacuum Heads & Hoses: There’s no getting around vacuuming your pool. It needs to be done to ensure your pool is clean and the bottom and walls are algae-free. The vacuum head attaches to the pole and the hoses attach to the head.
Pool Vacuums
When you’re shopping for a vacuum head you’ll notice there are two different types. One has wheels and is weighted for concrete pools. The other is for vinyl pools and has brushes instead of wheels.
The vacuum hose connects to the vacuum head and pole. It gets lowered into the pool. Once the hose gets completely full of water, you plug the hose end into the skimmer hole or a vacuum line in the wall if you have one. The water and debris get pulled into the filter pump basket through the vacuum hose.
Set aside a good amount of time when you need to vacuum your pool. It can be a tedious process to set up, complete, and then break down.
- Skimmer Net
The skimmer net is a flat mesh net that attaches to the telescoping pole. It’s used to remove light debris floating on the pool surface before it sinks to the floor. There is also a leaf rake that can attach to the telescoping pole to pick up larger amounts of debris at the bottom of the pool.
- Pool Brushes
Pool brushes are also an important part of your pool cleaning equipment set. They also get attached to the telescoping pole. Pool brushes can get algae off pool walls that vacuums sometimes cannot.
Pool cleaning chemicals
Besides equipment to clean your pool, you also need chemicals to keep your pool clean. Here’s a list of what you’ll want to have on hand:
- Chlorine
This is the basic chemical that helps to keep your pool clean and swimmable. You can buy chlorine in a liquid, tablet, or powder form. Chlorine levels should be between 1 and 3 parts per million. Using a test strip will let you know if you need to decrease or increase the amount of chlorine in the pool.
- Stabilizer
There are times when you may need to add a stabilizer besides using chlorine. Chlorine tablets usually have a stabilizer in them. If you are using the liquid or powder form, you will most likely need to add a stabilizer.
- Shock
From time to time you’ll need to shock your pool. Shock is a high dose of chlorine used to restore chlorine levels. It also kills algae.
These are the basic chemicals you’ll need to clean your pool. When you use a test strip, it will tell you if your pool is lacking other chemicals.
How do I Clean My Pool?
If you’re taking on the job of cleaning your pool yourself, the big question usually is, how often should I clean my pool? Check out this list of daily, weekly, and monthly tasks:
Daily
When you see leaves or other light debris floating around the top, you’ll want to take care of them daily. Skim the pool and make sure the baskets are clear as well. If the filter baskets are full, they won’t be able to hold in leaves and other debris that the filter picks up.
If you see the water getting green or cloudy, you’ll want to test it to see what chemicals you need to get the water clear again.
Weekly
Besides skimming your pool, keep your eye out for any sediment building up on the walls. When you see algae or other materials build up, brush them off the walls. Letting them sit will only invite other algae or material to gather.
Vacuuming your pool weekly is also a good idea. This way debris won’t build up and you shouldn’t have to spend a long time vacuuming every time it needs to be done.
Monthly
Once a month you should clean your pool filter. If you notice it isn’t working well, you’ll want to take a look sooner. You may also want to backwash your filter a couple of times per season. This gets into the pipes to clean them out so that they can work efficiently.
Call Flower Mound Pool Care & Maintenance for Your Pool Cleaning
If keeping your pool clean sounds like a lot of work, it’s because it is! That’s why so many people trust Flower Mound Pool Care & Maintenance for their weekly pool service. When you hire us, you get experienced and professional technicians that take the time needed to clean your pool.
You can set up weekly or bi-weekly service to fit your schedule and budget. By hiring a professional pool company, you can make sure your pool gets clean the right way. You also don’t have to buy a lot of heavy-duty equipment. Plus, you’ll end up with more free time for yourself!
Call us today at 214-995-3556 to find out more about how we can help keep your pool clean so you don’t have to!