When you come home from a long day at work looking for a relaxing swim, the last thing you want to see is a dirty pool. Maybe you haven’t had a chance to keep up with basic maintenance, or maybe your current process just isn’t working. Whichever category you fall into, get your pool sparkling clean with these top ways to clean your pool and the tools you will need are listed below!
Basic Equipment
- Adjustable length telescopic pole
- Pool wall brush
- Pool skimmer
- Either an automatic pool cleaner or a vacuum head and hose
- Tile brush or pumice stone
Manual cleaning
This method of cleaning your pool is slightly labor intensive but when done consistently on a regular basis, the time required is reduced drastically. Begin by skimming all of the leaves and debris from the pool’s surface. Debris that gets the chance to sink to the bottom is much more difficult to remove and depending on the type, it may stain surfaces as well. Along the water line, use your tile brush to scrub away any scale build up. Pumice stones work just as well but they must remain wet so they don’t scratch the tiles. Clean out the debris basket in your pump and then start to vacuum. For best results when vacuuming, use overlapping strokes. If you have low water levels, now is the time for a fill-up.
Automatic Cleaning
This term may be slightly misleading since you are required to do some work. You will still have to take care of some skimming, brushing, and emptying of baskets depending on the model you buy but an automatic vacuum shoulders the brunt of the work. There are three different types of automatic pool cleaners:
- Robotic cleaners: This type of cleaner works with the use of an electric motor. Dirt is sucked through a separate pump into a filter in the robot. Using innovative scanning technology, the robot is capable of learning the exact shape of your pool, obtaining much better cleaning results.
- Pressure side cleaners: Pressure side cleaners use the water pressure produced by either your booster pump or main pump. The pressure allows it to move unhindered around the pool where it sucks up debris into an attached bag. Since the debris never gets to your pool filter there is a longer time span needed before you must physically clean it.
- Suction cleaners: Just as the name implies, all movement and vacuuming is done with the use of suction. It does the same job as the main drain in your pool but with the added advantage of being mobile. As it moves, it assists the filtration system by turning the water over in less time. All collected dirt and debris go directly into your filter.
Hiring a professional service
If you really want nothing to do with the upkeep of your pool, you will need to hire a professional pool cleaning service. They come on a set schedule and take care of everything from top to bottom, including adding chemicals as needed. Shop around for price quotes and get references before deciding on a company.
No matter which method you employ, the result will be crystal clear water and pool surfaces that sparkle. Then you can just jump in whenever the mood strikes, without ever having to worry about unsafe or dirty water!