As the winter leaves us, bringing Spring’s colorful blooms, thoughts begin to turn to summer. Warm sunshine, the laughter of children playing, and relaxing afternoons by the pool all creep into our daydreams.
It’s time to get that pool ready. Here are nine tips to prepare your pool for summer.
1. First Steps
If you winterized your pool, the first steps to get ready should be a relatively straightforward matter. Leaves or miscellaneous debris may have collected around the pool and deck area over the winter. Sweep all of this away from the pool before you begin work on the pool. Anything that falls into the water now will only have to be skimmed or filtered later. Remove the cover and add water to proper levels, halfway up the skimmer. Once everything is connected, check your Ph levels and shock the pool with chlorine or with potassium monopersulfate.
2. Skimming
Skimming should be done every few days to minimize the amount of debris that might sink or get to the filter. If there are trees nearby the pool, this process may become a near-daily excuse to work on your tan.
3. Scrubbing
Algae can build up on pool walls and tiles. Regular scrubbing with stiff bristles will help to keep your pool algae-free. For stubborn areas, you can use a rag or an old sock filled with chlorine. Let the chlorine sit on the problem area for a few hours before investing any more elbow grease in scrubbing.
4. Clean Strainer Baskets
Strainer baskets should be cleaned once per week. Give it a good shot with the hose to loosen debris and keep it working properly.
5. Control Chlorine Odor
Some pools smell funny, but yours doesn’t have to. Perhaps surprisingly, shocking the pool at least twice per season with chlorine will help to tame the chlorine odor. The smell is from chemical reactions with bacteria in the pool water over time. Shocking the water reduces this problem and kills bacteria.
6. Eliminate Oily Residue
Sunblock, makeup, and suntan lotion can all conspire to build an oily film on the surface of your beautiful, clean pool. Toss a tennis ball into the pool water and let it work its magic. The tennis ball’s fibers will absorb most of these oils as the ball bobs around the pool all day in the sunshine.
7. Secure Your Pool For Safety’s Sake
Check your fencing to be sure the fence is sound. Also, be aware of anything near the fence perimeter that can be used to help climb over. Move deck boxes, ladders, and similar items away from the fence area to help keep curious kids safe. Make sure to use a secure pool cover as well if you go away overnight and the pool will be unattended.
8. Tame Those Pool Toys
Build a simple waterproof rack out of PVC. If you feel ambitious, you can even attach mesh fabric and dolly wheels to make it easy to move the rack closer to the pool when needed.
9. Required Maintenance: Don’t Forget to Change the Filter!
Pool filters work tirelessly to clean your pool, but nothing lasts forever. Over time, the pool filter will clog with contaminants and won’t be as effective. People entering the pool with suntan lotion or hair products will hasten filter wear, and this problem is almost unavoidable for most families. Be sure to visit DiscountFilters.com to stock up on pool filters and save.
Now go enjoy your summer-ready pool!
