Pool Cleaning Hacks for DIY enthusiasts

Rather than call in a professional team or purchase top of the line cleaning tools, why not try one of these pool cleaning hacks to streamline your maintenance techniques?

1. Collect debris in pantyhose

Removing fine debris such as dog hair, dirt and grass from your pool can be a pane with an ordinary skimmer basket. Instead, taking a pantyhose and lining it in your skimmer basket is one of the top pool cleaning hacks.

This will help you collect much more debris than a skimmer sock and save your filter from working so hard. It’s also a saviour in moments when you find your skimmer net has been torn or simply regraded over the winter break.

2. Use baking soda & toothbrush for cleaning tiles

Another pool cleaning hack is using the household item baking soda which can work wonders on your dirty waterline tiles. All you need to do it make a paste by mixing baking powder and a dash of water. Then simply grab a sponge or brush and get scrubbing.

For corners or tough spots, use a toothbrush to clean the grout and around elements such as lights, return line or skimmer. The baking soda won’t negatively affect the water and is safe to use. If used in enough quantity, baking will also help you maintain the pH levels of your pool and can be much more cost-effective than an Alkalinity Increaser.

3. Remove oils with a tennis ball

For a quick way to remove any oils from the surface of your pool, throw in a few tennis balls. The velvety texture of the tennis balls will absorb oils such as sunscreen, sweat, cosmetics and sebum.

You can even leave a tennis ball in your skimmer for an extended period of time to help keep your pool oil free.

4. Turn on the leaf blower for a quick clean

Got friends coming around for a dip in your pool? Get party ready quickly with this popular pool cleaning hacks. Simply turn on your leaf blower and blow away the leaf litter collecting on your pool cover.

While your pool is not in use and covered, it’s good to get into the habit of removing leaves, twigs and other debris from the cover. Besides being unsightly, a buildup can lead to damage, algae growth and shorten the life of your pool cover.

5. Try food colouring to detect a leak

If you have noticed your pool water line is going down quickly and suspect a leak, you can try using food colouring to find the source. Professionals will use a dye syringe, but food colouring will do the trick.

First, you need to shut off the pump and take a good look around the pool for any evidence of cracks or debris that is attached to your surface. Simply, drop some of the dye around these areas. When you are near the leak, you will notice the dye flow at the spot where the leak is.

6. Use a thick sock for pool stabilizer

Adding a pool stabilizer to your swimming pool? Pool stabilizer or Cyanuric acid is one of the most commonly used chemicals in pool maintenance and helps prevent chlorine loss due to sunlight exposure.

They come in the form of white coloured granules or a powder and can be directly added to the water or through the filtration system. Unfortunately, adding the pool stabiliser directly to the water can result in the water turning cloudy.

To avoid making your pool resemble a milk bath, pour the pool stabilizer into a thick sock (gym socks are perfect!). Tie up the end of the sock with a piece of string or rubber band and place it into your skimmer. The stabilizer will dissolve into your pool water slowly over a couple of days helping to retain its clean and clear appearance.

For more advice on the topic of all things pools, browse the pool section of our Learning Library.