The idea of having a swimming pool in your backyard or your front yard is always impeccably glamorous. It enables you to host a barbeque party with your family and besties, take up an invigorated fitness schedule or spend afternoons relaxing along poolside.
However, the only thing that everyone hold those daydreams but not quite sure about is the maintenance of the swimming pool. Without an appropriate maintenance schedule, your pool might have to suffer from green water, algae build up and broken filters. Therefore, in this article, we will discuss about several home remedies that you might take into consideration in order to keep you swimming pool as perfect as you want.
- SKIMMING AND SCRUBBING
Skimming is a necessary process that may require to be done daily so that the pool will always be kept in a truly pristine conditions. Scrubbing the sides of the pool will be added as well to prevent algae from gathering. The frequency of scrubbing routine should be once every other week.
Most of them will be exterminated right away with some of elbow greases whereas the stubborn regions should be done by using your old socks. Adopt a pool vacuum cleaner to get rid of debris in the swimming pool is also highly recommended.
- Put chlorine on the stubborn spots for several hours before scrub it
- Scrub for a few times and repeat the process if needed.
- BAKING SODA
It is undeniable that the chemicals might be too costly to afford, so you might want to try baking soda in order to cleanse the swimming pool water. Regular baking soda which can be easily purchased in the local grocery store is able to control the alkalinity of the pool without massively changing the pH levels of the water.
- Add some baking soda into the water and let it sit so that it can cleanse the water.
- CHECK CHEMICAL LEVELS
Chemical levels are considered as one of the most important aspects in pool maintenance process. Inappropriate balanced water may cause the water look murky, cause itchiness and irritation for skin and eyes.
Regarding to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), six chemical levels that should be concerned:
- Cyanuric Acid – to keep chlorine away from sunlight. The ideal level is 30 to 50.
- Free Chlorine – A sanitizer that protect your water from germs
- Acidity/Alkalinity – which is called pH level as well. The ideal index is 7.5 to 7.8
- Total Alkalinity – should be kept between 60 and 120.
- Calcium Hardness – the proper level is to prevent plaster damage. T should be 220 to 350.
You can buy some of testing kits from the local pool store. And use the water sample from your pool to test.
- CHECK WATER LEVEL
The water level will naturally fluctuates after a “tough” time (a heavy rainstorm or kids playing cannonballs). So it is important to always keep an eye to the water level
- If the water is too low, you should use a garden hose to pump the water in
- If the water is too high, you should drain out the amount of excess water
- Once you have reached the proper amount of water, remember to check the chemical composition again.
- UNCLOG THE FILTERS
Most of the time, the pool will be cleansed by switching off the filter, taking out the filter cap and removing any debris if have any in the filter cap before putting it back. It is highly recommended to clean the filter cap once a week so that your swimming pool will always be kept away from dirt, leaves or even small toys.
Moreover, you should clean the pipes used by the filter system once a month.
- Set your filter to “backwash”
- Take out the leaf basket and clean it
- Turn on the pump till you notice the clean water has been ejected through waste pipe.
- ABSORB OILS
When people get out from the pool, certain types of oils (suntan lotion, natural skin oil and hair products and other cosmetics) will be left behind in the pool. You may reach to a tennis ball and throw it into the pool so that the fiber content from the ball can absorb the oil and protect them from leaving a slick sheen on the water surface.
- POWER WASH
You should keep an eye to surrounding regions of your pool like how you care about the pool itself. Power washing which is also called pressure washing can help you to get rid of rust, weather stains as well as other debris. You may rent a power washer from the home improvement store.
- Sweep the deck first so that you won’t spread the debris all over
- Set the machine to weak or medium and remove the debris on the surface.
- SHOCK THE POOL
Do not hesitate to shock your pool when necessary even though it may seem that this process is only meant for public pools. However, shocking your pool after a weekend party might help you to get rid of bacteria as soon as possible.
Shocking the pool means you will drastically raise the chlorine amount for a short time in order to exterminate the bacteria. Eventually, it will be done by diluting the water so that the level of chlorine might drop to normal level.
- WINTERIZE
The first thing to do before closing the pool is to purchase a water testing tool to ensure everything is alright. Pump out the excessive water and put a cover over the pool to protect the pool from debris.
- A YEARLY SERVICE
When it comes to expensive and expert mechanical tools like pumps, heating system and filters, you may need am expert to examine and do the job for you. You should let the expert check all the settings once a year to ensure that there is no problem with your swimming pool and all the setups.
