Summertime pool parties are a great way to cool down in the heat. It’s not so fun, though, when the pool is filled with leaves and dead bugs. To thoroughly enjoy your swimming pool, it needs to be clean and debris-free. Follow these tips to keep your swimming pool sparkling clean.

Remove Debris

This is the easiest pool-cleaning chore. Use a net or leaf skimmer at least once a day to get rid of detritus. If you ignore these pool-invaders, they’ll fall to the bottom of the pool and become harder to clean out.

Vacuum the Pool

This is pretty similar to vacuuming the floors inside your house, except it may require a little more patience to finesse a machine through water. Linger in areas that are dirtier than others. Dirt will collect in spots where the floor of the pool is uneven.  After the pool has been cleaned, properly dry and store the vacuum for the next use.

Manage Chemicals

It is important to test and maintain the pH and chlorine level of your pool water. Untreated water allows algae and can make you ill. Buy a kit of test strips and use them often, at least twice a week while the pool is in use. Your pH should be between 7.2 and 7.6 and chlorine should fall between 1.0 and 2.0 ppm (parts per million). If your water falls outside the appropriate range, add the needed chemicals to correct the imbalance.

Check the Pool Filter

There are three main kinds of pool filters: cartridge, sand, and diatomaceous earth (DE). We will include brief tips, but check the manufacturer’s instructions for specifics on how to clean your specific kind of pool filter.

Cartridge: take the filter out of the cartridge, wash it off, and replace it. This should be done once or twice a year.

Sand: You will need to backwash your filter, so the water runs through it in the opposite direction and pushes out the dirt. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. This will not need to be done often at all and the sand in the filter will only need to be replaced every 5-8 years.

DE: You will need to backwash, clean the manifolds, and add more diatomaceous earth to this kind of filter.

A Clean Swimming Pool is Fun

Clean your pool, then jump in and cool off! To enjoy your pool to the fullest, keep up with its maintenance. If necessary, write down what you need to do daily, weekly, monthly, and annually in order to have a beautiful summer oasis.