Your Guide to DIY Weekly Pool Maintenance (And Why It’s Fun!)
Owning a pool sounds like it’s all fun and games until you realize it’s actually a big responsibility. You have to stay on top of your pool maintenance if you want to be able to enjoy it as much as possible, which means pool cleaning becomes a regular thing.
But, the good news is that weekly pool maintenance doesn’t have to be complicated or over the top. Here are 3 simple things you can do each week to keep your pool in top-notch condition.
1. Skim the Pool’s Surface Every Day
There’s nothing worse than diving into the pool only to come up and see a bunch of little bugs on the surface. All you have to do to prevent this, though, is skim the pool every day.
You can skim the pool each morning or in the evening. It doesn’t really matter what time you do it so long as you make it part of your daily routine. Skimming this often makes it much easier to keep unwanted bugs and other animals out of your clean pool water. Not to mention, it prevents dead leaves and dirt that float on the surface from becoming bigger issues.
2. Brush and Vacuum
As effective as skimming the top of the pool can be, you can’t rely on this cleaning method to get everything in your pool. You also need to brush the walls once or twice a week and run the pool vacuum every day.
Brushing the walls only takes 5-10 more minutes than just skimming does. As far as the vacuum goes, you can choose to leave it on 24/7, to set automatic on/off times and leave it in the pool, or to manually take it out of the pool and put it in when necessary.
There are pros and cons to each way of doing this. You’ll have to consider outside things like whether or not your little ones will mess with the pool vacuum while swimming or how high the electric/water bills will be.
3. Check the Chemistry Once a Week
Keep in mind that it’s one thing to clean the pool so it looks good and another for the water to actually be in its best condition. You have to check the pool chemistry from time to time to ensure that everything is as it should be.
This helps maintain the quality of the pool, but more importantly, keep your loved ones safe as they swim. The pH balance needs to be just right. It’s not good to get in the water when recently-applied chemicals are still too strong, or when algae starts to grow, either.
If you’re not too familiar with testing water pH, you can pick up a pool testing kit at your local pool supply store or just let the professionals handle it. They’ll know much more about water testing and all other advanced pool cleaning techniques.
How to Make Your Weekly Pool Maintenance More Fun
The next time you think about skipping the daily pool skimming or you forget about testing the pH altogether, remind yourself how much fun it is to have a clean pool. The last thing you want is to let your weekly pool maintenance get out of hand and end up with a dirty, grimy pool on a beautiful sunny day.
Maybe all you need to make cleaning more fun is a bit of music while you clean or a nice laugh before you get started. Here are some funny pictures to lift your spirits and get you in the cleaning mood.