Pool cleaning is fun and easy when you have got all the necessary cleaning supplies and equipment. They are designed for ideal function within the minimum possible time. When any of them fails you have to improvise.
You can always hire a team of pool cleaning professionals but at times you have to settle with DIY. Getting it done on your own can be a great solution when you have a tight budget.
Either it is the skimmer or heat pump of your swimming pool, there is a genius alternative to get things done. Even you lack the proper tools, you can achieve a pristine clean fresh pool to dive in. Make sure you maintain a swimming pool weekly cleaning schedule to minimize the risk of damages to pool equipment.
Here are 12 DIY pool cleaning and maintenance tips for quick improvising.
1. Use Baking Soda To Increase Alkalinity
Pool pH is a very important factor in keeping it healthy. It is recommended to test the pH of the swimming pool every month to keep a track of changes. If your pool water is at a higher or lower pH than recommended values, you may need to increase or lower alkalinity in pools in order for them to be safe for use.
Are you running short of alkalinity increaser? Use baking soda. It is an easily available chemical. You may even find it in your kitchen. Use 1 pound of baking soda to increase pH by .2 and Alkalinity by around 7 ppm for a 10,000-gallon pool.
2. Use Muriatic Acid to Lower pH
Low pH or higher acidity is as much dangerous as high alkalinity. Either you poured excess baking soda or the acidity increased naturally, you can bring it down with another easily available chemical. Use Muriatic acid, a potent cleaning chemical. It is potent as it is highly acidic.
Avoid opening the bottle in a closed space as the fumes can be very dangerous for you. The caution label on the bottle lists out all the precautionary measures you should take. Read them for reference. Wear the proper eye, skin, and mouth protection.
Use a 10-gallon bucket to prepare the solution. Fill the bucket and add 1 cup of muriatic acid. Stir it and add it to the pool. Never pour water into the acid as it can cause an explosive chemical reaction.
3. Use Bleach To Sanitize Your Pool
Chlorine is the most commonly used chemical to sanitize swimming pools. If you find yourself fresh out of chlorine and the pool smells bad, you can use bleach. You can use a gallon of bleach to increase the chlorine levels of 15,000 t0 30,000 gallons pool with 2 ppm.
If you cleaning the pool after winters, chlorine boost is required. Add two gallons of bleach to increase the chlorine levels by 3-5 ppm.
Here is a pro tip for you. When you are using bleach instead of chlorine, don’t forget to add cyanuric acid. If you don’t add the CYA, the chlorine gets used by in half the time.
4. Use Ascorbic and Citric Acid to Remove Metal Stains
Metal stains affect the aesthetic appeal of your pool like nothing else. They could be around the stairs or handles used for safety in the pool. Removing the metal stain in chlorinated water is quite challenging. It is recommended to empty the pool at first.
Use ascorbic and citric acid to clean the metal stains. A simple way to obtain ascorbic acid is the vitamin C tablet. All you need to do is to grab some vitamin C pills and put them in a sock. Rub the sock over the metal stains. As the ascorbic acid breaks down the stains gradually fade.
5. Remove Pool Scaling with Lime and Baking Soda
Pool scaling is ugly to look at and difficult to get rid of. The scales are basically depositions of calcium on the pool walls. It is a common occurrence when the pool water has high calcium and pH levels. The scales can be blocking the pipes and making the walls rough. Scrubbing them with a brush is not enough.
You can make a DIY scaling removing chemical by mixing one-part water to one-part vinegar. Take an older toothbrush and baking soda with you. Buff the stains with vinegar solution-soaked sponge. Apply baking soda powder and rub the sponge. The chemical reaction between calcium, baking soda, and vinegar will do the work.
6. Improvise Your Skimmer Basket
The skimmer basket of the pool is essential for keeping the filter in good shape. If the skimmer basket is not working well and you have to clean the filter every other day, there is an alternative. You can improvise the basket by simply using a pantyhose.
All you need to do is to find an old pair of pantyhose. Stretch it over the skimmer basket to create a huge sock. Tie it firmly and place the basket in its place. It will skim the waters more effectively and you won’t need to clean the filter that often.
7. Create A DIY Pool Skimmer
If you are not using a skimmer basket, you can create a DIY pool skimmer within an hour or so. It is very effective in skimming the surface. It may not be the most perfect skimmer in the world but it does the job pretty well.
You will need a broom, window screen, duct tape, and metal clothes hanger. Bend the metal cloth hanger to create a square or diamond-shaped frame. Cut the window screen a few inches bigger than the frame. Secure the screen over the frame and add the handle of broomstick for easy skimming.
8. Window Screens Are Amazing Skimmer Nets
If the net of pool skimmer is ripped, you can use window screens. They are amazing replacements of the nets. Secure the screen firmly with tape or stapler. Make sure the edges of the screen are not very rough as they can hurt the person using the skimmer.
9. Use A Hose and Funnel To Create DIY Vacuum
Create a DIY vacuum by attaching a hose to the skimmer. Remove the skimmer basket. Add a funnel to the free end of a hose and cover it with a pantyhose. You are all good with a vacuum.
10. Add DE Powder To Sand Filter
The sand filter can be made much more effective by adding the DE powder. It locks in the sand and effectively traps the contaminants to keep pool water pure. You can simply add the powder into the pool skimmer and it will reach the sand filter.
11. Use Black Water Hose for Heating Water
If your pool heater is not working well, search for Affordable Swimming Pool Repair. Or you can get fairly warm water using a black water hose. On a sunny day, a black hose absorbs heat from the environment and then transfers it to the water.
12. Create A DIY Pool Vacuum
A PVC hose can be attached to the pool skimmer to make a vacuum. Use a pool brush to scrape off the dirt and debris on the bottom of the pool. Collect the debris in piles and use the vacuum hose to pick up the debris.
Author Bio:
Ellie Jordan own a pool maintenance company. She has been solving pool problems for twenty years now. She is passionate about educating homeowners with DIY fixes so their pools are more fun.