A Beginner’s Guide on How to Clean a Swimming Pool at Home

Having a swimming pool at home is one of the greatest ways to have fun, especially during the scorching heat of summer. But with the luxury of having a swimming pool at home comes great responsibility to maintain it well. If you are planning to set up a swimming pool at home, make sure that you understand the basics of swimming pool maintenance, whether you are opting for an in-ground or above ground pool. You will be able to tackle every potential swimming pool problem that will arise if you know how to clean a swimming pool properly and take care of it.

We are here to guide you with the basics of swimming pool cleaning if you are about to install a pool at your home. 

Knowing Your Swimming Pool Well 

The first and foremost thing to know well is the parts of your swimming pool along with their functions. It will help you run everything with ease, and help you resolve problems when they arise. The basic components of a swimming pool that needs regular care are:

Swimming Pool Water 

This might seem like a no-brainer to you while reading, but trust us when we say that the quality of pool water is the key to happy swimming. Keeping the water in your swimming pool clean, clear and balanced will save you and your family members from diseases. It will also save you from having to do costly hardware repairs once in a while due to the build-up of minerals and dirt. 

Interior of the Pool 

The walls of your swimming pool are in constant contact with the pool water and whatever enters the pool. Therefore, it is important to keep the walls clean and free from dirt, algae and mold. 

Pool Filter System 

The pool filter is responsible for clearing the dirt and other contaminants that enter the swimming pool, thereby protecting both you and the pool from harm. Swimming pools that do not have a well-functioning filter system will turn cloudy and polluted quickly. You are likely to have a sand filter, a cartridge filter, and a diatomaceous earth filter depending on the filter setup. 

Pool Skimmers and Returns

A pool skimmer pulls water into the pool filter for cleaning and the returns push the cleaned water back into the swimming pool. They work well when they are made free of obstructions. 

Every swimming pool is not the same and you are likely to face challenges while cleaning as you go forward. But, knowing these basic components well can make you equipped enough to face the challenges. 

Major Things to Consider

Proper Water Circulation 

Proper circulation of pool water is key to safe and healthy swimming, and for this, you have to ensure that the moving water is clean and clear. Keeping the pump and filter system running will ensure good water circulation in the pool. Run the filter at least ten to twelve hours a day. 

Backwashing the pool filter is another thing you will have to do to ensure good pool water circulation. You can reverse the flow of water through the pool filter and push the contaminants towards the waste port to get them out of the swimming pool. 

A Pool Cleaning Schedule 

You will still have to do some old-fashioned cleaning with basic tools even when your pool has good circulation. Several things from nature such as leaves, mold and other animal residues will fall into your pool and contaminate the pool water, which is why pool cleaning is very important to ensure safe swimming. 

Ensure that you skim, brush and vacuum your swimming pool at least once a week to keep the debris away from pool water and make it sparkling clean. Tools like net skimmer, pool brush, and pool vacuum will be enough to do the routine cleaning. Baking soda paste is an excellent cleaner to skim the delicate tiles of the pool. 

You can also get automatic pool cleaners to cut off your time for cleaning the pool. It will make the job easier for you and allow you to spend some extra time in the pool. A great tip we can give you is to toss some tennis balls into your swimming pool to absorb the oils left by creams and sunscreens. 

Balanced Water Chemistry 

Hearing about swimming pool chemistry can be intimidating, but do not worry. Balanced water chemistry is an integral part of pool water care and pool maintenance. You will have to get a testing kit for this. Test the water from your pool using the kit and understand what is present and what isn’t in your pool water. 

The most vital parts of balanced water chemistry are:

• pH levels: It is the measure of how acidic or basic the water is. The ideal pH range for pool water is 7.4 to 7.6. Levels lower than 7.4 are considered acidic and levels higher than 7.6 are considered basic. 

• Alkalinity: It works as a pH buffer and it helps to avoid the huge rise and fall of acidity. The ideal range of alkalinity is between 100 and 150 parts per million. You can add baking soda to the pool water if the alkalinity level falls below 100 ppm. 

• Sanitiser levels: Sanitizer levels refer to the level of additions like chlorine, bromine, etc. The level of all additions will vary depending on the type of sanitiser you add to the pool water. Follow the directions on the label and add the chemicals accordingly to adjust the water balance. It is okay to take time and observe how the additions will affect the pool water - just make sure that you learn it before you start to swim in your pool.

Disinfection of Swimming Pools

Read how to disinfect swimming pools at home.

Swimming Pool Maintenance Services in Singapore

Sendhelper offers affordable swimming pool cleaning and maintenance services in Singapore. Our services also include tile cleaning, filter cleaning and emergency cleaning services. Our cleaning specialists are trained to assess the pool and water requirements and recommend essential services required for your swimming pool.

Book a Deep Cleaning service on the Sendhelper App to hire swimming pool cleaning specialists. Apply code MC20 to enjoy $20 off your first booking.