Common Household Products For Pool Care

Relaxing in your pool is the ultimate summer luxury. However, some people avoid pool ownership because installing and maintaining a pool can sometimes be expensive and time-consuming. One way to afford a swimming pool after the initial installation cost is to clean the pool yourself.

Pool maintenance can cost up to $200 a week or more if you hire a pool care professional. If you are a hands-on pool owner, doing the work yourself may help lower maintenance costs.

This guide will discuss some everyday household pool care products that you can buy at the grocery store to clean your swimming pool. However, it’s important to note that most of the products mentioned only work for traditional chlorine-based swimming pools and may not work well with salt-based pool water systems and oxidizers.

What household items can I use to clean my pool?

Some household items that can double as pool cleaning supplies include:

• Baking soda
• Bleach 
• Muriatic acid 
• Melamine sponges
• Borax 
• Olive oil 
• White Vinegar 
• Lemon juice 
• Rubbing alcohol 
• Simple Green 
• Plastic broom 
• Melamine sponge 
• Vitamin C tablets

Let’s explore some of the top household items you can use to clean your pool.

Baking Soda 

Baking soda is a common household product found in most homes. It’s popular in DIY pool cleaning because it’s easy to use. Baking soda is either Sodium Bicarbonate or Sodium Hydrogen carbonate, and it’s ideal for raising the alkalinity of water in an inground pool.The ideal alkalinity for a pool is between 80 and 120 parts per million (ppm). To increase a pool’s alkalinity by 10 ppm, you only need to add 1.5 pounds of baking soda to 10,000 gallons of water. Baking soda is gentle on vinyl, so it’s also ideal for removing the black and yellow algae that usually form in an above-ground pool or hot tub. Baking soda will also eliminate the sticky residue in most pool walls and bottoms.

Bleach 

Another common household product one can use to clean their pool is bleach. Bleach is sodium hypochlorite, an alternative for pool shock. Bleach does a similar job as pool shock, only that it’s cheaper and readily available. If you are facing problems with hard water, bleach offers a good solution, considering it reduces the calcium precipitation in water. With this household product, one can save a few dollars, especially when on a budget. For safety reasons, avoid scented types of bleach to avoid contaminating the water.

Muriatic Acid 

Muriatic acid is a common chemical used to lower pool alkalinity and protect pools from mineral buildup and blooms. This highly effective acid can lower water’s alkalinity by 10 ppm in a 10,000-gallon pool. Although muriatic acid is a great alternative, it should be handled with great care because it’s very potent. This acid is toxic to human skin and can cause injury upon contact.

White Vinegar 

Calcium buildup around your pool’s water line is typically not a major concern, as it does not cause any harm, but it is visually unappealing. If your pool regularly has calcium buildup, white vinegar is a good solution for removing any white calcium streaks. Vinegar is also a good option for restoring the shine on pool-related metal surfaces. If you do not have vinegar, rubbing alcohol is an alternative that’ll provide similar results.

Borax 

Borax is a common product found in most laundry aisles all over the country, and it’s a great product for raising your pool’s pH levels. Borax is made from a natural mineral called sodium tetraborate pentahydrate. The process for using Borax is simple. You only need to add half a cup per 10,000 gallons of water to raise the pH. The number of cups added to a pool should be based on its size.

Plastic Broom 

You do not have to use a vacuum to clean your pool. If you find some dirt and leaves lying around in your pool, a plastic broom might come in handy. Also, cleaning your pool with a vacuum becomes easy once you have eliminated dirt, leaves, and bigger debris in your pool with a plastic broom.  When buying a plastic broom, choose one with plastic bristles to make sure it will work well underwater.  Go ahead, cut down on cost when cleaning your pool by using the plastic broom lying around in your cupboard to remove leaves and debris.

When buying a plastic broom, choose one with plastic bristles to ensure it will work well underwater.

Why Choose Alure for Your Home Improvement Projects?

Cleaning your pool yourself may be a cost-saving idea. However, when it comes to certain home improvement or renovation projects, it’s best to contact the experts at Alure. For over 70 years, we’ve collaborated with homeowners on their home improvement and beautification projects. With us, you get excellence, affordability, and satisfaction too.

Are you considering a home improvement project? Contact Alure today and get a free consultation!