Common Household Products That Can Clean Your Pool

Having a pool is one of the great blessings one enjoys during the summer months. However, not everybody can afford a swimming pool as one does incur not only the building cost but also the maintenance expenditure. The pool maintenance cost on average costs from $84 to $200 a week if you are doing the cleaning yourself.  The high cost arises as one has to buy pool chemicals and other supplies needed to clean your pool.

In this article, we are going to look at some of the common household products one can use to clean his or her pool to help reduce the cost. Also, using household products helps eliminate the trip to the local supply store every time.  However, it’s important to note that most of the household products mentioned in this list only work for traditional chlorine-based swimming pools and may not work well with salt pool water systems and oxidizers. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What household items can I use to clean my pool?

To clean your pool, one can use various household products from Melamine sponge, vinegar, plastic brooms, olive oil, and baking soda. 

What chemicals should I use in my pool?

Muriatic acid is a common chemical that can be used to lower your pool’s alkalinity. On the other hand, Borax is used to raise your pool’s pH.

Does baking soda kill algae in pools?

Yes, Baking soda is also ideal for getting rid of black and yellow algae that form in an above ground pool considering it’s gentler on vinyl walls.

How can I keep my pool clean cheap?

The best way to keep your pool clean inexpensively is by using common household products.

Let’s now look at the top common household products one can use to clean their pool:

The best common household items one can use to clean their pool is baking soda. 

Baking Soda 

Baking soda is a common household product that can be found in most average homes. Baking soda is either Sodium Bicarbonate or Sodium Hydrogen carbonate, and it’s ideal for raising the alkalinity of water in a pool.  There are so many reasons why baking soda is the most common household product used when cleaning the pool, but mainly it’s due to the fact it’s simple to use.  You only need to add 1.5 pounds of baking soda to 10,000 gallons of water to increase the alkalinity by 10 ppm. Baking soda is also ideal for getting rid of black and yellow algae that form in an above ground pool considering it’s gentler on vinyl walls. It’s vital to note that you can use household baking soda to clean your pool, but you cannot use your pools baking soda for baking.

Bleach 

The second common household product one can use to clean their pool is bleach. Bleach is sodium hypochlorite an alternative for pool shock available at your local pool store. Bleach does a similar job to 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, one should avoid unscented types of bleach to avoid contaminating the water.

Techniques/ Tips to Improve 

Another product one can use when cleaning a pool include is Muriatic Acid. 

Muriatic Acid 

Muriatic acid is a common chemical one can use to lower their pool alkalinity and protect your pool from mineral buildup and blooms. This acid is highly effective and can lower your water’s alkalinity by 10 ppm in a 10,000-gallon pool.  Although muriatic acid is a great alternative, one should handle with great care considering it’s a very strong acid. This acid is toxic to human skin and can cause injury upon contact.

White Vinegar 

Calcium buildup around your pool’s water line should not be a major concern as it does not cause any harm, though it’s discouraging to look at.  If your pool is regularly experiencing calcium build-up, white vinegar is a good solution to removing any occurring white calcium streaks in your pool.  Vinegar is a good option to restore the shine on pool metal surfaces. If you do not have vinegar at hand, one can choose to rub some alcohol which works similarly.

Correcting common problems 

Low pH levels are a common problem among most pool owners. This should not cause trouble considering you can use Borax to raise your pool’s pH Levels. 

Borax 

Borax is a common accessory available on sale at most laundry aisles all over the country, and it’s a great product to raise your pool’s pH levels. Borax is made from a natural mineral called sodium tetraborate pent hydrate.  The process of using Borax is simple as you only need to add half a cup per 10,000 gallons of water to raise the ph.  The number of cups one should add to their pool should be based on the size of your pool. 

Analysis of best practices in the industry 

Cleaning your pool using a vacuum can be a bit tiresome, especially when there are so many leaves and large debris. However, it’s possible to correct this problem using a filter regularly or a plastic broom.

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.

Tools you can use 

Cleaning your pool can be costly, and this is why we highly recommend you create your natural pool cleaners.  For best results, here are a few tools one can use;

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

Always start by making sure you have a clean pool. If the water is regularly checked, if the pool is regularly cleaned, you will be able to maximize your pool experience. Keep in mind to have a clean pool at all times in order to stay healthy and benefit from an amazing experience.

About The Author: Joel Peters is the chief editor of thepoolcleanerexpert.com, one of the leading pool expertise websites. Joel’s passion for pool cleaners make him always a beloved guest and friend of all pool lovers out there.

Photo by Raphaël Biscaldi on Unsplash