What’s better than having a splash in your swimming pool during the summer days? The only hurdle is that crafting a swimming pool is tedious and takes labor, more importantly, it is expensive. As alternatives, inflatable pools are taking over the market.
Inflatable pools are portable air-filled tubes that hold water in vast quantities. For backyard pool parties it can be a decent choice. As for kids, they love inflatable pools. These types of pools come in various sizes and shapes.
To beat the melting heat simply put on the inflatable pool and relax with your family and friends. Having a pool in your backyard can be fun, even though it is a portable one, it is likely to catch debris and dirt from the surroundings and contaminate the water. You must know how to keep inflatable pool water clean.
In this article, we will be discussing ways to keep your pool water immaculate.
Why Should You Clean the Inflatable Pool Water?
Why not? Are you planning to splash on filthy water that has been overused and has dust and dirt floating over it? You shouldn’t! An inflatable pool owner must keep the water clean at all costs.
Inflatable pools are completely different structurally compared to the orthodox swimming pool and tend to attract and spread germs if not taken care of. OUt in the open pool water will be getting tarnished sooner rather than later due to unmanageable debris. These unwanted specks are slowly going to make the water harmful for use.
Smaller pools are advised not to be treated with disinfectants like chlorine or bromine. As it gets contaminated with time, it has to be flushed out regularly to keep the water surrounding it healthy. On the other hand, larger pools must be treated with disinfectants to keep you safe. No matter the size, cleaning the inflatable pool water is pivotal to fight bacterias and germs like swimmer’s ear, salmonella, e.coli, and others.
What’s the Best Way to Clean the Inflatable Pool?
To start you should always keep the interior and exterior of the inflatable tubes clean. Always remember that the interior structure affects the water quality. After that comes the process of water treatments. Let’s take a look at how to clean inflatable pools.
Drain and Refill
The first and foremost step is to drain and refill the water regularly. After swimming in the pool once, the water gets dirty. Though it looks clean, water contains a lot of germs, body oils, and sediments.
In order to keep the inflatable pool water clean, you should drain them within a day. Then again refill with fresh water in it.
Clean The Pool Surface
Before refilling the inflatable pool, you should clean the surface of the pool. The cleanliness of the pool is important to keep water fresh and hygienic.
You should regularly wipe the pool or use a pool brush to clean it. Because after a few days, small microorganism stars grow on the surface of the pool.
If you leave them on, they will grow further. If you brush them off or wipe them, they will get suspended and it’s harder to grow. You can use a pool cleaner that will leave the pool sparkling.
A clean pool surface ensures keeping the water clean and germ-free for a long time.
Scrub and Rinse The Surface
Now comes the hard work, you have to make sure every side and angle gets exposed to the cleaning solution and a proper rubdown. Use a sponge and dab the solution everywhere. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Take a cloth and scrub the surface to take off the slimy residues from the surface. You can use a mild detergent to scrape off the strong dregs.
Now rinse the pool surface with clean water to take out all the detergent and solutions.
Use a Pool Cover
Generally, an inflatable pool is placed in the garden side or open space. For this reason, dirt, leaves may fall down into the pool water. That makes the water dirty and cloudy.
If tree leaves remain in the water for a long time, they will rot. That results in the pollution of water and sometimes odors.
Also, grow algae and minimize evaporation. To get rid of this problem, you can use a pool cover. The size of the cover must be fitted with the pool size. Smaller sizes can’t protect the whole pool from being dirty.
Again, due to the intense sun, the pool water dries up and becomes thick on hot summer days. That also makes pool water dirty.
Besides, it’s hard to keep the pool temperature cool on a hot summer day. You can use a solar shade cover over the pool. When the sun is shining, but the shade covers above the pool. That will lower the water temperature by about 5 degrees centigrade along with keeping the water clean.
Try The Aqua Broom
Another effective way is to use an aqua broom to keep the pool water clean. The advantage of using an Aqua broom which can catch and clean more intense particles like sand and silt.
It is operated by Five D-cell batteries and can run for up to 3 hours. Which is a decent period to clean tiny and harmful elements from the water.
Use Filter Pump
You can add a filter pump to ensure clean inflatable pool water.
That circulates the pool water if any dirt floats in the pool water. The moving water picks it up. And it will suck it through the tube of the filter pump. Again, the good circulation of water helps to mix chemicals properly.
The dirt does not disappear, they stay in the filter pump. So you have to clean the filter pump regularly.
If you notice the circulation of water becomes less, that means the filter inside the pump gets dirty. You have to open it and clean the dirt to rinse powerful water.
Use Chemical Formulated
In this step, you can use chemicals like chlorines. It comes in tablet form and is a little smelly. But don’t take the tables and throw them into the pool. It may start eating the pool canvas and leave a white spot on the pool.
If you leave it for longer, it even creates holes and damages the pool. To get rid of this problem, you need chemical floaters.
Open it and put chlorine tablets on it. You can also set the opening to dispense fast or slowly. That mainly depends on the size of the pool and the local climate. Put in the water and make sure it dissolves nicely and gradually. And it keeps going. But caution does not re-enter the pool until the chlorine residual is between 1 to 3ppm.
Again, sometimes inflatable pool water gets green, there is an option that is called pool shock. Use a very big dose of chlorine in it. That will clear the chemicals in the pool.
Pool Cover
Inflatable pools come in ranging shapes and sizes and most brands will include a pool cover in your package. Pool covers are protective-shield between open-air and the pool water. It helps to obstruct flying debris and other dust particles. If your pool doesn’t have a cover don’t worry. Find a tarp that fits the size of your pool and cover the whole upper end securely. Make sure there are no gaps on the surface otherwise harmful particles will sneak in. Use solid support to hold the tarp in position so there are no slipping issues. A pool cover will keep your pool clean overnight.
Pool Skimmer Net
This particular item is a must-have for every pool owner. Pool leaf rakes, also known as skimmer nets, are useful tools to remove all the surface waste from the water. Most pools will be overwhelmed with leaves, junks, and scraps with time. So pool skimmers can be used to efface the surface and make it immaculate. The nets come with a pool pole, which can be used to reach the bottom surface as well and as you drag on the water you should catch all the submerged elements as well.
Chlorine Tablets
Chlorines are used to fight germs and bacterias in the water body. You can find chlorine tablets on the market for inflatable pool use. Use the tablets using a chlorine floater or chemical skimmer and disperse the chemical as advised. Don’t go overboard with the tablets. Use the manual to know how to use and how much to use. Shock treatments can be used on inflatable pools once per week to bump up the chlorine level if it drops.
Test kit
You must have a test kit at your disposal to check the chlorine levels of the water. There is no safe alternative. SO it is recommended that you buy a high-quality Test kit.
How to Keep a Pool Clean: Additional Tips
Do you know that chlorine is not 100% effective on bacterias? Chlorine works best for pool needs but still, there will be some forms of bacterias that won’t budge even when treated with chlorine. This is why you will need algaecide to kill all the algae in your pool.
Shock Your Inflatable Pool If Necessary
It is a very useful treatment. Shocking the pool water is to elevate the chlorine level on the pool by using non-chlorine agents or chlorine. You should always keep a balance that kills all the germs and algae from a pool. Always read the owner’s manual or take expert advice before shock treatment. Remember, excessive chlorine can be harmful.
How to Keep Inflatable Pool Water Clean Without Chlorine?
The first way is the drain and pours water after every 24 hours. A family size pool needs around 500 and 3,000 gallons of water on average. A hosepipe can refill 12 gallons per minute. This is quite a hassle and complex process to maintain every day. So people use chlorine as a chemical to clean the pool water. But many of you have queried how to keep Inflatable pool water clean without chlorine treatment. Here are the alternatives and organic ways –
1. Saltwater Pool
Nowadays Salt sanitizers are more popular to keep the pool water clean and germ-free rather than using chlorine. It’s a method to generate salt into chlorine gas. That will inject in the inflatable pool water and clean as well as disinfect it properly.
That will also create a healthy and comfortable environment in the pool water.
2. Ozone Purification
Ozone pool purification is an FDA-approved technique to clean inflatable pool water. It will clean the water using an ozone generator using the UV bulb. And that is totally eco-friendly.
3. Ultraviolet Pool Sanitizing Light
Another effective alternative to chlorine is the Ultraviolet pool sanitizing light. It uses short-wavelength UV light (UV-C) to purify the water. As well as kill the algae, bacteria, germs, microorganisms, etc by powerful rays of UV light.
How to Keep An Inflatable Pool Clean?
Regular cleaning of the Inflatable pool is a must. That ensures clean water in the pool. Otherwise only using chemicals in water can’t keep the water clean. For clean water, both water and pool must be cleaned regularly. You can use a pool brush with pool cleaners.
First, drain the water. Then spread pool cleaners over the pool. And brush smoothly.
You can use a hosepipe to wash the pool. Then pour clean water and jump to swim.
Again, you can also use some household ingredients like baking soda, a moderate amount of bleach, white vinegar to clean the inflatable pool surface.
But you should not use detergents or regular soap. That will displace the PH level as well as can cause skin irritation if the bubbles remain in the pool water.
However, you can use a water PH and Alkaline checker to ensure when you need to change the water for the imbalance of them.
Why is it Important to Keep Your Pool Water Clean?
The inflatable pool is established to have fun and swim for kids too old. For having fun, clean water is a must. Though the cleaning process isn’t quite easy, you should clean the pool and water regularly.
A clean inflatable pool has balanced water Pool Chemistry, PH, and Alkaline level. Also ensures bacteria and odor-free water. That helps to prevent bacteria growth in the water.
It can protect your child and family members from recreational water illnesses (RWIs) like ear infections, diarrhea, rashes, inflamed eyes and lungs, respiratory infections, etc. Dirty water can cause many diseases along with skin and hair fall problems.
In order to avoid these problems, it’s crucial to keep your pool water clean.
How Long Can The Water Sit In The Pool Without Chlorine?
Inflatable pool water without chlorine has become unhealthy water in just 24-48 hours.
Without chemicals, if you choose not to use chemicals in the pool, the water must be drained after using it. This should occur within 24 hours to 48 hours.
That means you must go through the hassle of filling the inflatable pool with fresh water each day. In case, you can use a whole house water filter or iron filter as well or other chemical-free processes.
For most inflatable pools, chlorine injected into the water should be changed after every 2 weeks.
If you are not adding chlorine to clean the pool water, you have to change the water every day.
How long Do I Wait to Swim After Chemicals?
To keep inflatable pool water clean and hygienic, you may use chemicals like Chlorine. But adding balanced chemicals won’t harm you. As well as adjusting the PH does not affect you. If you put balanced chemicals, you can throw them into the water and swim after mixing them.
But in case you are putting a lot of balanced chemicals, that makes the water a little murky for throwing a bunch of white powder.
Again, once you shock your pool, you should wait for 8 hours to kind of calm down. We recommended not swimming in the pool at least 8 hours after throwing disinfectant chemicals.
Hence, the best option is to use chemicals at night and let them dissolve properly. Try to pick the nighttime, let your pump run all night.
You can enjoy the pool the next morning. It’s never gonna interrupt your swimming season.
How to Make Your Inflatable Pool Last Longer
To ensure a longer service life, you must take care of your pool. It is not just about filling the air, refilling, and draining water. Few other things aid its longevity. First, make sure to drain out all the water once you are done using the pool. Then dry it completely. Make sure no water is left out, if so, it might catch mildew, mold formation, insects, bacteria, and much more.
Use disinfectant chemicals or a more suitable option like vinegar. Spray on the surface, dry it up and then roll it up to store in a dry place.
FAQ
Can I use bleach in a kiddie pool?
Yes, you can use bleach in a kiddie pool. Make sure to use it as advised and don’t exceed the required limit. Bleach can be used as an emergency disinfectant if you run out of chlorine sanitizers.
How do I get rid of Algae in a kiddie pool?
Using algaecide can work wonders with chlorine to get rid of algae.
How do I keep a kiddie pool clean without chemicals?
Simply drain the water out at first. Use detergents on a cloth to clean the surface residues, then rinse and dry the surface. Fill up the pool again and you are done. You should use skimmer nets to take off the excess dirt and floating debris.
How do you keep a pool clean without a pump?
First, skim the debris from the waterbody. Then use chlorine sanitizer with an algaecide on an ideal level. Use a stirrer or brush to distribute the chlorine level evenly.
How long can you leave water in an inflatable pool?
Chlorine-treated water can last for 2 weeks before draining out. If the water is not chlorine treated, you must drain and refill the pool every day of use.
Final Verdict
If you have read through this article you already know how to keep inflatable pool water clean. Let us remind you that it is not a daunting task. There are different treatment procedures to clean the pool and water overall.
Do you need to perform all the procedures?
This depends on your pool size, your usage limit. That being said, the basics of pool cleaning are always the same. You have to maintain it properly by draining and refilling, covering it up, skimming every day, vacuuming the bottom, using the balanced form of algaecide and chlorine. If you follow the steps and details we mentioned above, your inflatable pool will be in pristine shape before your next dive.