When you walk out of the pool store with a bag of cleaning agents that costs as much as your cell phone bill, its time to rethink how you’re cleaning your pool. Inevitably, there are some chemicals that you just can’t substitute. But for your common problems, there are common products you probably already have under your sink that work just as well as the pool store cleaning products.
Bleach
You can use bleach to shock your pool. Keep in mind that one gallon of bleach will raise the free chlorine level of a 30,000-gallon pool by 2ppm. Add bleach in the early morning to avoid having most of it degraded by sunlight. By walking around the perimeter of your pool while pouring the amount needed. Do not pour directly into the skimmer. Chlorine does quickly degrade in sunlight. If you don’t have a chlorine stabilizer we highly recommend you get some. If you do, add more with the bleach. Bleach contains the same chemical as chlorine, sodium hypochlorite, therefore you can substitute bleach in to shock a pool.
Baking Soda
You probably already know about the wonders of baking soda. From making teeth whiter to a cooking agent. But in fact, there is a use for it in your pool. Specifically, to raise your pools alkalinity. By adding 1.5 pounds of baking soda, it will raise a 10,000-gallon pools alkalinity level by 10ppm (Parts per million)
Finding the volume of your pool
Multiply the width of the pool by the length, and multiply again by the average depth of the water to find the water volume. Calculate the amount of bleach you need based on the fact 1 gallon will raise the free chlorine level of 30,000 gallons of water by 2 ppm
Lime
When you have water and metal, you can expect rust. But lime can take rust off anything, especially any metal around or in your pool. It makes it shine like new too. The limes natural acidity makes it the perfect natural cleaning agent. Combine a half cup of lime juice with salt. Enough salt to make a slushy like substance. You can use a regular cloth to scrub any nuts or bolts.
Plastic Broom
Depending on the depth of your pool, it can be difficult to try and vacuum your pool. To make things a little easier on yourself, take a plastic broom and sweep the dirt into one general area. This will make vacuuming so much easier.
White Vinegar
You know that stubborn and annoying white line that happens on every pool and spa? It’s not harmful, it’s just calcium build up, but it looks gross. Equal parts water and white vinegar and cloth will take those white streaks right away.
