Is the poolside your family’s favourite summer staycation spot? The splashing of water, giggles, and all the fun people have during the sunny months are often forgotten as soon as winter sets in.
Remember, the swimming season will be back before you know it and when it does, a clean, beautiful, healthy, ready-to-use pool is loved by all! So, pool cleaning responsibilities do not end as the swimming season stalls for a while – it still needs your attention!
Neglecting the pool area in winter can be a costly mistake once you want to reuse it again. A pre-winter pool cleaning helps in –
Pool cleaning is not necessary, but it surely does help you in many ways. Once summer arrives, re-opening the pool becomes easy. A clean pool has minimum algal growth and gathers minimum debris, and there are many other benefits as well. Pool cleaning is not only about the pool but also about the adjacent garden, pool toys, or trees that are growing too close to the pool. Starting with the easiest makes the job simple.
Start with the pool toys and accessories that won’t be required during the winter. Children love to stay entertained in the pool with their pool toys and always have their favourites. You surely don’t want to buy toys every year or disappoint them once they are back in the pool in summer. Keeping the toys away also reduces tripping hazards and related accidents and saves them from sun damage.
There are proper ways of storing pool toys. The first step is to deflate all the air-filled pool toys. Cleaning and drying the toys and accessories before storing them away is important. Wet or moist toys may attract mould and mildew, which are neither healthy for the kids nor good for the toys. Toys should be stored in a covered area like the garage or basement to protect them from accumulating dust and save them from the snow.
Use some talcum powder to save the inflatables from sticking to each other and get damaged. Storing them in air-tight containers is a good idea. Consider cleaning the glass pool fences if you have any next to the pool. Keep the pool umbrellas, chairs and tables, securely stored away if you don’t plan to use them anytime soon.
To keep the pool clean during the winter, the garden area adjacent to the pool also needs to be cared for, and trees need to be trimmed. Falling leaves can make a mess in your uncovered pool or can accumulate on top of the pool cover, making it look dirty and accumulating moisture. A mowed lawn and pruned trees prevent debris from getting into the pool.
Rotting, soggy leaves invite algae, and you surely won’t appreciate an algal bloom in the pool. Prevent your pool from looking like a graveyard for leaves by keeping the garden area clean.
When the pool’s in use, you need all the necessary chemicals to keep it clean and healthy. The containers stacked in the corner may become useless when the new swimming season starts. Do a stocktaking to see what’s useful and what’s not. Discard the redundant chemicals safely following the instructions mentioned on the package. Keep the rest stored in a locked cupboard or garage to keep them safe from the kids and pets.
You may not realize now, but a pre-winter pool area cleaning will save you from a lot of work when the family starts using the poolside again. A neater pool area also offers extra space to enjoy some fun times by the pool when the temperatures outside are pleasantly cold.
…a pre-winter pool area cleaning will save you a lot of work when the family starts using the pool again.
‘Pool closing chemicals’, as they are called, are essential for keeping the pool water clean during the winter. Analyse your pool chemical level to determine the pH, water hardness, alkalinity, and free chlorine before you add anything to your pool.
There are various winter algaecides, pool enzymes, etc., available for maintaining good pool water conditions. You can always check with your nearest pool store about the best pool balancing chemical options for your pool.
Remember, the pool may be closed for a while, but the algae won’t take a winter break! Maintaining the water quality even in the off-season is important. You may drain some water and keep your pool covered for winter. However, cleaning it thoroughly before that can save you loads of effort when re-opening the pool in summer.
A good scrub before closing the pool is also a good way to maintain pool health. Scrubbing the walls and the floor removes traces of algae saves the pool from becoming unhealthy and unsightly.
It’s a good idea to clean the pool water with a leaf net or a hand skimmer to ensure debris is removed before winterizing your pool. Run the filters to clean out tiny particles that may encourage algal growth during the winter.
Covering your pool is a great idea to ensure clean water and minimize the pool re-opening efforts. Keeping the pool open all through winter can invite a host of problems like accumulating debris, falling leaves, fast algal growth, and accidental falls. Covering the pool ensures safety for kids and pets and reduces cleaning efforts later.
The pool cover also ensures minimum evaporation and dilution of pool-winterizing chemicals.
If you are using the same pool cover for years, remember to check its condition before using it. You want the cover to tightly fit the pool with no rips and tears in-between to allow debris to pass through.
Repair all the torn patches or get a new one if the cover is too worn out. You don’t want to do any running around when the temperature is freezing outside! If any sharp points are extending into the pool, make sure to cover them with rags or cardboard to avoid accidents.
Winter weather can be harsh on your pool, whether you decide to drain it partially and cover it with a tarp or a mesh cover. Your pool is not a standalone thing. You also need to take care of the pipes, filters, and all the related mechanisms.
Cleaning the poolside is extremely important during winters as debris, leaves, dry sticks can get stuck inside the pipes, clogging them and causing them to burst. Cleaning the pool area during winter allows you to keep a check on undesirable things happening near the pool. Removing unnecessary objects from the poolside can save you unnecessary damage, expense, and time.
Don’t forget the pool area in winter because you are not using it. A little care and a regular maintenance schedule can help you keep the family swimming pool healthy and quick to put back into action come summers!
Following these little things will save you tons of effort, and you will be quickly ready to host all your summer poolside events!
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