Kids love to play in the pool. Let me rephrase: we all love to play in the pool, especially on those hot summer afternoons when swimming is the only way to cool ourselves. But for the pool to be safe for you or the kids to swim or play in, it must be clean.
Cleaning a small pool is quite easy if it has a filter, but without one… Well, you still have to keep it clean. You can do very simple things to ensure that that small pool in your yard where kids play is clean enough. Chlorine, bleach, and a box of borax are some simple materials that can make that pool clean and safe for kids to play in.
Why You Must Keep Your Small Pool Clean
Big problems can arise from small pools that are not hygienic. It is not enough to change the water in the pool every once in a while to be sanitary enough for your kids; you must be meticulous about how safe it is for use.
Water is a good breeding medium for harmful pathogens, from E. Coli to Shigella, Cryptosporidium, and others. These pathogens are responsible for many ears, throat, eye, neurologic, wound, and gastrointestinal infections.
When kids from different homes play in a pool, their chances of contracting these infections are heightened. This is not to scare people from using public pools, but rather a call for them to ensure that they only use pools they are sure of their sanitary condition.
It is recommended by the Centre For Disease Control (CDC) that kids should get a good bath or shower with a cleansing soap before they swim, so they don’t contaminate the pool water. They should also be advised never to ingest the pool water because it can be contaminated.
READ: Can My Deck Hold a Kiddie Pool?
How To Keep a Small Pool Clean Without a Filter
You can do several things to ensure your kid’s pool is clean, even if you don’t have a filter. Which out of them you adopt depends on your unique situation: which includes the number of kids that uses it normally, if they are all from one family, the climatic condition of your area, how dirty the pool easily gets, and stuff like that. Below are some of the ways you can keep a small pool clean:
1. Drain The Pool Every So Often
The beauty about small pools is that draining and refilling the water is not time-consuming nor stressful, nor will you need a lot of water for refilling.
You should drain water at least once a week or when it is dirty ( whichever comes earlier) and use dish soap and a soap brush to scrub the whole pool properly. Then fill up the pool again with your garden hose.
2. Skim The Pool Daily
Debris-like leaves can easily get into the pool at any time, so you should make it part of your daily routine to skim this debris from your small pool. There are different types of nets that you can use to get rid of this debris, and you can get your kids to join in the fun.
You can also get a pool skimmer to do this job more efficiently because some of them can get to pools that are quite deep; they will get rid of contaminants anywhere within the pool
3. Vacuuming Works Well Too.
To get all the sand and dirt at the bottom of the pool, you can use a vacuum to get all those stuff out. There are lots of little gadgets that are not so expensive that you can get for getting dirt and sand out of the small pool.
4. Use A Sponge
There are a lot of modern magic sponges for the waterlines that can soak up the sunscreen and all such lotions and materials built up in the pool. They make it convenient to use because they are shaped like a glove, making the task easier.
These sponges can soak up all oil-based material, but your kitchen sponge and mild soap can be used to clean off all deposits of body lotions and sunscreen in the pool.
5. Add Chlorine
Chlorine is important for disinfecting pools because it can safely destroy organisms like bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens. The good thing is that Chlorine is readily available and quite affordable too.
6. Use Other Chemicals
Many believe that kiddie pools should never be treated with chemicals because of their toxicity, but these chemicals provide the best fences against all water-borne infections.
While we do not encourage using very toxic chemicals on plastic or inflatable and kiddie’s pool, we believe you can use mild chemicals on other small pools. Borax, bleach, and algaecide are some of the most common safe chemicals in small pools.
READ: Best Inflatable Pool Cleaner Tool
Safe Ways To Treat Small Pools
It is understandable why many people are skeptical about using chemicals in treating small pools for kids, but if you stick to the right ones and the right quantity, you will hardly go wrong. There are 4 main chemicals you can use on a small pool:
- Chlorine
- Algaecide
- Borax
1. Chlorine
This is an oxidant and a disinfectant that can be used on a small pool to ensure that pathogens don’t grow in the water. Chlorine comes in liquid, granulated, and tablet forms to suit every preference.
There is also the slow Chlorine, commonly used for daily disinfection and maintenance of the pool water. There is also the “Chlorine of shock” used for complete disinfection of the pool after winter. The amount of Chlorine you use in your pool should never be more than 1.5 mg/l.
2. Algaecide
Algae growth is a common sight in many pools; these microorganisms can easily thrive in a filthy pool and spread quickly in the pool within a few days. Algae grow well in places with a relatively high temperature, just like most fungi and bacteria.
Algaecides are applied to keep algae from growing in the water and not in a pool already overrun by algae. It works as a disinfectant, just like Chlorine. It helps supplement the effect of Chlorine, especially when the Chlorine gets depleted. Apply 0.5 teaspoons for every 240 gallons of water.
3. Borax
Borax is a very important cheap if you can add to your small pool because it acts as a pH buffer and an algaecide. It also keeps your water feeling soft and sparkling. 1 and a half teaspoon of borax goes into 250 gallons of pool water.
Simple Household Material for Cleaning Pools
1. Use Baking Soda:
Baking powder can be used to clean bigger swimming pools, especially the pool tiles and grout, but for small pools, adding 0.15 pounds of baking soda for every 1000 gallons of water will increase your pool water’s alkalinity means most pathogens can grow in it.
2. Bleach:
Bleach is used like a baking powder for getting stains out of pools, but it can also be used to raise the chlorine level of your pool.
3. White Vinegar
calcium build-up can give your clear pool chalky, white grunge at the waterline. Make a mixture of a quantity of vinegar and water, dip a soft cloth, and use it to scrub away any residue in the pool.
4. Lemon Juice
Citric juice is a natural pool cleaner used to remove the build-up of calcium and grime in the pool. It can even be used to get rid of rust too. Making a mixture with a cup of lemon juice and salt can be used to scrub out grime.
5. Rubbing Alcohol
Isopropyl alcohol is great for cleaning grime off stainless steel surfaces. Make a mixture of this rubbing alcohol with 40% of water and use it to scrub any dirt off your swimming pool.
6. Simple Green
This is a cleaning agent that can be used to clean any pool. It can get rid of rust, grime, and other residues. To use this agent, you must have to dilute it with water in a ratio of 1: 30.
7. Melamine Sponge
One of the most common types of melamine sponges is Magic Eraser, and all you need to do is dampen it, and then you can use it to scrub sticky residue off your pool.
Conclusion
The importance of keeping our pools clean can never be overemphasized, and this is because many harmful organisms thrive in water.
You can, however, employ routine cleaning of your pool to keep it clean all the time, even if it doesn’t have a filter. Very mild chemicals can go a long way in keeping your small pool hygienic.
Helpful Articles:
- Best Inflatable Pool Cleaner Tool
- Can I Put an Inflatable Pool on my Deck
- Can You Set Up an Inflatable Pool on Concrete?
- How to Keep Inflatable Pool Water Clean With Salt
- How Long Can You Leave Water in an Inflatable Pool
We trust this article helped you learn how to keep a small pool clean without a filter. You may also want to check out if You Can Put Chlorine in an Inflatable Pool
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