Whether you are looking for cost-effective cleaning options or would just like to use something more natural, there are some products you can find at your grocery store that work just as well as chemicals made specifically for pool cleaning. Here’s how you can use household products to clean your pool:

Baking Soda

Mix water and baking soda to create a paste. This results in a non-abrasive cleaner for pool tile and grout and can also be used on a concrete or stone pool deck. Baking soda can also be used to increase your pool’s alkalinity. Add 1.5 pounds of baking soda for every 10,000 gallons of water to increase the total alkalinity by 10 parts per million.

Bleach

Simple household bleach can get tough stains out of grout that baking soda couldn’t. It can also be used to shock your pool. One gallon of 5.25% bleach per 10,000 gallons of water will raise the free chlorine level by 5.25 ppm, so take your time to make sure you do not surpass 3 ppm. 

Muriatic Acid

If your pool is made from concrete or gunite, you will need to acid wash it about every five years or so. Use muriatic acid or a gentler muriatic acid alternative. This can also be used to lower your pool’s alkalinity by as much as 10 ppm in a 10,000 gallon pool. Be careful when handling muriatic acid as it can cause injury if not handled correctly. 

Borax

Add water to Borax to make a paste that can be used to clean sticky residue, stains, and slippery spots. It can also be used to raise the pH in your pool by adding half a cup per 10,000 gallons of water. The amount you will need to use will depend on how much you need to raise the pH level, so go slowly to avoid raising it too much.

Olive Oil

You don’t want to add oil to your pool water, but olive oil can be used to clean your pool deck. Whether it be a sticky spill or tree sap that has dripped onto the deck, olive oil can do the trick. It can even be used on your pool cover and plastic pool toys. 

White Vinegar

White vinegar can be used to get rid of calcium buildup in your pool, which is recognized as the chalky white substance found at the waterline. Mix a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water. Use a sponge or soft cloth dipped in the solution to scrub away residue. You can also use it to shine up metal surfaces like the pool ladder handles.

Rising Sun Pools & Spas

For over 46 years, we’ve been the pool builders of choice for home and business owners in North Carolina. No pool company has more customers, more experience or more expertise than Rising Sun Pools. There’s no pool construction, design or renovation project that we haven’t encountered (and solved)! Contact us today!