How To Clean Pool Tile And Remove Calcium
Many in-ground pools feature beautiful, multi-colored ceramic or glass tiles that look great if kept clean and well-maintained. But if the tiles arent maintained, they can become stained or covered in buildup. Fortunately, you can take some quick, easy steps to clean the tile and bring it back to its original luster.
But before we talk about how to clean that tile, lets get some basics out of the way.
Preventative Measures For Clean Waterline Tiles
Keeping your pool free of debris by regularly vacuuming and cleaning the surface is one of the best preventative measures you can take to avoiding grime and scaling on your waterline tiles.
Weekly pool maintenance cleaning tips can be found here.
Reducing the water level slighting to give your waterline tiles a thorough brush down at the start of every swimming season will also be beneficial.
Staining and algae growth can cause damage to your waterline tiles. Maintaining your pool chemicals at the optimal levels will help minimize and prevent long-term damage. This is irrespective of whether you own a saltwater or chlorine pool.
How To Remove Calcium From Pool Tile
- Removing Calcium Deposits with Muriatic Acid
For pool tiles, muriatic acid is an efficient calcium remover. Muriatic acid is the most potent solution compared to other solutions since it is hydrochloric-based. Always take some precautions before using muriatic acid for cleaning reasons. At all times, put on goggles and rubber gloves.
Add a gallon of water to a tub. In a measuring cup, pour 8 ounces of muriatic acid. Now slowly pour muriatic acid into the water tub. Pour this acid slowly because mixing it with water produces heat and causes it to boil. Keep in mind to be careful while working with muriatic acid because splashing it another way around instead of water can be dangerous.
Slowly stir this mixture with a plastic spoon, assuring it does not boil. Partially fill a disposable spray bottle with the solution. Spray the pool tiles with this acid-water combination. Scrub the pool tiles gently with a non-abrasive scouring pad. The remaining solution of muriatic acid should be disposed of with caution because it is more toxic than any other cleaning solution.
- Salt Blasting Method
- Cleaning Pool tiles with Pumice Stone
Using a Pumice stone, you may quickly erase the most persistent and ugly calcium stains. Local pool supply businesses have plenty of pumice stones. It was simple to remove the white muck from the pool tiles with a pumice stone. On a vinyl or fiberglass pool, avoid using this pumice stone.
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Use Least Time On One Spot
Last but not least, avoid overstaying on one point when cleaning pool tiles. The pressurized water jets are very powerful. Staying on one point for long could break the brittle tiles.
20-30 seconds is enough tile for each cleaning spot. You can spend extra seconds on spots with stubborn grime deposits. But check for any damages after every 30 seconds.
Especially when using high-pressure machines like Westinghouse WPX2700 washers. to check the price on Amazon.
You might have used the right media, a low-pressure nozzle, and even kept the right distance. But it is important to use the least time at a single point.
What Is Calcium Scale

Calcium scale, sometimes also called limescale, is a hard, off-white chalky substance often found on the metallic parts of water-operated machinery.
Calcium build-up on your tile and plaster can be a result of hard water in your area.
Scaling starts out just looking a little like white foam around the water line.
That foamy looking white stuff becomes hard as a rock and if not treated regularly, almost impossible to remove.
Calcium scale can also start to clog your pool filter, coat your pipes, and overall just wreak some havoc on all your working parts!
But it also starts to erode materials underneath it, like your pool tiles, fiberglass, ladders, liner and grout.
Not only that, but it can cause some pretty nasty looking stains if left untreated, especially on vinyl.
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Removing Scale On Vinyl Liners:
Although the slick surface of vinyl liners can make calcium scale less likely to form, scale can deposit on vinyl liners when conditions are right.
As opposed to metal stains on liners, mineral scale can be felt with your hands and feet, rough and scaly to the touch. In extreme cases, it can be very rough and snag swimsuits and give the kids a bad case of pool toe.
To remove scale from vinyl pools, you have to be a bit more careful than other pool types, to avoid damaging the vinyl or making it look worse. The Stain Eraser for vinyl pools is tough enough for stains and scale, and works great for small scale problems.
For waterline scale on a vinyl pool: lower the water level and spray white vinegar from a spray bottle. Spray a few feet, then scrub the surface with a textured sponge or scrubber, then rinse off. Most visible scale will need an acid stronger than vinegar, however. Add 4-8 oz. of Acid Magic or Instant Liquid Acid to a cup of water in a spray bottle, and repeat the process. Tile patterns can be removed from your liner if the acid is too strong, so test in small areas and gradually work-up in strength.
For all-over scale in a vinyl pool, an accepted treatment is to:
What Kind Of Pool Tile Cleaning Products Does Bullfrog Use To Clean Pool Tile And Clean Pebble
We exclusively use a soft, mineral-based cleaning media specifically designed and guaranteed to clean pool tile without damage and NEVER USE GLASS BEAD on pool tile.
Even though this pool tile cleaning product is more expensive then other cleaning agents Bullfrog Pool Tile Cleaning is proud to offer it to our customers at No Additional Cost!
Other benefits include:
- 100% Non Hazardous Safe for Family, Pets, Plants.
- PH Neutral Will not change your pool’s chemical chemistry
- Safe on Delicate Pool Tile
- Water-Soluble Will not harm pool pumps or pool equipment
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How Do You Clean Pool Tiles Without Draining Them
Acid washing is the best way to clean your pool without draining it. You can use Sulfuric Acid, Muriatic Acid, or Sodium Bisulfate, which is a dry acid. Using acid to wash your pool corrodes a small layer of the old plaster, exposing a new and cleaner layer.
To clean:
- Turn off your pools filtration system and remove time switch trippers to avoid the filters turning back on.
- Protect any metal parts of your swimming pool to keep them from getting corroded by the acid. You can do that by covering them or applying petroleum jelly on them.
- Add the acid in the right portion, depending on the pH and size of your pool. For example, if your pool has a pH of 7.6 and has a 15,000-gallon capacity, add 1¼ oz. of acid.
- Brush the surface of the pool from the waterline to the bottom, ensuring that you cover every spot.
- Leave it for a day and test the alkalinity of the pool. If you still see stains on your pool tiles, add more acid and keep brushing until your pool is clean.
- Rebalance the pH of your pool slowly until it gets to 7.2. To determine how much pH increaser you need, use a base demand test.
- After the pool is at the right pH, uncover the metal parts and turn the filtration system back on.
What Removes Calcium Buildup
To keep up with the addition of water stains, its best to take care of them regularly. If not, the buildup could penetrate the surface and ultimately lead to corrosion. However, there are a variety of ways that you can remove the stains. All youll need is paper towels, rags, a toothbrush, rubber band, gloves, protective eyewear, spray bottle, vinegar, baking soda, white wine, or other natural non-toxic cleaners.
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Can I Use Vinegar To Clean My Swimming Pool Tile
A solution of vinegar and water can help remove calcium deposits. Apply the mixture with a spray bottle and use a soft brush to scrub at the deposits . Keep in mind, though, that vinegar is most effective when removing light scaling. If youre tackling heavier buildup, you might need something stronger to get the job done.
How To Clean Swimming Pool Tiles
The best way to clean swimming pool ties is to treat your pool for several weeks with our calcium dissolving products. It is best to do this before trying to remove it manually. This is because our treatments soften hard calcium which makes removal much easier and simple to do. If you attempt to remove calcium without our pre-treatment is as hard as concrete and strongly adheres to the tiles. This means that you will likely cause severe damage to the tiles in trying to scratch it off. This can lead to chipped, scratched and broken tiles. We do not recommend using rubbing blocks, paint scrapers or pumice stones on tiles as these can scratch or crack the tiles permanently. Our calcium treatment kit is the best treatment option for softening waterline calcium buildup on swimming pool tiles.
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Reasons To Remove Scale From Pool Tile
No one would want to swim in a pool thats dirty. Moreover, calcium scale can do some serious damage to your pool and pool equipment if its not taken care of.
If not addressed promptly, calcium deposits can result in:
- Clogged filters pool filters are designed to deal with water and pool debris such as leaves, bugs and so on, but theyre not suitable for handling hardened calcium deposits.
- Plaster damage calcium deposits can spread to other areas of the pool, potentially to the bottom where they can create pits in the plaster.
- Eye and skin irritation swimming in a pool with excess calcium deposits may irritate the eyes and skin.
Calcium deposits and scaling look unappealing, can cause serious and expensive damage, and make pools uncomfortable to swim in. There are plenty of ways to clean your swimming pool tile ranging from using vinegar and pressure washing, to cleaning with a pumice stone and using baking soda. Heres the process involved in cleaning pool tile with baking soda:
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How To Clean Calcium Deposits With Pool Clarifier

A pool clarifier works with your pool chemicals to make limescale removal more manageable. Pool clarifiers contain chemicals that clump together limescale deposits in your water that your pool filter captures.
Because the clumps are stuck in your pool filter, they cannot reenter the pool. After purchasing a clarifier, follow the instructions on the package to determine how much to use based on your pools volume.
We recommend using this pool cleaning method if the limescale buildup is particularly severe. Cleaning pool tiles calcium deposits may appear challenging at first. However, a clarifier makes it much more straightforward.
Its a good idea to learn the proper way to vacuum a pool after removing calcium deposits so they dont settle on the bottom of the pool.
Why is my pool cloudy? If you have cloudy water or annoying white chalky marks on your pool tile, it results from limescale buildup. Most people think it is impossible to eliminate hard water deposits on pool tile.
However, cleaning agents like baking soda and muriatic acid dissolve tough grout and limescale areas. To remove hard water stains from tile and grout, equip yourself with the proper tools.
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If You Want To Paint The Pool
Some pool finishes are absolutely bare bones, simply having a coating of epoxy paint over their concrete shell.
Due to the amount of harsh chemicals and sunlight, the painted finish on these pools will eventually begin to fade and need a fresh coat.
Some people will even go so far as to repaint their plaster pool finishes, but resurfacing this type of finish is more cost-effective over the long term.
Pool Tile Calcium Removal
There are several ways you can remove calcium scaling with the method described below. You need a pumice stone or hard-bristled brush, and a calcium releaser. Follow the steps below:
Only use pumice stone on hard surfaces such as concrete, plaster and tile and not on softer surfaces such as fiberglass and vinyl pools. For softer surfaces, use a nylon brush.
For calcium deposit releasers, use the ones that are biodegradable, free of acts and non-toxic. Otherwise, youll be forced to drain the whole pool after cleaning.
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How To Clean Hard Water From Your Swimming Pool Tiles
Caring for a swimming pool can be tough work, but it must be done if you want the best experience out of it. Getting the best means youâll enjoy all of the amazing benefits pools can offer: relaxing outdoor fun, a beautiful environment, and great exercise. One of the top ways a pool can be less enjoyable than it should be is by allowing it to slowly decline in appearance. However, this isnât usually permanent. One example is hard water stains. You can clean these tough and ugly stains from pools in Cumming if you follow these 6 steps:
1. Remove the water. You must drain your pool at least 12 inches below the level of the tiles or drain it completely if you have a tiled floor. A pool service company can help you drain your swimming pool.
2. Buy a certified tile cleaner. It should be made of gel and be strong enough to remove stains without damaging tile, staining the grout, or leaving behind harsh chemical residue.
3. Apply the cleaner to the tiles with a cloth, being sure to provide total coverage to every tile. Imagine that youâre painting the pool with the cleaning gel.
4. Let the gel sit for about 15 minutes to take action against the hard water stainsâa buildup of minerals in the pool water. Try not to disturb it while itâs working hard to remove the mineral buildup.
How Does Pool Acid Wash & Pool Draining Work
Overtime, the water in your pool may become saturated with hard water solids that can lead to pool tile waterline calcium buildup and interior pool plaster staining and pool pebble-tec staining. Bullfrog’s Pool Acid Wash & Pool Draining service removes those harmful contaminates by draining your pool water and applying an acid cleaning solution designed to brighten and sanitize your pools interior while removing most surface staining. This is a great, economical solution to make your pool look new again!
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How To Clean Tiles Under The Water
Stubborn or significant buildup on lower tiles will require more rigorous cleaning than simply scrubbing with vinegar. The following method is effective at tackling significant and stubborn buildup.
1. Reduce the level of water in your pool so that you can access the tiles with calcium buildup
2. Use a putty knife to remove the thick calcium crust
3. Apply a heavy calcium releaser to the tile and allow it to soak for a few minutes
4. Scrub the tile with a suitable scrubbing brush to remove the next layer of calcium. Continue this step until every layer has been removed
5. Let the tile dry completely
6. Apply a sealer to protect against future calcium buildup
Replace Pool Tile Without Draining
Replace Pool Tile Without Draining. Here you may to know how to repair pool tile without draining. To replace pool tiles, start by draining enough water to leave the damaged tile exposed and dry.
Drain the pool and take out all of the leaves and twigs. Grab a 1/4 inch or 3/8 inch cold chisel and hammer. It’s porpous is to keep water from.. Replace Pool Tile Without Draining. Tile is most commonly seen in kitchens and bathrooms, but its versatility, durability and ease of maintenance means tile is also seen in a variety of flooring applications including offices, patios. To replace pool tiles, start by draining enough water to leave the damaged tile exposed and dry. Consider how deep your pool is, and whether you feel comfortable diving to that level in order to replace the drain cover. Learn how to close your pool properly and you’ll be rewarded with a pool that’s easy to open come spring. Without tile, there would fast develop a nasty scum ring around the pool, that is only removable by.
However, for some pools it is impossible to get replacement parts because they are so old and assuming we are not talking about a vinyl pool.
Here is some more information about how to replace pool tile and some helpful tips to help you get started.
In fact, draining your pool can potentially damage it and should only be done in a few specific circumstances.
Most of the time, when the.
Remove any loose or excess materials on the bed.
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