How To Keep Kiddie Pool Clean

Do Kiddie Pools Need Chemicals To Keep Them Clean

Kiddie pools dont need chemicals. If you choose not to use chemicals you will have to drain the pool more often. The point of using chlorine is to remove bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella.

Although we associate both bacteria in uncooked food, if someone makes a bowel movement and doesnt wash their hands, they could get E. coli. If they touch someone or something else, the bacteria can spread. Its the same with salmonella.

Since these are kids that were talking about, their sanitary habits might not be the best. Your kids are of the age where you dont supervise them in the bathroom anymore, so youre not really sure what theyre doing in there.

You could set up a rule where the kids have to wash their hands before swimming if youre not going to use chlorine and other chemicals in the pool. Wed still recommend draining the kiddie pool after every use. When it comes to bacteria, you can never be too careful!

Skim The Pool Every Day

Stuff blows into the pool all the time, and having a skimmer of some sort on hand makes quick work of getting it out. I use these inexpensive butterfly nets to skim Rubys pool. They work fine for most stuff that gets in the water, and they come in a pack of four, so the kids wont fight over who gets to skim. They also work great for catching fireflies and butterflies.

If you prefer the real deal, this HydroTools pool skimmer will do the trick nicely. Its got an aluminum handle that telescopes to 12 feet, which seems excessive for a kiddie pool, but the kidsll probably enjoy that. This baby will pick up smaller stuff, like the sand and grit you scare up off the pool floor.

Use An Oil Absorbing Sponge

These specially designed sponges soak up body oil and sunscreen lotion like a pro! Some even absorb pollen – which can help keep your water clean AND reduce allergies. Most of them come in cute shapes and float in the pool on their own. Remove them during play so curious kids dont try to take a bite or tear them into pieces. Bonus: theyre reusable! Just remove from the water, wring out the sponge, and wash.

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S To Keep Inflatable Pool Water Clean

The key contaminants of an inflatable pool or paddling pool are bacteria and debris. The constant stagnant water attracts bacteria hence regular treatment of the pool is essential.

Salt and chlorine sanitizers are common in killing and preventing bacteria growth.

On the debris, it is vital to have a mechanism that will help remove any possible debris in the water and prevent the entry of leaves and debris, such as using covers and rakes. Below are more details.

Saltwater In An Inflatable Pool

They do make saltwater systems for above ground pools for those who dont want to use chemicals. For example, this Intex Pool Saltwater System found on Amazon. This is a great system for people who want to get rid of all the hassle that comes with using chlorine.

I will say however, that salt is corrosive. Over time you may notice nearby plants dying or corrosion to some decking materials. A saltwater system requires less maintenance, but it can have its drawbacks too.

The system will produce chlorine to sanitize the water still, but its a chlorine gas that gets produced from the salt rather than adding chlorine to the water directly. The salt turns the pool water into a saline solution, killing bacteria and viruses much like chlorine does.

The saltwater system is added onto your existing filter pump and pool equipment system. Usually instructions are included to show you how to set up everything up the right way.

Heres a video showing a review of the saltwater system I linked to above to give you an idea of how this would work on your pool.

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Removing The Debris From Pool

Debris and other organic materials will damage the pools surface and pose a risk to the swimmers. Thus, you need to check for debris in the pool regularly, how youd wonder.

There are many ways of removing sediment from bottom of a pool, but here are some common ways.

• Use A Pool Leaf Rake

Maybe you are used to using a rake for removing leaves from your compound grass. Pool leaf rakes are specially constructed rake with nets and a deep bag that is used to remove debris from the pool.

Just simply connect the pool pole to the net and drag it on the bottom of the pool.

• Use A Pool Cover

Typically, the kiddie pools come with a cover. This cover serves to prevent the entry of pets, leaves, or debris into the pool. Consequently, you should put back the cover to help have your pool clean.

Ensure that the cover has a tight fit by holding it with bricks or bungees.

• Use Pool Filter

Using filters is another mechanism that can help keep inflatable pools clean. As their name suggests, filters work by removing any unwanted material in the water.

However, you should not use a filter while the pool is in use, for it alters the suction power of the pool.

• Use A Pool Vacuum

There are manual and automatic vacuum cleaners for inflatable pools. The automatic vacuum cleaners have a rechargeable battery operation.

For the manual vacuum cleaner, connect the garden hose to the pools pole to vacuum.

• Regulate the ph level

Keep The Kiddie Pool Covered

There is no better way to keep your kiddie pool clean than by covering it to protect it from airborne debris.

There are a few different ways to accomplish this. One way is to use a special kiddie pool cover or tarp to protect the pool when it is not in use. Another way is to set up your kiddie pool under a shelter to protect it from debris.

If you have a small plastic pool, then you can use a camping-style tarp to cover the pool when it is not in use. Dont forget to use some bricks or pavers to weigh the tarp down so that it does not blow away. Just like a full-sized pool, a cover can really help in keeping leaves, bugs, bees, and other debris out of your kiddie pool.

Here is one of our favorite kiddie pools that has its own fitted cover that makes putting in on super easy. Also, a tarp for any other kiddie pool that needs covering.

Another great kiddie pool parent hack is to set the kiddie pool up within a protected area that is covered. Using a screen canopy can both help to keep the pool clean and also provide much-needed shade for the children to play for extended hours. This is hands-down the best way to keep your kiddie pool clean and free of debris. Be sure to get the appropriate size for your kiddie pool to fit within.

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Remove Debris With The Pool Skimmer

Use the hand pool skimmer as needed to remove pool debris.

The sooner you remove the debris, the less chance it has to break down. The less its broken down, the easier it is to scoop it out.

If you have dirt and debris that has sunk to the bottom, use the skimmer to stir the water up so you can scoop underneath it to lift it to the top.

Is Cleaning The Kiddie Pool Important

While it may appear to be really appealing and relaxing, the kiddie pool is essentially a stagnant pond in your garden. If kept out for an extended time, that pool water can quickly become nasty. And even chlorinating the tiny pool may not be sufficient to eliminate all pathogens.

Any body of water in which your child plays should be sanitized. Dirty water can cause a variety of health concerns, including irritation of the ears, nose, and throat, and gastroenteritis, which is caused by germs being swallowed and can result in diarrhea and vomiting.

Due to the lack of filters in kiddie pools is also breeding grounds for bacteria, especially if you opt not to apply chemicals in them. Mosquitoes may deposit eggs in them, and garden creatures may become entangled in garbage.

Youll want to check the water and replace it if it appears different from the day before. Consider looking for sliminess on the pools bottom or sides, noticeable discoloration or cloudiness, or floating objects in the water.

That being said, lets take a look at what happens if you dont clean the kiddie pool.

Urine

While it is common for children to pee in pools, this is a disgusting habit when the water is not disinfected. Check the swim diaper every half-hour or so for extremely young children, and take them to the bathroom as often as needed.

Shigella

Body Residue

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Essential Steps To Treat Water In An Inflatable Pool

Here, we are explaining the basic steps of cleaning and sanitizing your pool. We’ll show you how to use chlorine, which is the commonest water bleach and sanitizer. Any measurements we give here are for the explanation.

Moreover, we advise that you use the recommended measurements of your pool. They exist in different types and sizes, so the amounts vary.

How Often To Change The Water In An Inflatable Pool

If youre using a saltwater system or chlorinating your pool water, you will not have to change the water at all. For smaller inflatable pools not being sanitized in some way, youll want to drain and refill the water every 2-4 days to prevent bacteria from growing that could harm the swimmers.

If youre on town water, there will already be a certain amount of chlorine in your water to sanitize it. If thats the case, you may be able to go 5 days or up to a week before changing out the water depending on the amount of added chlorine it has in it.

When changing out the water, its a good idea to wipe the pool down with something like Lysol sanitizing wipes or a rag soaked in water with a little bit of bleach in it. Check out my How To Clean An Inflatable Pool article for a step by step guide on that process.

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Putting It In The Best Place

Parents often leave kiddie pools outdoor during summer. They could keep it out to days, even weeks, and use it again. Nevertheless, sometimes people do not apprehend that it can lead to a dirty water pool.

Covering the top surface can prevent dirt from entering, but where you keep it outside also affects the waters cleanness. Putting it under the tree is not quite an option because leaves can fall inside. Or placing it near the sandbox, will make it full of sand.

Therefore, choose a location outside the house that is far from extra dirt. For example, you can put it in the garage or under a canopy. These places will at least help keep the water clean from leaves and sand.

But, bear in mind that you must know how long can water sit in a pool without chlorine. Normally, it will only last for a maximum of seven days. Therefore, after a week, make sure to rinse it and use a new one.

Ways To Clean A Kiddie Pool

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Why Do Kiddie Pools Need Cleaning

Since backyard kiddie pools do not have a pump and filter or a skimmer like larger pools do, the water tends to get dirty and cloudy more often. Standing water is always going to get dirty, especially in the hot summer months, unless it is treated correctly. Tree debris, sunscreen buildup, and bugs in the water are just a few of the reasons that you need to clean kiddie pools often. Hopefully, with the tips you have learned in this article, you will have a cleaner kiddie pool this summer.

Is It Safe To Put A Little Bleach In A Kiddie Pool

Small inflatable or plastic kiddie pools and water slides don’t have the same protection against germs that a swimming pool, hot tub, or water playground do. That’s because it is unsafe to add germ-killing disinfectants, such as chlorine or bromine, to the water in kiddie pools and water slides.

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How To Keep Kiddie Pool Water Clean Between Washes

If you have a larger kiddie pool, you can add chemicals to the water to maintain the level of cleanliness. Since you wont be emptying it as often, you reduce water waste and save time. Something to note is that certain chemicals can damage grass and plants. Youll want to keep the pool somewhere you dont mind ruining the grass and you wont want to use the pool water on your grass or plants.

Some of the chemicals that you can use in kiddie pools include:

How To Disinfect A Childs Wading Pool

Many of us want to cool off in a backyard pool, but we also want to make sure there are no dangerous bacteria lurking in these pools that do not have any filtration system in place.

You can use Clorox® Regular Bleach2 to treat the water in a childs wading pool. Below is information about this that should help you determine how much bleach to add for your specific situation. You will need to know the diameter of the kiddie pool in feet, and the depth of water you fill it with in inches.

WADING POOL DISINFECTION

Clorox® Regular Bleach2 a 6.0% sodium hypochlorite solution containing approximately 5.7% available chlorine by weight is a convenient, economical source of chlorine for water treatment in swimming and wading pools. Also, because this product is a liquid with no insoluble particles, it is especially suitable for this use.

When chlorinating wading pools, use 1/8 cup per 100 gallons of new water. Mix required amount of Clorox® Regular Bleach2 with 2 gallons of water and scatter over surface of pool. Mix uniformly with pool water. Empty small pools daily.

Do not reenter pool until the chlorine residual is between 1 to 3 ppm.

The chart below is a guide to the amount of this product to add to various sized round pools.

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Why You Shouldnt Use Chlorine In A Kiddie Pool

Chemicals of any kind are dangerous to use in a kiddie pool for a variety of reasons. Knowing how to naturally clean a kiddie pool helps keep your children safe.

Using chlorine or bromine-based pool disinfectants is neither safe nor appropriate for kiddie pools. Here are the justifications.

• When children play, a huge amount of water can quickly spill or splash out. It becomes difficult to determine the proper dosage of disinfection for the pool.
• As a result of water loss, cleaning requires increasing disinfection chemicals.
• Finally, substances like bromine or chlorine are incapable of removing leaves, debris, and dust.
• Chlorine may trigger a chemical reaction on your childrens skin and eyes.

How To Use A Pool Filter

Unlike the pool rakes, the pool filters are slightly complicated to use, but this is something you need to use when you just filled your pool with water.

Yes, its complicated but nothing should worry you for now. I will explain how the pool filters work and their operation

Pump filters function by letting the water flow inside them. The water flowing into the filter is removed the debris, and if it is of higher quality, it can also remove bacteria.

The water filtered outflows to the heater through the plumbing area and then to then chlorine generates,

Having discussed how the filter works, let us now examine how to operate it. Are you set?

There are three types of filters: sand filter, D.E filter, and cartridge filter. The cartridge filter has cartridges that function by sieving out the debris.

The diatomaceous earth filter, D.E, has finger-like projections that remove debris.

As the name suggests, the sand filter has little penetration, removing sand from the water.

For all these filters, you only have to place them in the water, and they will handle the rest of the work.

However, if you have a small pool and wondering to keep a small pool clean without a filter, you can opt for a pool rake.

Draining And Refilling The Pool

You should regularly drain and refill the pool water. Stagnant water attracts the breeding of fungi and bacteria.

Usually, the inflatable pools come with a drain plug for draining and refilling the pool. Hence you can be sure that the process is simple.

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