Although the benefits of pool ownership are numerous, there is one crucial aspect that no pool owner can ignore: maintenance. Proper pool maintenance is essential in order to keep your pool pristine and safe for your guests and family members. If you’ve recently purchased a home with a pool or have undergone pool restoration, here are some simple tips for proper swimming pool care and maintenance.

#1. Skim Your Pool Daily

The easiest way to keep your pool looking pristine is to skim it daily, or at least as often as you can. Skimming the leaves and debris off of the surface of the water helps you maintain a beautiful and clean pool, and it only takes a couple of minutes. 

#2. Scrub Your Pool Walls

No one likes a slimy pool surface! Scrubbing the sides of your pool once or twice a month will help prevent algae buildup. The buildup can result in visible algae clumps and even green pool water. While chlorine plays a big role in killing algae, scrubbing your pool will ensure that your water stays crystal clear and clean.

#3. Maintain Your Pool Filter

Your pool filter works hard to remove dirt, leaves, bugs, and even toys from the water so that you can have a clean swimming pool year-round. However, your filter itself needs to be cleaned and maintained as well in order to remain in peak condition. Every week or so, remove the filter cap, lift out the filter basket, and remove any debris that has been collected. It’s also recommended that you clean out your filter system’s pipes once a month by backwashing. Maintaining your filter regularly will help you avoid bigger programs that would cause you to need major repairs, a new filter, or pool restoration.

#4. Balance Your Chemicals

Chemicals levels are one of the most important parts of pool maintenance. Improperly balanced pool water can look murky, irritate the skin, and host bacteria in large numbers. The six chemical levels that should be monitored are cyanuric acid, free chlorine, pH levels, total alkalinity, and calcium hardness. Test your water at least once a week and aim for an ideal reading range, balancing and adjusting each chemical as needed. Pool water with ideally balanced chemicals should be completely clear with no noticeable scent.

#5. Shock Your Pool After Parties

The process of shocking your pool means drastically increasing chlorine levels for a short period of time in order to kill bacteria. This is often done in public pools, but residential pools can also benefit from this process on occasion. Although it shouldn’t be done too often, shocking your pool a few times a year, especially after big parties or heavy pool use, will help keep your pool from looking murky and harboring excess bacteria.

If you’ve neglected proper pool maintenance for too long and want to bring your pool back to life, talk to So Cal Pool Plaster about pool restoration services. We can perform pool replastering, pool resurfacing, or complete renovations with exciting features like fountains or spas. To find out more about what we offer and receive a free estimate on pool restoration, give us a call today at (714) 617-8182.