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.
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 child's wading pool.
You can use either a chlorinated product or a non-chlorine shock oxidizer to break down combined chlorine in the water. Shocking the pool can also remove excess bather waste and visible algae. Shocking should be done when combined chlorine levels exceed 0.5 ppm.
Drain and refill the pool
If your kid's pool is pretty small, and draining and refilling it doesn't feel like a colossal waste of water, then the best way to keep the kiddie pool clean is to drain it when the water's dirty, scrub it down with a plain old kitchen brush and some mild dish soap, and refill it.
A simple and non-toxic way to clean a paddling pool is to clean it with white vinegar. White vinegar is great for cleaning because it can remove all the horrid bacteria that sets up up home in your paddling pool. It's also colourless, so it won't stain the pool either.
I think the answer to your question is about 3-6 days. The problem is that the chlorine that you need to keep the bacteria in check is used up more quickly as the temperature rises, the activity increases, and as sweat and other body stuff is put into the pool.
It is a good idea to wait at least 20 minutes after adding the water balancing chemicals. If you use calcium chloride in your pool, you should wait at least 2 hours to swim.
Use Chlorine Tablets
The best way to obtain a constant, consistent chlorine level in the pool is to use 1″ tablets or 3″ tablets in a floating chlorinator, aka chlorine floater. Most inflatable pools need just half of one 3″ tablet per week, or several 1″ tabs at a time, replaced promptly when they dissolve.
To clean an inflatable pool, you will need to drain the water, scrub the lining with a cleaning solution, and refill every few days. Typically, larger inflatable pools will not need to be drained. Instead, you will sanitize the water and balance the pH regularly with chemicals such as chlorine and pH balancers.
Of course, too much chlorine in pool water can be dangerous. Exposure to over-chlorination can provoke asthma, lung irritation, and potentially skin and eye irritation. As well as being potentially bad for you, it's bad for your pool.
The main difference between bleach and chlorine is their strength. Chlorine is much stronger than bleach. To get your pools chlorine level to the point it needs to be to keep the pool looking clean and bright; you will need to use more bleach than you will chlorine.
Although inflatable pools don't need to use chlorine, it's one of the most common ways to keep pool water sanitary and safe to swim in. The chlorine is used to efficiently kill bacteria in the water that may be harmful to swimmers. Larger inflatable pools will benefit the most from the use of chlorine.
For the greatest protection against algae, bacteria, and cloudy water, Intex pools should maintain a chlorine level of 2.0-4.0 ppm at all times.
If the chemicals used to kill germs (chlorine or bromine) in pools, hot tubs, and water playgrounds are not kept at the right level, these germs can multiply and make swimmers sick.
Add chlorine if needed to keep your reading between 1-1.5ppm. Once you've obtained a good reading, you can usually maintain your chlorine levels by adding chlorine tablets once a week.
What can you use instead? Bromine — considered a safe substitute for chlorine. Looks for BCDMH tablets, which are typically 66% bromine and 27% chlorine. If unable to find, you can use just bromine but it may leave the water a dull green color.
If possible, store inflatables in their original packaging; otherwise place them in individual boxes, plastic containers or zip-up storage bags. Choose storage bins or mesh bags for small toys, goggles, snorkels and water guns and noodle caddies for pool noodles.
Use a solution of warm water and white vinegar for a pool that is only slightly grimy. You only need about 1 part vinegar to 10 parts water. Dip your rag in the solution and wipe the pool clean. Toss the rag in the trash.
Household bleach, Clorox and liquid chlorine can all be used to sanitize a pool. They are all types of chlorine. Household bleaches such as Clorox usually contain about 5-6% available chlorine, about half that of pool liquid chlorine. Household bleaches often have unwanted fragrances and colors.