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.
Most inflatable pools need just half of one 3″ tablet per week, or several 1″ tabs at a time, replaced promptly when they dissolve. That said, your test kit will tell you for sure. Test for chlorine levels 2-3 times each week to make sure Free Available Chlorine levels are in the 2.0-4.0 ppm (parts per million) range.
Dump or drain the water, then wipe down the empty pool with a solution of bleach and water (read the label for cleaning ratios) , wearing rubber gloves while cleaning. Or, use gentle dish detergent to cut through the dirt. Rinse thoroughly to remove any bleach or detergent.
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.
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.
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.
Do Inflatable Pools Need Chlorine? No, inflatable pools do not need chlorine to be kept clean and used safely. There are alternative ways to keep pool water clean without the need for chlorine. However, chlorine is the most common way pool owners keep their water free from harmful bacteria.
Skimmer Net
With excessive debris in the water like leaves, pine needles, and dirt, the pool walls will get slimy and grow mildew faster.
Adding chlorine to your pool will keep it clean, but, unless you also have a filter, all of the gunk, algae and general debris will all still be there in the water. But, if you're happy to use chlorine then this is a good way to maintain freshness for a few extra days.
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 you opted for the Intex Salt Chlorinator, you can make your own chlorine by adding the correct amount of Pool Salt to the water.
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.
But excessive exposure to chlorine can cause sickness and injuries, including rashes, coughing, nose or throat pain, eye irritation and bouts of asthma, health experts warn. Instructions for safely chlorinating a pool usually call for a maximum of four parts per million when people are in the pool.
They are identical in every way, with the exception of strength. Household bleach is usually a 6% concentration (although some of the cheaper stuff is 3%), while pool chlorine can typically be found in strength between 10% and 12%. All of this is sodium hypochlorite, and works the same in sanitizing your water.
To keep the pool clean without a filter, it is necessary to use chlorine with a flocculant or to use a flocculant chemical. This product groups the impurities that float in the water, causing them to fall to the bottom of the pool so that they can be removed later with a cleaner.
Use 1 part bleach to 20 parts water. Soak your rag in the solution and wipe the pool clean. Avoid using paper towels when using a bleach solution to clean the pool. They won't hold up very well and will just create a bigger mess for you to clean up.
Salt is often presented as a healthier alternative to adding chlorine to a kiddie pool, since saltwater is gentler on the skin.
Clorox itself recommends using between 100 and 200 ounces of regular-strength bleach per 10,000 gallons of pool water -- one gallon is 128 ounces, and many bottles of bleach are available in one-gallon or half-gallon sizes. Pool professionals tend to recommend more conservative amounts of bleach.