Can you put household bleach in a pool?

Author: Jeanette Orn  |  Last update: Monday, May 16, 2022

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.

Is it OK to use regular bleach in a pool?

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.

How much bleach do you put in a pool?

WADING POOL DISINFECTION

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.

Can I use household bleach to shock my pool?

The best time of day to add bleach to your pool is at sunset. The purpose of shocking a pool is to quickly increase the concentration of free available chlorine. ... You can also simply add more chlorine, and pouring household bleach into the pool is one way to do this.

Can you put Clorox in a pool?

It is important to know what exactly bleach is before you put it in your pool. 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.

Using Clorox Bleach in Your Swimming Pool

Can you put bleach in a vinyl pool?

High concentrations of chlorine (above 1.5 ppm) will attack the liner and bleach it, thus damaging it. Any level below this range will weaken its ability to kill off bacteria. The addition of chlorine to your pool water has to be done in a careful manner.

How long after putting bleach in pool Can you swim?

Depending on how much you have added and the size of your pool, it is generally safe to wait about 4 hours after adding liquid chlorine or until levels reach 5 ppm or lower.

What can I use instead of chlorine in my pool?

Here are nine alternatives you may want to consider:
  • Bromine: Bromine is used as an alternative to chlorine. ...
  • Ozonation: You can easily install an ozone generator. ...
  • Reduction in Water Temperature: ...
  • PHMB: ...
  • U/V Light: ...
  • Ultrafiltration: ...
  • Mineral Water Pool Systems: ...
  • Pristine Blue:

Is pool chlorine the same as bleach?

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.

Can you use Clorox for pool shock?

Now you can know the gallons of bleach you would need to shock your pool as follows: use 0.5 gallons of Clorox per 10K gallons of water to increase the level of chlorine by 5 ppm. If you want to raise the level of chlorine by 2.5 ppm, then you would need ¼ gallon of the product per 10K gallons of water.

Which is stronger chlorine or bleach?

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. Bleach is also going to come in a liquid form only, and chlorine is most commonly sold in tablets.

How do you treat pool water naturally?

Create Your Own Natural Pool Cleaner
  1. Baking Soda. Making a simple paste from water and baking soda creates a non-abrasive cleaner that works wonders on pool tile and grout. ...
  2. Bleach. ...
  3. Muriatic Acid. ...
  4. Borax. ...
  5. Olive Oil. ...
  6. White Vinegar. ...
  7. Lemon Juice. ...
  8. Rubbing Alcohol.

Can you use salt instead of chlorine in a pool?

Using swimming pool salt instead of chlorine delivers greater swimming comfort: Swimming pool salt does not give off an unpleasant odour as chlorine does. It is much less harsh on hair and skin. It does not cause your eyes to sting.

What happens if you put too much bleach in a pool?

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.

What happens if you get in a pool that was just shocked?

What can happen if you go into a pool too soon after it's been shocked? There are a few potential issues. "Chlorine will react with water to produce an acid," Alan says. "The effects will be different depending on whether chlorine is inhaled or whether there is skin or eye contact."

Will bleach eat my pool liner?

Any form of chlorine can damage the liner if it is added incorrectly. Full strength bleach poured directly on the liner can damage the liner if you do it often enough.

How do you tell if your pool is salt or chlorine?

If you have Salt Chlorine Generator that does not have a digital screen and a Tri-sensor to tell you when and how much salt to add to the water, you would need to get salt water test strips. Utilizing the test strip, you can measure the Sodium Chloride level in your water.

How long can you keep water in a pool without chlorine?

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.

Can you put Epsom salt in a chlorine pool?

Do not use Epsom salt in an ordinary, chlorinated pool. Epsom salt will quickly corrode traditional filters and can cause other pool problems that will require the intervention of a professional.

Can vodka clean a pool?

The short answer is (you may have guessed it): no. It's not the best idea to clean your pool with vodka. Michael Dean, Co-Founder at Pool Research, a site that provides expert advice on all things related to pools, spends a lot of time advising people on how to clean their pools.

How do you keep a pool clean without chlorine?

3 Ways to Sanitize Your Pool without the Typical Chlorine Risks
  1. Salt sanitizers (“saltwater pool”) In recent years, saltwater sanitizers have become a popular alternative to off-the-shelf chlorine for treating water in swimming pools. ...
  2. Ozone pool purification. ...
  3. Ultraviolet pool sanitizing light.

Will baking soda make pool water clear?

Baking soda can work wonders in a pool. Baking soda can: Help to clear cloudy water and restore the sparkle. Spot-treat algae.

Is bleach the same as pool shock?

Swimming pool shock contains 12.5% sodium hypochlorite (bleach) vs. 6-8.5% for Clorox (bleach). Some Clorox products go as high as 8.5%. At a 12.5% concentrate, liquid pool shock is approximately 2x's stronger than Clorox bleach.

How much bleach do I put in a 5000 gallon pool?

Clorox is considered to be the most common bleach product that is used for pools. It has a 5.7% concentration, so if you have a 5,000-gallon pool, you will be using 3 cups or 24 oz to raise the chlorine levels.

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