Salt is often presented as a healthier alternative to adding chlorine to a kiddie pool, since saltwater is gentler on the skin.
It's most common for inflatable pool owners to use a saltwater sanitizing system, or to empty and refill the pool if it's small enough. Emptying and refilling a small inflatable pool or a kiddie pool is the cheapest and easiest way to ensure the water is clean enough to swim in.
How do I keep a kiddie pool clean without chemicals? If you simply do not want to use chemicals to keep your kiddie pool clean, there is an alternative. Rather than chlorine, use Distilled White Vinegar. Add 1/2 Cup for every 100 gallons of water in your 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.
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.
The bleach recommended for pools is chlorine. If you don't want to keep emptying and refilling your small inflatable pool often, this is an option. But, use the right amount of chlorine bleach for pool sanitization. The standard measurement is a quarter teaspoon for 10 gallons.
Baking soda will raise the total alkalinity of the water. The alkalinity keeps the pH stable which then allows the bleach to remove more bacteria and contaminates. About a 1/2 of a teaspoon of baking soda will treat 26 gallons of water.
It is very important to drain the kiddie pool completely after every use. Allow it to fully dry under the heat to get rid of any moisture left. For cleaning, you can use bleach or vinegar (diluted in water) to disinfect it.
For most inflatable pools or plastic kiddie pools following the guidelines listed above, the water should be changed every two weeks at a minimum. If you are not adding chlorine to kill bacteria, drain the pool every other day.
Adding salt, without a SWG, gives the water what many people describe as a silky feel, but it doesn't give you any of the other advantages of a SWG. For example you can't use lower FC levels with salt the way you can with a SWG.
Having said that, Tim does not recommend using Epsom salts for cleaning paddling pools: 'One of the main reasons for not using Epsom salts to clean a paddling pool is that the water needs to be hot in order for the crystals to dissolve – using the salts in cold water could have the potential to be abrasive to the ...
A rule of thumb is 1.5 lbs. of baking soda per 10,000 gallons of water will raise alkalinity by about 10 ppm. If your pool's pH tested below 7.2, add 3-4 pounds of baking soda. If you're new to adding pool chemicals, start by adding only one-half or three-fourths of the recommended amount.
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.
Skimmer Net
With excessive debris in the water like leaves, pine needles, and dirt, the pool walls will get slimy and grow mildew faster.
When your salt levels are low, you can just add salt, but when they're too high, you have to dilute the water similar to what you do if you have a high cyanuric acid level. If you need a more accurate guide on how much salt you need to your specific Intex pool, check out this page from The Pool Factory.
The benefits of swimming pool salt
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.
It's recommended to wait at least 20 minutes to swim after adding salt to your pool. If you're adding calcium chloride to your pool water, it's recommended to wait two to four hours before swimming again.
Clean and disinfect the kiddie pool after each use: Drain or empty the pool after each use. Leaving the pool full overnight is unsafe, both because it is a potential drowning risk and a potential waterborne disease risk.
“It's important to change the paddling pool water every day – drain it and let it dry at the end of the day and use an anti-bacterial spray to kill any germs so it is safe to use the next day.”
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.
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.
You can reuse pool water for up to 3 days! With an adult, at the end of the day skim the top of the pool to remove any bugs and bits and then top up with some fresh water. Use an old bed sheet to cover the pool overnight to keep the water cleaner, this will help to warm it up in the early morning sun too!