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.
Submerge one end of the hose inside the kiddie pool, close to the center. Lay the other end of the garden hose lower than the kiddie pool, leaving it in the location where you want to release all the water. The water flow should then reverse, and the kiddie pool will begin to drain.
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.
Vinegar or Baking Soda
Both are effective and safe, so choose whichever one you have on hand. Dip a sponge into the mixture. Use the wet sponge to wipe down the inside of your drained pool. Scrub away any dirt or grime that appears.
Blow-up kiddie pools are small enough to be emptied and cleaned after each use. 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.
If you don't want to use chlorine in your inflatable pool, you may opt to use household bleach and baking soda. Use two and a half teaspoons of household bleach for every 100 gallons of water. Half a teaspoon of baking soda to increase the total alkalinity of your pool water.
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.
Salt is often presented as a healthier alternative to adding chlorine to a kiddie pool, since saltwater is gentler on the skin. This is particularly true of Epsom salt, which has a very different chemical composition from regular salt – it is magnesium chloride rather than sodium chloride.
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.
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. Stagnant water without chlorine can become unhealthy water in as little as 24-48 hours.
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.
In warmer climates, Intex advises to keep your pool up, if you prefer. However, you must winterize the pool when keeping it full throughout the winter. If your area maintains tropical climates all year long, you may not need to winterize your pool at all, especially if you use your pool on a regular basis.
For small inflatable pools that you don't want to empty and refill so often, you can add a small amount of bleach to the water to sanitize it. Add about a 1/4 tsp for every 10 gallons of water, or for medium sized inflatable pools, add 2 1/2 tsp for every 100 gallons.
Get rid of any remaining water by wiping down with an old towel or rag. Make your own homemade cleaning solution either using one part bleach to five parts of water, or equal parts of vinegar and water. Adding a little bit of the solution as you go, clean the sides of the pool using a scrubbing brush.
Bleach can also be used to effectively removes germs, mold and mildew from your pool inflatables. All you need to do is mix 1 tablespoon and 1 gallon of water, then brush it on the toy or float and let it sit there for a few minutes. Wipe it down and dry it completely.
Epsom salt travels through saltwater pool filters and chlorine generator cells, softening buildup and making cleaning easier. When cleaning, add between 35 and 45 lbs. of Epsom salt to the pool. Allow the salted water to circulate for several hours before attempting to clean the filter or chlorine generator cell.
People sometimes add relatively small quantities of epsom salt to the pool to help make future calcium deposits easier to clean off.
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.
Baking soda and baking powder are not the same. Sodium bicarbonate and bicarbonate of soda are other names for baking soda. Baking powder is made of baking soda plus cream of tartar and cornstarch. Baking powder can be substituted for baking soda by tripling the amount of baking powder.
An inflatable kiddie pool still needs chlorination. Keeping the pool water balanced in an above-ground pool might have given you headaches, but this won't be nearly as difficult. All you need is a floating chlorinator and some chlorine tablets.
Intex is a popular manufacturer of temporary above-ground pools. How long they last depends on a number of factors, but the simple answer is that the inflatable pools will last 2-4 years and the metal frame types will last between 4-8 years.