Mix vinegar, baking soda and hot water in a bucket. Use a mop to clean the liner. This will kill mold and mildew and leave the liner clean and fresh smelling.
Combine one part chlorine bleach and one part water. Use a spray bottle or a small garden sprayer to apply the bleach cleaner to the liner. Let the cleaner dry on the liner so it can remove the stains. You can clean any spots on the liner while the pool is full by applying the cleaner above the water line.
If you're not one for harsh chemicals, there are plenty of natural and organic options for removing stubborn stains on your pool liner. White vinegar or organic dish soap are great alternatives and can help you tackle most mildew and stains with less health and environmental impact.
During the process I started using the magic eraser to clean the vinyl above the water line which has turned gray and black. This stuff works like magic without a lot of scrubbing. It is even taking some of the yellowish (I'm asumming iron) stains off my acrylic steps.
Above-ground pools can fall victim to mold and mildew at the waterline; algae or mold and mildew on the outside walls; or black algae, green algae, or mold and mildew on the side rails. To clean the outside wall or side rails, simply: Mix 1 part Wet & Forget Outdoor with 5 parts water in a pump-up garden sprayer.
Vinyl liners can rip, so you'll want to make sure that you use a brush that is compatible and that you don't use excessive force. For simple stains, apply a mild cleanser directly to the liner and then scrub it with your pool brush or a soft cloth. You can pick up various speciality cleaners from your local pool store.
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.
The only reliable way to remove calcium silicate deposits is with a pumice stone — and a lot of hard work. These stains are notoriously difficult to scrub free. If you have a vinyl or fiberglass pool, you won't be able to use a pumice stone. It would scratch the 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.
Organic Pool Stains
It could also come from worms, bacteria and algae, as well as pollen and pollution. Organic stains can stain a range of colors from yellow to brown to black. These stains normally occur after a long winter, after a big thunderstorm, or from a big sudden change in water chemistry.
Perhaps the most common forms are calcium deposits (usually caused by incorrect pH balance) and body/sun tan oils. A reaction between modern sun creams and copper in the pool water can cause yellow staining on the liner material above the water line.
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.
There are alternatives to chlorine including bromine, ionizers, and ozonators, though with each you'll still need to use some chlorine. A fourth alternative is PHMB, which doesn't require the use of any chlorine. All four have drawbacks, including cost.
It is possible use use the tablets in your large wading pool. However, this is not economical and it will take a large amount of tablets to clean your pool. Unless you have a major supply of these tablets on hand, I would not suggest using them to clean a pool.
No, you should not use a pressure washer to clean a vinyl pool liner. A pressure washer is very powerful and could easily tear your liner, resulting in a very costly repair.
Baking soda can: Help to clear cloudy water and restore the sparkle. Spot-treat algae. Make the pool water softer on your skin.
If the calcium levels are too high, you see the white spots, which is the calcium hardening on the liner. Chemicals that are added can raise or lower the calcium levels. When levels reach above the 400-PPM level, you will see cloudiness in the water, making the pool appear dirty and the scaling will begin.
Short answer: yes. Longer answer: it depends on the formulation. The label on every bleach bottle should tell you the ratio of sodium hypochlorite (and available chlorine) in the bottle to everything else. A higher percentage is generally better, as you'll need to use less bleach to treat your pool.
In theory, if you have a cloudy swimming pool, you can add chlorine to “shock it” and clear things up. Chlorine will get the job done. But, the amounts may vary and you may have to really pound the pool with chlorine to get the water totally clear.