Have you ever wondered if you have to use those expensive chemicals and cleaning supplies found at your local pool store? While some are irreplaceable, there are some chemicals found at your pool store than you can find cheaper when they are packaged for something entirely different.
In fact, there are many different household products available that you use every day that you can use as chemicals and tools for cleaning your pool. These products are readily available at most stores across the country and can be obtained for a fraction of the cost that you normally find them in your local pool store.
Remember to Test
Before you begin, be sure you invest in a reliable testing kit to properly test the chemicals present in your water. While you are free to use these household products to clean your pool, never skimp on the testing kit so you are sure you get an accurate read of what exactly is present in your water.
A Word of Warning
While there are many different kinds of common household products that will work perfect for your pool, always remember to check the labels to see what is actually in what you are buying before you put it in your pool. If you don’t, you could end up damaging your pool’s lining or even the plumbing or you could end up with very poor water quality because of something you put into the water.
While the following products will most definitely work in a pool, they are meant for a traditional chlorine based system only. In some cases, these products may not perform as well as the ones designed specifically for a pool, but if you are on a budget, they do make great alternatives and can help you save a little money on your pool maintenance.
Household Chemicals You Can Use In Your Pool
I know it may be hard to believe, but everything you will find on this list you can easily use in your pool at a fraction of the cost of what you will buy at a pool store.
1. Baking Soda
Baking soda is the same thing as sodium bicarbonate or the more proper sodium hydrogen carbonate that you can find to raise the alkalinity in the pool store. You can add 1.5 pounds of baking soda to 10,000 gallons of water to increase the total alkalinity by 10 ppm. One other thing you should take note of, while you can use baking soda in your pool, you should never use the pool version for cooking or baking.
2. Household Bleach
Household bleach, otherwise known as sodium hypo-chlorite, can be used to shock a pool just like that pool shock you pick up in your pool shop. In fact, if you have hard water issues, it can actually help you reduce the calcium precipitation in the water. Just make sure you use the unscented variety. You can raise the chlorine level in a 10,000 gallon pool by 5 ppm by simply adding one half gallon of bleach to the water.
3. Muriatric Acid
Muriatric acid can be used to lower the alkalinity of your water by as much as 10 ppm in a typical 10,000 gallon pool. This acid is sold in most hardware stores as a cleaner and can be found far cheaper compared to the same thing at a pool store.
4. Borax
Borax, which is found in almost every laundry aisle in grocery stores across the country, can be used to raise the pH levels in your pool if they are too low. Just add one half a cup per 10,000 gallons of water to increase the pH. How much you need to use will depend on how big your pool is and how much you need to raise the pH levels in your pool.
5. Plastic Broom
Are you looking for a better way to get up the dirt and leaves that have accumulated at the bottom of the pool? Instead of trying to vacuum the entire pool, take a plastic broom and sweep the dirt into one area first and then vacuum it away. This makes it much easier to clean the bottom of the pool than just using the vacuum. Just be sure you use a broom with plastic ends that will still work under water.
Conclusion
While some pool chemicals and cleaning supplies are simply irreplaceable, others can be easily substituted for common household products that you use almost every day. Remember to check your labels and be careful while using them so you remain safe while working on your pool. Do you use any household chemicals on your pool? Let me know in the comments below.
Happy Swimming!
Original Article at: Swim University