Cleaning the kiddie pools is essential to keep the little ones away from many diseases. The stagnant water in this type of pool without a purifier is the best breeding ground for microscopic life. Germs and bacteria can cause gastrointestinal, skin, ear, eye, respiratory, neurological, etc. infections, especially if used by several children.
If the inflatable pool is small, you can clean it with a scouring pad, soap, and bleach. Be sure to thoroughly clean the areas with folds as this is where most dirt, algae, and germs can accumulate. Once well lathered, proceed to remove all the bleach and suds with the help of pressurized water from a hose.
If you turn the inflatable kiddie pool on its half side, you can easily get rid of the soap residue. The pool will be as good as new, ready to be filled again.
If not maintained, the water in children’s inflatable pools becomes green, full of algae, and produces a bad odor. This in turn encourages the proliferation of mosquito pests that find the right natural habitat to reproduce.
When cleaning children’s pools you are going to realize that it is a more or less complicated task depending on the size of the pool.
If you have a tiny inflatable pool that you don’t want to empty and refill frequently, you can sanitize it by adding a small bit of bleach to the water. Add roughly a quarter teaspoon every ten gallons of water or 2 1/2 teaspoons per hundred gallons for medium-sized inflatable pools.
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How To Maintain A Kiddie Pool
In the case of inflatable pools, it is often “better to be safe than sorry”. That is before you get to the point where the water is dirty and you have to throw it away, it is best to find out how to keep an inflatable pool clean.
The best ways to keep the water in a paddling pool clean all summer long are as follows:
1. Empty, clean, and refill.
If the kiddie pool is small, and emptying and refilling it does not waste a lot of water, the best way to keep the kiddie pool clean is to take out the water, scrub it with a kitchen scouring pad and refill it again. In this case, you can use the pool water to water the plants and waste less water.
2. Buy a pool cover that fits
Putting up a pool tarp to cover the pool while it is not in use protects the water from bugs, leaves, and other unwanted floating elements. This will help you keep the water cleaner for longer.
3. Use the pool leaf catcher daily.
It is inevitable that leaves or bugs will fall into the water, so it is very practical to have a leaf catcher to make it easier for you to remove them.
4. Use chemicals for inflatable pools
When the kiddie pool has a medium or large size, it is advisable to use a chemical product to help you maintain the water. This way you will avoid wasting thousands of liters of water, in addition to saving on your bill. Chlorine and anti-algae products will be your allies to keep the water cleaner for longer.
5. Use a water purifier
Another option when the kiddie pool is large is to buy a simple water purifier, which circulates the liquid and filters the dirt it may have. This will keep it clean for weeks.
6. Use a pool cleaner
It is not common in inflatable pools, but it may be the case that your kiddie pool model is XXL and it may be useful to have a pool cleaner. In this case, you will have to assess whether it is worth investing in such a device, as it could be even more expensive than the kiddie pool itself.
How To Make Sure Your Pool Water Is Safe For Children
How can you make sure your pool water is safe for children? Just do a complete check-up following these few but essential points:
- filtering
- choosing the correct treatments
- manual cleaning
- ph control
The filter
In order to have pool water that is safe for children, it is indispensable to check the filter, which is the focal point and a necessary tool for correct operation. Its task is to trap the impurities that are found on the surface.
Taking care of this element means not only ensuring the health and peace of mind of your family but also saving on chemical treatments. In order to guarantee the necessary healthiness of the system, it is essential to
– have a filter and a pump adequate to the volume of the pool
– filter the water every day
– Periodically clean the entire filtration system.
Sometimes it can happen that the filter is encrusted or, in the case of the sand model, that there is a slight loss of sand on the bottom. In this case, it is essential to intervene promptly before allowing children to swim in the pool.
Choosing the right treatments
Making the pool safe for children means identifying the proper disinfectant treatments. Water, even if filtered, can be attacked by algae, bacteria, viruses, or fungi. It is essential to choose the right remedy in each case and dose it in the most appropriate way.
To simplify this operation it is possible to find, on the shelves of specialized stores, kits containing everything necessary for complete disinfection.
Chlorine is the most widely used substance and should be added to the pool water or skimmer. Shock treatment is essential if the pool has been neglected or exposed to the elements for a long time, without proper protection.
Bromine, ozone, and active oxygen are the alternative products to chlorine for optimal water disinfection.
Manual pool cleaning
The filtration system alone does not provide the thorough cleaning necessary to have pool water that is safe for children. The human eye and the use of manual cleaning systems are essential.
The basic kit includes:
- the screen
- brushes
- manual vacuum cleaners
Technology lovers can enrich this kit with the new automatic robots. Equipped with powerful microprocessors and a wide variety of programs, they simply have to be immersed in water to clean the bottom of the pool in a few steps.
Every day the surface must be carefully cleaned and freed of leaves, insects and various debris. Unsurpassed, to simplify the work, is the use of the flat screen that allows fast and clean work.
Indispensable is the manual treatment with brushes and brushes of the places where dirt and bacteria can proliferate undisturbed, such as hidden corners or stairs. The point to keep under control is the edge of the water, an edge often subject to the attack of algae and fungi.
Ph control
In order to have a safe pool for children, it is essential to control the quality of the water. The pH is the most important value and must never be neglected because it determines the healthiness and safety of the water itself.
Ph kits available on the market allow a reliable and quick analysis to determine if the ph is acid or basic. In both cases, it is necessary to intervene to make it neutral and therefore harmless to our skin.
The ideal value must be between 7.2 and 7.4. If climatic conditions are mild it is sufficient to check it once a week, otherwise at least twice. If the result is unbalanced, outside the described range, the pH must be immediately corrected.
The factors that can modify its values are:
- wrong treatments and dosages of chemical products
- heavy rainfall
- high number of swimmers in the pool
Final Thoughts
Making pool water safe for children is simple, just rely on the care described and the fundamental daily observation. Acting quickly means avoiding any risk to the health of our children.
It is good practice to inspect the water level daily, intervening and replenishing it if it has fallen below half the skimmers, and also to ensure the appropriate usage of bleach.
