How to clean and maintain your pool

Regular cleaning and maintenance of your pool keeps the water clean and healthy, and helps you preserve your equipment over the long term. In this article, you'll find all the tips and tricks you need to adopt the right routine.

Why is cleaning your pool important?

When we talk about cleaning your pool, we distinguish between water surface cleaning (to be done daily in high season to remove leaves and insects) and weekly maintenance. The latter - more in-depth - concerns the water line, bottom and walls, which also need to be maintained on a very regular basis. By adopting a weekly routine (or more, depending on the number of bathers), you're acting upstream before the water deteriorates too much. The advantages of regular pool cleaning are obvious: less stress, fewer chemicals and real savings on your budget. On average, you only need 30 minutes of maintenance each week to keep your water crystal-clear. All you have to do is enjoy your swimming!

In off-season, to prepare for active or passive winterizing of your pool, specific cleaning is required to protect your equipment from freezing.

Follow a weekly cleaning routine

Clean the water surface daily

To keep your water healthy, you need to clean its surface daily of small impurities (insects, leaves) before they sink to the bottom. This will also limit clogging of your filter. To do this, use a telescopic landing net. 

Weekly complete cleaning

Define a maintenance day in the week and set aside 15 and 30 minutes to devote to your pool.

Step 1: Clean pre-filter and filter in the pool house 

Start by cleaning the pump's pre-filter after closing the valves. Then turn on water filtration according to your pool's water temperature.

Step 2 : Check water level and quality

Check the water level, which should be 2/3 of the way up the skimmer. Adjust if necessary. If you don't use a pH tester for water quality, it's very important to check at least once a week that the water is balanced. To do this :

• Start by measuring the pH. It should be between 7 and 8. If necessary, use a pH + or pH- corrector to correct the water according to these instructions.
• Check the level of disinfectant (chlorine, salt, bromine) using a suitable strip. If necessary, add your usual product (chlorine tablet, salt liquid, etc.).
• Once a month, check the TAC in addition to the pH and disinfectant.

Step 3 : Clean the pool floor

There are several systems available to help you clean the bottom of your pool. In addition to weekly maintenance, you'll need to do a thorough cleaning before restarting or winterizing your pool. 

Automatic cleaning : the advantage of a vacuum cleaner (hydraulic, pressure or automatic) is of course its autonomy and time savings! Depending on the model of your robot, the bottom of the pool is normally cleaned perfectly, while corners and edges often need to be brushed manually.

Manual cleaning : The vacuum broom (venturi broom) cleans the bottom of your pool while sucking dirt into the hose. The classic broom requires more time and elbow grease, and a landing net for the dirt, but it's a tried-and-tested method.

Tiled pool : to clean the bottom, use a brush or vacuum cleaner for larger surfaces. A more thorough cleaning is required when restarting your pool, using a high-pressure water jet such as a Karcher.

Step 4 : Empty and clean the skimmers and basket 

The skimmer acts as a pre-filter before the water is drawn into the pump. It retains large impurities floating on the surface of the water. Regular maintenance is very important, because when the basket becomes blocked, the water no longer flows correctly to the filter pump, and the entire water filtration mechanism suffers.  

Step 5 : Clean your pool walls and waterline

For manual cleaning, use a brush or magic sponge. For dirt that doesn't come off easily, there are special products for cleaning walls, or silver stone, which is effective against black stains. Some robots also clean walls, but this more expensive solution won't completely dispense with manual brushing, especially in corners and nooks.

However, avoid rubbing the walls too hard, especially if your liner covers the whole pool, as this could eventually damage it. Test in an inconspicuous area to find the right material, or ask your supplier for advice.

Clean other equipment

For salt water pools, regularly check that the cell is clean. Clean it if necessary. Finally, regular maintenance of the protective grille and heat pump fan is essential. Use a soft brush to remove impurities.

Which accessories are needed to maintain your pool?

There are a number of manual and automated tools available for cleaning the bottom of your pool. Whatever the method, they are essential for regular pool maintenance.

• Manual solutions
  • The classic brush broom, used in conjunction with a landing net to collect algae on the surface.
  • The venturi brush connected to a garden hose. It should be used in an empty pool (generally after active wintering). Water pressure makes it easier to remove algae.
• Automated solutions
  • There are many different types of pool cleaner (hydraulic, pressure, automatic), with prices and quality varying widely. Don't hesitate to read the reviews on the Internet before investing.

Taking care of your pool has never been so easier

ICO Pool simplifies pool maintenance with automatic hourly water analysis. The tool features advanced functions such as maintenance day setting and personalized treatment recommendations.

1. The maintenance day function in the ICO application allows you to receive alerts and cleaning advice for your pool.
2. ICO measures pH, ORP (disinfection rate) and TDS (ICO salt version) every hour
3. Personalised treatment recommendations with the right product at the right dosage.