Jess Carrier’s Pool Care 101…. You ready? You would not believe how many compliments I get on my pool water. I’ve heard everything from “It looks like a resort!” to “What’s your secret?!” And listen—I love a good ego boost, but those compliments are always followed by a flood of questions about how I keep it so clean.
So here it is: the no-gatekeeping, real-life, not-a-professional guide to my crystal clear water (And no, it’s not magic… just maintenance.)
🏊♀️ Pool Opening Day: AKA The Annual Spring Workout
Every spring, I yank that safety cover off, reconnect the hoses, and change the sand in the filter. Then I fill the whole thing with fresh city water from the garden hose. Once it’s full and running, I take a sample to my local pool store for testing.
Because here’s the thing: my city water changes every year. I don’t trust test strips. I don’t love guessing. And I definitely don’t love wasting money on chemicals that don’t work.
Every year, I add a bottle of Metal Out and some liquid pool shock, and honestly, that’s usually enough to clear things up. On rare occasions, I’ve had to add Muriatic Acid—but that stuff is no joke, so handle it like you’re disarming a bomb.
And the most important step?
Vacuum. Vacuum. Vacuum.
I do it three times during opening week:
- Once to suck up all the leaves, algae, and mystery debris
- Again 24 hours later after filtration runs
- And one more time for good measure—this clears out any leftover metals or funk that settled in
🧽 Weekly Pool Care Maintenance: The Routine That Saves Me
Let’s just get the disclaimer out of the way: I’m not a pool professional. Just a tired mom who likes her water clean and her kids busy.
💊 Chlorine Tablets 24/7
I keep 2–3 tablets in the skimmer basket at all times. I check every few days, clean out the debris, and top off the chlorine as needed. Once the water warms up, those tablets melt like butter on a hot grill, so I stay on top of it.
One giant bucket lasts me the whole season (usually).
🌀 Vacuuming & Backwashing
I vacuum once a week and also after every major storm. I originally snagged a Pool Blaster vacuum at a garage sale for $15 (best $15 ever). It was so easy the kids actually wanted to use it. Of course, that didn’t last long—my son flooded the electronics. So I replaced it with this one on Amazon, and it’s even better. Same vacuum, upgraded design, and waterproof electronics. Bless.
I do occasionally hook up the pool’s vacuum that connects to the filter, but the one above is way easier to manage for light cleaning. It has also probably saved my filter from an early death.
Even though I don’t vacuum through the filter much, I do still backwash once a week. Maybe overkill, maybe muscle memory. Either way—it’s part of the pool care ritual now.
💥 Pool Shock: When & Why I Use It
I shock the pool:
- After a big storm
- After a party
- Once a week in August, because that’s Algae Season!
I’ve switched to liquid shock this year because the powdered stuff never wanted to dissolve. Liquid works faster, easier, and doesn’t leave me angrily stirring like I’m making pool soup.
💚 The Algae Battle (End-of-Summer Edition)
Around late July (hello, Iowa humidity), I’ll usually start to see algae creeping into the corners. It’s either because I got lazy with maintenance or we just didn’t swim much for a few days. Either way—it happens.
That’s when I pull out this algae-fighting product from HTH. I only use one or two bottles per season, and it kicks that green gunk right out.
💦 The Secret Weapon: Actually Using the Pool
I swear—just letting the kids cannonball all day keeps the pH balanced better than anything else. We swim a lot, splash often, and just keep things moving. It works.
🧽 Hidden Chores Disguised as Games
Parenting hack: after a storm, I challenge my kids to “see who can get the most debris from the bottom of the pool.”
They go full competition mode and don’t even realize I’ve tricked them into cleaning. #momwin
🗓 My Weekly Pool Care Schedule
Thursday Evening (10–15 min)
- Backwash
- Check chlorine tablets
- Remove debris from pool floor
Saturday Night (5 min)
- Pool shock
Sunday Morning (1 hour)
- Check chlorine
- Vacuum
Tuesday (2 min)
- Quick chlorine check
🚫 Dirt, Feet & Deck Rules
I have a giant deck and a rock path leading up to the pool, which means we rarely deal with dirt getting tracked in. If we didn’t? I’d be that mom yelling about foot-washing rules. Grassy feet are the fastest way to ruin a pool.
🔁 When Things Get Out of Control…
Let me say this louder for the people in the back:
When I struggle with my pool care, I take a water sample to the pool store.
Yes, it might cost $30–$100 in chemicals. Yes, it’s annoying. But you know what’s worse? A green swamp in your backyard that nobody wants to swim in.
Do the test. Spend the money. Treat it right. That’s just pool ownership, baby.
🛒 My Favorite Pool Products
If you’re curious what else I use, I’ve linked a few things here:
The Best Winter / Safety Cover I have ever had! (Water flows through it so you’re not left with a huge puddle of gross water sitting on top of your cover. Its like a strong, sturdy, strainer!)
My Pool Heater – I’m in Iowa, this baby gives us two extra months of swimming time! (It ain’t cheap being bougie!)
(affiliate links included, because if I’m going to help you keep your water clean, I might as well earn a dollar doing it)
☀️ Pool Time = Wellness Time
Yes, the pool is fun, but it’s also part of my wellness routine—sunshine, movement, stress relief, and family time all rolled into one (bonus points for cannonballs). If you’re into living your best life—whether it’s clean eating, mindset shifts, or feel-good routines—you’ll love these posts too:
👉 Check out more of my wellness and lifestyle content here
💬 Please Share!
If you found this pool care post helpful, funny, or even mildly relatable—do me a favor and share it!
📌 Pin it to your summer checklist
📤 Post it to your stories
📎 Send it to that friend who just bought a house with a pool and looks overwhelmed
It helps me more than you know, and keeps this blog floating right alongside your crystal-clear water.