Many people have chosen to install swimming pools in their backyards to add enjoyment and fun to those long, hot summer days. Nearly every child enjoys a dip in the pool and some become water babies, spending every spare moment possible playing and swimming in their pool. It’s a great way to ensure your children get plenty of exercise and forget their electronic devices for a little while.

The downside is that it takes quite a lot of work to keep the pool clean and ensure the water is hygienic enough to swim in.  Here are some tips to make the job easier.

• Since leaves and debris should be removed daily, this job can be delegated to the children, or an older child who is responsible enough to do it properly. It teaches them that work must be done by everyone if fun is to be had.  Encourage all children to remove a floating leaf while they are swimming or playing in the pool.  If some debris sinks, have diving competitions to see who can get the most debris from the bottom. A prize or two will make it more fun.
• Save up for an automatic pool cleaner. There are many that are reasonably priced and some clean the sides as well as the bottom of the pool. Use it regularly and sure you take care of your pool cleaner.
• If yours doesn’t clean the sides, keep a good lookout for algae and attack it immediately. Watch for shady areas where it is most likely to start. Scrubbing the sides every second week should prevent it.

• Purchase good quality cleaning tools and keep them just for the pool. If they are used elsewhere, they’ll end up putting dirt or dust into the pool water.
• Check on all the PH levels and other chemical levels as instructed on a regular basis.
• Train little children to not urinate in the pool. This will help to keep the water clean and safe.
• Don’t allow children – or adults – to eat in the pool.
• Clean the filter regularly and run it for at least 6 hours at a time.
• Backwash on a regular basis. This cleans debris from the pipes.
• Having concrete or tile surrounding the pool area is better than grass as that can stick to little feet as they jump in and if the lawn is wet, mud is likely to be trodden in too.
• Ordinary baking soda is just the same thing as pool sodium bicarbonate and a great deal less expensive. It can be used to adjust the alkalinity of the pool without changing the ph level. Use in the same concentration as the pool supplement.