Swimming Pool Cover Care
Swimming pool cover care is an often overlooked aspect of pool maintenance. Taking care of your swimming pool goes beyond taking care of the pool water only… You also have to take care of your swimming pool cover! In order to keep your swimming pool clear and clean of debris, which is what a pool cover is mainly for, you have to keep the cover itself clean and clear of debris. Here are some basic pool maintenance tips and ‘to dos’ to help keep your pool covers clean.
Automatic Swimming Pool Covers: All the debris that falls onto this kind of cover needs to be cleaned off of it. This makes sense because if you were to leave the leaves (or whatever else can accumulate) on the pool cover, it will just fall into the swimming pool when you move the cover anyway. Easy ways to remove the debris off of automatic pool covers are by using a leaf blower, a hose or a push broom. Sweep the final pile up and pump off the remaining water using a pump. This way, that dirty rain water won’t get into your swimming pool. Also, make sure that all the components for the movement of your automatic swimming pool cover run smooth by lubricating it with a Teflon-based spray every year. If throughout the year it starts to run slowly, simply spray it again. Also make sure that you keep the cover box clean and dry.
Solid Swimming Pool Covers: A good way to clean solid swimming pool covers, especially in the spring, is to power wash them. A good way to clean them of dirt and debris is to wash the pool cover with a mild detergent, like dish soap. There is also a product out there that utilizes an enzyme-based product that hooks up to your hose. To clean and kill mold, clean your solid swimming pool cover with your hose and bleach. Let the cover completely dry so that mold does not grow when you store it. When storing these pool covers, put them in a high spot so rodents can’t bite holes through them. If you do see signs of mice or other animals, make sure you clean and sanitize the cover so you there isn’t any trace of disease.
Mesh Swimming Pool Covers: These are the easiest to clean. Clean a mesh swimming pool cover with a mild chlorine mix to get rid of dirt and mold. An easy way to do this is to clean your mesh cover with a push broom. These types of covers do not carry as much mold as the others because the mesh allows the water to flow over them much easier. Leave the mesh swimming pool cover out to dry in the sun. Either leave it in your drive way or on a clothes line (if you have one and it can support the cover). Do not put it in the grass; this will give the cover trouble drying.
