Handy Tips For Dealing with Leaves In Your Pool

There’s a lot to love about fall. The changing leaves are particularly beautiful. As a pool owner, however, all those leaves can be a pain in the butt. Keeping them out of your pool can be a hassle, especially if you have lots of trees in your yard. We’ve put together a few tips that can help pool owners manage leaves and make the most of their pool during the fall season before closing it up for the winter.

1. Use a pool cover

Pool covers are great for keeping protecting your pool from the elements and keeping out debris, including leaves. Covering your pool when not in use is a great first line of defense against leaves. Just be sure you keep the cover cleared off so the weight of the leaves doesn’t bog it down.

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Sturdy Man Pool Covers – Round
Sturdy Man Pool Covers – Oval
Essential Pool Cover – Round
Essential Pool Cover – Oval

2. Rake leaves frequently

Leaves are naturally going to blow around, especially as the season progresses and winds pick up. Raking the leaves and keeping your yard as clean as possible will limit the number of leaves that make their way into your pool.

3. Trim tree branches and shrubs

While it’s not always feasible (or aesthetically pleasing) to remove a tree from your yard, trimming the tree may be a good alternative. Even trimming off the branches that hang over or near your swimming pool can help drastically reduce the number of leaves that make their way into the water.

4. Create leaf blocks.

With a little bit of strategy and innovation, you can help block leaves from finding their way into your pool. For example, low fences, retaining walls, sheds, storage boxes that are positioned correctly can create a barrier and help block the wind (and leaves) across the poolol. If trees are shedding a lot of litter around your pool, bushes, ground covers and decorative fences, or low retaining walls, can help keep the leaves up against a barrier and away from the pool.

5. Skim the leaves out of your pool frequently

You may have to keep your leaf net handy to skim leaves and other debris out of the pool more frequently than usual this time of year. It’s just a fact of life of being a pool owner. It can be tedious and time-consuming, but it’s an effective way to keep your pool clear of leaves.

6. Clean the pool regularly.

Once you’ve managed to get the leaves out of the pool, cleaning and testing your water is an important step. You’ll want to vacuum up any leftover debris and scrub the walls of your swimming pool to minimize staining from the leaves. Steps and ladders are generally the most susceptible to staining from leaves.

Read Now: The Lowdown on Swimming Pool Stains & How To Remove Them

After everything is clean, test the water to make sure the leaves and other debris didn’t throw everything off balance.

What’s next?

Can you believe the pool season is already coming to a close? Check out these handy resources to help protect your swimming pool throughout the fall and winter season and close your pool properly.

Now’s also a great time to score all the pool supplies and accessories you need to close your swimming pool or stock up on the necessities for next season.

When Is the Right Time to Close My Pool?

Common Winter Pool Problems (And Solutions That Work)