Having a swimming pool is a great luxury that anyone around the world can afford, but maintaining and cleaning your pool is essential if you want it to remain an enjoyable experience. If you have owned a swimming pool for a reasonable amount of time, chances are that by now you have a decent understanding of what needs to be done in order to maintain it’s condition. The usual filter changes, vacuuming, shocking and skimming is most likely part of your routine. But there are another 5 interesting and perhaps unconventional ways that you can improve the condition of your swimming pool that can make your summer a little more relaxing.

Use Baking Soda For Emergency Cleaning

Baking soda is one of those interesting ingredients that tends to work well for a multitude of things, including cleaning the house, your clothes and surprisingly enough, your pool. Baking soda is significantly cheaper than most other alkalinity products and just as potent. If you are feeling crafty, you can make a paste out of your baking soda and use it to clean the dirt and algae that develops in and around your pool. It is recommended to do this on a weekly basis as this will prevent bacteria growth. Also make sure to add checking pH levels to your weekly routine.

Don’t Swim With Clothes On

Wearing a pair of shorts and a shirt while swimming in your pool may be the norm at a party or social event where you’re not too comfortable without all your clothes on. But the dyes in your clothing can bleed when mixed with chlorine and fibers can fray, which will result in your pool becoming cloudy over time. If its an occasional thing, then don’t worry too much as this will only happen over extended periods of time or significant use. Bathing suits are a good alternative, but if you are in a more private area or you’re just confident, feel free to exclude clothing completely.

Consider A Natural Pool

If you are pressed for time and you don’t have any left to deal with the chores of owning a conventional swimming pool, look at getting a more natural pool. Most have two areas, the first one acts as a natural filter and contains aquatic vegetation like reeds and the second are is obviously where you swim. This area is usually lined with concrete or rubber, depending on where it is. You will still need a pump to keep the water flowing and filter wise, you will have to choose between a gravel filter and a plant filter. Because its a natural ecosystem on its own, it is able to maintain itself. While you’ll still need to occasionally skin the surface and clean the filters, you won’t have to worry about pH and chlorine. It is cheaper and perhaps safer. It also looks great in gardens.

Upgrade Your Skimmer

While skimmer baskets are essential for filtering out leaves and debris, they are not 100% effective and naturally leave a lot of unwanted debris lying around. A great hack is to take an old pair of pantyhose and wrap them around the basket or net where the debris is kept. This will ensure that finer materials like sand, dirt and hair are caught in the dense fabric. Make sure to clean out your basket as often as possible and catch all the debris that lies on the surface while you’re at it. You should also have a good cover on your pool – some of the best pool covers are reviewed here.

Eliminate Pesky Insects

Insects like dragon flies, mosquitoes and midges tend to like swimming around swimming pools and they can become quite a nuisance not only when they’re alive, but also when they decide to kick the bucket and land in your swimming pool. A great way to alleviate this is to plant lemongrass somewhere nearby, preferably where the dirt and rocket that you place around the plant are not in danger of falling into your pool. The plant’s skin has a chemical called citronella and it is great for warding off mosquitoes. If there are wasps and hornets nearby, you can build an artificial wasp nest by filling a brown paper bag with soft materials like paper or plastic packets. This will help as stinging insects will naturally avoid building a nest if there is another within 200 feet.

Of course if you’d rather not bother with pool maintenance yourself, then there are easier options! Into The Blue Pools is your expert pool service company in Sarasota, Florida. We also service Bradenton, Venice, Lakewood Ranch & other surrounding areas. So why not give our friendly team a call and save yourself  the hassle … meaning more time to enjoy your pool!