Why Keeping Kiddie Pool Water Is Important
When it comes to having kids, it’s normal to be skeptical about almost everything. If you’ve got a kiddie pool for your infant or child, you’re probably scouring the internet and wracking your brain trying to figure out how to keep baby pool water clean it and why it’s essential.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), kiddie pool water is a breeding ground for various harmful bacteria. The risk of these bacteria being in your baby pool water increases when more than one child regularly uses the pool.
Besides bacteria such as Giardia and E. Coli, bugs are another issue. Bugs and their eggs, such as mosquito larvae, may make your kids pool water their new home. Plus, there’s the potential for harmful bacteria that can ruin any pool day.
Is Kiddie Pool Water Safe for Infants and Kids?
It’s perfectly understandable to be concerned about pool water for your kids and infants. As long as you take the proper care of the water, pool water is safe for infants and kids. This includes storing the pool correctly when not in use and using the correct items to clean it.
How Should You Clean a Kiddie Pool?
Before you decide to toss the kiddie pool away, there are several ways you can clean the pool and the water, making it safe for your kids to enjoy. Keep in mind that cleaning a kiddie pool has some similarities to a large, standard pool, but there are also differences.
Drain, Wash, and Refill the Pool
Most kiddie pools are relatively small, so draining and refilling the pool isn’t a huge deal. This is one of the easiest ways to ensure your kids aren’t playing in bacteria-infested water.
You don’t need to do this after every single use unless you want to. When you notice the water is getting a little dirty or if you’re not going to use it again for a while, draining the water and then washing it is the best move.
You don’t need any fancy cleaners to wash the pool. Some gentle dish soap and water will do just fine. You can use a kitchen brush or even a sponge to clean the kiddie pool before rinsing and storing or refilling it for use.
Cover the Kiddie Pool When Not in Use
Sometimes draining the water can be a huge waste, especially after only one use or when it doesn’t seem dirty. When your kids are done having some fun in the sun, covering the pool can help keep it clean until you use it again.
You can find pool covers online based on the brand you have or make something yourself.
Skim and Clean it Daily
Utilizing a pool skimmer will help keep the water in your kiddie pool clean. Debris, twigs, and other items will inevitably fall into the kiddie pool when it’s uncovered.
Using a skimmer can help remove these items, which will help keep the pool water clean in between when you’re draining and cleaning the pool.
Vacuum the Pool Bottom
Kids have a way of dirtying things, including your kiddie pool bottom. Using a pool vacuum will help pick up anything on the bottom of the pool that your skimmer can’t. There’s a bunch of options online for a pool vacuum, or you can check the outdoor section at most stores.
Clean up Body Oils, Sunscreen, and Other Gunk
When people get into the pool water, so does all the sunscreen we’re wearing and natural body oils. You’ll want to try and clean all this out of the inflatable pool water to keep it.
If you’re wondering how on Earth you’re supposed to do that besides draining the water, check out these sponges.
Consider Chemicals for Small Pool Maintenance
It’s normal to use chemicals to clean a standard swimming pool, but thinking about using harsh chemicals in a small pool may seem scary. You can consider using chemicals for your small pool, but you’ll want to be very careful before you start using regular pool chemicals.
The CDC says that it’s dangerous to use chemicals in a small kiddie pool for two reasons. The first is that water is easily lost due to splashing and the second is because these pools don’t have any way to filter debris.
If you have a larger inflatable or plastic swimming pool, using the correct chemicals isn’t unsafe as it is with smaller ones.
Is it Okay to Use Chemicals in a Baby Pool?
It is safe to use chemicals in a baby pool, as long as you’re using the appropriate ones correctly.
Using Chemicals Safely for Kiddie Pool Water
If you are going to use chemicals to clean your kiddie pool water, you need to do it safely. Here are some appropriate chemicals and things you’ll need to keep your pool water clean and bacteria-free.
The Right Chlorine
You don’t want to use just any chlorine for your kiddie pool. You’ll want a stabilized chlorine that is anywhere from 55-62% active. Then you’ll want to find a chlorine tablet that is suitable for however many gallons your pool can hold.
Algaecide
No one likes green pool water, and using algaecide can get rid of this. Algae is not only nasty in water, but it can cause illness too. You’ll want an algaecide that’s 60% active. Algaecide works in conjunction with chlorine to keep your pool bacteria-free.
Borax
Borax is helpful too. You can find it in the laundry section of almost every store, and it’s perfectly safe to use when used as directed.
Household Bleach
If you have any bleach in your house, you can use that. Most household bleach is 6% active, which is perfect for cleaning kiddie pool water.
Water Testing Kit
Even when you’re using chemicals safely to clean pool water, using a water testing kit before allowing your children into the water will give you peace of mind. Plus, it’s the safest way to make sure the chemicals are working correctly and won’t cause harm.
How Should I Add Chemicals to a Baby Pool?
When you’re using household bleach, Clorox offers some great insight into how much bleach you can use safely. You’ll want to read the instructions very carefully before adding anything to your child’s wading pool.
If you’re using other chemicals in your kiddie pool, this pool calculator is fantastic at helping you know how much to use.
Once you’ve figured out how much of each ingredient you need, you’ll want to add your borax and bleach first. You’ll use your watering testing strips to make sure that the chlorine is 3.0 or higher. Once this is at the correct number, you can add the algaecide.
You may want to test the water before each session. If it’s under 2.0, you’ll need to repeat the previous steps.
Is It Safe to Put Bleach in a Kiddie Pool?
It is! As long as you use it properly, there’s nothing wrong with using bleach to keep your baby pool water clean. If you’re going to use popular brands, be sure to use the most basic bleach. You don’t want one that has any added scents.
How Can You Keep a Kiddie Pool Clean Naturally?
Chemicals are a great way to keep pool water clean, but if you’re wary about using chemicals in the water where your infants and kids play, you’re not alone. The good news is that there are natural options for keeping your baby pool water clean.
Most of the things you can use to clean your kiddie pool naturally can be found lying around your house, or you can purchase them from your local store.
Using Distilled White Vinegar
Most people have white vinegar in their pantry, and if you do, you can break it out to clean your kiddie pool water. Depending on the size of your pool, you’ll add white vinegar every day.
The best part about using vinegar is that your kids don’t need to wait for it to dissipate in the water. They can get to their pool day immediately after without worrying about their skin getting burned.
It can also help you avoid changing the water every few days. Some people who use vinegar to clean their pool water say that they can go longer without changing the water when they use this household product.
Larger kiddie pools usually take about a cup of white vinegar. If you have a smaller inflatable pool, you want to try half a cup. The good thing with this product is that it’s not toxic, and you can experiment with the amount to see what works the best for you.
Using Salt
Another natural way to clean your kiddie pool is by using Epsom salt or regular salt. Salt is generally harmful to people unless consumed. The best way to clean your kiddie pool with salt is to add about half a cup of it to the water and let it rest for a little bit.
Once you’ve let it rest, you can empty the pool and then scrub the bottom of the pool. Once you’ve done this, you can refill the pool, and it’s ready for immediate use.
How Often Should You Change the Water in an Inflatable Pool?
How often you should be changing the water in your inflatable pool depends. It greatly depends on the methods you choose to keep the water clean.
If you’re using chlorine tablets and other chemical methods, as long as you do this, you can probably get away with not changing the water for two weeks.
If you’ve chosen to avoid chlorine for whatever reason, you’ll need to change the water more often. Without chlorine to help keep the water clean, you’ll need to drain and refill the water every other day.
This is because water that isn’t treated with chlorine can become bacteria-infested in just 24 to 48 hours.
How to Keep Bugs Out of an Inflatable Pool or Kiddie Pool
No one likes swimming with bugs, not even your little ones. One way you can keep bugs out of your kiddie pool is by setting bug traps around your yard. This will help keep them away.
Keeping your lawn maintained can help keep bugs away. Overgrown grass, stagnant water, and clogged gutter attract mosquitoes and other bugs.
Draining your kiddie pool after use and then refilling it the next day can prevent bugs. Since stagnant water attracts bugs, this is one of the easiest ways to keep them away.
If you don’t want to drain and refill your water every day because you want to save water, using a pool cover is crucial. A kiddie pool cover will protect your water from pesky bugs and keep it in good condition for your kids to use the next day.