Opening Up Your Pool for the Summer: Here’s What to Know
It’s summertime and if you are lucky enough to have a pool in your backyard, it’s time to get it open and swimmable. Your pool has likely been sitting unused in the cooler winter months and now that it’s warm out, there are a few steps that need to be taken to get it in swimming order again. Follow these few simple tricks to reopen your pool for swimming and you’ll be slipping into your swimsuit and jumping in in no time.
1. Clean Up Any Debris and Check for Wear and Tear
Your pool area is likely to be a little lackluster before you open it up. You will want to remove any accumulated leaves, dirt, and other debris that might dirty or clutter the swimming area. Sweep away debris and trim back any overgrown plantings. Next, you will want to check for any wear and tear damage incurred by the pool in its dormant season. This includes inspecting pool equipment, safety rails, ladders, and deck furniture to be sure it’s all safe to use.
2. Open the Pool
Once you’ve ensured the surrounding pool area is in tip-top shape, remove the pool cover. If you didn’t drain the water over the winter, the pool may have some debris in it or some of the water may have evaporated. Remove debris and refill any missing water. To clean the pool water, use a pool cover pump to remove any dirty, old water. If the pool was emptied, check that all lights, filters, and pumps are working before refilling the pool with the garden hose. At this point, you will also want to take an inventory of your pool chemicals. Check that all the pool chemicals are still good to use. Once the pool is filled up, turn on the filter, test the water, and add pool chemicals as needed. Let the filter, vacuuming, and chemical process last for a few days. Now the fun begins!
3. Get the Towels
You will want to set up your pool area so you have the convenience of towels and other pool goodies around. Keep personalized beach towels in a nearby bin or basket so that you don’t have to go far to get a nice clean towel after a summer swim. It’s easy to have a towel cabinet or rack outside near the pool that won’t ruin the aesthetic of your backyard. Another good option is a weatherproof storage container that will keep towels clean and dry all summer long. Pro tip: be sure to designate one towel per person so you’re not unexpectedly swamped in laundry! This is where the towel rack comes in. Ask kids and guests to hang their towels on the towel rack so they can dry and reuse them several times before washing.
4. Pool Fun
If you have a pool, you probably have loads of fun pool paraphernalia. Goggles, noodles, kickboards, and water wings are likely to be part of your summer pool fun. Rather than having everything be scattered where it can get lost or damaged, keep some baskets and storage bins near the pool for easy access and clean up. Seagrass baskets are a great choice for storing goggles, earplugs, and sunscreen and are easy to bring in and out of the house with the weather. For bigger items like noodles, we recommend storage bins. Not only is storing your pool gear good for keeping your pool area decluttered, but it’s also important for safety and to prevent damage to all your fun pool toys.
5. Easy Cleanup
With all the towels, swimsuits, and summer clothes flying around, things may get messy quickly. Our best hack for organizing pool laundry is to keep a laundry hamper outside near this pool. This way it’s an easy tidy up and a straight shot to the laundry room. This is also a great place to throw wet bathing suits or clothes that accidentally got wet.
6. Cozy Hangouts
Even if you’re not swimming, the pool is a great place to hang out. Especially at night when the mood lighting that comes from the water sets a romantic and tropical vibe. Set up some comfortable deck furniture for a nice hangout spot. Get some weatherproof pillows for deck chairs and some padding for the lounge chairs so that hanging out by the pool is comfortable and aesthetically pleasing.
Opening up your pool for summer isn’t just about making sure the pool is in perfect working order. Get creative with your around-the-pool decor, towels, and organizers to prepare for a fun-packed summer by the pool.