Keeping Kiddie Pool Water Fresh

Try this: www.poolsolutions.com/gd/kiddiepool.html. Go to the kiddie pool calculations on this website and it will tell you how to determine what chemical mix to put in your pool to keep it safe.

My neighbor used this with her pool, which was technically a kiddie pool but was huge so she couldn't empty it every day. She also put a plastic cover on it at night.

You have to use a few chemicals to keep the pool free of bacteria. Sometimes chemicals are our friends.

Well, you could put Bleach in there... in small amounts it's not going to be harmful. In your home pool it is likely to be much less concentrated than what you would find at a public pool.

What I do is fill the pool early in the morning (like 6 am) and let the morning sun start heating the water. by about 11 am it's actually quite comfortable, and by 2 or 3, it's like bath water on a good hot day.

Good luck.. I'm sorry I don't have a 'chemical free' answer.

I have never seen anything chemical free to put in the pool.
I always fill mine in the early morning and if it's not warm enough by the time the kids go in it I add several bucks of hot water from the kitchen sink. I change the water daily, but so I don't waste the water in the pool I use it to water my plants/flowers around the yard and have the kids help by filling up their watering cans too.

From a saftey perspective I would empty it when not in use...either your children or someone else's (if you don't have a fenced yard) could fall in a drown...unlikely but it happens...as well...standing water is a huge bacterial breeding ground, will attract mosquito's and other unwanted visitors....my FIL leaves a bucket out and he often finds a dead mouse in it...all things I'm sure you don't want...

As well, although you might not think the water is warm enough...most kids are fine with water that is a little cold and on those warm days it warms up quickly.

I love the idea someone had to use the water to water the plants...get your kids some watering cans...my DD is always begging to water plants!

B.

Just thought I'd share--I no longer have little children but three years ago I purchased a large, square two ring pool with cupholders to use as an exercise pool (bad knees from being a ballerine = a need for water exercise). Yes, the water is only 15" high but good enough for gentle exercise mimicking swimming. I had one of those Intex pools with the ring and had a devil of a time keeping the water "just right".

My solution -- I bought one of those pool water test kits (clear container, red and yellow drops for chlorine/pH test-- put in drops to test the water). I also have a chlorine floater for a spa and use the 1" chlorine tabs (sold at Walmart). Test the water when first filled (ours is well water from a water softener, thus no chlorine and no pH). Put two 1" chlorine tabs in the floater and wait a day to bring up the chlorine. Test daily. I keep the chlorine a little higher just to keep the water disinfected but there is little to no chlorine smell. If the pH drops then add Arm N Hammer washing soda (about one-half of a one-third cup measuring cup will do nicely but test your pool because you could have more or less water than I do). Exercising or kids playing in the pool aerates the water so I don't need a pump. I add my chlorine tablets at night, only when the one in the floater is all dissolved) and test in the morning.

My water is clean and clear all summer long. I skim it with a net each morning.

Do make sure to get a pool cover with a drawstring -- the 8 foot round Intex cover works nicely on a 90" round pool and you can pull the drawstring and tuck the cover under the pool to ensure it will stay covered and little ones stay out.

The water is perfectly safe to use on your gardens as I change out some of the water, usually when we've had a hard rain.

Have a safe and happy summer!

Yvette, I am so sorry. I thought you were my cousing yvette and our nickname for each other is monkey. I do apologize.

A. S

I was just recycling my boxes from Costco and noticed on the Arm & Hammer Baking Soda box it read, "Keeps pools clean!" I'm not sure how but it's worth a trip to their website.

No real answer, but I did want to let you know that I made the mistake of letting my son just splash a bit in our kiddie pool last summer, in water that had been in it for 4 days (like you said...just about the time it finally got warm!!!). Anyway, I knew I was pushing it, since the water was starting to get a little cloudy, but I thought, "I'll just empty & clean the pool right after he's done playing in it", which I did. Big mistake by letting him play in it at all. Several weeks later, I ended up having to take my son to the doctor, who then referred him to a dermatologist, because he got a funky skin rash (foliculitis) that had to be cured by $125 special RX foam.

My advice is to empty the pool daily. Scrub it out as well (use bleach). When it comes time to fill it, hook your hose up to an indoor faucet where you can fill the pool w/warm water. Trust me, this all will be worth it. You do not want to go thru what I went thru trying to clear up my son's rash. It took 2 regular doctor's visits, one specialists visit, and a total of 3 different scripts before the dermatologist finally got it right (he got it right on the first visit).

Hope that helps. Oh...this year, I'm buying a pool that is a little bigger, but has an electronic filter AND can accept chemicals. No more funky water for me!