A pandemic is upon us, and even though the Governor has lifted some of the lockdown restrictions in Virginia, it’s still not safe to go out.

Many people are still worried sick about physical contact. After all, the threat is far from over. Cases in Virginia are still rolling in, hospitals are still overworked, and then there are the protests.

It’s a royal mess, and it leaves swimming pool enthusiasts with no choice but to do pool cleaning themselves.

Luckily, we’re here to help.

Sanitizing the Pool

This was probably the first question lurking in your mind—how do you sanitize your swimming pool? Worse, how can you sanitize it when you run out of chlorine and can’t go out to buy more?

Well, you can use bleach. 1 gallon of bleach works for a pool of 15k to 30k gallons. Just be super careful about all your measurements.

Going Basic with Baking Soda

Get it?

We hope you paid enough attention in chemistry class back in school, because running out of a pH increaser is quite common. But all you need is something alkaline—like baking soda, which is present in everyone’s houses.

Generally speaking, 1 pound of sodium bicarbonate (that’s baking soda for you) can be used for a 10k gallon pool. 2 pounds for 20k gallons, and so on. In this way, you can raise the alkalinity by 7 mg/L and the pH by 0.2.

Bring the Alkalinity Down

A lot of people end up using too much baking soda. That, of course, increases alkalinity and pH—more than you want. But it’s okay; you don’t have to panic. Everyone has muriatic acid at home for unclogging drains and the like. You can also use muriatic acid to lower your pool’s pH.

But be very cautious with muriatic acid. Don’t open it in closed spaces. Follow the instructions on the label. And wear proper protective gear while handling it.

And while we’re at it, here’s (a critical, life-saving) chemistry pro-tip: NEVER ADD WATER TO ACID. Doing so results in the formation of a highly concentrated solution. This can lead to the solution actually boiling, and can cause an actual explosion—that’s an exothermic reaction for you.

Instead, do the opposite. Add acid to water. A 10 gallon bucket of water first, then in goes a cup of muriatic acid, and then it goes altogether into the pool.

Need an Expert Opinion?

If you’ve been facing an issue with your pool that you can’t work out, perhaps it’s time you reached out to a professional. After all, pool professionals know swimming pools like the back of their hand and can tell you if your pool needs renovation or remodeling.

Sometimes, although you might not know it, pools are in the bad need of a re-haul—and Perfect Pools, a team of swimming pool designers in Lovettsville, can help you do just that. Have a look at some of our best work here.