How to Keep the Kiddie Pool Clean Without Draining It
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Backyard kiddie pools are a breeding ground for bacteria — especially if children from more than one family use the same pool. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the microscopic monsters that lurk in the depths can cause gastrointestinal illnesses and skin, ear, respiratory, eye, and wound infections.
Now, I've got to say, my sister and I swam in filthy horse tanks, communal wash tubs, and small inflatable pools all summer long throughout our whole childhood — and so have our own babes — and as far as I can recall, no oozing rashes or copious diarrhea ever resulted.
But that obviously doesn't mean it can't or won't happen, and the CDC says the best way to keep the kiddie pool water safe is to empty and refill the pool after every swim — which is a piece of cake for a small pool that holds less than 100 gallons of water. Keeping a larger kiddie pool clean without draining it every week takes a little more work — the CDC recommends using both chlorine and filtration to keep the water safe and clean. Although small-pool chemicals work best when they’re used along with a filter, a filter isn’t required. But buying, installing, and using a pool filter is easier than you might think — even if your pool doesn’t have holes for the hoses.
Either way, maintaining a larger kiddie pool with chemicals takes a bit of attention and regular maintenance, and if you’re up for the task, you can keep the same pool water safe and crystal-clear all summer long — without draining it even once!
Can you put chlorine in a kiddie pool?
Yes. Chlorine is safe for children (and pets) when you use it properly. For larger kiddie pools (those that hold more than 100 gallons), chlorine and other chemicals accomplish three goals:
They kill germs that can make you sick
They maintain a safe pH balance to prevent skin and eye irritation
They prevent the growth of algae
It's highly inadvisable to use chlorine and any other chemicals in the pool without a test kit on hand. These easy-to-use water testing strips will analyze the chlorine level and pH of the kiddie pool (for the types of pools we’re talking about here, you can disregard the bromine and alkalinity).
What chemicals do you need for small pools?
You need four chemicals to keep your kiddie pool water clean and safe, swim after swim after swim: bleach, borax, algaecide, and chlorine.
When you first fill the pool with clean water, you’ll do a start-up dose of bleach, borax, and algaecide. After that, you’ll maintain the chlorine level with chlorine granules.
Here’s what each chemical does:
Liquid household chlorine bleach, 6% active strength
Regular household bleach (sodium hypochlorite) is made up of the same kind of chlorine that’s used in pools. The difference is that household bleach is weaker and more unstable — it breaks down quickly in sunlight. Adding household bleach as a start-up dose quickly sanitizes a pool of fresh, untreated water. Don’t use scented, gel, or powdered bleach.
Borax
Borax (sodium tetraborate) is a naturally occurring mineral that's non-toxic in small doses. It's commonly used as a laundry detergent booster, and it’s a key ingredient for homemade slime and growing crystals.
When it’s added along with bleach to a newly filled kiddie pool, Borax serves a few purposes:
It helps maintain an ideal pH to prevent eye and skin irritation
It improves the performance of chlorine
It helps protect against algae growth
Borax doesn't degrade or evaporate from the water, so once you add it in, you won't need to add it again until you empty and refill the pool with clean water.
The most famous and widely available brand of borax is 20 Mule Team, which is sold in the laundry aisle at your grocery store.
Stabilized chlorine, 55.5% active strength
Stabilized chlorine contains an ingredient like cyanuric acid to prevent the chlorine from breaking down. Stabilized chlorine lasts longer than bleach and works more effectively — and you don't need to use nearly as much.
Chlorine granules are the best kiddie pool chlorine option for a few reasons. They dissolve quickly, dispersing chlorine throughout the pool in a few minutes. Tablets dissolve slowly over time, which can cause uneven distribution or chlorine “hot spots” in smaller volumes of water.
Precision is important in small pools, and chlorine granules make it easy to control the dosage. These AquaDoc Chlorinating Granules are a quick-dissolving form of stabilized chlorine specially formulated for hot tubs and small pools with a capacity between 200 and 1,000 gallons.
Algicide, 60% active strength
Also known by the catchy name "poly[oxyethylene(dimethyliminio)ethylene(dimethyliminio)ethylene dichloride]," algicide prevents the growth of algae, which can cause skin, ear, and eye irritation and hazardously slippery surfaces. Algicide offers backup protection against microbes in the event pool chlorine levels get too low. It also helps to control some of the bacteria that's resistant to chlorine, including the little bastards that cause nasty ear infections.
The best algicide for a kiddie pool is Pool Breeze Algicide 60, a low-concentration, non-foaming algicide that's effective against green, black, and yellow algae.
How to add chemicals to a kiddie pool in 4 easy steps
When using chlorine and other chemicals in a small pool, it's super important to use the right amounts — “more is better” definitely doesn't apply to pool chemicals. Here's how to properly use chemicals to keep the kiddie pool clean.
Step 1: Calculate how much of each chemical you need.
The right amount of bleach, borax, chlorine, and algicide you need for your pool depends on how many gallons of water it holds.
The experts over at Pool Solutions have created a pool chemical calculator that makes this step super easy. If you know the capacity of your pool in gallons, you can just enter it into the calculator tool to get your chemical amounts. If you don't know how much water your pool holds, enter the dimensions into the calculator, and it'll figure it out for you.
As an example, our inflatable pool has a 264-gallon capacity, which requires the following amounts of each chemical:
Bleach: 6.5 tablespoons
Borax: 1.5 tablespoons
Algaecide: 0.5 teaspoon
Chlorine: 0.5 teaspoon
Read the calculator directions very carefully so you end up with the right chemical amounts. Write down these amounts, and keep them handy near the chemicals.
Step 2: Fill the pool, and add the bleach and borax.
Fill the pool to full capacity with fresh water. Add the bleach and borax. If you have a filter, turn the pump on to circulate the water. If you don’t have a filter, give the water a very good stir to get the bleach and borax moving around. Wait an hour.
Step 3: Test the water.
After an hour, use your test kit to check the pH and chlorine levels.
The chlorine level should be between 2.0 and 4.0.
The pH should be between 7.4 and 7.8.
If the chlorine level is too low: Add a ½ teaspoon of bleach per 100 gallons of water. Stir, and wait 15 minutes before retesting. Repeat as needed to increase the chlorine to the proper level.
If the chlorine level is too high: Leave the pool uncovered, and allow sunlight to naturally break down excess chlorine. Retest every hour. If you want to lower the chlorine level more quickly, add fresh water to dilute it.
If pH is too low: Add ¼ teaspoon of borax per 100 gallons of water. Mix well, and wait 30 minutes before retesting. Repeat as needed to increase the pH to the proper level.
If pH is too high: Add ½ teaspoon of white vinegar per 100 gallons of water. Stir, and retest after 30 minutes. Repeat as needed.
Step 4: Add the algicide
Once your chlorine level and pH balance are right, add the algicide dose, mix it in well, and you're ready to swim!
How to maintain the kiddie pool water — no draining required
It’s important to test the water before the kids swim each day. If the chlorine level falls below 2.0:
Add one dose of the chlorine granules
Mix it in well
Wait 10 minutes, then re-test.
Repeat if necessary.
Once the chlorine level is in the 2.0 to 4.0 range, the kids can safely swim!
If life happens and the water ends up green and gross, don’t worry — you can turn that water clean and clear again by shocking the pool. In fact, even if you maintain the chemical levels perfectly at all times all summer long, you should shock your pool every couple of weeks to “recharge” the chlorine and keep the water clean and clear — no draining required.
Once you’ve got the process down, it’s easy to keep the pool water clean enough that you can use the same water all season long and protect your kids from a range of gnarly ailments. It’s a win-win! While you’re at it, check out these helpful tips and fun gadgets that’ll help you keep the pool even cleaner, longer.
Frequently Asked Questions about using chemicals in kiddie pools
Can you keep a kiddie pool clean with bleach?
While you can keep small pools clean with only bleach, it's not ideal, for three main reasons:
Household bleach has a low chlorine concentration of around 5% to 6%, while the chlorine you'd use in a kiddie pool has a concentration of 55.5% — and that means you need a lot more household bleach than chlorine to keep the pool clean.
The chlorine in household bleach breaks down quickly when exposed to the sun, so you’d need to add bleach frequently to maintain the right levels. Pool chlorine contains a stabilizer that prevents it from breaking down, so it’s effective for a longer period of time.
Using bleach to keep the pool clean can lead to limescale buildup and degradation of the pool's plastic surfaces.
Can you keep pool water clean with white vinegar?
White vinegar is not effective for disinfecting pool water, since it doesn’t kill bacteria and other pathogens. But vinegar is great for cleaning the pool and removing odors once you've drained it — just mix equal parts of vinegar and water in a spray bottle and scrub the surfaces with it.
Can baking soda keep kiddie pools clean?
Baking soda isn't a disinfectant — it won't kill microorganisms — so it's not an effective way to keep the kiddie pool water safe and clean. However, like vinegar, baking soda is a great pool cleaner — its mild abrasive quality helps scrub away dirt, grime, and oil buildup. Mix baking soda with a little water and some salt to make a scrubbing paste. For extra cleaning power, slather on the paste, then spray it with vinegar, and let it sit for 10 or 15 minutes before scrubbing and rinsing.
Can hot tub chemicals work in a small inflatable pool?
Hot tub chemicals and pool chemicals aren't quite the same. In general, bromine is preferred over chlorine for keeping the hot tub water clean, since it's more stable than chlorine at high temperatures. But many hot tub owners use chlorine granules instead of bromine, although the required chlorine concentration is higher for hot tubs. Another difference is that hot tubs don't need to be treated with algicide, since the water is too hot for algae to thrive.