How To Prepare Your Pool Area for Warmer Weather (Part 2 of 2)

This is a guest post by Stan Horst. If you want to guest post on this blog, send us a message here.

Clean Pool Deck and Furniture

After I’ve uncovered my pool, done the initial vacuuming, and brushed the sides and bottom, I take the time to clean the pool deck and furniture. I typically use a detergent such as Purple Power, pouring it into a garden sprayer for easy application. I apply a light coat of detergent, give it a little time to soften the dirt, and then remove both the detergent and the dirt with a pressure washer. If you don’t have a pressure washer, consider renting one. Otherwise, you’ll need a lot of elbow grease with a scrub brush, and then rinse with a garden hose.

While I’m cleaning my furniture, I evaluate each piece for any loose, damaged, or broken parts. If repairable, I add it to my to-do list. If damaged beyond repair, I toss, and if important, add it to my to-purchase list.

Sort Through Pool Toys & Accessories

Next I’ll look through all the pool toys and accessories. Since ours is a public use pool at our vacation rental cabins in Virginia, we provide a lot of toys and flotation devices for our guests to use. Anything that is damaged, broken, or potentially unsafe needs tossed.

Items that we need or want will be added to my shopping list. I’ll avoid small items that could easily get lodged in the filtration system. When shopping for these new items, I try to buy the highest quality that I can, avoiding things that will be easily broken or damaged.

Of course, it’s important to have storage for all your pool toys and accessories. If you don’t have adequate storage, a great solution is to purchase an outdoor patio storage bench, such as the one from Suncast Products. That way you’ll add storage, while providing additional seating.

Clean Bathroom from Floor to Ceiling

Next, I’ll clean the bathroom, and I don’t mean just the toilet and sink. It’s time to remove all the spider webs and dirt that accumulate over the winter. Since I’ve covered the walls and ceiling of my bathroom with fiberglass panels, and the floor is concrete, it’s easy to clean using my pressure washer.

Once the bathroom is cleaned, I take stock of the supplies that I have, and add to my shopping list the items I need. I keep a good supply of toilet paper, paper towels, and sunscreen available. I also keep a small medical kit to deal with those skinned knees or bee stings that invariably happen sometime throughout the summer.

Clean Out Chemical Storage Area

Now it’s time to tackle the storage area. This area for me seems to accumulate more junk than anywhere else. I’ll decide what things need tossed and what to keep. I’ll add to my shopping list the items I need on a regular basis, such as reagents or test strips. Of course, any old or outdated chemicals must be disposed of in a safe manner. Just read on the bottle, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Sit Back, Relax, and Enjoy

Breaking up the large job of preparing my pool for spring into manageable tasks such as these makes it much easier. It really doesn’t matter if I do the whole job in one day, or spread it out over time. When I finally have all the tasks checked off my list, I’ll know my job is complete, and I haven’t missed anything.

Now that the work is done, I can sit back, relax, and admire my fresh, clean, and inviting pool area. My mind will wander forward to summer, and I can start making plans for all those get-togethers I want to host. I can’t wait!