Key Points
- Place a foot rinse or water bucket near the pool to keep sand and dirt out.
- Use a robotic or suction-side pool vacuum, or manually vacuum slowly.
- Use a pool brush, dustpan, deep net, or even a turkey baster to gather and remove sand.
If your home is located near a beachy area, you may be wondering how to deal with the sand and dirt that accumulates inside your pool over the course of the season.
Here, three cleaning pros speak to four different methods—some professional, some DIY—that they recommend following in order to get dirt and sand out of your pool once it’s piled up there. They also share a handy tip for how to prevent this from occurring in the first place—and best of all, it’s super simple.
Meet the Expert
- John Uhle is the founding partner and product expert at Discount Salt Pool.
- Andrew Brody is the owner of pool repair company, Palm Beach Pool & Spa Services.
- Aleksandrs Tuls is the co-founder of Rozie, an on-demand cleaning service app.
Exercise Proper Prevention Tactics
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If you and your guests often make a pit stop at the beach before swimming in the pool, it is important that you do your best to prevent dirt and sand from accumulating in the water in the first place.
One simple prevention tactic is to place an outdoor foot rinse or even a bucket of water near the pool so that people do not jump into the water with sandy feet, John Uhle, the founding partner and product expert at Discount Salt Pool, suggests.
“Doing things the right way is much better than trying to fix everything,” Uhle says.
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Try a Robotic Pool Cleaner or Vacuum
Rather than attempting to deal with dirt or sand by hand, Andrew Brody, the owner of pool repair company Palm Beach Pool & Spa Services, recommends utilizing a robotic pool cleaner or suction-side pool vacuum for the job. It can be challenging to remove dirt and sand since they’re very fine particles.
If you choose to use a pool vacuum hose and vacuum, which Brody considers to be the best approach, note that this may take some time.
“Sand is very heavy and can be difficult for any vacuum to pick up in one attempt,” he says.
Brody notes that it is important to vacuum slowly and also go over the area several times.
To set yourself up for success when vacuuming, you will want to try one of the following tactics. One method is to aim your return jets downward and in a circular motion, and then let everything circulate for 15 to 20 minutes while the pool pump is running, Uhle suggests.
“Dirt and sand will gather in one spot, usually the deepest part,” he says, noting that this will make it easy to vacuum up.
Another technique is to turn off your pump overnight, he adds, explaining that again, all of the dirt and sand in your pool will collect at the bottom, making for quick vacuuming the next day.
Clean Your Pool Filter
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Using one of the machines referenced above may not be enough, though. If your pool contains quite a bit of dirt, you may also need to clean your filter every day or every other day, Brody notes, explaining that this process will also help to get rid of debris.
Use a Brush
If you do not have access to a vacuum or do not want to invest in one for your pool, by no means is all hope lost, as there are a few trusty DIY routes that you can explore as well.
Aleksandrs Tuls, the co-founder of Rozie, an on-demand cleaning service app, suggests a method that he says is perfect for vacation homes or renters.
Tuls recommends taking a pool brush and using it to push and into a pile before removing it using a dustpan or deep net.
“For tiny patches, a turkey baster makes a pinpoint mini-vac,” he says.
Tuls finds this technique to be affordable and quick yet still effective; he explains that it stirs up little debris and removes dirt successfully.