Simple Steps To Get Rid of Mold From Your Swimming Pool

Mold in Swimming Pools

If you’re the proud owner of a swimming pool, you’ll be well aware that keeping your pool in tip-top condition can be time-consuming, and ensuring your pool is healthy and clean is a balancing act that can be challenging at times.

Whether it’s trying to keep your pool sparkling clean, maintaining the correct pH levels or ensuring the filtration system is working to optimum levels, understanding how to manage your pool can be difficult, and it’s vitally important to keep on top of your pool maintenance to ensure your pool is clean and safe for swimming.

Keeping your pool sparkling clean doesn’t need to be a huge challenge if you undertake a regular pool cleaning routine. Regular cleaning can allow you to avoid issues such as white water mold, murky water, broken filtration systems and failing equipment.

Mold is a serious issue when it comes to swimming pools, and it’s important to stay on top of mold issues to ensure your pool not only looks clean but it is healthy and safe to swim in. White water mold is often confused with algae, with the big difference being white water mold is a naturally occurring fungus that forms a heavy coating in pools if left untreated.

In this article, we explore swimming pool mold, why you should be aware of the dangers and how you can get rid of this type of mold from your pool once and for all.

What exactly is swimming pool mold?

An organically occurring fungus, white water mold is a tissue paper like substance that forms within a swimming pool, that eventually forms a protective coating on items within a swimming pool including pool toys, ladders, steps, pool cleaners, skimmer baskets and light fittings.

The natural fungus is tremendously resistant and re-establishes quickly once the fungus has been removed should there be a recurrence of poor pool maintenance, inadequate pH levels or poor circulation.

While it is often explained as looking like shredded toilet paper, this form of natural mold can re-contaminate well after treatment, and while it is not toxic to humans, it is particularly unsightly, and it can in some cases clog your equipment if left for too long.

Problems with having mold in your pool

White water mold grows wherever there is water, and it can take a serious amount of chemicals and cleaning to remove it once it takes off in your pool. While basic pool cleaning and maintenance is essential, ensuring you get rid of mold properly is essential for the long-term removal of mold within your swimming pool.

While it is not toxic or harmful to humans, this form of mold can take hold of items within your pool such as PVC piping, steps and lighting and pool equipment and get stuck in filters causing damage. As it is a natural fungus, the mold looks worse than it is, however, it does indicate that your pool maintenance should be improved and you should be oxidizing and exposing your pool to higher levels of sunlight.

How to get rid of white water mold from your pool for good

While it can be time consuming, removing mold is essential as the fungus can easily re-infect the area if the pool is not properly and thoroughly cleaned.

Treatment for the removal of the mold includes the following steps:

• Clean the pool entirely including a very thorough clean of all infected areas
• Use some elbow grease and remove every inch of mold that can be seen
• Add extra chemicals to the pool and clean the pool thoroughly – up to three times the required chemical amount will be required to ‘shock’ the pool
• Run the filter for a 24 hour period
• After 24 hours clean and brush the pool again
• Check for any more white water mold
• If you find mold after this process repeat until all has completely gone
• Ensure you are maintaining the pool on a regular basis, and you are cleaning the surfaces each week or have a robotic pool cleaner in place to do this on your behalf

How to prevent mold growing in your pool

There is a range of ways to prevent getting white water mold in your pool including the following:

• Brush clean your pool surfaces each week – or use a robotic pool cleaner on a regular basis to prevent mold from growing
• Allow your pool to have exposure to plenty of sunlight to naturally oxidize your pool area
• Allow the skimmer box some sunlight where possible to allow for circulation in the pool
• Use the correct amount of chemicals on a regular basis for pool cleaning
• Clean all your pool toys and any pool blankets on a regular basis
• Clean your pool filter monthly
• Run your pool filter daily – refrain from turning off your pool filter seasonally
• Keep your pool equipment clean and rinsed
• Ensure the water is balanced in your pool at all times and pH levels are checked

To find out more about how to clean white water mold safely from your pool or for more info on the best robotic pool cleaners on the market log visit Robotic Pool Cleaners.