How To Acid Wash a Swimming Pool (Drain & Clean)

How to Acid Wash a Swimming Pool

Whether your pool looks like a swamp, or you just want a fresh, clean-looking appearance, acid-washing your swimming pool can help. Also called "drain and clean," pools need this type of cleaning when winterizing the pool isn't done correctly, or algae has taken over due to the pool not being used or maintained in a while. The acid-wash process essentially strips the top layer of plaster to reveal fresh plaster beneath, so it's not recommended to do it often. But once in a while is a great idea!

1

Drain your pool completely. As you drain, make sure to clean up any debris as you go. If your pool has an autofill, you should make sure that you turn it off during the drain. Once your pool is completely empty, start the acid-wash process.

2

Mix 1 gallon (3.8 liters) of acid with 1 gallon (3.8 liters) of water in a watering can. Acid must be added to the water and not the other way around.

3 Wet down one of the walls with the hose. The hose should not have a nozzle and water should be running from the hose at all times.

Here's Allan, Blue Lagoons Pool Tech doing
a Drain & Clean on a commercial pool. 

4 Pour the acid mixture on the wall from top to bottom in 10-foot (300 cm) sections at a time, leaving the acid on the plaster for about 30 seconds.During this time, you should be scrubbing the wall with a brush.

5 Rinse the section you just acid-washed quickly and thoroughly. Before moving to the next section, make sure you rinse the wall well so the acid doesn't continue to eat the plaster.

6 Neutralize the pool after the acid-wash is complete. The acid-washing process leaves a foamy puddle of residue on the bottom of the pool that must be removed before it damages the plaster.

• Apply soda ash to the acid puddle, scrubbing the mixture with a pool brush. You will need to use 2 lb. (.9 kg) of soda ash per 1 gallon (3.8 liters) of acid.
• Pump the mixture into a bowl using a submersible pump.
• Dispose of what you pumped, as the acid can kill frogs, fish and plants. Rinse out the bowl.
• Pour water over any remaining residue, rinsing carefully around the drain

Voilà!

If you live in the Dallas area and need an Acid Wash, Contact The Blue Lagoons.

Happy Swimming!