This spring, we did something wild. No, not a beach vacation or a surprise getaway (I don’t count our trip to Beaver Lake as a wild getaway, lol) —something far more thrilling: we opened our inground pool at our new vacation rental for the very first time. And by thrilling, I mean emotionally taxing and dirty. Very, very dirty.
Let me set the stage: We bought the house last November, which means we inherited a covered pool we had never seen without its murky winter blanket. I had high hopes. My husband? Not so much. He viewed the pool like most people view a tax audit—unavoidable, stressful, and sure to cause marital friction.
Luckily, we had the pros at Splash City in Sioux Falls come to the rescue. Shoutout to Jacob, who showed up like a chlorinated knight with answers, tools, and zero judgment about our total lack of pool knowledge. We are now 10% less clueless, which is about as good as it gets.
How Dirty Was the Pool Cover? Let Me Count the Ways.
We learned that winter pool covers are essentially giant leaf-and-goo magnets. Ours was disgusting. The kind of gross where you make eye contact with your spouse and silently agree never to speak of what you just touched.
Here’s what we did:
- Power washed it. Then did it again. And again.
- Bought a new scrub brush because scrubbing it became my full-time weekend job. P.S. – the mop from Dollar General used for floors did NOT work on the pool cover.
- Used a Little Giant Pool Cover Pump (link) to remove the pond-like water sitting on top.
- Cried a little. Then laughed. Yelled a lot. Then went back to scrubbing.
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YouTube University, Pool Edition
I’ve now watched so many YouTube videos on pool maintenance that I should be able to get a minor in Pool Science. I know how to test pH, vacuum leaves, and say things like “free chlorine” without blinking. Honestly, I should wear a lab coat while testing water levels—might help me feel more in control.
These are the products that saved my sanity (or what’s left of it):
- 🛠 Swimming Pool Cleaning Kit – Comes with everything you need, and by “everything,” I mean things you’ll break and rebuy next year.
- 🧽 Weighted Pool Vacuum Head with Side Brushes – The only time I’ve willingly vacuumed anything.
- 💧 Pool Skimmer Vacuum Plate – Because leaves are relentless.
- 🪜 Telescoping Pole up to 16.5 ft – I still can’t reach my goals, but at least I can reach the deep end.
- 🤖 Dolphin Proteus DX4 Robotic Pool Cleaner – Worth every penny. This little guy does laps while I sip coffee and pretend I have things under control.
- 🧪 Pool Test Kit – For when you want to feel like a scientist and a lifeguard at the same time.
- 📱 WaterGuru Sense Use code Welcome10 for 10% off. I haven’t used it yet, but the internet tells me it’s amazing, and the internet has never let anyone down…right? I’ll update you on my thoughts on this fancy tool at the end of our first summer.
In Conclusion: Marriage, Tested.
Here’s the thing: if you ever want to really get to know your partner, try managing a pool together. You’ll learn how patient they are (spoiler: not very), how quickly they can Google “why is my pool green,” and how long they can pretend to enjoy power washing.
We lost our weekends. We gained pool knowledge and a shared trauma bond. And hey—our first renters haven’t arrived yet, so fingers crossed we did everything right. Spoiler alert! Splash City is on speed dial and is back to help us with another thing not working. Will our marriage survive this? I sure hop so
Coming soon: “Top 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Had an Inground Pool.” Because trust me, there’s more.
Leave a comment sharing your pool-opening horror stories or what products you use to keep your pool clean! I can use all the help I can get.
