• Skip to main content

Private Scenes

  • Privacy Screen
    • Pool Privacy Screen
    • Fence Privacy Screen
    • Lanai Privacy Screen
    • Gazebo Privacy Screen
  • Rescreen
  • Gallery
  • Blog
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Privacy Screen / Pool Maintenance on a Budget

Pool Maintenance on a Budget

April 5, 2024 by Philip Kessler

If inflation is taking a toll on your household budget, we have a huge tip to lower the cost of pool maintenance this season.

The temperature is rising and summer is finally right around the corner. Unless they keep it heated and open through the winter, Florida homeowners are gearing up to open the pool sometime this month or next. Are the kids getting giddy at the thought?

You should bring the kids into the cost-cutting plan from the start this year. It gives them some responsibility. And we all know that taking on responsibility builds character. The world can use a healthy dose of that right now. You’re making it a better place in the future when you teach your children well.

In the short term, though, while they’re learning about being responsible, your family will have some extra cash on hand this year for summer fun.

Can the cleaning service

Pool cleaning services are a “given” expense for many of us. We’ve become accustomed to paying the monthly fee and we figure it into the budget automatically. Just as we plan on paying for utilities or going shopping for groceries.

However, pool services range between $80 and $200 per month with an average cost being around $122. Using the service for opening and closing the pool generally adds between $650 and $1200 for the year. If you decide to continue with a service provider and your cost is on the higher end, we recommend shopping around. Due diligence will cut that cost… possibly by half!

However, chopping that expense out of your household budget entirely is worth considering to be sure. If you have kids, may we suggest you use your free labor source? They are apt to moan and groan a little, but once they get into the task, they soon discover it’s not as horrible as they envisioned.

They’re near the water after all. Last time we checked, kids and water almost always equal fun before it’s said and done. We’re willing to bet that will be the case when helping clean the pool. Older children and teens are capable of taking on the task of skimming off floating debris before they get in the water. You likely have them doing that already.

Make a game of it

They can help keep that unsightly “ring around the pool” from forming and the gunk from collecting on the walls too.

Try making it a periodically planned “event.”  Think of a catchy name for the game, something akin to “The Quest to Eradicate the Ring,” maybe. Using a dramatic theme may be enough to have them looking forward to the day! Mark sections of the pool edge to be divided equally among the participants—chalk marks on the surface edge should work nicely—they will likely disappear by the race’s end.

Go over the guidelines for a job well done which will help determine the winner when the race ends. Have the kids station themselves at their beginning marker and on your signal they’re off!

The flurry of scrubbing that commences should be accompanied by peals of laughter… or the occasional “no fair!” It’s all part of the process and as long as you’re present to help keep things flowing in the right direction, ring around the pool won’t be an issue ever again! The winner’s prize can be a special ice cream treat or a new pool float. It would be fun to create a “trophy” for the winner to display in their room until the next event too.

Vacuuming

Once the scrubbing to loosen the debris is complete, the next step would be breaking out the vacuum. If you have an automatic vacuum, start it on its way. If you’ll be working with manual equipment, vacuuming the walls, floor, and steps might be a task you’ll take on since everyone worked so hard during the race.

Still, it doesn’t hurt to ask and you might have a volunteer step up readily. Which could be due to the surge of self-worth added responsibility brings.

Just saying.

Clean the filter next

This is a job that some older kids and teens can handle from start to finish as well by following these simple steps.

  • Turn off the pump and release the air pressure from the filter.
  • Drain the filter tank and remove the top.
  • Remove the filter from the tank .
  • Use a hose or an air compressor to clean off the accumulated dirt and debris.
  • Return the filter to the tank. Securely replace the top and turn the system back on.

Check the chemical balance

We strongly recommend that you take over the cleaning process for this last step. Pool test kits make it possible for homeowners to stay on top of the chemical balance so your water remains crystal clear all season long.

Follow the instructions on the kit to test your pool water. If adjustments need to be made and you’re having trouble figuring out how much of what needs to be added, take a sample of the water to a pool supply store. They usually offer to test the water at no charge and will tell you what you need to do to level things out.

Prepared for fun in the sun

Taking on your pool maintenance tasks and making it a family affair doesn’t have to be a monotonous chore that everyone dreads. Make a game of it where you can. It solidifies the family bond. Of course, plunging in and working hard until the job is done is a bonding experience too. Maybe your family would be happier putting noses to the grindstone and everyone going all in until the scrubbing is done.

How you choose to tackle pool maintenance this season is up to you. Cutting the expense of having a professional service come and handle the job is going to create a greater positive cash flow. And these days, that’s sure to bring some peace of mind.

It’s going to make relaxing poolside even better.

Guaranteed.

Filed Under: Privacy Screen

© 2025 Private Scenes

855-600-7719

13405 Chambord St, Brooksville, FL 34613

As seen in Real Estate CEO!

Web design by Spartan Media

Contact us to find out about our October specials for Florida homeowners!

Get a Quote

or call us at 855-600-7719