7 Pool Tile Cleaning Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

1. Pressure Washer Error

Using a pressure washer can be a quick and easy way to clean your pool tiles. A steam pressure washer effortlessly removes debris, algae, scale, and grime without the effort of scrubbing with brushes.

The danger with a steam pressure washer is that its powerful action cleans so effectively it can even remove tiles. You should not use a pressure washer without carrying out some simple tests first.

Check that all the pool fittings are properly in place. Check accessories, outlets, and inlets.

Wear suitable personal protective equipment including goggles, shoes, and clothing. This not a pool maintenance job to do wearing your swimwear. A steam pressure washer can do some serious damage to you too.

Test the pressure washer on a small area of tiles. Choose an unimportant area. Spray it from 3-feet away for at least 30 seconds and then inspect the tile surface.



If there is no damage then progress to cleaning sections of the pool tiles. Follow the pressure washer instructions for pressure and temperature settings.

2. Pool Shock Shocker

You need chlorine in your pool. It kills germs and keeps you and your family safe from infection. This also helps to keep your pool tiles clean.



Pool Shock is an effective way of getting chlorine into your water but there's the right way to do it and a wrong way too.



Un-dissolved crystals of pool shock sink to the bottom of your pool. Here they can damage your pool liner, pool walls, and more. High concentrations of chlorine can bleach swimwear too.



Don't add pool shock directly to your pool. Dissolve the crystals first and add the solution to the water. A bucket or bowl of warm water will do fine for this task.



Don't forget to wear protective gloves, eye protection, and a mask. Chlorine fumes and splashes can be harmful.

3. Auto or Manual

Algae is a common problem in pools and it can make a mess of your tiles. It can be difficult to get rid of so it's tempting to switch on the automatic pool cleaner. You hope that the problem will be solved without manual intervention.

Unfortunately, you may be making things worse. The automatic pump just pulls the algae around your pool without removing it. It may even spread it.



There's no alternative than to manually remove the algae. Use a pool vacuum. The filter should be set to "waste" or operate it without the drain plug. It completely removes algae infested water and leaves your pool and automatic filter algae free.

4. Not Brushing?

Are you only using your pool vacuum to clean your pool? Brushing takes more effort and when you've done it you still need to vacuum.

It's tempting to avoid brushing. If you're not brushing the tiles you're making a big mistake. There is no alternative to brushing if you hope to remove the scum and dirt that sticks to your pool tiles and other hard to get at components such as ladders, steps, and corners.



It's cheaper than a gym membership. Give your pool a good scrub with the pool brush every week or more often. You'll have a much cleaner pool and you'll have had a good workout too.

5. Don't Follow the Instructions

Tile cleaning is just common sense. Yes? You might think that you don't need to read the instructions on tile cleaning chemicals but you should.

Commercially available tile cleaners make tile cleaning much easier. They contain powerful chemicals that remove tile scum if you know what you're doing. These chemicals could be acids such as hydrofluoric, hydrochloric, or phosphoric acid.

You must use personal protective equipment or you could do serious damage to your eyes, skin, and even respiratory system. Failure to clean up could lead to tragic consequences for your pool users.

6. Tired of Testing

Routine pool maintenance can become a tedious task. If your tiles and water look clean then you can wonder why it's so important to test your water so frequently. Your testing regime gets less frequent and before you know it you only test your water occasionally or when something goes wrong.



Routine water testing tells you that something needs to be done before there's a problem. It's a preventative activity rather than an action to fix a problem. Failing to test your water because your water looks fine can lead to major problems that will take more than slight adjustments to resolve.



Test your water weekly with a test kit or test strips. Get your pool supply store to test the water for a more detailed report every month. You can do this by taking a small sample to them.

7. Resting the Filter

Running your pool filter costs money. Perhaps you think it's energy-efficient to run it less often even switching it off for days at a time.

This is a big mistake. Your pool filter is a major ally in your fight to maintain the health of your pool water and the condition of your pool, tiles, and equipment. It can't help you if you switch it off.



Run your pool filter every day. It should run for eight hours a day, at least. This helps keep your pool clean.

Fewer Tile Cleaning Mistakes

Looking after your pool takes more than skimming debris off the surface. Don't make these tile cleaning mistakes. It will be easier to maintain healthy water and clean pool tiles.



Talk to LayorCare about your pool cleaning by making contact here.