How often are you guys vacuuming and doing full cleans?

M

Megan Lawson

Member
I’ve had my pool for a while now, but honestly not sure if I’m keeping up with cleaning the way I should be. I usually vacuum once a week, sometimes twice if there’s a storm or a lot of junk from the trees nearby.

As for brushing, I kinda forget unless I see stuff on the walls 😅 and skimming, I just do when I notice things floating. Not the most consistent routine lol.

Just wondering how often you all are vacuuming, brushing, cleaning filters, that kind of thing. Do most people follow a strict schedule or just clean as needed?

Trying to see if I’m being lazy or if this is normal 😅
 
Megan Lawson said:
I’ve had my pool for a while now, but honestly not sure if I’m keeping up with cleaning the way I should be. I usually vacuum once a week, sometimes twice if there’s a storm or a lot of junk from the trees nearby.

As for brushing, I kinda forget unless I see stuff on the walls 😅 and skimming, I just do when I notice things floating. Not the most consistent routine lol.

Just wondering how often you all are vacuuming, brushing, cleaning filters, that kind of thing. Do most people follow a strict schedule or just clean as needed?

Trying to see if I’m being lazy or if this is norm
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Honestly, your routine sounds pretty normal to me 😂. I vacuum once a week too, more often if the wind’s bad. I try to brush twice a week because that’s where I slack off too. As long as your water’s clear and your chemistry is good, you’re probably doing fine. Consistency helps, but nobody’s perfect.
 
Same here, I’ve got good weeks and lazy weeks. I aim for vacuuming once a week, brushing twice if I remember, and skimming almost daily since we’ve got trees. Filter cleaning depends on how dirty it looks, usually once a month unless we’ve had storms. No shame in cleaning as needed as long as it stays balanced.
 
You’re not alone lol. I vacuum weekly, brush whenever I notice buildup, and clean the filter about every 4-6 weeks. I think a lot of people clean more when the pool looks dirty and less when it doesn’t. I try to stay consistent, but life happens. As long as the water’s safe, you’re doing okay.
 
I totally get the pool cleaning struggle! 😅 I try to vacuum every few days, especially after a windy or stormy day. For the walls, I found that using a telescoping pole brush with a scrubbing pad is much faster for me than just regular brushing. And I’ll admit, I don’t always stick to a strict schedule either. As long as the pool’s safe and clear, that’s all that matters to me! Anyone else find a certain cleaning tool makes the job easier?
 
I turned my pool chores into a little family challenge! Every Saturday morning I set a 15-minute timer and blast a short playlist 3 minutes skimming, 5 brushing, 7 vacuuming. Whoever finishes their round first gets to pick the next snack. Makes cleaning feel like a weekend game and keeps debris from piling up. Anyone else turn pool care into a friendly contest?
 
Honestly, I treat pool cleaning kind of like doing laundry I wait until it looks like it really needs it 😅 Not proud of it, but hey, it’s still swimmable! I do try to get a proper clean in every couple of weeks though
 
Full disclosure: I only bother brushing once a week usually right before my Friday night BBQ then let the robot run wild. Filters? I give them a rinse every other weekend while sipping coffee. Somehow the pool still looks better than my lawn!
 
For me, it’s less about a set number of days and more about reading the pool’s “mood.” If the water starts losing that sparkle or I see the first hint of film on the steps, I know it’s time for a full session. That usually works out to vacuuming every 5–6 days in summer, brushing midweek, and giving the filter a rinse whenever the return flow starts to feel weaker.

One thing that’s helped is pairing cleaning with other habits like checking the skimmer basket while I’m topping off the water, or giving the walls a quick brush while I’m waiting for the shock to dissolve. It keeps the work from piling up and makes the full cleaning a lot faster when it’s needed.
 
I totally get you, sometimes I feel like I'm cleaning just enough to keep things from going haywire. I think it's all about finding a balance! I try to do the basics consistently but give myself grace when life gets in the way. Does anyone else just try to keep the water safe and don't stress about the rest?
 
Same here, I’ve got a good cleaning routine, but sometimes life gets in the way! I vacuum once a week, but if there’s a storm or a lot of leaves, I’ll do it more often. I try to brush when I can, but honestly, I just go with the flow! Anyone else have those days when you just don’t feel like doing it?
 
You’re honestly right in the middle of what most people actually do, even if they won’t always admit it 😄. I don’t run a rigid schedule either. I vacuum about once a week in normal weather, more if there’s wind or a storm dump. If the robot’s been running regularly, that sometimes stretches it a bit longer.

Brushing is the one I used to forget too, until I realised it saves work later. Now I just do a quick pass on steps, corners, and the waterline once a week, nothing intense. Skimming is more of an “as I walk by” habit than a chore.

Filters are strictly pressure-based for me. When the gauge creeps up or flow feels weak, that’s my cue. Sometimes that’s three weeks, sometimes six.

As long as the water stays clear and balanced, cleaning as needed is totally normal, not lazy.
 
You’re not lazy, you’re basically describing how most real people do it, even if the internet makes it sound like everyone’s on a NASA maintenance plan. I used to try sticking to a rigid schedule and all it did was make me resent the pool. We’ve got trees nearby too, so one windy day can undo a week of “perfect” cleaning anyway.

What finally worked for me was cleaning based on signals instead of dates. I vacuum about once a week when things are calm, more if there’s a storm or heavy bather load. Brushing is lighter than people think, I just hit steps, corners, and the waterline once a week because that’s where gunk likes to hang out. Skimming is whenever I’m walking past with a coffee. Filters are 100 percent pressure based, when the gauge jumps 5 psi or flow feels weak, that’s cleanup time, not before.

The biggest change was realizing chemistry and cleaning are tied together. When I started using a weekly enzyme and occasionally a light clarifier from aquadoc, less stuff stuck to surfaces, so vacuuming became faster and brushing mattered less. pH stayed steadier, chlorine demand dropped, and the pool didn’t punish me for skipping a day. Now full cleans feel like maintenance instead of damage control.

If the water’s clear, holding chlorine, and the filter pressure isn’t climbing fast, you’re doing fine. Pools don’t need perfection, they just need consistency in the stuff that actually matters. Anyone else notice once chemistry is dialed in, cleaning suddenly feels optional instead of urgent?
 
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