How to Clean Intex Metal Frame Pool Prior to Storing

For the past three years my family has had pretty decent success with our 12 ft x 36 inch Intex metal framed pool. The pool has served the kids well on those ninety degree days tucked between Memorial Day and Labor Day. As the season winds down there becomes the unfortunate task is cleaning the pool and folding it up for storage. This project alone will take anywhere from a few hours to just about a whole afternoon. The process can be quite quick if one is able to recruit some helpers and has all the right cleaning equipment. I would recommend the following items for cleaning an Intex pool: dish detergent, bleach, buckets, scrub brush, old towels, and a shop vacuum (optional).

Draining the Intex pool

The bottom of most Intex pools will contain a single drain that needs to be opened up to start the process. The draining process may have to be staggered throughout the day to avoid creating large pools of water in your yard or even neighbors yard. I usually spend a day alone performing a gradual drain down of the pool to avoid oversaturation and extremely muddy conditions in the yard. Once the water is drained just below the spout, there will be approximately an inch or two of water remaining which will require manual removal.

Removing Water in Intex Pool below drain line

There a few ways to get that remaining water out of pool. One method is through use of a shop vacuum. A full size shop vac will empty out this final batch of water in no time, but will also require very heavy lifting of the vacuum bucket for each trip to empty. If a shop vacuum is not on hand, then the remaining water needs to be emptied by buckets. Unfortunately my shop vac is too small and I had to resort to the old school bucket method though it worked and was completed pretty quickly courtesy of a few junior helpers. The remaining water that cannot be scooped up by bucket will then need to be absorbed through towels. This can be a lengthy and time consuming process as towels need to be wrung out and re-used over and over until bottom is free of old water.

Cleaning Floor and Sides of Intex Pool After Drained

Once the old water is removed, the pool must be cleaned. To clean the pool, I usually prepare a few buckets of soapy warm water with a little bleach added. The bleach will disinfect the pool as well as kill any algae buildup. I typically use a scrub brush and work the wash water into the floor and wall pool liner. It is crucial to work every inch of this pool with the brush removing any algae or dirt buildup accumulated over the summer. There is only so much pool chemicals will accomplish throughout the season so do not be surprised to see little amounts of buildup located on the liner. The work will be long and exhausting but will be greatly appreciated the next season. The process should be repeated for the outside walls of the pool. Complete the washing process by rinsing off all soap from the exterior and a hefty rinse of the pool interior. The inside soap and rinse water should then be removed with the shop vacuum or bucket and towels.

Take Down and Final Clean

Once the interior is clean and dry, the pool should be flipped over so the bottom can be cleaned. Give the bottom a good scrubbing with the bleach soap water and final rinse. Dry the bottom with towels or allow to air dry prior to packing up into storage.

Prior to storage, also clean all other pool parts such as metal frames, ground cover, ladder, and pool cover. These items should also be cleaned with soapy hot water and dried thoroughly.


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