Cleaning and Vacuuming Your Home Pool: Skimming, Brushing and Cleaners

Applies to: In-ground and above-ground pools with vinyl, fiberglass or plaster surfaces; manual vacuums and suction-side, pressure-side and robotic cleaners. Your own equipment's manual always comes first.

Before you start: safety first

Cleaning time is still supervision time. CDC notes that kids can drown in seconds and in silence, and advises preventing children from getting into a backyard pool unsupervised.^[6][7]

Maintenance never replaces the other layers of protection. See our guides to backyard pool safety layers and drain safety.

Skim the surface

Hayward calls skimming a task to do daily and the first step of its weekly routine.^[1]

• Use a long-handled leaf skimmer to lift leaves, insects and other floating debris off the surface.^[1]
• Get debris out before it sinks. Hayward notes that sunken debris is harder to remove and may stain the pool.^[1]

Brush walls, floor and fixtures

Hayward recommends brushing the walls and fixtures each week to remove dirt and help prevent algae from spreading. That includes ladders and slides, where algae and small debris can collect.^[1]

Hayward also suggests brushing sediment toward the main drain so it is easier to vacuum up.^[1]

Brush with care on vinyl. The Polaris 280 manual notes that the pattern on some vinyl liners can be scratched or worn by basic friction, including from a pool brush.^[3]

Check your pool builder's or liner maker's care instructions and the brush packaging before you scrub, because pool surfaces differ.

Vacuum the floor

Hayward groups automatic cleaners into three types: robotic, pressure and suction. Follow the manual for the one you own.^[1]

Manual vacuum. Hayward's weekly guide gives these steps; your own manuals may differ.^[1]

1. Submerge the vacuum head and hose before you connect the vacuum to the filter system.^[1]
2. Connect the vacuum and check that the hose does not float.^[1]
3. Work across the floor in a pattern like mowing a lawn.^[1]
4. Move slowly and overlap your passes to pick up as much debris as possible.^[1]

Suction-side cleaners. Hayward says these use your filtration system's water flow and connect to a dedicated suction port or the skimmer. Its AquaNaut guide says a dirty filter or full skimmer baskets can stop the cleaner, and to clean the filter and the pump strainer basket.^[1][2]

Pressure-side cleaners. Hayward says these run off a pressure line from the filtration system and usually need an extra booster pump. The Polaris 280 manual says to empty the debris bag once it is half full.^[1][3]

Robotic cleaners. Hayward says these work separately from the pool's filtration system. Its AquaVac 6 guide says a full filter or debris canister reduces performance and not to store the cleaner with dirty filters.^[1][8]

• Clear big debris first. Hayward's TigerShark guide says to remove large debris before running the machine, and the Polaris 280 manual says to remove the largest debris with a manual brush and net when the pool is dirty.^[3][9]
• Take out toys, floating thermometers and other objects. The Polaris 280 manual says these might damage the cleaner.^[3]
• Do not run a cleaner during shock chlorination, per the Polaris 280 manual.^[3]
• If you have an automatic cover, check your cleaner's manual about using it with the cover closed. The TornaX manual says not to use that robotic cleaner if the roller shutter is closed.^[4]

Robotic cleaners and electricity

• Unplug the power supply before lifting the cleaner out, as Hayward's AquaVac 500 guide directs.^[10]
• Lift it by the handle, not the cable. The TornaX manual says not to pull on the cable to remove it.^[4]
• Disconnect power before maintenance, and never service it with wet hands, per the TornaX manual.^[4]
• In stormy weather, the TornaX manual says to disconnect the cleaner from power. See our lightning safety page.^[4]

Empty baskets and look after the filter

Hayward recommends cleaning out the skimmer weekly, or more often if needed. It also notes that if the water is more than halfway up the skimmer opening, debris will not be collected effectively.^[1]

Before cleaning baskets, the Polaris 280 manual has you stop the filter pump, then clean the skimmer basket, the pump pre-filter and the filter where needed. Check your own pump manual for the right shutdown and restart steps.^[3]

Sand, cartridge and DE filters all screen debris from the water, and Hayward says to clean and maintain yours according to the manufacturer's directions. Hayward's How a Pool Works page notes, for example, that cartridge filters do not require backwashing.^[1][11]

When to call a professional