There are two kinds of stains commonly found in pools: organic stains and mineral stains. Organic stains are stains caused by something in nature. Most people get organic stains from leaves falling in their pool over the winter. The leaves then sit on the bottom of the pool all winter and the pigment from the leaves is then left behind on the liner or pool finish. Each kind of stain removal is very unique.

To remove stains in the organic category, you would use a stain remover such as Biodex Aquadex 50 Stain off. Simply pour this product into the water and watch it gently lift any organic stain. Another method of organic stain removal would be to use Biodex Quick ‘N Thick or another type of surface cleaner. Surface cleaners require some brushing/scrubbing, and can be very effective.

For non-organic stains, or mineral stains we would recommend a different method. Mineral stains are stains caused by metal in the water. Common metals in pool water are copper and iron. Copper is the most common. People tend to get copper in their pool from the deterioration of their pool heater coils. If their pH is not in range, the water begins to corrode the coils, thus putting metals into the water. The stains left behind from metals are generally yellow or rust colored. To remove these stains we recommend two methods. The first step of stain removal is to ensure that your pool has less than 1 ppm of total chlorine. This will help to ensure that we do not oxidize the mineral stains. Secondly, we recommend adding ascorbic acid to the pool. Ascorbic acid will lift the stains. We then recommend a sequestrate (Biodex Protect All Supreme) to ensure that the metals do not come back and stain the pool again. Lastly, and very important; leave the pool below 1 ppm chlorine for 10 days.

You can see that there are several methods for treating stains, any of which an expert at Swim Things can help you with!