How to Get Rid Of Stains On Vinyl Pool Liners

HOW TO GET RID OF STAINS ON VINYL POOL LINERS

Your pool can be in perfect working order with the ideal chemical balance and the perfect temperature just beckoning for a swim. Having unsightly stains on your vinyl pool liner, however, can quickly make your otherwise perfect looking pool look anything but appealing to swimmers in your household. Once you can properly identify and treat stains, you’ll be able to get rid of stains on vinyl pool liners for good and get back to enjoying your pool every time you swim.

First, it is important to understand how your pool liner can become stained in the first place.
Your pool can get stains from either organic or mineral and metal sources. Well water or corrosion from metal pipes can cause metal staining, while organic sources can be things like leaves, berries, flowers, insects and pollen and any other type of a natural source that fall into the pool.

How to identify stain types and colors:

Organic stains: These stains originate from the tannins in leaves, dead algae, plant debris, or small animals. The stain colors range from yellow, to brown, to black. If the stain lightens from a small application of chlorine on it, the stain is organic in nature.

Mineral and metal stains: Too much copper, iron, calcium or salts can all result in vinyl liner staining or marks. Too much copper usually results in blue-green staining, while iron results in brown, red, or yellow staining. Calcium and salts can result in white deposits on the liner. If the stain lightens from a small application of acid to the stain, then it is a mineral type of stain.
Fading: Vinyl pool liner fading can also be an issue worth mentioning. Fading can occur from the use of pool chemicals or from the sun. Low pH and high chlorine are both common reasons. Fading is not treatable, unfortunately. But it can sometimes be prevented by always pre-dissolving granular chlorine in a bucket of water before adding it to the pool.

How do you get rid of this problem?

We have come up with a process and solution for all of your vinyl stain removing needs:

Tools You’ll Need:

STEP 1. TEST THE WATER CHEMISTRY

The first step in getting rid of pool stains from your vinyl pool liner is to test the balance of your pool chemicals. Pool balancers can sometimes lighten pool stains to the point that you can forego additional treatment. Improper pH levels, alkalinity and calcium can cause staining. The best way to determine your current pool water status is a pool chemical water testing kit; you can see our selection here.

Here’s a list of water testing kits that we recommend:

Taylor sureCHECK Safety Test, Total Chlorine, Total Bromine, pH, and Total Alkalinity (Hi Range), OTO

STEP 2. DETERMINE IF THE STAIN IS MINERAL OR ORGANIC

Treat your pool liner for your type of stain. Mineral pool stains are treated with acidic stain removers. Organic pool stains are treated by shocking the pool with a chlorine shock treatment. If that doesn’t work, try a Stain Remover. Doheny’s also carries a spray-on Vinyl Cleaner that can be used if your pool is drained.

STEP 3. KEEP UP WITH REGULAR MAINTENANCE

Now that the stains are removed and you’re left with a once again sparkling pool, it’s time to think about upkeep and prepare for any other hard hitting stains. You can do this with ease using our chemicals and stain removers, and by testing your pool water regularly.

PREVENTING FUTURE VINYL POOL LINER STAINS

To prevent pool stains from developing on your pool liner in the future, always keep pool water balanced by checking the chemicals and using a pool cleaner on a regular basis to get rid of dirt and grime that tends to build up with regular use. Using pool stain control products to prevent staining is also highly beneficial in keeping vinyl pool liners clean, as they can make it hard for minerals in the water to stick to surfaces and cause staining. If you are tired of dealing with vinyl pool liner stains, then try a little bit of prevention - it can make all the difference in the world when it comes to the care and maintenance of your pool.

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