K.N. asks from Marietta, GA on July 08, 2008
How Long Before You Dump the Water in the Kiddie Pool?
I thought I'd take a quick survey... How long are you keeping the water in the plastic kiddie pool before dumping it and refilling? We received a notice at the start of summer about water rationing and price increases if the household exceeds certain gallon usage... So the idea of emptying the water everyday seems excessive (and could get expensive!).
Also, I was wondering if anyone mixes anything in the water to ward off mosquitos/larvae?
Thanks y'all!
So What Happened?™
This has been so informative! At first I told myself that it was a silly question, but I must say that I have become better educated! THANK YOU ALL! We only recently bought our first kiddie pool 2 weeks ago. I had already toyed with the idea of maybe adding salt, vinegar, bleach, or dish washing soap to the water. However, our pool is the inflatable kind (not hard plastic) and we thought that anything too caustic (like bleach) would eat through the plastic. I had not considered baking soda...?! Makes sense, its a base instead of an acid...
And that being said, I'm not actually convinced that I will leave water in the pool after each use. You're right, she's not entirely potty trained and there is always the possibility of a drowning danger... (And knowing my child, she's probably contemplating how to scare the living 'bejeebees' out of me at this very moment... 'Cause she undoubtedly thinks that's funny... ?!) Actually, one of my girlfriends told me that her sister saw her 4 yr old lose his balance while bending over the side of a kiddie pool and was upended, legs sticking out in the air and couldn't get out. Luckily there wasn't water in the pool (and I'm not sure how high of a side wall it had). But if a 4 yr old can get in trouble around a kiddie pool, I'm sure my 2 yr old can too.
And of course, water conservation is something I need to keep working on... I appreciate all your good tips! Thanks again!
Featured Answers
M.N. answers from Longview on July 09, 2008
my sis told me that you can get some stuff to put in the water at WalMart. It comes in a little bottle. Its some kind of chlorine stuff I think. She says its made for kiddie pools. She also covers hers with a tarp to keep things out when not using it.
2 moms found this helpful
A.P. answers from Austin on July 08, 2008
I dump after each use
BUT
the kids dump it bucket by bucket.....
into the garden, the flower beds, various places in the grass, etc. It's amazing how far a plastic pool full of water will go! :)
2 moms found this helpful
More Answers
R.L. answers from Houston on July 09, 2008
Another option is to use Baking Soda. You can get a big box of Arm and Hammer baking soda in the laundry aisle and there are instructions right on the box for use in pools as an alternative to bleach. As long as you kiddie pool is in a fenced area, and depending on use I would probably dump it once a week. After all people who have full size pools in fenced areas take precaustions to keep unwanted people and animals out and they can't empty their pools everyday, and I am sure you know the dangers of water and watch your child. I think it's ridiculous of people to assume you don't.
We definitely need to conserve water and if you use an additive to keep the water clean (preferably a natural one although a small amount of bleach is perfectly safe.) Then you just have to use your best judgement on when to dump it!
2 moms found this helpful
J.L. answers from Austin on July 09, 2008
There are some chlorine type drops you can buy to put in your baby pools to keep the water from going bad so quickly. I have found it at WalMart and other places. I'm sorry I can't remember the name of it. I'm out of that stage now. But that could help it last a bit longer.
2 moms found this helpful
M.N. answers from Longview on July 09, 2008
my sis told me that you can get some stuff to put in the water at WalMart. It comes in a little bottle. Its some kind of chlorine stuff I think. She says its made for kiddie pools. She also covers hers with a tarp to keep things out when not using it.
2 moms found this helpful
A.P. answers from Austin on July 08, 2008
I dump after each use
BUT
the kids dump it bucket by bucket.....
into the garden, the flower beds, various places in the grass, etc. It's amazing how far a plastic pool full of water will go! :)
2 moms found this helpful
A.R. answers from Houston on July 09, 2008
Wal-mart sells a chemical to add to kiddie pools or you add regular bleach(just a shot)to make the water last longer. I also use a pan of water for a foot bath to clean there feet before they get in.
1 mom found this helpful
L.R. answers from Austin on July 09, 2008
we've been refilling it every other day, and then decided to put a tarp over it so it could last longer. you can get Mosquito dunks from Lowes to put in the water (i use them in our rain barrels.) you'll have to take it out of the pool while the kids are in it so they don't eat it.
hope this helps...
1 mom found this helpful
H.P. answers from Corpus Christi on July 09, 2008
I put a big splash of bleach in the water while I'm filling it and it tends to keep for about 3 days. And in Corpus that seems to be quite a while. Before I started adding bleach it wouldn't even make it through a full 24 hours without growing green stuff in the water. And it makes it ten times easier to clean it. I don't see any mosquitoes near it. So I would assueme that it helps with that. I put just enough in that you can ALMOST smell the chlorine. Hope this helps.
1 mom found this helpful
L.D. answers from San Antonio on July 09, 2008
I would suggest dumping as soon as you are done. That is what we do. We just don't fill it very high and dump it on flower beds/grass.
Sure you can get chlorine tabs or drops but there is always a chance of a little one getting out when you are not watching. Although kiddie pools are not as dangerous as larger ones, children can and have drowned in them and usually b/c it was not dumped after use.
If you still decide to leave it full, I suggest you invest in an alarm for your back door (the kind you place on yourself-I believe Harriet Carter has them). They are very loud and you will know if your little girl has opened the door.
But obviously, the SAFEST and WISEST thing to do is too dump it-it isn't worth the risk!! Good Luck!
1 mom found this helpful
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