Need Advice on Keeping Kiddie Pools Clean

I would suggest going to a pool supply store for advise. Warm water can be a breeding ground for staph, as well as typical algae. Some smaller pools may just need some chlorine tablets. I would not use typical household bleach. You shoud be able to find some good reliable help from the pros.

Household bleach will work fine. Put a cup in, swish it around well, and wait a few hours for it to dispel before letting the kids get in. You shouldn't be able to smell it when they swim.

I agree with using household bleach.
You can also go to a store that sells pool and spa supplies and ask what they recommend. It's far cheaper than draining and re-filling! It's been a while since I bought stuff for our hot tub, but you can get a big jug of chlorine crystals for about $15 and it helps break down body oils, etc. You don't even have to use it every day and you can put it in at night so that it's dissipated by the next day for swimming. Keep as much debris out as possible, but like I said, you can purchase things that are safe to use that will be far cheaper than your water bill.

Have fun!

Unless you treat the water and run a filter, you can't keep it from getting slimy. I wouldn't put bleach in a kiddy pool, its not made for that. The snap set pools are thin and not the right material to withstand treatment like that. Also its not wise to toss your kids into a bleach pool. :)

When we had a pool like that I put a bit of chlorine in to keep the slim out and used a spa vacuum to clean the bottom. You can get a test kit to make sure you put in the appropriate amount. Don't bother taking the water to the pool store for testing as they always say you need several chemicals to get the water right. Two of my friends have large above ground pools and only use chlorine and their pools are the cleanest I've seen! The spa vacuum fit on the end of a hose-worked like a charm! Good Luck

Why shouldn't regular chlorine bleach work? And about putting your kids in a bleach pool? Regular public pools use way more in so you actually smell it so I think just putting a little bleach would be ok. You use it on your clothes all the time anyway. Put a cover over top to keep out the debris.

I know however that chlorine is a toxin. so I don't use it much except for cleaning the kitchen floor now and then. So I would look into salt water for swimming in. It basically keeps it alkaline so nothing can grow. Look at the ocean and the Great Salt Lake. algae can't grow there!

You can buy chlorine dispensers that float in the pool (check places like Walmart for least expensive). That will help, but I'd try to get a filter too. If you check craigslist you might get lucky - people do give away or sell pools. I wouldn't put my kids in a pool with dirty water though - it's not healthy!!

Using household bleach does not work well, by the way. I tried it when we had a pool like yours. You have to put a LOT in to have it work, so you're buying tons of bleach all the time. And if you forget, then the pool gets gross. And it's really hard to regulate.
The floating chlorine dispenser and filter worked MUCH better.

I always had a small pool that was easy to dump daily so I don't know for sure, but I would research salt as a natural alternative, and I came across this item in a quick google search:

http://www.edubook.com/natural-ways-to-clean-a-kiddie-poo...

You can try putting a small amount of bleach in the water each day (a teaspoon or two).

Chlorine does work to prevent slime from developing in the pool, but also be aware that since there is no filter, the water doesn't move, and that makes it a great place for mosquitoes to lay their eggs. I don't know if mosquitoes are a concern where you live, but around here they carry West Nile Virus, so we are not supposed to leave kiddie pools filled for any length of time. Just something to think about.

What I did instead this year was to get a slip-n-slide. The kids can play in the water to cool off, but I don't have to fill it or worry about keeping it clean. So far, so good!

I would say get a pump, connect it to your hose and water your grass manually with the pool water. Then you can change it out every other day and not use any extra water because you would be watering the lawn anyway.

sorry, i just read the end of your post saying you didn't want to buy a pump :) That was my only idea though, I bet you would save more money even with buying the pump. My mom had a really little one, yes it took a while to drain out the pool, but it was inexpensive to buy it.