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!
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!
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.
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! :)
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.
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!
hi karen,
you should be able to leave it a maybe a week i always went by how the water looked and felt it can get pretty hot this time of year if you dont use the pool every day then i would use the water to water to water house plants ,,outside flower beds trees ect then your not wasting it
good luck L.
If I were you, I wouldn't fill it up too full and I would dump it every day. Kids tend to urinate in it; bring in dirt; grass, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, pets, toys, etc. Yes, you are right, mosquito larvae don't take long to hatch. I wouldn't put anything in the water for insects that a child could ingest, unless it is harmless to people & pets. I am a swimmer and I swallow some pool water almost every time. Kids tend to drink pool water more often. Algae are also an issue in water, and grows with the sun. To keep the water fresh and clean, dump & re-fill every day--this is the "natural" filter system.
As for your beauty rest: I recently read a research study on the Net about 8 hours sleep per night for men vs. women. Guess who tends to get diabetes and heart disease as a result of insufficient sleep? You guessed it: women! You can try to nap when your child is napping.
Good luck! jenifer
I'm in your same boat (or pool), I usually change it everytime I put him in it but we don't put him everyday. I would leave it one mor day but I'm actually looking for a small pool cover or some kind of tarp I can use that will cover the pull tightly so I don't have to change it so often (maybe once a week). Maybe you should look for something to cover it too so you don't have to change it so often as well.
I usually dump our kiddie pool every 2-3 days(depending on how dirty the water has gotten). Also, I put peroxide(NOT BLEACH) in the pool water. It's safe, and it disinfects the water(I'm a bit of a germ-a-phobe). I don't know if it wards off mosquitos, but if you dump the pool regularly you won't have a problem with mosquitos. I've never seen any of their larvae in our kiddie pool(Thank God!!!). I also have a tarp to cover the pool with when we're not splashing in it! I hope this helps.
~K.~
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.
DUMP IT EVERYDAY. Not only is it dangerous to your little ones, but you do not want to be a liability to other kiddos in the neighborhood (even if it IS behind a fence.) As far as putting chemicals in something as small as a baby pool?? That's UNTHINKABLE!!
Water your plants at the end of the day and then you have a win-win situation. I have my kids take cups and they water the plants FOR me!! They use water from the baby pool, they think it's SUPER FUN, and it's one less thing I have to do!!
Fill the pool only a couple of inches if you are really concerned about your water bill. I promise it's JUST as much fun!! Before you put your kids or other kids safety at risk or introduce more mosquitos or chemicals... how much could a few extra gallons a day add up a month on your bill - a few bucks? If the money is a concern, try calculating it and then decide if it's worth it.
Take Care!!
I dump the water every day, but I use the dirty water for in/outside plants and flowers.
You could add small amount of clorex and it will help out with the water lasting longer. Depending how large your plan pool is, but average size maybe add 1/2 cup, no more.
I only empy our pool when it becomes so dirty with dirt etc.
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!
We have a small paddling pool so I fill it whenever the kids want to use it, no more than once a day. We don't just dump it though, we use the water to water the lawn, plants, etc... Also, even though the once (or twice at most) a week we water the lawn is in the morning or late afternoon, I ALWAYS make that kid play time and let them run through the sprinkler. I alternate the days I run the sprinkler in the front and back yard so we have more opportunities for water play.
Other posters have said it, but I felt the need to reiterate, DUMP THE WATER AS SOON AS YOU ARE FINISHED TO PREVENT DROWNING ACCIDENTS. Your daughter only needs a few inches at two years old to have fun, just get some measuring cups and bath toys and she will have plenty of fun without you having to spend too much on water.
I dump it every day. I just dont fill it up as high. But I will not leave it in there.I also make sure to water the grass with the water. Put the pool in different areas each day do the water is used for the grass. Also try not to let me go swimming at bad times of the day. That is what I do!
According to the "little pool people", the water should be changed out every 8 hours. I spray the bottom of my kiddie pool with a mild bleach solution (on cap per spray bottle) and let it dry out in the hot summer sun. I then fill it with water. I can usually get an extra day, this way. I still have to empty at least every other day. I think really the only thing you can go on is your common sense. If the pool floor is slimy, so is the water. Also, if your child doesnt have a tendency to drink the water, your ok not to change it as often.
Just my pennies worth,
Margaret
If you cover the pool when it's not being used, it is okay to use the water 2-3 days and then dump it. This is assuming the kids or any pets aren't getting dirt in it and aren't urinating in it. Kinda gross, but young kids often do.
If the bottom of the pool feels slimy, dump the water and clean the pool. And use the pool water for other things: water potted plants, the garden, the lawn.
Keep the water for a few days is fine as long as you can keep it clean.
you can buy a chlorine tablet floater for your pool at walmart. It's only about $5 and the chlorine tablets are about $2. We break them and use about 1/4 of it in the floater since the pool is small. Just take it out when the kids are in it and the water will last much longer. The chlorine kills the germs and will keep the mosquito's out as well. And I would keep it covered also.
I always put about a cup of bleach in the pool, waited about an hour, and then another cup at night, and used the water until the bottom got slimy (usually only 1 extra day) However, if it was obviously dirty, it got changed anyway.
Good Luck!
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...
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.
Here is a link to control the mosquito larvae and brother they WORK! They just said to take out before they swim bc it may irritate eyes. The working element is Bacillus Thuringiensis-- A.K.A -- B.T.
" B.T.I. is a bacterium that controls mosquitoes and black flies in their larval filter feeding stage of development. The larvae die after consuming the bacteria that causes a disease specific to them but are harmless to all other forms of wildlife." Below I have placed the link : http://www.northlineexpress.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=5SU-111
These people are the cheapest on the web and very nice to deal with.
It is approved in all 50 states and even in Canada!
If you want to get rid o all the little blood suckers so you can once again own your own backyard I suggest using Garlic Barrier. http://www.mosquitobarrier.com/index.html
I as well as my neighbors who have tried it as well use it asthe ONLY thing that works and is completely friendly to the environment and that means you and your family as well! I used it once then twice and VOILA! NOT A SINGLE BITE SINCE! No mosquitos, gnats, no see ums etc. You will be entralled if you go read the site. AMAZING and shocking is all i can say for the results! AND! IT gets RID of FIRE ANTS POOF!! They LEAVE and DONT come back! One qt lasts the season ifyou have the average small yard. You need a small pump sprayer and you can get that at Walmart. You will never go back to pesticides again. PROMISE.
