With warmer weather upon us, many families have begun to turn their attention to pool season. However, the pool safety cover must be removed before any pool festivities can begin. How do you remove it safely and properly? Here’s how:

Step 1: Clean the cover before removal

Over the fall and winter, debris and dirt can collect on the swimming pool cover. The one thing you don’t want to do is remove the cover before removing debris. Why? Because everything sitting on top of the cover will slide into the pool during removal. Even worse, a large twig or branch can cause a tear! To clean off the cover, hose off the debris using a standard garden hose with a power nozzle. If your pool is covered with a solid cover rather than a mesh pool cover, then you will need to suction off any standing water before removing it. A cover pump is designed to make this task easy.

Step 2: Remove the Cover Springs and Screw Down Anchors

Before removing the pool safety cover, you need to remove the cover springs and screw down anchors. The installation rod that came with your cover is the perfect tool for removing the springs from the anchors. Once you’ve removed all of the springs, take the hex key (that should have come with your cover) to lower the brass anchors down into the deck. By lowering the anchors into the deck, you will reduce the risk of your cover getting snagged on them during the removal process. This is an important step to helping prevent damage to your cover, so don't skip it! 

Step 3: Remove the cover

Start at one end of the cover and fold the cover in small sections in an accordion-style until you reach the end. Then, carefully remove it from the end of the swimming pool and set it on a flat clean surface, being careful to not drag the cover. This can be difficult to do with just one person, so a second person is recommended.

Step 4: Clean the cover thoroughly

To clean the cover, spread it out on a clean section of your lawn and clean it thoroughly using a mild detergent mixed with water. You can also use a safe and effective spray-on cover cleaner. If the pool cover is extremely dirty, use a pool brush to scrub the dirt and grime from the cover. Rinse the soapy water or cover cleaner from the cover using a hose and let it dry. Be careful not to let your cover sit on your grass for an extended period of time or it can harm your lawn. Many swimming pool owners often skip this step, but cleaning it after removal is a great way for a better, deeper clean.

Step 5: Store Your Pool Cover

Wait for the cover to dry before storing it as this will help reduce the risk of mold and mildew from growing on it over the summer. Once dry, fold the cover in half as many times as possible until it is small enough to fit into the storage bag that was supplied with it. As with step 3, this too can be difficult to do with just one person, so a second person is recommended.

Tip: When storing, hang the bag high off the ground so rodents can’t burrow in it. You can also store the cover in a covered plastic bin or in a large enough garbage pail. This will make certain that once the swimming season is over, your swimming pool safety cover will be in good shape and ready for re-installation.

At Acepools.com, we’re ready to help get you ready for pool season. Browse through our large selection of pool equipment and pool accessories and get ready to enjoy your swimming pool!