Home Remedies for Pool Chemical Dropout

Bleach or Hydrogen Peroxide

• Regular household bleach contains sodium hypochlorite, which you can use instead of chlorine to disinfect your pool. However, depending on the concentration of chlorine in your bleach and the size of your pool, you may need to use a lot. One gallon of bleach should put about 2 ppm of chlorine into a 30,000 gallon pool, but do not allow the bleach to come in contact with chlorine tabs from a pool store. Another option is hydrogen peroxide, which is also a disinfectant and degrades into simply oxygen and water. However, you will need 35 percent concentration hydrogen peroxide, not the 2 percent or 3 percent usually available in the grocery store.

Balancing pH

• To increase your pool's alkalinity, you can add everyday baking soda. The concentration is the same as alkalinity increaser you would purchase at a pool store, so you don't need to change the amount. Borax can replace products to increase the pool's acidity. However, make sure the only ingredient in the product you choose is borax, or sodium tetraborate. Borax can also help stabilize the pH of your pool. You should still get your water tested by a professional to make sure it is clean and the pH is acceptable.

Saltwater Systems

• Some pool owners decide to convert from chlorine or chemical based systems to saltwater systems. A saltwater pool is not so salty that you will notice it when swimming, but the salt prevents the growth of algae and bacteria. The water also feels softer when you swim in it. A saltwater system must be set up by professionals, and it will take a few weeks to convert a chlorine pool to a saltwater pool. Once it's done, however, it is fairly simple to maintain.

Plants

• Certain kinds of water plants encourage the growth of good bacteria in your pool, add oxygen to the water and consume the nutrients algae need to grow. A pool using this system will need a different type of construction than a traditional swimming pool, including a shallow area for the plants that is separate from the regular swimming area. Some plants that perform this function are marsh marigolds, water lilies and rushes.