Will a pool cover eliminate cleaning?

One of the main reasons some pool owners get pool covers is to eliminate cleaning. We’ve had lots of readers who have bought a pool cover for this reason. And all of them significantly reduce their cleaning time.

If you’re buying a pool cover to reduce your cleaning, make sure you get the right pool cover for your needs.

The Best Pool Covers to Reduce Cleaning Time

Some pool covers are better than others at keeping dust and debris out of your pool. But by far the most important thing is, the ease of taking the cover on and off.

If it’s hard to take it on and off, you won’t use it.

Rigid & Slat Pool Covers –these are made from solid slats and they run on tracks that have been installed on the side of the pool.They do a great job (better than solar, debris and thermal covers) of keeping out debris since they don’t have any gaps around the edges.

They are very easy to take on and off and often they are powered with a motor.

Shutdown covers – also known as winter pool covers. These pool covers are by far the best for keeping out debris and reducing cleaning time. They are normally made from vinyl and totally seal your pool off from the outside world.

These covers are generally used to close off your pool for the winter or close it for long periods of inactivity. They’re not suitable for people that regularly use their pools and will be taking the cover on and off a few times per week.

Leaf & Debris covers – these covers are made from a woven material and keep a lot of the dirt and debris out of you pool. They are better than thermal or solar covers for keeping out leaves, sticks and dust. Normally the leaves will land on top of the cover and blow right off it. You can also help get the leaves off with a broom or blower.

Because they are made from woven material, they do let a little dust in but not much.

These pool blankets take 5 to 10 minutes to take on and off and are secure around the edge of your pool using straps and clips.

Solar Pool Covers – also known as bubble covers. These covers are made of a plastic like material and look like a big piece of bubble wrap.

They keep a lot of the debris out with the added advantage of also warming the pool water. We’ve had customers tell us they cut their cleaning time from 1 hour per day to once a week with this type of cover.

Unlike shutdown, leaf and debris covers, a pool roller is available to make taking the cover on and off very easy. You can do it in seconds with a cover roller.

Thermal Pool Covers – these keep a similar amount of dirt out as solar pool covers. Like solar pool covers, pool rollers are available too. They retain more heat than solar covers but are also a lot more pricey.

 

 

 

 

Our Recommendation

Choosing the right pool cover really depends on what you’re trying to achieve.

If you’re trying to reduce your daily pool cleaning then a solar, thermal, rigid or debris cover may be for you.

If you’re closing your pool down for the winter and don’t want hours of cleaning at the start of the next swimming season, then a shutdown or winter cover is for you.

Recommended Products

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Swimming Pool Covers

Related Reading:
Leaf and Debris Pool Covers – Are They Right For You?
Pool Covers – How to Measure & DIY Install
Measure Pool for a Pool Cover – Quick Easy Tips
How to get the Pool Cover Rebate? Are you eligible?