While a sparkling, clean pool is absolutely integral in summer; your pool maintenance regime shouldn’t be relegated just to the warmer months. Your swimming pool requires your attention in winter as much, if not more. 

Careful winter care means a far less expensive and time-consuming spring preparing your pool for the swimming season again. After all, it is far easier to maintain a pool than to bring it back from a winter hibernation swamp-like state.

Here are a few tips to keep your pool in great shape over winter:

1. Before it gets too cold, jump in your pool and give it a good scrub. Although your automatic pool cleaner has probabaly been helping you out all summer, you now need to give it a hand for better results. The cleaner your pool is before winter sets in, the less likely you are to have trouble with it. Focus on tiles and grout and any sneaky corners. 

1. While you are at it, give all of your pool equipment a good clean; skimmers, filters and any other pool cleaning devices are good at harboring scum that can infect your pool while it lays dormant over winter.

1. As the colder weather sets in, seek professional pool maintenance to ensure your water is balanced and at its best after the abundance of summer swimming and before the stagnant winter. It will be far easier for you to maintain.

1. Shock dose your pool as suggested by your local pool professional once per month through winter. Shocking is essentially adding a high dosage of pool cleaning chemicals to your pool in one hit to keep any filth at bay. It is best to run a pump after shocking it to make sure the chemicals are spread evenly.
   
   
2. It might be tempting to keep your filter off while your pool isn’t in use, but it is important that you run the filter for at least a few hours each week to keep the water moving and to ensure the filter is still working at its best.

1. A simple trick to keep your pool free from contaminants through winter is covering it. A humble pool cover stops leaves and dirt from entering your pool. Leaves may seem innocuous enough, but they are often the cause of pool problems and imbalances.

1. You should check your pools basic levels occasionally through winter as you would through summer. Use a testing kit to check the pH, alkalinity and chlorine levels.

Committing a little time each week can make all the difference to your pool come spring. Happy hibernation.