Do I really need to brush the sides?

[BigDave]

When I had the Intex donut, I'd brush the sides whenever they started to get a little slippery.

[Watermom]

If you maintain the chemistry properly, you shouldn't feel slipperiness which is a sign of an impending algae bloom. To be honest, I don't brush my pool weekly but my chemistry is consistent. Plus, I vacuum several times a week and the vac head has brushes on the bottom so it kind of kills two chores at once.