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Thread: laundry detergent in my pool....Whoops

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    Angry laundry detergent in my pool....Whoops

    I asked my wife to pickup 10 pounds of baking soda for our pool and told her to check the laundry detergent area for big bags or boxes. Without reading the boxes she brought I proceeded to dump 10 pounds of Arm & Hammer detergent in our 24 feet above ground pool . What is that going to be the long-term negative effects of this? The PH is off the scale at 8.2+ and the aqua chem. Site says that the total alkalinity is to high also and that the calcium hardness is to low.

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    waste is offline PF Support Team Whizbang Spinner waste 3 stars waste 3 stars waste 3 stars
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    Default Re: laundry detergent in my pool....Whoops

    Unca, I don't really know, but can you drain and refill ? If not mahaps someone else here knows of a solution
    Luv & Luk, Ted

    Having done construction and service for 4 pool companies in 4 states starting in 1988, what I know about pools could fill a couple of books - what I don't know could fill libraries

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    Default Re: laundry detergent in my pool....Whoops

    please help me someone . there must be someone with experience with a problem like this through accident or via pranksters. I put some ph down in tonight but it just looked a bit foamier (if thats a word). I will retest in the morning and also take a sample to my pool shop. Please let me know if you have any suggestions.

    Thanks,

    Uncle Jabba

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    waterbear is offline Lifetime Member Sniggle Mechanic waterbear 4 stars waterbear 4 stars waterbear 4 stars waterbear 4 stars
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    Default Re: laundry detergent in my pool....Whoops

    Besides the detergents you have added a lot of sodium carbonate (pH increaser) to the pool with the addition of the laundry detergent. Your TA and pH will be the easy fix. The foaming from the detergent won't be. I would recommend draining the water and refilling. You might want to try a defoamer (simethicone) but I don't know how well that will work or what the long range effects will be.
    Retired pool store and commercial pool maintenance guy.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: laundry detergent in my pool....Whoops

    Drain it and refill. That's what I would do.

  6. #6
    duraleigh Guest

    Default Re: laundry detergent in my pool....Whoops

    Drain it.

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    drumr is offline ** No working email address ** Thread Analyst drumr 0
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    Default Re: laundry detergent in my pool....Whoops

    I would throw all of my laundry in there and wash.....

    Just kidding!!! I think draining and refilling will be the only option too.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: laundry detergent in my pool....Whoops

    Quote Originally Posted by drumr
    I would throw all of my laundry in there and wash.....
    HAHA! I love that option!

    I would agree... draining is all you can really do unfortunatly. When I was in college we had this large pool like water fountain on campus and every year the seniors would fill it with laundry detergent and dish soap. It would foam like crazy! The only way they could clear it up was the drain the entire thing and rinse, and rinse, and rinse.
    Just becareful draining, I know sometimes a pool shouldn't be drained all the way down b/c it can damage the liner? (don't know the truth in this) Good luck! What a horrible discovery I bet! Next time I bet you read the label at least 5 times before adding it in LOL

  9. #9
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    Default Re: laundry detergent in my pool....Whoops

    My problem is someone sabatoged our community pool, with dish soap. We plan to drain our pool this week, then refill. My question is, do I have to change the sand in my sand filter? Any help would be truely appreciated, Thank-you.

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