Removing Scum -limit suntan lotion?

[webfeet]

I have found that magic eraser and baking soda will remove scum, thanks to this forum. However, it started reappearing in a few days. What can I do to get this scum out of the water, before it gets back on the liner? I know some of it comes out on the eraser, but some of it must be dispersed into the water during cleaning.

I have been told to avoid sunscreen and lotions in the pool, but we are very fair complexed. We have to wear it. Is this bad for our liner or equipment?

Thanks for any help.

[matt4x4]

I found that the problem with the magic eraser is that it "sands" the dirt off, the sticky dirt gets back into the pool through the breakdown of the eraser and it isn't long before it reattaches itself to the wall. (ever notice that the eraser disappears with use.....well, it's gotta go somewhere....) Over time - ie - magic eraser usage, your liner will dull and you can also risk removing or lightening your printed on design.



I have found the best way to remove the scum line for the year (and I only do this once a season) is to get into the pool and work from there using a liquid vinyl cleaner - (you can buy the hardware store brand as it's the same composition as the one the pool store sells for 3x the price.) I also like to have a good layer of dirt accumulated in my filter to protect the sand and aid with filtering out remnants when I do this.
Keep the rags dry, use one at a time. (I use 1'x1' rags folded into quarters) - spray liberal amount of the cleaner onto the rag until it is nice and wet, slowly move the rag along the stain line - pressing firmly for a length of about 5 feet in one direction, lift off, repeat, set the rag dirty side up on the rail, use a new rag with some cleaner and go over the area again - it should be nice and clean now.
If your first rag is not black yet, spray some more cleaner on it and do the next 5 feet - you be the judge of the rag condition, if it gets too dirty, flip it, then refold a clean area to the outside.
It will pick up pool water - this is where the dirt washes back into the pool - so toss it out and use a fresh one.
After you've done the liner, do the skimmer the same way, then use a clean rag and with another good soaking of cleaner, do the entire perimeter in one or two sweeps.
using a clean untreated rag, wash the perimeter using pool water to get off any excess left behind - wring out rag outside of pool.
The nice thing is that the cleaner dissolves the dirt, so any that gets back into your pool should stay dissolved long enough to get filtered out.
Let pool circulate on filter for at least 4 hours after cleaning and backwash filter.
There should be no change in your chemicals after this is done - at least, I've never seen one on my pool - I think the amount of cleaner that makes it into the pool is so minute it doesn't have any effect.

[mbar]

matt - what a great post You are right about the stuff getting back in the pool I am going to save this post for future reference as "matt4x4's scum line cleaning routine"

[waterbear]

Also, floating a 'scumbug' (or one of the other brands of this oil adsorbing sponge) in your pool or skimmer will collect a lot of the surface oils before they form a scum line. Enzyme products (although pricey) also help in keeping the scumline down when applied weekly.

[webfeet]

Matt, thank you for your reply. Can you recommend a brand of vinyl cleaner? What chemicals should be in it? What should not be in it? Thanks, Webfeet

[matt4x4]

If I remember correctly mine says 303 on the bottle, and I just went to 303 products, although they won't tell you what's in it, the MDS looks harmless - I believe that's true for most of them since anything harmful likely melts plastics too....

[CarlD]

I also find, as a preventative, using the skimmer socks and running my filter on high pulls that junk out and traps it in the sock and it can be rinsed out.

But great post, Matt!