It IS a little scary--you just have to follow the rules, though and you'll be safe. Dry Acid isn't as safe as it seems, but it's a lot easier to use than Muriatic Acid. Buy the generic stuff.

Another way to lower your pH is to use Tri-Chlor pucks. But this is only a good way if your CYA (stabilizer) level is lower than you like. Pucks lower pH and raise the CYA level fairly quickly. I use them when I'm in that situation (as I have been this year).