Do-It-Yourself Swimming Pool Tile Cleaning

Tiled swimming pools are recognized for their smooth appearances, assorted styles and endurance. Swimming pool tiles are generally installed around a swimming pool’s perimeter at surface level. Whether indoors or outdoors, tiled swimming pools require consistent maintenance for sanitary purposes and aesthetic appeal. Calcium deposits, oils and grime accrue on pool tiles and become fixed to the tiled surfaces over time. Dirty pool tiles not only appear dingy, they attract algae and insects. Clean your swimming pool's tiles weekly to prevent a stubborn scum line from developing at water level along the pool’s perimeter.

Scour the tiles with a hand-held soft-bristle tile brush to loosen and detach calcium scale, grime and algae buildup. Work along the perimeter of the pool, removing as much gunk as possible.

Examine the tiles for remaining scum. If crusty deposits persist, pour nonabrasive chlorine-based tile cleaner onto a nonabrasive sponge. Apply the specific quantity of cleaner suggested by the product’s manufacturer.

Fill a plastic pail with water to rinse the sponge in.

Rub the sponge over the tiles to dislodge the remaining scum and gunk. Work along the pool’s perimeter until the tiles are spotless and shiny. Frequently rinse the sponge in the pail to keep from reapplying gunk to the clean tiles.

Inspect the tiles for remaining spots of unyielding grime. Gently rub a pumice stone over the grime until it loosens from the tiles.