How Do You Clean a Pool With a Tennis Ball?

To clean a pool with a tennis ball, simply drop one or two tennis balls into your pool's skimmer basket.

Based on the provided reference from Fluidra Tips & Tricks, the method is straightforward: "Just drop a tennis ball or two into your skimmer. And they'll help keep your pool. Clean".

While the reference doesn't detail how they clean the pool, tennis balls are commonly used for this purpose because their fibrous surface helps absorb surface oils and grime that accumulate in the water from sunscreen, lotions, and other residues. Placing them in the skimmer allows them to efficiently pick up these substances as water flows through.

Why Use a Tennis Ball in Your Skimmer?

Tennis balls are made with a felt-like surface that is surprisingly effective at attracting and absorbing non-polar substances like body oils, sunblock, and other lotions that float on the surface of your pool water. By placing them in the skimmer, where surface water is drawn in, the tennis balls can capture these residues before they circulate further or settle.

Steps for Using Tennis Balls for Pool Cleaning:

1. Gather Supplies: You will need one or two clean, new tennis balls.
2. Locate Skimmer: Find your pool's skimmer opening(s) at the water's surface.
3. Open Skimmer Lid: Carefully lift or remove the lid covering the skimmer basket.
4. Place Tennis Balls: Drop the tennis ball(s) directly into the skimmer basket alongside any debris.
5. Replace Lid: Securely place the skimmer lid back on.
6. Monitor and Replace: Check the tennis balls periodically. Once they appear soiled or saturated with oil, replace them with new ones.

This simple trick is a popular, low-cost method to help reduce the oily sheen that can sometimes appear on the surface of your pool water, complementing your regular pool filtration and chemical maintenance.

Remember, using tennis balls is a supplementary cleaning method, primarily targeting surface oils. It does not replace essential pool maintenance practices like regular filtration, chemical balancing, and physical skimming of larger debris.