9 Easy Pool Liner Cleaning Tips Every Owner Should Follow

June 15, 2018

9 Easy Pool Liner Cleaning Tips Every Owner Should Follow

Last Updated June 30, 2025 While most of us would rather be enjoying the pool than cleaning it, cleaning your swimming pool is part of life for pool owners. When done regularly and properly, cleaning will help keep your vinyl pool liner in tip-top shape. As you pull out the sponges, vacuums, and pool scrubbers, check out these tips to help make your cleaning process more efficient and prevent major maintenance issues down the road.

Never drain your vinyl liner pool for cleaning

We can’t stress enough that you should NEVER drain your above ground pool during a routine cleaning if you have a vinyl liner. Most cleaning can be done without draining your pool. Above ground pools are not designed to sit empty. The water in the pool helps secure the pool liner, and by draining the water you risk damaging it.

The pool walls can collapse or buckle, especially under wind or external pressure.
Liners can shrink, dry out, crack, or become misaligned, making reinstallation difficult or impossible without replacement.

Unless there’s an emergency, like a liner replacement or a full water replacement due to chemical contamination, you should never have to fully drain your pool.

Clean your pool at least once a week

Removing debris, vacuuming, and cleaning the vinyl pool liner on a regular basis will help reduce the likelihood of major stains and pool maintenance issues. The more you and your family use your above ground pool, the more often you should clean it. There are plenty of swimming pool apps for your smartphone that can help keep you on a regular cleaning regimen.

Use a tennis ball to absorb oils

Whether you shower before using your pool or not, oils from sweat, hair products, and sunscreen get left behind in your pool while swimming. The solution? Throw a tennis ball or two in the water and leave it there. The fibers on a tennis ball can help absorb these oils, keeping your water cleaner longer and preventing stains, fading, and other long-term damage to your vinyl pool liner.

Try natural or homemade pool liner cleaners

There are plenty of natural and organic options for removing stubborn stains on your pool liner. White vinegar, baking soda, or organic dish soap are great alternatives and can help you tackle most mildew and stains with less health and environmental impact. They’re also cheaper than many of the other pool cleaners you can buy. To start, try 1 cup white distilled vinegar (a natural degreaser and mild disinfectant) with 2 cups of warm water. Combine in a spray bottle and gently mix before cleaning around your pool, paying close attention to those pesky pool liner stains.

Pro tip: Be careful when using any cleaner to avoid bleaching or fading your liner. Always follow your manufacturer's instructions and test new cleaning products on a small, hidden area before moving forward.

Always gently scrub toward the floor

When gently scrubbing or wiping dirt off the above ground pool walls, always start high and clean down toward the floor. That way, the debris will fall to the floor and be sucked up during vacuuming rather than floating around in the water.

Don’t forget to pay attention to hard-to-reach areas

It can sometimes be hard to maneuver around the obstacles in your pool, like stairs, ladders, skimmers and gaskets. The waterline is another common place for buildup from dirt, sunscreen oils, and calcium deposits. When cleaning your vinyl pool liner, it’s best to give those hard-to-clean areas some extra love by gently scrubbing them by hand with a smaller tool, like a pool cleaning mitt. It will prevent dirt and debris from building up there over time and damaging your liner.

Invest in a robotic pool cleaner

Robotic pool cleaners are awesome! They reduce the amount of cleaning you have to do and they’ll clean your pool faster and better than you can. You can’t beat the convenience, and you’ll be preventing stains and damage to your vinyl pool liner without doing much work yourself.

Test your water chemistry regularly

Good water chemistry is incredibly important when it comes to cleaning your pool. Dirt and debris can impact your water chemistry, so you should always test your water chemistry before and after you clean your pool to make sure levels are where they should be.

Parameter	Ideal Range	Notes
Free Chlorine (FC)	1.0 – 3.0 ppm	Sanitizes the water; too low = algae/bacteria, too high = eye irritation
pH Level	7.4 – 7.6	Balances comfort and equipment protection
Total Alkalinity (TA)	80 – 120 ppm	Buffers pH and prevents fluctuations
Calcium Hardness	200 – 300 ppm	Important for concrete pools; still helps with vinyl/liner pools
Cyanuric Acid (Stabilizer)	30 – 50 ppm	Protects chlorine from UV; too much reduces effectiveness
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)	Below 1500 ppm	High levels can cause cloudy water or scaling
Phosphates	Ideally <100 ppb	Excess can feed algae growth

Proper water chemistry will help prevent algae and other debris that can stain and damage your liner, so it’s an important swimming pool maintenance step.

Get the pool cleaned professionally at least once a year

The most efficient way to clean your vinyl pool liner? Have someone else do it! We recommend having a professional check out your pool at least once a year. The advanced equipment professionals use goes beyond what you are able to do with your own cleaning accessories and water testing kits. A good cleaning service will also inspect your liner and all your parts to make sure your pool is in good working order, potentially saving you money on serious maintenance issues down the road.

How to Clean Your Pool Liner Like a Pro

Ready to clean your pool liner? Let’s walk through it step-by-step.

Turn Off the Pool Pump

For safety and ease of access, start by turning off your pump and circulation system before cleaning.

Skim and Vacuum

Next, it’s time to remove all the debris from your pool. Start by skimming off floating debris (like leaves and bugs). Then, use a vinyl-safe pool vacuum and hose to clean the pool floor.

Scrub

Scrub hard-to-reach areas like the skimmer, around the ladder, and the waterline and any stains you notice. These areas collect most of the grime. Next, you can scrub the floors and walls, starting at the top and working your way down. You can use natural and non-abrasive scrubbers here. Avoid abrasive scrubbers, harsh chemicals, and anything not labeled vinyl-safe.

Balance Your Pool Chemistry

Cleaning the pool can throw off the water chemistry. Test and adjust pH, chlorine, alkalinity, and calcium hardness. Balanced water prevents scale, staining, and liner fading.

Shock the Pool (As Needed)

If necessary, use a vinyl-liner-safe shock. Run the pump and avoid swimming for at least 6–8 hours after shocking.

Spend Less Time Cleaning & More Time Swimming

We hope these tips help you keep your pool cleaner and save you time, money, and energy throughout the swimming season. For more about cleaning and maintaining your swimming pool, check out these helpful pool cleaning resources:

If your liner has seen better days and you need a replacement pool liner, we're here to help. LinerWorld has a wide selection of bold, colorful liners for your above ground swimming pool.