If you have to shock during the day, use a chlorine stabilizer like cyanuric acid to preserve as much chlorine as you can.

Don’t breathe in the fumes from any of the chemicals you’re using. They can cause irritation and choking. Also, wear long sleeves and pants to protect your skin from the chemicals you’ll be using

Only mix 1 pound (0. 45 kg) at a time. If you need more, do it a single bucket at a time. Never put the chemical in first. You risk splashing it out on yourself when you add the water. Skip this step if you’re using a liquid shock.

Make sure you don’t get it on your skin. If you do, wash it off immediately, then check the back of the bottle to see if they recommend calling poison control.

Swimming in water with too much chlorine is very dangerous. Wait until the water reads 3 ppm or less when you test it using a DPD kit. [6] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source If you’re using a non-chlorine shock, you may only need to wait 15 minutes before swimming.

Always apply this type at night. This type is usually in granular form, so you’ll need to dissolve it before adding it to the pool.

Sometimes, you can add this directly to your pool without diluting it. It depends on the brand. When in doubt, dilute it in water. You should also add this one at night.

Lithium hypochlorite is getting expensive because of rising lithium costs, and manufacturers are cutting back their production. You might not be able to find this type.

However, this will not kill algae like products with chlorine will. If you have green algae, choose a chlorine product instead.

You can find these kits online or at pool supply stores; they measure how much chlorine is in the pool in parts per million (ppm). Some kits may use drops instead of tablets. Always read the instructions for your kit.

Write down the total chlorine for your pool so you can run the necessary calculations.

For instance, if your total chlorine is 2. 5 ppm and your free chlorine is 1. 2 ppm, your combined chlorine is 2. 5 - 1. 2 = 1. 3 ppm. Your target for combined chlorine is less than 0. 2 ppm. [14] X Research source

If your combined chlorine level was 1. 3, multiply that by 10 to get 13, your breakpoint level.

For instance, the breakpoint level in the example is 13. Subtract the free chlorine level of 1. 2 from 13 to get 11. 8 ppm, the desired change amount.

For instance, if your pool is 60,000 gallons (230,000 L), divide by 10,000 gallons (38,000 L) to get 6. Always check your product for the correct amount.

In the example, that would be 2 ounces (57 g) x 6 x 11. 8 ppm = 141. 6 ounces (4,010 g). Divide that number by 16 to get pounds: 141. 6/16 = 8. 85 pounds.

If your pool is especially dirty when you first open it, give it a double shock to clean the water thoroughly.

If you use your pool less often, then it’s okay to shock it every other week. Don’t do it less than that, though.

It doesn’t have to be a big party. Even if you went in the pool with a few friends, still shock it.

Even if you don’t get a big storm, having rain for several days in a row can change your chlorine levels. Similarly, if your pool loses or gains a lot of water for any reason, it’s time to shock your pool.

A chlorine smell happens when chlorine combines with ammonia. When this happens, the chlorine is no longer “free,” so it’s not sanitizing your pool.

If an incident like this happens at a pool party, clear the pool out and clean it right away.