Better Swimming Through Safe Pool Toys

Everyone loves to take a dip, but it can get boring to just swim laps all day. That’s where safe pool toys come in!

On the Pool Fence DIY blog, we’ve covered a lot of different potential drowning dangers, including community public pools, hot tubs and more. In today’s post, let’s take a closer look at how to maintain, and safely play with, our pool toys.

Pool Toys Can Be a Hazard

Whether you’re throwing around a beach ball or hanging around in an inflatable raft, pool toys can add a lot to your fun in the sun. Unfortunately, they can also pose a serious risk if they are not used properly. Here are a few safe pool toy tips to help you to stay safe.

Are Your Safe Pool Toys Clean?

No matter what toy you’re using, cleanliness is important. When opening your pool, don’t simply grab filthy toys out of storage and toss them in the pool. There’s potentially a year’s worth of grime and slime on those items. Believe it or not, chlorine may not be enough to eliminate the danger. Sometimes that slime is a result of harmful mold buildup.

As for cleaning up, here’s an easy way to scrub that slime away:

• Create a cleaning solution using bleach and water. The trick is to use about two cups of bleach mixed into one gallon of water.
• Scrub down the pool toys while wear protective gloves.
• After the now safe pool toys are clean, give them a good rinse with a hose to remove any of the excess solution.

This cleaning process should be repeated several times throughout the season.

No matter how many times you’ve used a particular toy, it’s important to always give them a thorough examination before each use. You don’t want to discover an unseen hole or leak while you’re sharing them with your guests.

Pool Toys Are Not Life Preservers

Your toys may float, but that doesn’t make them efficient safety devices. When kids are playing with pool toys, it’s important to remain vigilant. If you’re looking to prevent drowning, always use a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket. Active supervision is a key layer of safety for any adults who are watching their kids in the pool.

Put Away Your Toys

Once your day of fun is coming to an end, it’s time to put the pool toys away. Don’t ever leave them lying around the yard. For one, they can be easily damaged by the elements. For another, leaving pool toys around can encourage curious kids to hop into the water without supervision. Obviously, this can become very dangerous, very quickly.

Instead, it’s a much better plan to simply store those toys away. Preferably, the place you store your pool toys should be cool and offer plenty of cover from the weather. With proper storage, you eliminate another unnecessary risk of drowning and you’ll even extend the life of your toys.

Now that you know how to care for pool toys, what are you waiting for? Dive in!