Have you ever had your child lose interest in an activity the minute you’re finished setting it up? After all that work, you might be wondering how long can you leave water in an inflatable pool without turning into a bacteria bath.
If you’ve ever had to deal with a tantruming child in public, you know it’s not worth the fight to try and change their clothes. Is it really that big of a deal if they stay in their swim diapers for an extra day or two?
You don’t want your kiddie pool to turn into a stagnant, mucky mess after a few buckets of water have been treated with chlorine. However, because kiddie pools don’t have pumps and you can’t treat inflatable pool water several bucketfuls of water with chlorine, you may end up with a stagnant, mosquito-ridden swamp before long. But how long can you leave water in an inflatable pool before emptying it? According To The CDC, Kiddy Pools Should Be Drained Or Vacuumed After Every Use (CDC).
How Long Can You Leave Water in an Inflatable Pool: What Happens If You Leave Water In A Kiddie Pool For Too Long?
Leaving pool water out too long or not cleaning the pool properly between uses raises the hazard of a recreational water illness, which can cause an upset stomach and diarrhea if you don’t kill bacteria.
If you’ve never heard the term “recreational water illness” before, you’re very fortunate. The word refers to any number of unpleasant parasites that can be acquired from public pools, the beach, or a water park. Try as hard as you can, but it’s unavoidable that your child will get sick at least once throughout his or her childhood, and it might be quite traumatic.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “E. coli, Shigella, and Cryptosporidium” can easily spread through water– especially in kiddie pools. They go on to state that there is an even greater risk of exposure when more than one child uses the pool at a time.
How Long Can You Leave Water in an Inflatable Pool: How To Keep It Safe
You might be thinking it’s easier to just spray your kids with the hose, but inflatable and plastic pools can be perfectly safe as long as you follow these easy tips.
The CDC suggests that parents keep their children from getting pool water in their mouths. As anyone who has ever tried to stop two toddlers from dunking their heads into a pool with open mouths knows, this is easier said than done.
It’s also advised by professionals that kids who are ill or recovering from an illness should avoid swimming with other children. Even though it may not be the most comfortable topic to bring up to another parent, it is needed in order to maintain everyone’s health.
How Long Can You Leave Water in an Inflatable Pool: How Long Is Too Long
How long can you leave water in an inflatable pool? Even if you’ve taken all of the necessary precautions before your child’s swim lesson, you’ll need to change the water in your kiddie pool after each use. After draining your pool, Dr. Orr recommends cleaning it completely, allowing it to dry fully before reusing it.
Though you may often see tarps stretched over kiddie pools left out overnight, using a cover does not mean the water can be safely kept in for extended periods of time.
Furthermore, the CDC notes that if you’ve ever heard parents mention using chlorine tablets or bleach solutions to keep kiddie pool water clean, it’s not a “practical” approach to eliminate germs in little swimming pool because the chlorine dose cannot be readily determined or safely monitored to ensure that the correct amount of chlorine is maintained in the water.
Perhaps you’re someone who would rather avoid constantly filling and emptying your kiddie pool every day. In that case, it may be worth investing in a larger inflatable kiddie pool with a filter. According to CDC guidelines, medium sized inflatable pools and larger-sized inflatable and plastic pools that cannot be emptied daily should have pool filter and appropriate disinfection systems that meet the same codes and requirements as full-sized swimming pools.” So yes, it requires more effort on your part initially, but think of all the water you’ll save in the long run!
Inflatable pools have always been a source of fun for children, but now they are also much cleaner and healthier. Remember that no amount of fun in the sun is worth getting sick from the pool water.