Skimmer scum ring

[woodyp]

OK, how do you clean or what chemical do you use to clean the scum ring inside the skimmer basket holder? Wiped it with a finger and it smears like axle grease. Paper toweled what I could----but it's far from clean. Clorox clean up maybe for this forum! Just don't wanna get bubbly cleaners in the pool water.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Mr Clean Magic Erasers. I use them and they clean the line off real good.

 

[ncbrit]

I second that. Been using them to cleanup the skimmer, coping and steps. All of those get scummed up, and just a light rub with the magic eraser takes it off. I got a big tub of them at sams club.

 

[kplaster]

Easier way..It alway's work's with me...Take a wet rag&put some bleach on it then wipe the scum right out of the skimmer.....Just be careful not the let the pump suck the rag into the line....

 

[waste]

Bama, or anyone else, can you tell me what the active ingredients of a Magic Eraser are, and how they impact the pool water chemistry?

I'm not saying they don't work VERY well, but what do they add to the water??

I've had lots of success using a 'sponge and green sided' kitchen scrubby with a baking soda paste on it to attack similar issues (and I know it will raise the pH and alk some, so take that into account)

I'm just saying: If you don't know how it will effect the pool chemistry, only use it as a last resort

 

[Bama Rambler]

Magic Erasers are Melamine Foam. It breaks up in small pieces and gets filtered out. It adds no chemicals to the pool. It cleans because it has microscopic edges and holes that scrub the residue off. The downside is that it creates microscope scratches but most anything solid (i.e. baking soda paste) will do the same thing. They are so small that it will take many years to even see the result.

 

[waste]

Thank you Bama! :bowdown:

Isn't melamine the cya test reagent? :?

 

[crabboy]

I use a green scrub pad, pool water and elbow grease. Comes off easily.

 

[kplaster]

Been using Bleach on a rag since I have had my pool....Not knocking the other.But,it does work and will kill it off for a while..I will clean the entire inside of skimmer...

 

[tim_pool_newbie]

I'm surprised nobody else has mentioned scum balls yet. I recently asked a similar question (for my tiles as well) and was told about scum balls. You throw one in each skimmer and they really do soak up a lot of the oils that create those scum lines to begin with. They actually helped take off the existing scum rings within my skimmers. My local Lowes had them for just slightly less expensive than my local Leslie's.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Thank you Bama! :bowdown:

Isn't melamine the cya test reagent? :?

Yeah, it's also insulation and a few other things. Here's what Wikipedia says:

Melamine is combined with formaldehyde to produce melamine resin, a very durable thermosetting plastic used in Formica, and melamine foam, a polymeric cleaning product. The end products include countertops, dry erase boards, fabrics, glues, housewares, guitar saddles, guitar nuts, and flame retardants. Melamine is one of the major components in Pigment Yellow 150, a colorant in inks and plastics.

Melamine also enters the fabrication of melamine poly-sulfonate used as superplasticizer for making high-resistance concrete. Sulfonated melamine formaldehyde (SMF) is a polymer used as cement admixture to reduce the water content in concrete while increasing the fluidity and the workability of the mix during its handling and pouring. It results in concrete with a lower porosity and a higher mechanical strength exhibiting an improved resistance to aggressive environments and a longer life-time.

And don't forget those dishes!

 

[svenpup]

I'm surprised nobody else has mentioned scum balls yet. I recently asked a similar question (for my tiles as well) and was told about scum balls. You throw one in each skimmer and they really do soak up a lot of the oils that create those scum lines to begin with. They actually helped take off the existing scum rings within my skimmers. My local Lowes had them for just slightly less expensive than my local Leslie's.

How much were they? I got some off eBay and I wonder how I did on price.

 

[tim_pool_newbie]

Considering that the scum balls look like nothing more than a big fuzzy craft ball, I was surprised to see that they were somewhere in the vicinity of $6/each (I forget exactly). But they do the trick, so I guess they're worth it!!