Best Alternatives to Chlorine
chlorine and chlorine alternatives

Anyone who’s owned a pool of any kind has heard of chlorine. Chlorine is the most common chemical for cleaning your pool, wrongly notorious for causing red eyes and skin irritation. It may be a busted myth, chlorine only burns when overused, but some people still want to look for chlorine alternatives.

Some alternatives for cleaning your pool may be faster, cheaper, and better than the chlorine you’re using now. Maybe it’s less the chlorine, and more the method; maybe you want something that makes cleaning the pool feel new. There are a lot of possibilities for how you keep your pool clean if you look, but now we can help you narrow down your search.

#1. Salt Chlorine Generator

They come in many different sizes and brands, but they all do the same thing. They keep your pool clean without using buckets and buckets of chlorine. It’s a powerful water sanitation tool that uses the process of electrolysis to generate a safe and healthy amount of chlorine in your pool. Through this process, it actually creates free chlorine, and the perfect amount of it so the water is soft-feeling.

The salt cell will need replacing every 3-5 years, and typically has a high initial cost, but the maintenance is so low that it eventually pays for itself. There are a litany of quality salt chlorine generators that would work well in your pool if you want one.

#2. Ozone Pool System

These puppies make sure that your pool water is clear, clean, and safe to swim in. The main success of Ozone pool systems is how they work to reduce chlorine requirements by 60-90%. If you have trouble making sure to use the right amount of chlorine, this will make sure it never gets to a level where it burns your eyes or irritates your skin.

These systems last up to 5 years. They prevent calcium scaling on pool surfaces and other equipment while keeping the pH of the water at a neutral 7 pH. They do have a high initial investment, but non-existent upkeep costs. An ozone pool system can do wonders if this is the kind of change you’re looking for in your chlorine alternatives.

#3. Bromine Tablets

Not all of our chlorine alternatives are automatic pool systems. Sometimes you want a more hands-on approach that lets you control your pool more closely. Bromine tablets are a perfect way to do that, more common for spas and hot tubs than pools.

Made of, obviously, bromine rather than chlorine, this alternative doesn’t have CYA, which is used to protect chlorine from burning off under the sun’s harsh UV. While this means it can be more expensive for outside pools, it’s more stable than chlorine at warmer temperatures. If you’re looking for an easy-to-use option that cleans your hot tub and doesn’t irritate your skin like chlorine, bromine tablets may be the solution for you.

#4. Non-Chlorine Shock Treatment

Do you want to know why it’s called ‘shock’ treatment? It oxidizes organic pollutants to get rid of them. Think of stuff like body oils, sunscreen, and urine, getting it all out of your pool. It keeps chloramine levels low so chlorine works effectively, and the pool needs less of it. The downside is that it does need to work in tandem with some chlorine. This is perfect for people trying to find a chlorine alternative without completely abandoning the brands they’ve already been using.

You can trust that you’ll never see any algae or bacteria growing in your pool water, and shock treatment works just as well for hot tubs and swim spas too. The best thing about this one is that it’s one of the only manual alternatives where it’s safe to swim immediately after use. Non-chlorine shock treatment is also safe to use with chlorine, bromine, and cleaning system, so feel free to mix and match.

What are you getting?

You want your pool to be as clean as possible. We have ways to help you do that, but it’s up to you to decide what materials you want to use.

You decide what’s best for you and your pool, we’re just here to help you figure out your options. If you ever need more recommendations, like what lining you should fix your pool with, or what chemicals you can use to test your pool, we’ve got you.