Grocery Store Bleach/Clorox Instead Of Pool Chlorine?

by Judy
(Kansas)

Can I just add bleach or Clorox to my pool instead of pool chlorine and buying expensive pool chemicals? I've heard that it's the same stuff but other people have told me not to do it because it's dangerous.

Any help?

Thanks for the question Judy

There is a ton of misinformation in pool land about this very topic. Clorox or regular grocery store bleach is roughly 6% sodium hypochlorite and the rest is water with a tiny bit of salt. Liquid pool chlorine is normally 10-12% sodium hypochlorite and the rest is water with a tiny bit of salt.

Swimming Pool Sodium Hypochlorite..Chlorine..Chemistry..Care..Water

Swimming Pool Calcium Hypochlorite..Chlorine..Chemistry..Maintenance..Care

THEY ARE IDENTICAL except for strength. Clorox and bleach have been used in thousands of pools daily. It's not necessarily cheaper, but frequently more convenient. More importantly, places where you might have high hardness fill water, sodium hypochlorite is, by far, the BEST thing you can sanitize a pool with.

Simply because nothing gets added to your swimming pool except the little bit of salt. All other forms of chlorine add other things to your pool.

For places with low hardness or very soft water, I've always preferred calcium hypochlorite because it's a bit safer, lighter, and easier to store and apply.

Hope this helps

Robert