Pool Maintenance Preliminaries

Begin your pool service routine with some preliminaries.  These are the things
that you need to do first, and as you work through the process, you will see exactly why.

1.  Empty the Skimmer Baskets – this is so stuff will not float out of them
and get the pool dirty again as you are trying to clean it.

2.  Service the Poolsweep – if you have a poolsweep, pull it out of the
water and empty the debris.  Also check the finger screen (found on any pressure side cleaners).

3.  Net the Surface – to remove as much floating debris as possible so that
it does not fall to the bottom and mess up your nice clean pool.

4.  Scoop out Large Items – if there are any larger items in the pool
(large sticks, golfballs, stones, compact cars, etc.) in the bottom of the pool, scoop them out with the net.  You do not want to vacuum out anything large that may
clog your hose or your skimmer lines.

5.  Spray off the Deck – again this is to keep the leafy material from
blowing into the pool.  It also makes things look really nice once you are done.

With these steps done, take a look at the pool and decide the best method of cleaning. 
Typically, vacuuming is the very best way to clean the bottom of the pool, but if you have a lot of leaves or sticks, you may want to use a leaf bagger.