Excellent Pool Cleaning Tool

I've worn out two of these, and I'm shopping for a third. While this is designed for use with vinyl-lined, above-ground pools, I have yet to find anything better for my plaster-lined, in-ground pool. Although the more abrasive surface does eventually wear it out, I've gotten three or four seasons out of each of mine, and nothing you can buy is going to last significantly longer than that.

The thing I like the most about this tool (Beats me why they've categorized it as a "toy.") is that it brushes and vacuums at the same time. I have an assortment of brush attachments that I seldom use because it's a waste of time to scrub dirt, algae and sediment off the sides and bottom of the pool just to have it foul the water and then settle again, aside from the small amount the filter picks up. The typical in-ground vacuum heads do a god job of picking up loose debris, like leaves and other detritus, but they can't loosen fine dirt, let alone algae, and the plastic wheels wear out just about as fast as the bristles on this brush, so they don't really afford much of an advantage. I keep one around just to clean up the leaves that accumulate in the fall and the earthworms that accumulate over the winter, but for regular daily cleaning, this product is the best thing I've found (and it usually sells for less than $20).

[Sunday, August 17, 2008]