Pool Cartridge Cleaning

Just as you should clean your swimming pool weekly during the summer swim season, you should also clean the swimming pool's filter cartridge. Cleaning the cartridge is not a difficult or particularly dirty job, but it does demand your commitment to clean it weekly and to change it when necessary.

Remove Cartridge and Hose Down

Follow the pool manufacturer's instructions for your particular cartridge filter to remove it from the filter's housing on the pool.

Hose down the filter cartridge with a garden hose that is fitted with a straight-flow nozzle. Clean both the outside and the inside of the pool cartridge filter, working from top to bottom. For best results, hold the nozzle at a 45-degree angle to the cartridge filter and spray. Do not spray the cartridge head on or spray it too hard because it might cause the dirt to become further embedded in the cartridge.

Rinse the pool filter cartridge with the hose at the same angle, again working from top to bottom. Rinse thoroughly several times until all the loose debris and dirt are gone.

If Cartridge is Still Dirty

If the pool filter cartridge did not come clean after a thorough washing, or if the cartridge has been used in a swimming pool or spa where suntan lotions and oils could have caused the dirty buildup on the cartridge, then soak the pool filter cartridge overnight in either a solution of five gallons of water with a cup of dishwasher liquid, a solution of five gallons of water with a cup of trisodium phosphate, or a commercial pool filter cleaner. Make sure that the trash can or plastic bucket you place the solution into has been rinsed thoroughly to remove dirt and chemicals that could get on the cartridge. If the cartridge cannot be immersed completely because it is too long, soak one end and then rotate halfway through and soak the other end. After removing the cartridge, rinse it to remove all the loose dirt.

If Cartridge has a Coating

If the pool filter cartridge is coated with calcium scales, algae, iron or other minerals, soak the cartridge filter in a solution of twenty parts of water to one part of muriatic acid. Continue soaking until the bubbling stops. You must make sure all cleaning solutions and oils have been successfully removed. Failing to remove all cleaning solutions and oils can cause the water flowing through the pool filter cartridge to be permanently restricted. Rinse the cartridge thoroughly with the hose and place it back on the pool per the pool manufacturer's instructions.

Remember to wear safety glasses and rubber gloves when working with chlorine and acid.