Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

How to brush a swimming pool

Updated: 21.10.2026

Brushing does not filter the water. It lifts film and silt so the pump can catch what stays up, and so a vacuum can pick up what settles. This is how to brush a swimming pool: skim, brush with the pump running, let the filter work, and vacuum only if silt is still on the floor. The [pool brush comparison](/hub/pool-care/pool-brush) is where the heads are listed. This page assumes the brush is already in your hand. The order comes from PWTAG's pool-problem notes and Certikin's liner sheet, read on 19 October 2026. It is not a chemical recipe. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Brushing does not filter the water. It lifts film and silt so the pump can catch what stays up, and so a vacuum can pick up what settles.

Our top picks

Unipool Unipool 17.5 inch round-end pool brush

Best overall

Unipool Unipool 17.5 inch round-end pool brush
9.2/10about £17.71
View offer
POOLAZA POOLAZA 17.5 inch nylon pool brush

Best value

POOLAZA POOLAZA 17.5 inch nylon pool brush
9.0/10about £10.52
View offer
Solkraes Solkraes pool brush with pole to 165 cm

Alternative

Solkraes Solkraes pool brush with pole to 165 cm
5.6/10about £19.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What the brush is doing
  2. 2.The order that avoids doing the job twice
  3. 3.How hard, and where
  4. 4.Green walls are not a brush-only job
  5. 5.When to stop

What the brush is doing

A pool brush scrubs the wall, the waterline, the steps, and the floor so film and dirt leave the surface. The cloud you see is the job working, provided the filter is running. If the pump is off, you have only moved the dirt. The brush does not dose chlorine, and it does not repair a liner. PWTAG treats algal growth as a disinfectant correction plus scrubbing, for pools run to that code. If the head is shedding, or the frame has a sharp corner, stop. UK reviews of the shorter Solkraes kit describe a section buckling while the buyer was only moving dead leaves. That is a failed pole, not a style of brushing.

The order that avoids doing the job twice

Skim leaves first. A brush driven through a mat of leaves chops them. With the pump on, brush from the waterline downward, then the steps and the cove, then the floor toward the skimmer. On an above-ground pool that is usually the only collection point. Vacuum afterwards, and only where silt has settled. ProTuff's vacuum guide says to skim and brush before you vacuum, and one service note suggests waiting about 10–15 minutes so silt can drop. Treat that wait as a tip from that US guide, not as a measured UK result. A weekly brush is a house rule in many guides, not a British Standard.
Unipool Unipool 17.5 inch round-end pool brush

Testsieger

Unipool Unipool 17.5 inch round-end pool brush
9.2/10about £17.71
View offer

How hard, and where

Use enough pressure to move the film, and not enough to bend the pole or dig the frame in. On vinyl that means a light pass. Certikin says the head must have no sharp edges or corners. The full limit is on the pool brush for a vinyl liner page. Work the waterline, then the walls, then the steps. If the pole is still short at full stretch, walk around the pool. Dry chlorine on the liner bleaches the PVC. Broadcast granules only if the product label says to.

Green walls are not a brush-only job

Green water, or slime that returns the next day, is a chemistry and turnover problem. Brushing knocks growth off the wall so the disinfectant can reach it. It does not replace the disinfectant. PWTAG's problem page, for managed pools, gives 5 mg/l free chlorine overnight with a scrub, and its superchlorination note lists algae at 10 mg/l for 24 hours with the pool closed. Do not copy those figures onto a Bestway or an Intex. Follow the label on the sanitiser you own. If the green is a stain in the liner rather than a film, stop. More scrubbing thins the PVC.

When to stop

Stop if the pole buckles or a joint cracks. Reviews of the shorter Solkraes kit describe that while moving leaves. A pole that fails on first use is a return under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which gives 30 days to reject goods that are not of satisfactory quality. Stop if the frame is sharp, if the bristles are metal, or if the liner is split. Certikin says draining a liner pool without advice is how liners shrink. When you need a different head, the pool brush buying guide is the order of choices, and the best pool brush page says who each listing is for.

Common questions

Do I brush before or after I vacuum?
Brush first, with the pump on, after you have skimmed. Vacuum only if silt has settled. Vacuuming first means you clear the floor and then brush a new layer onto it. A wait of about 10–15 minutes appears in a US vacuum guide. Use it if the cloud is thick, not as a rule measured on UK pools.
How often is enough for a family pool?
A weekly brush, with the pump running, is the house rule pool guides repeat, and twice a week is what some suggest in hot weather. It is not a British Standard. Brush when you see film at the waterline, and after a cover has sat on pollen. A clear, cool pool does not need a daily scrub.
Will brushing clear green water by itself?
No. Brushing lifts algae into the water. The disinfectant and the filter have to deal with it. For a managed pool, PWTAG pairs the scrub with a chlorine correction. For a garden pool, use the dose on your label. Do not copy 5 mg/l or 10 mg/l from those notes.
How hard can I press on a vinyl liner?
Lightly. The head should move the film without the frame digging in. If the pole is bending, you are already too hard, and a thin kit pole may buckle first. Any sharp corner is a reason to change the head, not a reason to ease your grip and carry on.
What do I do with the dirt I have just stirred up?
Leave the pump running so the filter can catch what stays up. Skim what floats. Vacuum later if a silt layer remains. Empty a skimmer basket that fills while you work, or the flow stops. Do not add a shock dose to clear the cloud unless the label you own tells you to.
When should I stop and deal with the pump or the liner?
Stop when the water stays green after a proper filter run, when the pump will not hold prime, or when the liner is split. A brush cannot restore turnover, and draining a liner pool without advice can wreck the PVC. A club pool is that operator's procedure.
Should I brush if the pole is bending?
No. A pole that bows while you move leaves is too light, and reviews of a kit in this comparison describe sections buckling within minutes. Stop and return it if it failed on first use. A separate, stiffer pole is the fix, not more pressure.

Related pages

Pool brush head or kit

Pool brush

Best pool brush: who it is for, and who should skip

Pool brush buying guide: surface, pole, then width

Pool brush for a vinyl liner: nylon and no sharp edge

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest: liner care, managed-pool algae notes, and the 30-day right to reject. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines in the product files, not a live crawl.

  1. PWTAG — typical pool problems (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. PWTAG — superchlorination of swimming pool water (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. HSE — managing health and safety in swimming pools (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. Certikin — vinyl liner care essentials (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. Intex — basic cleaning kit 29056 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. Splash and Relax — Intex pool cleaning kit, 26.2 mm pole (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. Cascade Pools — curved 18 inch soft bristle liner brush (retrieved 21 October 2026)