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Empty a paddling pool after use

Updated: 21 October 2026

The splash is over, the children are indoors, and the pool is still full on the lawn. Emptying a paddling pool after use is the safety step and, later in the year, the storage step. A few centimetres left overnight are the failure RoSPA writes about, and a shell folded wet is the mould Bestway's storage note describes. This page follows the shells in the [paddling pool comparison](/hub/swimming-pools/paddling-pool). Peter F., editor for DIY & tools, used RoSPA, RLSS UK, water-company pages and Bestway's winter guide. We did not run a drown-risk trial. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The splash is over, the children are indoors, and the pool is still full on the lawn. Emptying a paddling pool after use is the safety step and, later in the year, the storage step.

Our top picks

Intex Intex Sunset Glow baby pool

Best overall

Intex Intex Sunset Glow baby pool
8.8/10about £10
View offer
Bestway Bestway Deluxe 778 litre pool

Alternative

Bestway Bestway Deluxe 778 litre pool
7.6/10about £40
View offer
Intex Intex Easy Set 183 x 51 cm

Best value

Intex Intex Easy Set 183 x 51 cm
8.4/10about £31.84
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Why it cannot stay full
  2. 2.Empty it, then stop the rain
  3. 3.Filling under a local ban
  4. 4.Dry, then fold

Why it cannot stay full

RoSPA's garden advice is to empty a paddling pool straight after use. Rain refills a shell you thought was finished. RoSPA's Safe at Home material says children can drown in less than 3 cm. RLSS UK, citing its 2024 update, says 1 in 3 children who drowned at home did so in places like paddling pools, and that drowning can be silent. Supervision is arm's reach while anyone is in the water. Armbands are not a reason to step inside. A cover over a full pool is not an empty. A toddler ring and a 778 litre rectangle both come indoors empty.

Empty it, then stop the rain

A small three-ring tips. The Intex Sunset Glow is 86 cm by 25 cm, about 22 gallons, and no drain is stated, so you lift, pour, and turn it upside down. Turn the hosepipe off at the tap. Tip onto a path, not onto a bed you have just planted. A family shell does not tip. The Bestway deluxe states 778 litres, about 778 kg. The Easy Set states about 880–890 litres. You use the drain, point it away from the house, and stay until it has finished. The valve order is on how to set up a paddling pool. Depth is the versus on toddler paddling pool or family pool.
Intex Intex Sunset Glow baby pool

Testsieger

Intex Intex Sunset Glow baby pool
8.8/10about £10
View offer

Filling under a local ban

Emptying is not the same rule as filling. Thames Water's temporary use ban, updated 12 October 2026, bars a hosepipe fill of a paddling pool. That FAQ still allows a container from a tap. South East Water, for Sussex from 9 October 2026, and Southern Water say the same: hose no, container yes. This is not a UK-wide ban. The company on your bill is the rule. A bucket does not change the empty-after-use rule. Hundreds of litres are a poor match for a bucket, which is why a toddler ring fits a ban week. October 2026 dates these three pages. It is not a permanent calendar.

Dry, then fold

Bestway's winterising guide says a damp liner moulds in storage. Wipe the floor, leave the shell open until the vinyl is dry, and only then fold. A loft or a cupboard is fine once it is dry. A damp bundle is how you open a mouldy pool in May. Do not invent a bleach dose from a review. If you clean, follow the product's instructions, rinse, then dry again. Punctures are outside Bestway warranty. Next spring, inflate before you fill and look for a seam that failed in the cold.

Common questions

Do I have to empty it every time?
Yes. RoSPA says empty a paddling pool straight after use, and RLSS UK says empty and turn it. That applies to a ten-minute toddler splash and to a longer family sit. Every time means when you stop watching, not only at the end of summer. A pool left full because you might use it tomorrow is the pool rain and a wandering child both find.
Can rain fill it again?
Yes. RoSPA's reason for the empty is that rain refills a shell. A shallow leftover becomes a pond by the next morning in a wet spell. Turning a small pool upside down stops that. A large rectangle needs the water gone through the drain and the shell stored where the rain cannot sit in it. A cover over water you left in does not meet the RoSPA step.
Is a cover enough overnight?
No. A cover is not supervision, and it does not empty the pool. RoSPA wants the water out straight after use. RLSS UK wants the shell emptied and turned. If you put a cover on a dry, folded pool in the shed, that is storage. If you put a cover on a full pool on the lawn, the water is still there.
Where do I put the water?
A small ring can be tipped onto a path. A 400, 778 or 880 litre shell goes out through the drain, away from the house. Do not treat grey water as automatically safe on beds and borders. A lot of water in one spot floods a lawn and can run to a neighbour. If your water company has a rule for where outdoor water may go, that page outranks a guess.
Can I use the hosepipe in October 2026?
It depends on who bills you. Thames Water's page, updated 12 October 2026, bars a hosepipe fill. South East Water in Sussex, from 9 October 2026, and Southern Water say the same on their pages, and their FAQs still allow a container from a tap. Other companies may differ. Read the page for the company on the bill that week. A bucket fill still ends with an empty pool.
How do I stop mould next spring?
Dry the liner completely before you fold it, which is Bestway's storage point. A damp fold is the mould. Keep the dry shell off a wet shed floor if you can, and open it next spring before you fill so you can see a failed seam. Skip homemade bleach mixes from reviews. If you clean it, follow the cleaner's label, rinse, and dry again.
What if the pool is too big to turn over?
Drain it. The Bestway deluxe at 778 litres and the Easy Set at about 880–890 litres are not a tip-over job. Open the valve, aim it away from the house, and wait. Then dry the floor and fold. The click-by-click valve sequence lives on the setup page, so you are not learning the caps for the first time while the water is already in. Rain still must not be able to sit in the shell afterwards.

Related pages

Paddling pool buying guide

Paddling pool

Best paddling pool: the toddler ring, Easy Set, share

How to set up a paddling pool: ground, valves, fill

Toddler paddling pool or family pool: depth and litres

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures saved for this set on 19 October 2026.

  1. RoSPA garden safety (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. RoSPA drowning prevention (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. RLSS UK, splash safely in the garden (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK product marking, UKCA and CE (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. BSI BS EN 16582-3, aboveground pools (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. BS EN 71-8:2026, activity toys (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Thames Water temporary hosepipe ban (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Intex Easy Set manual (retrieved 19 October 2026)