Pools are so much fun. They tend to accumulate a lot of accessories, toys and, if you’ve got kids, anything that floats, sinks or looks like fun in the water. If you’re the proud owner of your kid’s swimming pool navy, you know the story. The trouble is someone (guess who!) has to put all this stuff safely away.

The other issue is what to do with all your pool equipment and other stuff? The adult version of putting “things to put in the pool” away is pretty much the same thing, and it can be a full time job if you’re not careful.

The short answer is Get Organised. Either they’ll eat up your weekends and spare time, or you come up with an easy storage system. The good news is that the basics are simple. The less good news is that it’s still you doing it. Start thinking about pocket money for chores for some deserving kid at this point.

The fundamentals

There are two basic types of pool accessory: The fun, messy, seems-to-be-everywhere toys, and the high value, useful pool tools. You can get special pool storage containers, but consider your needs.

• Toys: Your best shot at storage is a dedicated storage area with containers for these things. They don’t get lost, are neatly stored away, and that favourite toy nobody can find stops getting lost on a daily basis. Ventilated containers are best, like wicker baskets or open storage containers. The air circulation prevents the growth of anaerobic fungi and mold.

Having said that – Make sure that any toys are dry before storage.

Water attracts mold, which can turn a beloved toy into a true horror story of icky proportions, not to say bad smells. Folding wet things like floating inflatable toys also means that they may set in place as they dry out, and fall to bits. (The plastic polymers set and break, destroying the toy.)

• Pool accessories: The invaluable floating palace, aka the floating pool mattress nobody ever wants to leave, is too good to risk. These things are very durable, but they’re definitely not invulnerable to wear and tear. These also need to be dry before storage. They can stain, and look pretty grim when they’re taken out for use again. They also don’t always take kindly to folding, so try to hang them up or store them flat.

Heavy duty mattresses are tougher, whereas the thin skin type can crack in the wrong storage environment.

• Pool tools: Make absolutely sure that your pool sweeper, pool cover and any pool appliances are in very good shape before you store them. This is just common sense, but wear and tear on these tools can be expensive. You definitely don’t want to be replacing them on a regular basis.
• Pool chemicals: All pool chemicals must be safely stored. Chlorine should be well packaged and stored in a secure location, for health reasons. A secure container, preferably non-reactive to chlorine like fibreglass, should be used.

A bit of OHS around the pool

Make sure there are no trip or slip hazards left around the pool area. Be a bit patient and check to see if anything’s missing. You’ll have all your fun things and tools safe with a bit of added peace of mind.