Cleaning a pool deck without messing up the pool

Pool decks are a specific job. The concrete around the pool is usually rougher than a driveway (broom-finished for traction) and it's often lightly acidic from splash-out. Here's how I approach it.

• Cover the pool during any solution application
• Rinse deck water away from the pool, toward the yard
• Skip cleaning solutions with high salt content — I use pool-safe products near the coping
• Rinse thoroughly before any solution can splash in

• Sunscreen residue (the greasy dark rings around chairs)
• Algae in low spots
• Rust stains from patio furniture
• Grass and mulch drift

• Best done in the morning while the pool is closed
• Give it 2–3 hours to dry before people are back on it
• Don't wash a pool deck the day before a party — you want a rain-free 24 hours after

If your pool has travertine coping (limestone), don't let anyone use acid-based cleaners. It'll etch. Same for stamped concrete with a colored surface — needs the gentler soft-wash approach.

Typical residential pool deck (400–600 sqft): $175–$275. Bundle it with a house wash and you save the trip charge.