Though the thermometer is still taking a few dips down, the overall trend is up, up up! As those temperatures rise and life moves outdoors, you may be eyeing your pool and thinking ahead to that first swim of the season.  But your pool may not be quite as ready as you are for the summer.  It’s easy to get lax with the maintenance over the long winter, so take some time to get things up to snuff before going for that first cannonball.  Here’s a quick checklist for opening things back up.

• If your pool is not screened in, you may have some debris accumulated on the bottom of the pool. Put your skimmer and vacuum to work!
• Check your water level and add or remove until the top of the water sits at the midway point of your skimmer.
• Analyze your pool water with an at-home kit or by taking a sample down to your local pool store. Take recommended steps to return your water to optimum swimming levels.
• Check your deck drains and clear out any weeds or debris that have accumulated over the winter.
• Inspect your pool toys for damage or mildew and discard those that aren’t up for another season.
• Dive in!