
Well, let me tell you, that there film on top of pool water is a real pain in the neck. I remember when my own pool, it ain’t fancy, but it’s mine, started gettin’ that nasty film. Drove me up the wall, it did!
First thing I noticed was this oily, kinda shiny look on the water. Like when you spill a bit of cooking oil, you know? Just wouldn’t go away. Made the whole pool look dirty, even when I just cleaned it. The pool water looks cloudy. I tell ya, that film on top of pool water, it’s a real problem.
- That film, it’s like a magnet for all sorts of junk. Dust, leaves, little bugs… you name it.
- It all sticks to that film and makes a right mess.
- And don’t even get me started on how it feels when you swim. Like you’re swimming through… I don’t know… grease or somethin’. Just plain icky.
So, I tried a few things. Figured I’d share ’em, might help someone else with this here film on top of pool water problem. I ain’t no expert, just sayin’ what worked for me. One thing is, you gotta make sure folks shower before they get in. All that lotion and sweat, it gets in the water and makes it worse. I make everyone rinse off good now, no exceptions!
Another thing is that pump thing. You gotta run it. A lot. Like, all day and all night for a bit. Keeps the water movin’ and helps get rid of that film. I run mine for a good long while, especially when it gets real bad. Clears up cloudy pool water, you see.
Now, this is a little trick I learned from old Jim, bless his heart. He used to clean pools. Said to get one of them little squirt bottles, like for dish soap. Fill it mostly with water, then just a squirt of that dish soap. Then you squirt a line right down the middle of the pool. Sounds crazy, right? But you watch, that film on top of pool water, it just scoots right to the sides! Jim called it the “finishing touch.” Works like a charm, I tell ya.
Sometimes, you see these little white things floating around, too. Ain’t paint, though. Could be that calcium stuff. Water’s got too much of it, they say. Or it could be some kind of… I don’t know what they call it… some kind of buildup. Like when you don’t clean something for a long time and it gets all gunky. That’s what that film on top of pool water does. It just collects all the junk.

Then you got that algae. That green stuff. Makes the water look like pea soup. Nasty stuff. Makes that film even worse, I think. So you gotta keep an eye out for that, too. Cloudy pool water, green water, they all bad news.
And don’t even think about using that baking soda to fix it. Won’t do a thing for the film on top of pool water. My neighbor tried it. Waste of good baking soda, if you ask me. Made no difference at all. Just made the water even cloudier, she said.
You need to test the water. Always test the water! See what’s wrong. Then do the shock, or whatever they call it. I heard you need to SLAM the pool. I don’t know, but better do it.
Sometimes, it’s just the water not moving enough. Makes it stagnant, you know? Like a puddle. Needs to be stirred up. Or it could be dust. Lots of dust around here. Gets in everything. Even the pool, with that darn film on top of pool water just waiting to catch it all.
So yeah, that film on top of pool water, it’s a real nuisance. But you can get rid of it. Just gotta keep at it. Shower before swimming, run that pump, maybe try that dish soap trick. And keep an eye out for that algae and them white flakes. It’s a battle, I tell ya, but you can win it!

One more tip, get a good test kit. A fresh one, not some old thing that’s been sitting in the shed for years. You gotta know what’s going on with your water if you want to keep it clean and clear of that pesky film. The film on top of pool water is a big headache, but with a good test kit, you can win!