Chemicals That Damage Fiberglass Pools

Acid and Acid-Based Cleaners

• Chemicals that contain acid will eat away at a fiberglass gel coat. Some acid-based chemicals will cause immediate damage to fiberglass, while others will damage the pool material slowly over time with continuous use. Instead, choose a nonacidic pool cleaner to keep the fiberglass pool looking its best.

Paint Strippers

• Most commercial paint strippers can severely damage fiberglass pools if they're not used properly. Even if the paint stripper you use is gentler then most, it can dissolve the pool's protective coating if you leave the paint stripper on too long. If you must remove paint from a fiberglass pool, use a paint stripper safe for fiberglass material.

Rust Removers

• A common problem affecting pools is rust. Often when you try to remove rust with commercial chemicals, you can damage a fiberglass pool. When you're removing rust from a fiberglass pool, use a rust remover that's safe for fiberglass surfaces. The commercial rust remover will indicate on its bottle whether it is safe for fiberglass pools or not.

Tools

• Besides chemicals, several common cleaning tools can damage a fiberglass pool surface. Steel wool, metal brushes and metal scrapers will leave scratches on the surface of a fiberglass pool. To prevent such scratches from occurring, never clean a fiberglass pool with abrasive tools.

Considerations

• When in doubt about whether the chemical will harm fiberglass pools, test the chemical by applying a small amount of it to an inconspicuous area of the fiberglass pool. If, after 24 hours, no damage or discoloration occurs, the chemical is probably safe for use on fiberglass. Another option is to check with the manufacturer of your fiberglass pool. The manufacturer should be able to give you specific information regarding which chemicals will harm the fiberglass.