Essential Values Swimming Pool & Spa Stain Remover (2 LBS) - Compatible with Vinyl Liners, Fiberglass & Metals - Effective Formula Removes Rust & Tough Stains

So I see some bad reviews of the product. Likely folks who aren’t: Patient Using it correctly Using enough Using for right reason Because I have used at least 4 bottles in the last couple of years and it is exceptional. When you Uber-shock the pool, like a SLAM that has FC at about 10,000!!!! You will plate the pool. The pool will turn brown and you will be angry. Algae gone yes, walls and floor and steps now cocoa brown. I thought it was metals but in my case it has always been a stupid learning curve on a proper SLAM and detecting when algae is actually alive or when it’s dead and just needing removal from water. Always: at pool opening in March or April! On my last plating of a Catalina Fiberglass pool that was exceptionally blue, I opened the bottle and cut a small triangle opening maybe 1/4 inch tall and 1/4 inch wide. Use the bottom to sprinkle the acid as close to the wall of the pool as possible. This puts granules and high density citric acid right on the affected area. It’s not usually instant especially if plating is heavy, but I have seen it erase the wall instantly on very mild problems. I treated the steps at 6 pm. I waited until 8 pm and inspected. No results. I salted it again, but this time a small bolus was dropped at the middle of the top step. Still no activity. 10 pm, nothing. I go to bed knowing that plating is bad. 6 am, look outside, there is a nearly iridescent blue skunk stripe from the top step down to the pool floor. I retreated the NOW thinly plated steps and shallow end walls. PH had risen and the bolus had by gravity washed its way down about 6 feet past steps. Home from work at 5 pm, found the entire shallow end walls very thin, steps completely clean and blue, stunningly so. I used the balance of the bottle to treat the shallow walls to midline of pool, hits the corners heavier, step vertical faces. While I was working outside the pool simple snapped blue to the drop off. Period- end of story. The second bottle, half was used for the deep end walls BUT- the acid had crept to the deep end and thinned the plating slightly already. The deep end is always more difficult as the acid will settle to the bottom radius and not stick to the walls. That’s ok. The whole pool with 1-2 bottles used will, in a matter of a day or two, be completely clean. Anything above the water line: like you let the water drop before treatment or the foray two inches that usually don’t get concentrated enough—— Mix in a bucket a few ounces of the acid with 1/2 gallon of water. Lower your water level to explode the entire upper region needing treatment. Let it stay dry. Do not splash water on it. Use a 1970s sponge mop, soak with acid, mop the walls but don’t dip the mop in water. You want full concentration. Let the sun see the all’s for a bit if you can. Heat intensifies acidic reactions as a catalyst. It can’t hurt the walls at all! Mop repeatedly round and round trying to keep the area damp with acid solution. I’m two passes at noon with good sun, you will see a clean wall like it was painted. Hose the wall down to rinse acid, restore water level above the normal line, adjust your PH and Alkalinity back to correct. Then don’t shock the heck out of your pool again! Ascorbic acid will best remove iron/rust stains. Similar products are avail in ascorbic acid. Same application, including the mop. It will too clean the walls the same as citric, but more expensive. 4-6 ounces of HCLin 2 gallons of water will do the same BUT——- you better be on your game for PH and Keep chemistry up. The HCL will perform as well or better than both alternatives but it will also expose the pores of the gel coat and you will likely plate easier heretofore. The stuff is a miracle drug for the pool. Be patient. Leave the pool pump off and stagnant clean correct PH water to start and leave it as needed for two days to get the performance. It’s not a microwave oven!!! See ya- I need two more bottles for 2023 just in case.

I have a ~25k gallon vinyl lined pool that I started late with getting it opened for the season and unfortunately that allowed the algae to bloom and completely turned the water into dark murky green mess. Algaecide, SLAMing the pool (web search "pool SLAM" if you don't know what that is), and fixing the pool chemistry, all helped to clean up the pool water crystal clear. Sadly, a giant dark yellow/brown stain was left on the vertical wall of the vinyl liner in the deep end. I scrubbed and scrubbed with the pool brush, but the stain wouldn't go away. I had hopped the high concentration of chlorine when I was SLAMing the pool would help clean the stain, but it didn't work either. I was worried I'd have to replace the vinyl. Unfortunately I do not have any photos of that ugly stain. Honestly I was just too ashamed/embarrassed by it and knowing I caused it because I took to long to get the pool ready after it had been closed for winter so I just didn't want any photographic proof. Luckily I came across this product (and others similar to it). Pondering the cost of replacing the vinyl vs $37 for this product and I just had to give it a try. I did follow the instructions almost exactly. I made sure my free chlorine levels got to less than 1ppm. Made sure the pool pH was 7.2. Once I got those parameters set then I went around and sprinkled the product all around where the stain was. I turned on the pump and turned it off after 1 hour, just as instructed. Here's where I didn't follow the instructions: I poured in both containers into my pool, which is supposedly overkill because 1/2 a container supposedly treats 10k gallons, so both containers combined is meant for 40k gallons, but I only have ~25k gallons. I was desperate! I didn't believe that much citric acid would do any harm. I also didn't check on the pool after 12 hours. I didn't get a chance to look at it until almost 24 hours had passed. As I walked to the pool I was prepared to see the stain still there mocking me, but as I got to the pool, I was just left in disbelief that the stain was completely gone! Who knew all that citric acid would clean that up without much work for me! I turned back on the pump, brushed the pool as the instructions say, and rechecked my pool chemistry. I am truly shocked at how well this worked. Buy it! Follow the directions! Be the hero!

I was dealing with some stubborn metal stains in my pool — those annoying brownish spots that don’t budge no matter how clean your water is. I didn’t want to shell out big bucks for one of the name-brand removers, so I gave this more affordable option a shot. Worked like a charm. Seriously. Within a day, stains started fading fast, and by the end of the week my pool looked brand new. No scrubbing, no drama, just results. Compared to the high-end brands, this stuff costs less and works just as well, if not better. I followed the directions, kept my chlorine down for a bit, and let it do its thing. Highly recommend if you’re looking for an effective metal stain remover without the premium price tag. Stairs look great!

First of all this stuff is amazing! I was skeptical at first, but read a TON of reviews. I had some weird stain on my sand colored fiberglass pool which is not yet 2 years old. With it being a sand colored fiberglass pool it was hard to see the stains at times so I was not sure how long it had been there. Mainly the stains were on the edge of the stairs, shallow end where you step off the stairs on the floor of the pooll and sides of the pool where my safety ledges are. So mainly in the shallow end of the pool. I thought well all high traffic areas maybe dirt scale and then my husband had used a tanning lotion that had a bronzer in it so I thought that had attached itself to the pool. I tried the Jack's Magic testing kit which yielded no results on what the stain actually was. I had tried a ton of stuff like a sequestering agent, keeping chlorine levels low, scrubbing etc. I even showed pictures to where I get my water tested and they had no idea what it was and said they could send pictures to a stain specialist. However that I might have to just live with the stains. After weeks and weeks of no stain specialist coming out and the stains still being there I was desperate. I was mad at myself trying to figure out what we may have done to cause the stain. I bought this stuff and got my chlorine level down to 1ppm and put a whole container in the pool. Ran the pump to circulate an hour then cut it off and waited 12hrs with no pump running. Next morning was kind of upset still saw stains brushed the pool all over 2-3 times a day at 48hrs the stain on the bottom of the pool was gone! During this time I ran the pump 12hrs during the day and it was off 12hrs at night. At 72 hours the stains on the ledges of the stairs and safety ledges were about 80% gone! Keep in mind I brushed this pool everyday 3-4 times a day and tested the water about that many times as well. The citric acid will eat at your chlorine so I had to play with my automatic chlorinator and dial slightly up then down to keep the chlorine at 1ppm. The citric acid will also keep your PH low like 7.0 to 7.2 which for me was the lowest it had been the whole time the pool had been put in. We usually run around 7.6 to 8.2 and I swear I was using PH reducer several times a week to get it down to maybe 7.6 for a few days. Don't be alarmed your pool water will also turn slightly cloudy at day 2. At this point I don't care that will clear in due time. So be patient let it do it's stuff, brush your pool alot, don't shock for a week and don't use the pool during this time! It will clear up your stain. We believe our stain may have been dirt trapped by scale in the pool due to the high PH over the course of the year and a half.

I opened my pool this year later than usual (in Massachusetts) and the liner had brownish stains on the liner all around the sides. This is likely from minerals or rust, but that is unclear to me. I followed the instructions as far as chemical balance of the pool and let my chlorine level get close to zero. I added the contents of this package around the edges and ran the pool filter on recirculate. A few hours later, the stains were nearly gone. Even some older stains on the floor of the pool became much lighter and hardly noticeable. I was very skeptical but now very pleased with the results. The pool looks so much better now. Give it a try and follow the instructions with pool balance and chlorine level.

Oh boy, let me dive into this pool stain remover review with a splash of humor! So, picture this: I had my pool guy, let's call him Mr. Chlorine Enthusiast, who kept pouring more and more chlorine into my pool, hoping it would magically make those stubborn stains disappear. I tell you, I felt like I was swimming in a giant bottle of Clorox! Not the best pool party theme, if you ask me. I was ready to accept my fate and live with those unsightly stains on the bottom of my pool. But then, on a whim, I decided to give this pool stain remover a shot. I sprinkled just a pinch over the steps and went about my business. Lo and behold, only ten minutes later, the stains had vanished like Houdini! I couldn't believe my eyes! Cue the angelic chorus singing "AHHHHHHMAZING!" Now, let's talk instructions. Whoever wrote them must have been having a poolside piña colada party, because they were a bit confusing. Luckily, one of the reviews I stumbled upon was a lifesaver. I followed that person's advice like a dedicated pool detective. I turned off my pump, grabbed two bottles of this miracle potion for my 40k pool, and sprinkled it all over the sides and in the middle. My pool became a chemistry experiment! Then, I initiated the ultimate pool purging protocol: I switched my pump to recirculation mode and let it work its magic for a solid two hours. After that, I gave the pump a much-deserved 12-hour break. The next morning, I couldn't believe my eyes! The pool had nearly cleared up, like a tropical paradise emerging from the fog. I did another 12-hour pump shutdown, because, hey, everyone deserves a break, even pool pumps. And guess what? When I fired up the filter this time, all those pesky stains were gone, vanished, wiped off the pool map! Victory was mine! Oh, and let's not forget the look on Mr. Chlorine Enthusiast's face when he saw the pool. Dumbfounded would be an understatement. I had the urge to grab my imaginary pool-firing cannon and yell, "You're fired!" But alas, I restrained myself. Nevertheless, the satisfaction was immeasurable. So, my fellow pool aficionados, do yourself a favor and give this stain remover a whirl! Trust me, it's like hiring a stain-busting magician for your pool. Just make sure to follow the convoluted instructions, take breaks for your trusty pump, and don't forget to switch off your chlorinator during the process. With the end result being a stain-free oasis, you'll be doing the happy pool dance in no time!

WOW... all I can say is WOW. Our in-ground pool has become ugly from rust due to the Hayward C17502 SwimClear Plus Cartridge Pool Filter system we purchased in 2019, which is a poor design on that it has an iron not stainless post that rusts within days, and wrecks your pool with iron deposits (see my review on that before you think about buying a replacement Hayword system). The past several years of rust getting in our pool discolored the whole thing into a green/brown/yellow ugly mess. Our liner was just a few years old, and we thought it was ruined. After researching how to remove iron stains and reading reviews, I purchased (2pack, 4 lbs) last fall when we were closing the pool to use when we open this spring. As planned, we opened the pool, and the water was crystal clear, although the liner was an embarrassment. We lowered the ph and chlorine as stated on the package, and sprinkled the citric powder around the pool, 1 lb for every 10,000 gallons, we used 3 lbs. We broadcasted it in by hand with the pump off. We turned on the pool with the filer in and left it run a about 2 hours, we did not see any change at this point and turned it off again, and let it sit overnight. Turning the pump on the next morning, the stains were lighter but still had stains. We used the last 1 lb and sprinkled it around the edges and left the pump run on chemical dispersion all day and night. By the 3rd day... WOW, our beautiful blue & grey Greek pattern liner was so beautiful. We have some white calcium buildup that need to remove next, although this product lifted the discoloring out of the calcium buildup. It is well worth the cost, buying another 2pk to keep on hand for next time.

The stains are still in the pool. I think this product might work ok if one has a week or more to screw around with all the chemical settings recommended to apply this product. Our pool is the destination all summer for kids, grandkids and birthday parties. Rarely do we have a weekend of no swimming. We use the pool during the week also. It says to sprinkle the product over the stains, so how does one do that when the stains are in the middle of the pool? I guess one could wade out to the stain areas but moving at all will destroy the accuracy of the sprinkle. We have a 24,000 gallon pool so this container is a little short on the recommended application. All in all I think the product is probably ok but I'll use something different next time.