Bye-Bye, Pool Days: A Parent's Guide to Closing Your Backyard Pool for the Season
Closing your backyard pool for the season is easier than it sounds. With a closing kit sized to your pool and one free afternoon, you clean and balance the water, stop chlorinating a day ahead, add the treatments in order, lower the water, and tuck everything under a winter cover.
Every Los Angeles family knows that "summer" is more of a state of mind than a season. Between heat waves, birthday pool parties, and after-school cannonballs, the backyard pool gets a serious workout. Now the floaties are piling up by the back door, and the kids are asking if the pool can stay open for just one more weekend.
Below, we walk through what's inside a pool closing kit, the steps in order, easy jobs for kids on closing day, and how to store pool chemicals safely when little ones are around.
Key Takeaways: Closing Your Backyard Pool
What you need: A winter closing kit matched to your pool's gallons, a skimmer net, a pool brush, and a winter cover.
Kit sizes: Doheny's kits come in sizes for pools up to 7,500, 15,000, and 35,000 gallons, and bigger pools can use more than one kit.
When to close: Once the water temperature stays below about 65°F, or whenever the pool will sit unused for months.
First step: Stop chlorinating 24 hours before you winterize.
Saltwater pools: The kits work for saltwater pools too. Clean the salt cell and turn it off first.
Safety: Grown-ups handle the chemicals, and everything gets stored in its original container, locked up and out of kids' reach.
Why Close Your Backyard Pool for the Season?
Plenty of Southern California families swim year-round, and that's totally fine. But if your pool will sit unused for months, closing it properly protects the water and the equipment while everyone is busy with school, sports, and holiday plans.
A pool that isn't being filtered, circulated, or sanitized is an easy target for algae and stains. That can leave you with a big cleanup job right when the kids are begging to swim again. A winter closing kit is designed to prevent exactly that, so the first swim day of next summer is about cannonballs instead of scrubbing.
Not sure if it's time? A good rule of thumb is to close once the water temperature stays below 65°F. In much of SoCal that can happen late in the year, so check your pool thermometer before you pick a date.
What Chemicals Come in a Pool Closing Kit?
If you're new to this, you're probably wondering what chemicals come in a pool closing kit. Think of the kit as the grown-ups' toolbox for closing day, with everything sized to the amount of water in your pool.
Doheny's Best Value Winter Closing Master Kit covers pools up to 35,000 gallons and includes:
Winter oxidizing tablets: 3.6 pounds, in a time-released floating dispenser.
Oxidizing shock: Three 1-pound bags of non-chlorine shock.
Natural Chemistry Pool Magic + PHOSfree: One quart.
Natural Chemistry METALfree: One quart.
Instructions: A step-by-step closing guide.
Doheny also sells smaller value kits for pools up to 7,500 and 15,000 gallons, plus a standard 35,000-gallon kit. That's a lot of products in one box, which is exactly why this part of the job belongs to the adults in the family.
How Do You Close a Pool With a Closing Kit, Step by Step?
The directions matter as much as the contents, so read them over a cup of coffee the day before rather than on closing day. Start with a pool that's thoroughly cleaned, balanced, and clear of algae, dirt, and leaves. Then follow the master kit's steps in this order:
Stop chlorinating 24 hours before you winterize.
Pour the full bottle of METALfree evenly around the pool.
Pour the full bottle of Pool Magic + PHOSfree evenly around the pool.
Wait 15 minutes, then slowly broadcast all the bags of oxidizing shock around the edge of the pool.
Run the pump for at least one hour so everything disperses evenly.
Lower the water level and drain the lines, pump, filter, and heater according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you use pool antifreeze, add it to the plumbing now.
Punch holes in all the dimples on both sides of the floating dispenser and place it in the pool.
Cover the pool with a winter cover.
The value kits use Doheny's Winter Guard and Metal Out in place of the two Natural Chemistry bottles, so always follow the guide that comes in your box.
Parent Tip: Use the 15-minute wait to send the kids and the family dog inside for a snack or a quick board game, so the adults can finish each step without little helpers (or paws) underfoot.
Does a Closing Kit Work for Saltwater Pools or Bigger Pools?
Yes on both counts. Doheny's kits can be used with saltwater pools. Just clean the salt cell and turn it off before you start closing.
If your pool holds more than 35,000 gallons, you can use more than one kit, and if you're between sizes, it's best to go with the larger amount. Every kit is a little different, so the instructions in the box and the product label always win.
Make Closing Day a Family Send-Off
Closing the pool doesn't have to feel like the end of the fun. With the chemical steps reserved for adults, there's still plenty for kids to do. Little ones can use a skimmer net to scoop leaves (with a grown-up right beside them), round up the floats and pool toys, and rinse and dry them before they go into storage.
Older kids can help brush the pool walls and sort the toys into bins, and everyone can pick a favorite last swim if the weather cooperates.
You can also turn closing day into a small tradition. Take a goodbye-to-summer photo by the pool, have the kids draw a "see you next summer" sign for the garage, or start a countdown to opening day on the family calendar. Once the cover is on, set one simple house rule: nobody goes near the pool without a grown-up, no matter how tempting the cover looks.
Quick Tips for a Smooth Pool Closing
Know your gallons: Kits are matched to pool size, so figure out how much water your pool holds before you shop.
Test the water first: Balanced water before closing helps the winter chemicals do their job.
Clean up together: Skim, brush, and vacuum so you aren't sealing in debris for the winter. Kids can pitch in with the skimmer net.
Follow the order: Stop chlorinating a day ahead, add products exactly as the instructions say, and never mix them.
Rescue the toys: Rinse and dry the floats and pool toys so they're ready for next season.
Cover it up: A secure cover keeps leaves, dirt, and curious critters out of the water.
Keep Little Hands Away From Pool Chemicals
Here's the part parents really need to remember: pool chemicals aren't kid-friendly, even if the pool is. The CDC's pool chemical safety guidance calls for keeping chemicals in their original labeled containers, storing them so different products never mix, and limiting access to storage areas, especially for children and animals.
At home, that means a locked cabinet or a high shelf, with lids closed tightly after every use. Pick a cool, dry spot out of direct sunlight, too. LA garages get hot, and the CDC recommends storing pool chemicals below 95°F.
What Comes After Closing Day?
When you're ready to open the backyard pool next season, you'll start with water that's far easier to bring back to life. Until then, enjoy the cooler days and plan your next family outing.
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Takeaway
Closing your backyard pool comes down to three things: a kit sized to your gallons, steps followed in order, and chemicals kept safely away from kids. Give the kids the fun jobs, like skimming leaves and rescuing pool toys, and the grown-ups can handle the rest in an afternoon.
With a little prep now, your pool will be ready to make a splash when summer comes back around.
Frequently Asked Questions
What chemicals come in a pool closing kit?
Most closing kits include winter oxidizing tablets in a floating dispenser, a non-chlorine oxidizing shock, and treatments for metals and phosphates or algae. Doheny's master kit for pools up to 35,000 gallons has 3.6 pounds of tablets, three 1-pound bags of shock, a quart of Pool Magic + PHOSfree, and a quart of METALfree.
When should you close your pool in Southern California?
Many SoCal families swim year-round, so there's no single closing date. A good rule of thumb is to close once the water temperature stays below 65°F, or whenever the pool will sit unused for months. Closing it properly helps prevent algae and stains while the pool rests.
Can you use a pool closing kit on a saltwater pool?
Yes. Doheny's winter closing kits can be used on both chlorine and saltwater pools. Before you add anything, clean the salt cell and turn it off, then follow the kit's instructions in order, starting with stopping chlorination 24 hours ahead of time.
How many closing kits do I need for a large pool?
Kits are sized by gallons, so start by figuring out how much water your pool holds. Doheny's kits cover pools up to 7,500, 15,000, or 35,000 gallons. For pools larger than 35,000 gallons, you can use more than one kit, and if you're between sizes, go with the larger amount.
How should I store pool chemicals with kids at home?
Keep pool chemicals in their original labeled containers, with lids closed tightly, in a locked cabinet or on a high shelf that kids and pets can't reach. Store products so they never mix, and choose a cool, dry spot out of direct sunlight, below 95°F.
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