I’ve actually tried the soaker hose method, and it wasn’t too bad, but I’ll admit it took forever. My main worry was whether I was really getting all the chlorine out—sometimes those test strips feel like a guessing game. I’ve heard some folks just let the pool sit for a few days without adding chemicals before draining, but I’m not sure if that’s “officially” safe. Anyone else ever just wait it out? I’m all for saving a few bucks if it works...
Letting it sit for a few days is what I usually do—my patience is about as thin as my wallet, but it seems to work. I’ve never had grass die or anything. Has anyone actually had issues with leftover chlorine wrecking their yard, or is that just a myth?
my patience is about as thin as my wallet
Same here—waiting for chlorine to drop feels like watching paint dry, but I’ve never seen my grass suffer either. Once dumped a kiddie pool straight onto the lawn and the only thing that died was a patch of weeds. Maybe it’s just luck or my “premium” crabgrass.
I get where you're coming from, but I wouldn’t bank on grass always surviving a chlorine dump. Maybe you got lucky, or your soil drains better than mine, but I’ve seen some nasty brown patches after folks emptied pools out front around here. My old lawn took weeks to bounce back after a neighbor’s “harmless” pool water trickled over. If you’re attached to your yard, I’d play it safe—dilute or spread it out if you can. That crabgrass might be tougher than it looks, but not everything else is.
I totally get the concern—chlorine is no joke for plants. I remember a client who wanted a seamless indoor-outdoor flow, and the first thing we noticed out her patio doors was a big, sad patch of dead grass from last summer’s pool drain. It really ruined the vibe she was going for. I’m honestly surprised how quickly even “tough” lawns can get scorched. Maybe it’s worth investing in a long hose to spread the water out or even using it to water less visible areas? I wouldn’t risk my front yard, personally.
