Even though the swimming season is coming to a close for another year, it won’t be long until you reopen the pool.
You’ll need to think about what you’re going to do when it comes to storing your pool floats and toys over the winter.
If you take care of stashing all your equipment correctly, you’ll find it much easier to get up and running next swimming season.
Beyond this, we have plenty of storage solutions for you for the whole year round, so you don’t necessarily need to install a pool house next to your swimming pool in order to keep your supplies safe.
As with most things in life, taking the time and effort to plan can help you streamline the storage process significantly.
I. Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail
The first thing you should do before storing any pool floats is to wash and dry them. Leaving floats damp and dirty is an open invitation for pests, mold, and mildew.
Luckily, it’s easy to prevent this:
- Wipe off any dirt with a dry cloth
- Rinse the float with your garden hose
- Fill a bucket with some warm water and dish detergent
- Use a cloth and dip this into the water. Scrub thoroughly
- Rinse then allow the float to dry naturally
If you have any pool inflatables, now is the time to let all the air out of them. Lightly fold them so they don’t take up much storage space.
Now, some inflatables are surprisingly tough to deflate, so you could use a pump capable of deflating, or alternatively use a drinking straw to suck some of the air out.
Performing these simple tasks before winterizing your pool will make it much easier for you to get started seamlessly when next swimming season comes around.
We’ll now take a look at how to store pool floats and toys so they are close at hand during the swimming season, but before that, where you should you store this stuff?
II. Where Should You Store Your Pool Inflatables?
If you don’t have a dedicated pool house, store you pool gear in a cool dry place like a shed or garage.
For anyone constrained by storage space, try fitting some hanging hooks so you can maximize the space.
Now, it’s time to get down to business so you can explore our top 10 suggestions for storing pool floats and toys the easy way.
III. 10 Innovative Ways to Store Your Pool Floats and Toys
- Use a dedicated laundry basket for wet clothes and towels
- Install some multipurpose hooks
- Invest in some storage ladders
- Store pool noodles on wooden pallets
- Requisition a coat rack for storing pool toys and towels
- Take advantage of the fence surrounding the pool
- Use some airtight containers
- Utilize a storage trolley
- Contain floats in a cargo net
- Make a floating toy box
1) Use a dedicated laundry basket for wet clothes and towels
Consider buying an oversized laundry basket to stop all your sopping wet towels and swimwear from ending up trailing water all over the floor of the main house.
The holes in the sides of these baskets will promote excellent airflow, stopping the growth of mildew in its tracks.
If you look for a rugged and durable basket, you won’t even need to concern yourself with bringing it indoors overnight.
2) Install some multipurpose hooks
All good swimming pools come with a skimmer to help you remove the dirt and debris from the water.
Install some large hooks on the wall closest to the pool. Space the hooks wider apart than the width of the skimmer’s handle and you can keep it up out of the way and within easy reach at all times.
You can also use the hooks for hanging up swim goggles and small pool toys.
3) Invest in some storage ladders
Storage ladders are one of the best space-saving solutions you can find for pool toys and floats.
Use these ladders to drape some clean towels for later use.
Adding some hooks to the ladders widens your options further, and allows you to hang small pool toys and pool accessories from them.
Position the ladder so it is out of the way and exposed to the sun, helping your toys dry out while inhibiting the growth of mold and mildew.
4) Store pool noodles on wooden pallets
While you may feel wooden pallets have an industrial look to them, this functionality makes them a superb storage option for pool toys and floats.
As with several other methods we outline – storage ladders, for instance – you can also add hooks to wooden pallets to diversify storage options. Use the hooks for hanging up towels, goggles, and wetsuits.
Place the pallet neat the pool and pop a bin or basket on top to keep all small pool toys in one place.
5) Requisition a coat rack for storing pool toys and towels
Coat racks come in handy for more than just coats, hats, and umbrellas.
If you invest in a sturdy coat rack suitable for outdoor use, you can take full advantage of all those arms to hang up all your pool accessories and equipment when not being used.
A nice way to expand this storage solution further is to hang some mesh bags from the rack. These allow you to store everything from flip-flops and noodles through to pool toys. They also work well for any small items like diving rings. Placing toys in mesh bags also allows you to hose off the chlorine after use.
6) Take advantage of the fence surrounding the pool
If you have a fence surrounding your swimming pool, it makes sense to take advantage of all that hanging space.
Installing a rack on the fence is perfect for keeping sunblock, water bottles, and goggles. You should avoid racks with slots or holes, so smaller items don’t slip through.
Add some hooks on the fence for hanging wet swimsuits and towels. The more wet gear you can keep out of the house, the better.
Another way to build out your storage space is to add some cheap baskets. These will allow you to store toys and small accessories that are not suitable for hanging up on the fence.
7) Use some airtight containers
If you grab some airtight containers, these will protect your pool equipment from drastic changes in temperature. This serves to minimize the chance of mold and mildew attacking your equipment, and you’ll also reduce the likelihood of pests setting up shop.
Vacuum-sealed bags can do the same job without taking up quite as much space. Consider these if you are limited by space outdoors.
8) Utliize a storage trolley
Storage trolleys come with wheels so you can more readily maneuver them around poolside.
Trolleys will typically feature multiple compartments, ideal for storing pool chemicals.
You’ll also find a trolley comes in useful for storing hoses, skimmers, vacuum heads, and much, much more.
Quick and easy to assemble as well as affordable, get yourself a trolley and keep things better organized.
9) Contain floats in a cargo net
Maybe you don’t have a fence surrounding your swimming pool. If you have a large wall, though, this can be a great spot for storing pool floats when not in use.
Get some hooks intended for outdoor use and fix them to the wall with some non-damaging adhesive.
Make sure you space the hooks thoughtfully so you don’t have any problems grabbing your floats when you need them. Get this wrong and you’ll make your life awkward.
10) Make a floating toy box
Try cutting up one of your pool noodles and wrapping the pieces around a cheap laundry basket. Do this and the basket will float in the pool.
You obviously need to get a box or basket that’s waterproof, and you’ll find yourself adding a new feature to your swimming pool while saving yourself time on cleaning up.
The best part? This hack only take a few minutes and a cheap noodle and basket to pull off!
IV. Conclusion
If you arrived here today at Wild River Country uncertain about how to store all your pool toys, you should now have plenty of options at your fingertips.
From keeping your pool gear safe over the winter months to keeping it close at hand during the swimming season, you now have all bases covered. Imagination is your only limitation when you’re creating storage for pool equipment, and if you use everything at your disposal, including the garden fence, you’ll soon discover you don’t need to spend a fortune to achieve this.
Make sure you bookmark our blog before you head off and pop back soon for more great guides and all the best pool equipment