How to Get Rid of the Chlorine Smell from Pool Floats and Accessories

It’s smack dab in the middle of the summer right now, which means most days are spent at the pool with flamingo floats and ice-cold fizzy waters. But what happens when the pool closes and you need to take all your accessories home? Whether you’re into arm floaties or pool noodles, all of them have a telltale chlorine smell after the fact. 

While it’s pleasant enough when you’re splashing about, you don’t necessarily want to inhale that when you’re out of the sun. And that sentiment doubles when you stash your deflated floats in a closet or box — the chlorine smell will just about knock you off of your feet when you open it. If that sounds familiar, then here is your guide on how to get rid of the chlorine smell from your pool floats and accessories.

• Bucket
• Vinegar
• Baking soda
• Dish soap
• Water
• Sponge

Are you like me and made the rookie mistake of washing your pool floats and floaties while they were inflated? I always thought they’d be easier to clean that way, but that’s not the case. “Depending on your floatie, it can have intricate shapes or just won’t fit in a sink. Cleaning it is easier when it’s deflated,” says Irene Stepaniuk, a Chicago-based professional housekeeper of 30 years.

All you really need to neutralize that chlorine smell is a little bit of dish soap. “Give a healthy squeeze of dish soap into a cup of warm water,” Stepaniuk says. You want there to be plenty of bubbles in the cup, which you will use to dip your sponge into. Then, dunk your deflated float into a bucket or sink, and use a sponge to softly scrub the surface in circular motions. “If you have any grime that the soap doesn’t lift, use one part vinegar with three parts water.” That should help break down the buildup.

Next, pour out the dirty water and rinse your float under the faucet. If it’s big, spray it down in the bathtub or shower. Then, let it dry in the sun.

If that doesn’t remove the chlorine smell completely, try using baking soda to lift the odor. “Baking soda pulls smells out — it’s why it’s recommended inside refrigerators or sprinkled on top of rugs,” says Stepaniuk. Rewash the pool float or floatie, this time using a mixture of ¼ cup of baking soda with ½ liter of water. “This doesn’t have to be exact — you can also just sprinkle the powder directly onto the floatie and use a wet sponge to rub it in using circles.” Rinse it with clean water and set it out in the sun to dry.