Pool Cover Care: Get More Seasons From Your Cover
Key takeaways
Rinse your pool cover with fresh water after heavy use and let it dry fully before storage, because mould can take hold on damp surfaces within 24 to 48 hours.
A pool cover is the single most effective way to cut heating costs, with the US Department of Energy citing savings of 50 to 70 percent.
Store covers loosely rolled in a dry, shaded place and keep PVC away from direct sun to slow UV breakdown.
Inspect hooks, straps and reel mechanisms every season, and replace worn hardware early before it damages the cover itself.
Repair small tears promptly, but replace a cover once seams fail across multiple points or the fabric has gone brittle.
Most pool covers fail years early for one avoidable reason: they get folded away wet, left in the sun, or hung on worn hardware that tears the fabric. Good pool cover care is mostly about drying, shading and a few minutes of inspection each season. Do those three things and a cover will keep saving you water, heat and chemicals for far longer than the warranty suggests.
A cover earns its keep every day it is on the water. The US Department of Energy calls covering a pool the single most effective means of reducing pool heating costs, with savings of 50 to 70 percent possible (US Department of Energy, Swimming Pool Covers). Protecting that investment is simple once you know the routine.
What Does Good Pool Cover Care Involve?
Good pool cover care comes down to four habits: clean the cover regularly, keep it out of harsh sun when stored, roll or fold it correctly, and check the hardware that holds it. Each one targets a specific way covers wear out, whether that is mould, UV breakdown, creasing or hardware failure.
The payoff is real. Because evaporation is by far the largest source of energy loss in a pool, a well-maintained cover keeps working as a heat and water barrier season after season. Each pound of 80 degree water that evaporates carries away 1,048 Btu of heat, so a cover that seals properly saves far more than it costs to look after.
How Do You Clean Thermal and Safety Covers?
Rinse debris off weekly and do a fuller fresh-water clean monthly. Thermal bubble covers and solid safety covers both collect leaves, dust and standing water, and that organic matter feeds mould. Removing it promptly is the single biggest thing you can do to extend a cover's life.
For a thermal cover, lay it flat or leave it floating and hose it down, bubble side up. A soft brush lifts grime from the pockets without bursting the bubbles. Avoid harsh solvents, which attack the polymer. For a solid safety cover, sweep off leaves and pump away any pooled rainwater before it stagnates.
Here is the part owners skip: let the cover dry fully before it goes anywhere. The EPA notes that materials dried within 24 to 48 hours of getting wet will, in most cases, not grow mould (US EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home). A cover folded away damp is a cover growing mildew in the dark.
Modern Tarps builds its custom pool covers from heavy-duty PVC, which rinses clean and dries quickly compared with lighter fabrics, so a quick hose-down and a dry afternoon is usually all it takes.
A simple weekly and monthly rhythm
Weekly: skim leaves and debris off the cover, pump off standing water.
Monthly: full fresh-water rinse, soft-brush the surface, inspect seams.
Before storage: deep clean, then dry completely in shade.
How Do You Prevent UV Damage and Mould Build-Up?
Shade and dryness are your two defences. Ultraviolet light slowly breaks down the polymers in any outdoor cover, making the fabric stiff, faded and prone to cracking. Moisture does the opposite kind of damage, feeding mould and mildew that stain the material and weaken seams.
To slow UV wear, never store a cover in direct sun. A shaded shed, a garage or a covered patio keeps the fabric cooler and out of the light. While the cover is in use on the pool, that constant sun exposure is unavoidable, which is exactly why quality UV-stabilised material matters at purchase time.
For mould, the rule is moisture control. Keep stored covers in a spot with good airflow and low humidity. The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity below 60 percent, ideally between 30 and 50 percent, to discourage mould growth. The same logic applies to a packed-away cover: a damp cover in a humid cupboard is the worst-case combination.
Our finding: across the covers we service, the fastest killers are sun during storage and moisture trapped in folds, well ahead of pool chemicals. Owners who store dry and shaded routinely get years more from the same cover.
What Is the Correct Way to Roll, Fold and Store a Cover?
Roll thermal covers rather than folding them, and store every cover loosely in a dry, shaded place. Tight, repeated folds create permanent crease lines where the material fatigues and eventually splits. A reel solves this for thermal covers by rolling them evenly without sharp bends.
For off-season storage, follow a short sequence. Clean the cover, dry it completely, then roll it onto its reel or into a loose cylinder. Slip it into a breathable storage bag rather than sealed plastic, which traps condensation. Keep it off a concrete floor, where cold and damp transfer into the fabric.
Solid safety covers are usually folded, so vary the fold lines year to year rather than creasing the same spots repeatedly. Store the cover flat or loosely rolled, never with heavy objects stacked on top, which can press permanent dents into the material.
A few storage habits that pay off:
Dry the cover completely before it goes away, because damp plus dark equals mould.
Keep it loose. Tight, repeated creases fatigue the fabric until it splits.
Store in shade; UV ages a cover even when it is folded in a cupboard.
Lift it off the floor onto a shelf, rack or reel.
How Do You Check Hooks, Straps and Reels for Wear?
Inspect every attachment point at least once a season, because failing hardware damages the cover long before it fails completely. A frayed strap or a seized reel puts uneven stress on the fabric, and that is where tears start. Catching wear early is cheaper than replacing a whole cover.
Work through the hardware methodically. Check straps and springs on safety covers for fraying, rust and lost tension. Look at hooks and anchors for bending or corrosion. On a reel system, spin it through its full travel and listen for grinding or sticking, which signals worn bearings.
Replace worn components promptly rather than nursing them through another season. A single corroded hook or a stretched strap costs little next to a torn cover. Tighten loose fixings, lubricate reel mechanisms as the manufacturer directs, and swap out anything that looks past its best before it drags the fabric with it.
When Should You Repair Versus Replace Your Cover?
Repair small, isolated damage; replace a cover when the fabric itself has failed. A single tear, a loose seam or a few burst bubbles are all patchable with a repair kit matched to your cover's material. The decision point is whether the base fabric still has life in it.
Reach for a repair when you see:
A tear under about 15 cm with sound fabric around it.
A seam lifting in one spot.
Localised bubble loss on a thermal cover.
Plan a replacement when you see:
Seams failing in multiple places at once.
Fabric gone brittle, stiff or crumbling from UV age.
Widespread fading with tears opening whenever the cover is handled.
When the time comes, a custom cover cut to your pool's exact shape fits tighter and lasts longer than a generic off-the-shelf size. Modern Tarps manufactures custom pool covers to measure and handles delivery and installation across Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North West and Limpopo, so the replacement fits the pool rather than the other way round.
Fewer than one in six pool owners use a cover regularly, according to data cited by the EPA's WaterSense programme (US EPA WaterSense). Owners who do, and who look after that cover, hold on to the water, heat and chemical savings that the rest give up.
Make Pool Cover Care a Habit
Pick one afternoon at the end of this swimming season to clean your cover properly, dry it fully, and store it loosely in the shade. That single habit, repeated each year, does more for a cover's lifespan than any product you can buy. If an inspection turns up brittle fabric or seams failing in several places, measure your pool and arrange a custom replacement before the next season starts, so you never lose a week of protection.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I clean my pool cover?
Rinse debris off weekly during the swimming season and give the cover a fuller fresh-water clean monthly. Thermal and safety covers both benefit from removing leaves and standing water promptly, since trapped moisture encourages mould.
Why does my pool cover get mouldy?
Mould grows where moisture sits. The EPA notes that damp surfaces not dried within 24 to 48 hours are at risk. Folding a cover away while it is still wet is the most common cause.
How long should a pool cover last?
A quality cover that is cleaned, dried and stored correctly can serve many seasons. UV exposure, chlorine and rough handling shorten that life, so storage habits matter more than most owners expect.
Can I repair a torn pool cover myself?
Small tears and loose seams can often be patched with a vinyl or PVC repair kit matched to your cover material. Widespread seam failure or brittle fabric means it is time to replace rather than patch.
Should I take my pool cover off in winter?
It depends on the cover type and your climate. Many owners keep a winter cover on and store the summer thermal cover separately. Either way, clean and dry a cover fully before off-season storage.
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