
The Pool Store is Not Always Your Friend
No offense intended to pool store owners, but, sometimes, they are simply selling you an overpriced option to accomplish what can be done very inexpensively. Just switching over to less expensive, but just as effective, pool maintenance options can be a quick way to give yourself a “raise”.
A perfect example are the sodium bicarbonate solutions that they sell to address pool alkalinity issues. For those who may not know this (maybe you’re not one who spends much time in the kitchen), sodium bicarbonate is basically just standard, inexpensive, household baking soda repackaged in order to sell it for more money.
Don’t Get Fleeced

If you’ve got alkalinity issues, simply purchase baking soda in bulk from Costco or Sam’s Club or some other outlet (or click the image to purchase on Amazon) and give your pool the “raise” it needs without spending the extra bucks. I buy giant bags of baking soda from Costco for next to nothing to be used for all sorts of things.
Obviously, it can be used for cooking, but, it also works well as a terrific deodorant and, believe it or not, I also use it to wash my hair. It costs next to nothing, removes only EXCESS oil, so that your hair and scalp don’t dry out, scrubs your scalp and leaves your hair smelling very fresh and clean without any extra fragrances or chemicals.
Obviously, it can be used for cooking, but, it also works well as a terrific deodorant and, believe it or not, I also use it to wash my hair. It costs next to nothing, removes only EXCESS oil, so that your hair and scalp don’t dry out, scrubs your scalp and leaves your hair smelling very fresh and clean without any extra fragrances or chemicals.
And, of course, as I’ve already indicated, it can be used to address pool alkalinity issues without causing too drastic a change in pool pH. Better yet, you can use exactly the same amount of baking soda as you would have needed of the expensive “pool store stuff”, so no conversion calculations are necessary.
So, next time your pool needs an alkalinity adjustment, considering grabbing the bag of baking soda and saving yourself a few bucks. And, if you’re feeling adventurous, give it a shot on your hair. You might be amazed at how well it works.
Disclaimer: Pool ownership and maintenance is very complicated, and we know every situation is unique. While we’ve done our best to cover the best practices here, we encourage you to reach out to ProTuff directly at info@protuffproducts.com with any specific questions you may have.