One of the most important things a person can do to keep their pool’s water crystal clear is to shock it. For those of you who may not be familiar with this term, it’s the process of adding a chemical to the pool which essential super-chlorinates it. This chemical kills algae colonies and bacteria that may be lurking in your pool’s water, which makes it safe for swimmers to use the pool.

Of course, before you run out and buy just any old shock for your pool, you may want to look at the following top ten list. That’s because we’ve listed ten of the best pool shocks available and have listed them below. Anyone of the following chemicals will make your pool’s water crystal clear and ready for the summer swim season.

Best Pool Shock

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10hTH 7-In-1 Ultimate Shock Treatment

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This 6-pack contains six 1-pound packages that can be used to clean the pool quickly. This is probably one of the best pool shock products available because it does more than just kill bacteria and algae. When used according to its directions, this product is capable of softening water, eliminating scale, and providing crystal-clear water in as little as 24-hours. It can be used on all pools, even pools that use salt-water systems, and its blue action shows the pool owner that the product is actually working. All things considered, this is a great shock product for the pool and will get just about anyone’s pool really clean.

9hTH 4-In-1 Super Pool Treatment

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This 4-in-1 pool shock is capable of killing bacteria and algae in just about any pool, even in pools that use salt-water systems. When used according to its directions, the homeowner only has to add this product to their pool once a week, and it will sanitize the pool without over stabilizing it in the process. This fast-acting formula dissolves quickly and produces crystal-clear results in as little as 24-hours. It’s a product that’s ready to do the heavy lifting when it comes to keeping your pool in the best condition possible for swimmers.

8Clorox Pool & Spa XtraBlue Shock

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This package contains 12 easy-to-pour bottles that are capable of blasting out organic contaminants from just about any pool. This product is specifically designed to kill some of the more common algae blooms that affect pool owners including mustard algae, black algae, and green algae. It’s also capable of killing bacteria and by destroying organic products in the water is capable of improving pump performance. After use, the pool is cleaner and clearer than before the product is used. It’s definitely a shock for the pool that’s sure to be useful to a lot of pool owners.

7Doheny’s Super Shock

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Doheny’s Super Shock is definitely a pool cleaning product that many people are going to want to keep in their garage or pool house. And since it has a 3-year shelf life, there’s no reason why a pool owner wouldn’t have it around to clean their pool. Using a dosage of 1-pound to 10,000 gallons, this product is capable of killing algae, bacteria, and other microorganisms quickly and easily. It’s used by broadcasting it into the deep end of the pool while the pump is running for at least 6 to 8-hours. If this is done, according to directions, then the pool owner’s pool is going to be crystal clear and ready for swimmers.

6Zappit 73% Calcium Hypochlorite

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This 50-pound bucket of granular shock is designed to blast organic contaminants out of your pool. In fact, its name just about says it all as it calls itself a super-shock product. It’s made from 73% calcium hypochlorite in a granular form that eliminates bacteria quickly and efficiently. One pound of this product is capable of producing up to 16,500 gallons of pool water, so this entire bucket is capable of treating up to 825,000 gallons of pool water. This will leave the pool’s water crystal clear and completely safe to swim in after application.

5Clorox Pool & Spa Shock Plus

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Clorox is well known for the bleach products, so it should be no surprise to anyone that they also make a pretty good granular pool shock. This package contains 6 1-pound bottles of shock that will quickly kill off organic contaminants and will help clarify the water. And it does it without a strong chlorine odor like what’s produced by other pool cleaning products. When applied, this product goes right to work and the pool can be used by swimmers within 15-minutes of the first application. This product is probably one of the fastest ways to create sparkling pool water.

4Dry-Tec Calcium Hypochlorite Treatment

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This package contains 24 1-pound bags, and each bag is capable of treating up to 10,000 gallons of water. That means that this total package can treat up to 240,000 gallons of pool water quickly. This product contains 68% calcium hypochlorite, which helps to clarify the water and immediately destroy algae and other organic contaminants that may exist in the pool. This product is designed to be used on a weekly basis and is also designed to be used with water balancing chemicals that maintain the pool’s proper pH levels.

3Kem-Tek Super Shock 10-Pack

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This 10-pack of pool shock is different than some of the other products on the market. Each bag in this pack is capable of treating up to 20,000 gallons of pool water, as compared to the 10,000 gallons that are treated by other shock products. When properly applied according to its directions, this product is able to clarify the pool quickly and efficiently. In fact, after using this product, swimmers will be able to enter this pool as soon as 15 to 20-minutes after the first application. This allows the pool owner to spend more time using their pool than cleaning it.

2Pool Essentials Pool Treatment

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This product from Pool Essentials is as easy-to-use as it is effective. It’s designed to be applied either through the skimmer or straight into the deep end of the pool, this product is capable of cleaning up a pool quickly and efficiently. 1-pound of this product can be sued to treat up to 10,000 gallons of water while the pool’s pump is in full operation. When used according to its directions, this product is capable of clearing cloudy water and is suitable for all different types of pool. It’s also capable of cleaning a pool without as much of the chlorine odor as some other cheaper pool maintenance products tend to produce.

1In The Swim Chlorine Shock

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This bundle of pool shock contains 24 1-pound bags that will clean up a pool in no time flat. Each 1-pound dosage contains enough shock to treat up to 10,000 gallons of water and is made of 68% calcium hypochlorite for fast pool oxidation. This high-quality product will leave the pool fresher and cleaner than before it was used. This allows the pool owner to use their pool with confidence without having to worry about the microorganisms that might be swimming with them. All of which makes this a weekly pool maintenance product that everyone should use.

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A Guide To Buying & Using Pool Shock

All of the pool shock brands that we placed on the above list are ones that we believe do the best job for pool owners. However, we do realize that people might come across other brands in their search for the best chemicals for their pool, so we decided to write this guide, too. This guide explains to all of our readers not only how to buy the best pool shock available but also use it in a way that’s the most effective. To keep from wasting any of your precious time, let’s go ahead and jump right into this article so you can go back to maintaining your pool and spend less time reading about it.

How To Buy The Best Pool Shock

Fortunately for anyone looking to buy pool shock, there’s not a whole lot of considerations that consumers have to choose from to buy the best product possible. That’s because pool shock only comes in three different forms and those are Hypochlorite, Sodium Di-Chlor, and Potassium Monopersulfate. Let’s examine each of these three different types of pool shock and see what they have to offer the humble pool owner.

  • Hypochlorite – Hypochlorite, otherwise known as Cal-Hypo is one of the strongest pool shock products available. It’s also one of the more popular products available—for that very reason. This product dissolves quickly, but it is unstabilized, so UV rays from the sun will burn it off quickly. The best way to apply this product is to pre-dissolve it before adding it to the pool. If the product isn’t dissolved in this way, then it can end up bleaching out the surface of the pool or cause holes to develop in a vinyl liner. This type of pool shock should be added to the swimming pool in the evening and it will usually raise the pool’s pH level in the process. Once chlorine levels have returned to normal after treatment, then the pool can be used again.
  • Sodium Di-Chlor – Sodium Di-Chlor, also known as Di-Chlor, is granular chlorine that is stabilized and dissolves nice and slow. It has a longer-lasting presence in pool water than hypochlorite, and it increases cyanuric acid levels in the pool. This product can be used as a shock treatment or as maintenance chlorine, depending on the needs of the pool owner. When Sodium Di-Chlor is added to a swimming pool, it raises the pH level of the pool’s water. This product should be added to the pool in the evening, and the pool can then be used once chlorine levels have returned to normal.
  • Potassium Monopersulfate – Potassium Monopersulfate is a pool shock product that uses oxygen instead of chlorine to shock the pool. It oxidizes the water, which helps to clear away contaminants. And because it doesn’t compete with the chlorine already in use in the pool, it helps the pool’s current chlorine to perform better. This product is often called Shock & Swim. It’s called that because it can be added to the pool any hour of the day or night and the pool can be used withing 15-minutes of using it. And because it doesn’t have chlorine, it won’t affect the cyanuric acid levels of the pool.

How To Use Pool Shock

Now that we’ve covered the ten best pool shock products and have gone over some of the mechanisms by which these pool products work, it’s time to turn our attention to actually shocking the pool. Remember, it’s extremely important to read the directions to your pool shock product before using it and make sure that you follow all usage and safety recommendations. With that being said, let’s find out how to shock the pool.

Step One: Wear Appropriate Safety Equipment

The first step to shocking a pool, after reading the product’s instructions, is to put on the appropriate safety equipment. Since pool shock can not only bleach out clothing but can also burn the skin or eyes, it’s important to be well prepared. Some of the equipment you’ll need to shock the pool include:

  • Old clothing
  • Safety glasses
  • Rubber gloves

Step Two: Mix The Chemicals According To Directions

The next step to shocking the pool is mixing the pool shock properly. While some products can be added to the pool as is, other products are going to need to be mixed. Just be sure while mixing the product that you follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Step Three: Apply According To Directions

The next step is to apply the product to the pool according to the manufacturer’s directions. Some products require them to be added to the pool at the jets, and some other products recommend the user spread the product evenly around the perimeter of the pool, so it’s important to do as the directions indicate to get the best results.

Step Four: Let The Pool Shock Do Its Magic

The next step is easy enough for anyone to follow through on. Once the pool shock has been added to the pool, leave it alone for the amount of time recommended on the product’s label. Some pool shock products require the pool to be left alone overnight for it to properly work, but other products allow the pool to be used in approximately 15 to 20-minutes. Just pay attention to the time listed on the pool shock’s label, so you get the best results possible.

Step Five: Check The Pool’s Chemistry

The last step to shocking the pool is to test the pool’s water and ensure that the water chemistry is right. If the water chemistry isn’t right, then the pool owner will have to make adjustments to it. This can mean anything from adding more chlorine, using a pH up/down product, or some form of stabilizer. Once pool chemistry has been verified to be in the proper range, then the pool can be put back into commission. Congratulations! You just shocked your pool, and it’s now ready for the swim season.