What I Learned About Cleaning Stained Pool Plaster

I’m just going to say it upfront: I thought I ruined my pool. Like, really thought I’d messed it up beyond saving. The plaster started staining a few months after I moved in. At first, I didn’t even notice. There was this faint discoloration near the deep end, which I assumed was just shadow or lighting. But then it spread. And then I tried to clean it. And, well... let’s just say I went down a rabbit hole of regrets, pool brushes, and late-night Googling. Now? My pool looks good. Really good. I’m not saying it’s perfect — it’s an older pool, and I still don’t know what half the valves do — but it’s clean, and I’m not stressing every time someone comes over and gets in. Big part of that turnaround? A robot. Seriously.

It started out like a smudge. Kind of grayish. Then it turned brownish. Then, after a storm, it took on this greenish tint and that’s when I realized, okay, this isn’t normal. I tried brushing it. Nothing. Tried shocking the water. Still there. I even tried some internet hack with vitamin C tablets (you’re supposed to press them onto the stain?) and while that did something, the stains always came back.

For the record, I do test my water. I add chemicals. I skim. I vacuum. I'm not lazy about my pool. But those stains — they made me feel like I was losing a slow-motion fight against something I couldn’t even see happening.

At one point, I convinced myself I had metal stains. Or scale. Or algae. Or all three. I spent actual money on these stain removers that came in fancy bottles with words like “sequestrant” and “chelating agent.” Nothing worked long-term. Worse, some of them made the water cloudy or messed with my pH levels.

I tried brushing harder, which only gave me sore arms and zero results. I literally got down there with a snorkel once, scrubbing the shallow end like I was trying to punish the plaster into being white again.

At some point, someone mentioned Beatbot in a Facebook group. I remember scrolling past it at first because I assumed it was just another expensive pool gadget. But then someone else said it actually scrubs the walls and doesn’t just swirl around the bottom like a lazy jellyfish. That caught my attention.

I ended up buying one from the AquaSense 2 Series. I didn’t even tell anyone. It felt like one of those purchases you make at midnight while feeling slightly defeated, hoping it might fix your problems but also expecting to be disappointed.

Okay, that sounds dramatic. But seriously — the first time I saw it climb the wall and actually clean where the stains were, I felt this weird combo of relief and disbelief. It just… did the thing. Quietly. With no hoses or babysitting or drama.

The best part? It didn’t give up halfway. It got up to the waterline, stayed there, did its job, and kept going. I sat outside for most of that first cycle with my coffee in hand just watching it like it was some kind of miracle. Maybe it was.

After a couple of weeks running it regularly, the plaster looked way, way better. Not bleached or overly scrubbed — just clean. The dark patches near the main drain? Gone. The odd halo around the steps? Mostly faded. I wasn’t expecting results that good, honestly. I figured it would be a helper, not a solution.

I stopped obsessing. That was the biggest thing. Before, I’d walk past the pool and feel like I had homework. I’d see those stains and think, “ugh, I still haven’t dealt with that.” Now I walk past and go, “yeah, it’s looking pretty solid.” I can just swim now. Sit on the steps with a drink and not feel embarrassed about the waterline.

I even had friends over a few weekends ago, and for the first time in ages, I didn’t feel the need to explain the plaster. No apologizing. No “don’t mind the stain, I’m working on it” speech. Because there wasn’t anything to explain anymore.

Owning a pool is great, but it’s also… a lot. There’s always something to check, balance, fix, or scrub. And when you find something that genuinely takes a load off your shoulders, it’s kind of a gift. That’s what the Beatbot ended up being. Not flashy. Not loud. Just one of those tools that does what it’s supposed to — no drama.

Now the robot’s part of the rhythm. I drop it in, it does its thing, I don’t think about plaster stains anymore. And honestly, that peace of mind? Feels better than any chemical fix I ever tried.

I didn’t expect to love a robot. But here we are.

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