Most household products that people try in their pools are bad ideas. Dish soap creates foam that takes days to dissipate. Vinegar is too weak to adjust pH meaningfully. Bleach works as a chlorine source but is expensive and inconsistent compared to pool-grade chlorine. Baking soda is the rare exception: it is chemically identical to the alkalinity increaser sold at pool supply stores, and it works exactly the same way. Understanding when and how to use baking soda in your pool, and when a different product is the better choice, saves money without sacrificing water quality. What Baking Soda Does…