Pond cleaning – and thus also cleaning mud from the pond liner – should not be neglected if possible. You can find out how best to clean ponds and pond liner and when to do the cleaning in our article.
What is the best way to clean pond liner?
To clean pond liner effectively, you should remove coarse dirt with a landing net, check aquatic plants, pump out two thirds of the water and clean the liner gently with a high-pressure cleaner, scrubber or steam jet. Pay attention to the resilience of the film to avoid damage.
Time to clean the pond
There are two times of the year when cleaning the pond is highly recommended:
- in spring at the beginning of the pond season
- after the end of summer
The purpose of cleaning after the summer is to remove the algae that died at the end of the summer from the pond. After they bloom, they no longer grow unchecked and over time they settle at the bottom of the pond.
In this way, a pond can even “tip over” – i.e. become completely covered in algae. The oxygen concentration in the water is then very low, which often causes aquatic life to suffer from a lack of oxygen.
During the winter months, ponds become less polluted, but can also tip over. In addition, individual aquatic plants may have died. Take this opportunity to check the foil – especially at the edge of the pond – for damage caused by frost and snow.
Cleaning measures
First the pond itself has to be cleaned. This includes several measures:
- Removing coarse impurities from the water (use landing net)
- Checking aquatic plants and removing dead plants if necessary
- Pump out two thirds of the pond water (when refilling, fresh water is used)
Several methods can be used to clean the film:
- Cleaning with a high-pressure cleaner
- Brushing with a scrubber
- Cleaning with the steam jet
For all of these cleaning jobs, which are best carried out when the water level in the pond is very low, you must always take into account the resilience of the film.
With very thin films, there is always the risk that the film will tear if handled too roughly. So be as gentle as possible, even if it means more work. If dirty water arises during cleaning work, you can simply pump it out with a dirty water pump (€36.00 on Amazon). Do not use conventional garden pumps for this, they could become clogged if they do not have a sieve.
Preventive cleaning
You should always at least carry out the complete cleaning in the spring. To protect the pond from contamination throughout the year, you can either cover it or use a so-called skimmer to keep the water clean.
Tip
In spring, always wait until the pond has a water temperature of at least 12 °C before cleaning. If the temperature is below this, it is better to wait a while before cleaning.
