To frame an immediate and simple answer: no. You should not leave floats and toys in your pool for an extended amount of time. But if you do, no need to panic! Here’s the issue with leaving foreign objects in your pool: clogging, and microplastics.

Inflatable pools and floats are typically made of polyvinyl chloride, a widely produced synthetic plastic polymer that has been made softer with the addition of plasticizers like phthalates. This form of polyvinyl chloride is commonly referred to as PVC or vinyl by inflatable pool manufacturers. This material has the tendency to break down when exposed to sunlight and chlorinated water for an extended amount of time. It can develop cracks or tears that would then chip small strips into the water. This can then enter and clog your filtration system. Adding insult to injury, this material is not recyclable.

We’ve even seen instances where the hose for the pool skimmer wrapped around an unattended beach ball and popped it. The remnants floating into the trap and caused some major problems for the owner by preventing water from entering. The filtration system can then run dry for an extended period of time, causing damage.

Simply removing these items after use, rinsing them off with a hose, and storing them can solve all of these potential headaches.