You know that sharp, chemical smell people call “too much chlorine”? That’s a lie. That smell is actually combined chlorine—the stuff you’re trying to lower. A healthy pool barely smells like anything. If it smells like a laundromat, you have a total chlorine problem.
So don’t shy away from adding more fresh chlorine. It’s counterintuitive, but adding shock is often the fastest way to drop that total number. Trust the process.
