Can I use household bleach instead of pool shock to clean my pool?

Yes, but you have to know what you’re doing. Plain, unscented chlorine bleach (6% strength) works, but you’ll need about twice as much as pool shock (10–12%). Avoid bleaches with thickeners, scents, or splash-less additives—they can cause foam or cloudiness. Use a pool calculator for the right dose and pour it slowly with the pump running. It’s a fine emergency hack, but pool shock is cheaper per gallon of active chlorine and more reliable for regular use.