Rinse your pool ladder after every swim.

Yes. Fresh water is cheap insurance. Pool chemicals and chlorine eat through metal fast, especially if the ladder isn’t stainless steel. A five-second rinse after each use stops the corrosion before it starts.

Most pool ladders are either stainless steel, aluminum, or galvanized steel. Stainless holds up best, but even it can pit if you let chemicals sit. Aluminum doesn’t rust but can pit from chlorine. Galvanized will eventually rust where the coating chips. The common thread: nobody rinses, and that’s why ladders rust.

If you’re buying new, spend the extra on 304 or 316 stainless steel. For existing ladders, a coat of car wax or a marine-grade rust inhibitor every few months helps. But the single most effective thing is rinsing with a garden hose after everyone gets out.

A bucket of fresh water next to the ladder works, too, if the hose is too far. Future You will thank you.