If you don’t do proper maintenance, a sparkling, soothing feature can quickly become filled with funky smelling, mucky water. Cox recommends draining and thoroughly scrubbing any water feature at least once or twice a year. If no aquatic life is present, you can use dish soap to clean it, making sure to rinse surfaces thoroughly before refilling it with fresh water. Always keep the animals that rely on the water feature in mind. If it’s a pond with fish or amphibians, for example, they will have to be moved before you use any specialized cleaning agents. “A client would pour in a bunch of Clorox to keep the water clean,” Chaffman said. “And I’m like, ‘Sure your fountain looks pristine, but I feel really feel sorry for the robin that goes down there and gets a drink.’”
