When you bought a home with a pool, you probably envisioned your family cooling off in the sparkling blue water. What you didn’t anticipate was the myriad of pumps, filters, buckets of chlorine tablets and beach balls cluttering up the lovely landscape.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to conceal, organize and store the machinery and chemicals that are necessary to create that sparkly water you love, as well as corral your kids’ various pool toys.

Organize your pool floats

Kids and adults alike adore foam and inflatable pool floats. But when pool time is over, they typically end up littering the pool deck. To keep the deck uncluttered, check out the Original Hanging Float Rack from In the Swim; the storage system hangs on any vertical surface and will keep the floats neatly hanging upright. The rack can handle floats of various sizes and the innovative PVC construction keeps them from sticking together and getting moldy.

Hide your pool pump

There are a variety of tricks to conceal a pool pump and filter. You can plant some shrubs and small trees around it, which will create a natural cover. Check with your local gardening center for plants that will do well in the typically full-sun pool area. A super quick way to hide a pool pump is with a fence; most home improvement stores sell vertical slat or vinyl fences that homeowners can install themselves. If you go with a wood option, have the kids help you paint it with a fish and wave motif. To make the fence more appealing, plant some flowers around the bottom. If you have the room, you can also enclose the pump in a shed; in addition to looking nice you can use it to store your chlorine and other chemicals.

Stow away your chemicals

Giant tubs of chlorine tablets not only look unattractive, they can also be dangerous to young kids who want to reach in and grab the interesting-looking white discs. To store chlorine and other chemicals out of reach, invest in a large Rubbermaid resin deck box. The sizable olive and sandstone box looks nice, and is lockable, leak-resistant and extremely durable. If you have the space for more than one box, keep the toxic chemicals locked away in one and pool toys, patio furniture cushions and spare pool towels in the other one.

Hang up your skimmer and brush

To keep your pool clean, you have to regularly skim the water with a net and brush the edges and steps. Instead of leaving those long-handled tools on the pool deck where they can be easily tripped on, purchase some pole and hose hangers; the double hook hangers are easily mounted on a wall or pool fence and will keep the tools up off the ground.

Add other lovely things to the area

A great way to draw your attention away from the unsightly pool pump is to add other items of beauty to your pool area. If you have room, add a beautiful fountain or other water feature, fire pit or barbecue. At night, use a pool light to make the water glow, without illuminating the pump area.