There is no sustitute for hard work - most maintenance tasks are labour intensive. Those that aren't require a bit of thought and plenty of experience. Yes we use chemicals - despite what you may think to the contrary the only way to guarantee clean and healthy water is to kill the bacteria which may be growing in it - you cannot see germs or disease with the human eye so therefore you cannot remove it by hand. Chemicals give you the level of confidence required to maintain water bug free! Yes we use plenty of labour - dirt and debris harbor diseases, leaves and algae decay all must be removed by hand. Pools can be vacuumed to remove dust and silt. The best form of maintenance is Preventative Maintenance. If the pool is kept clean and healthy it will stay clean and healthy.