First, maintaining water balance (ph, salt and chlorine generation) would have to be the #1 most important thing. Bad chemistry is the quickest way to damage pumps, filters and heaters, and voids most of the manufacturers warranties. It can also make the water unsafe to swim in and unpleasant to look at.

Outside of water chemistry, you always need to keep any pool free of debris. Nobody wants to see tree branches, leaves or other things in the bottom of their pool. This is a great reason to purchase an automatic cleaner like the ones we try to sell with every pool we install. It makes life a lot easier than having to fish for leaves in the bottom of the pool with a net.