Here are 3 pool chemicals you can stop wasting your money on right now: #1. Alkalinity Increaser. This has just one active ingredient: sodium bicarbonate. And sodium bicarbonate is just baking soda. Adding baking soda to your water will raise your alkalinity levels. #2. pH Increaser. This chemical’s active ingredient is sodium carbonate. That’s also called soda ash or washing soda. You can buy this cheaper alternative in the laundry aisle and use it to raise your pH. You can also use Borate, a.k