It’s amazing what a bit of paint and some elbow grease can do.

That’s a line realtors often use when advising sellers. But it’s not limited to homes. The same is true for boats and cars…and swimming pools.

Of course, the city isn’t looking to sell McDermott Pool, but the paint in the pool and on the walls surrounding it has given the facility a remarkable facelift. The improvements, however, go much deeper than a coat of paint.

The locker rooms have undergone a dramatic transformation. Walls have been tiled; there are new fixtures and rust proof lockers; and the floor covered with an epoxy that promises to reduce slips and puddles and make it much easier to keep clean. A lot of additional work has gone into freshening the environment, including some new lighting, ceiling tiles and the replacement of clouded windows.

What’s remarkable is the “elbow grease.”

As the term implies, it wasn’t a lot of money that made the changes. By and large, the kudos go to the crews of the Department of Public Works who did the work. Apart from the contracted epoxy flooring, the work was completed by the city at no additional cost to the taxpayer. Many of those crews used their personal equipment to accomplish the tile and plumbing work.

With the hottest week of the summer so far, and sporadic public beach closings a norm this year, completion of the pool is timely. The place, as one swimmer told us yesterday, is “inviting.” She is right. The building and its facilities are clean; it looks fresh and “cool” in several senses.

But it’s all about the water, and that definitely has a following.

Drop by and drop in. You’ll be rewarded with refreshment, and you’ll leave appreciating what a lot of elbow grease can accomplish. Open swim hours – there’s no charge – are 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 12:15 to 2:45 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.