Hey everyone, I bought a decently sized inflatable pool for future sessions.

For people who've used something like that in the past, how do you clean up afterwards? Should I cover the inside with plastic?

Buy the cheapest one you can find and when your done pop it, roll it into a ball and put it in a trash bag. Cleanup for shoots with a pool are a dream for me!

I've used a cheap plastic drop cloth for my inflatable pool sessions and had good luck with cleanup with that

Definitely cover the pool in a tarp or plastic. When you're done, just roll it up throw it out and deflate the pool. Super easy!

Living in a quiet area without too many neighbors, I was able to fold up the deflated pool like a taco, carry it outside, blast it with a garden hose and some dishwashing detergent and let it dry in the sun.

That requires a combination of having a lawn you're not overly worried about, some privacy and a first-floor walkout site.

ETA: Just now noticed that OP lives in NYC, so that might not work. Flapping all the slop out of a deflated pool into the middle of the street or the courtyard of your apartment building would be a decidedly bad idea.

We've been using the same large inflatable pool for some time. Cover the inside with plastic - the 2mm works best, taping down the sides - then when you're finished scoop out what you can, roll up the plastic (and dispose), then wipe down any excess that might have hit the pool itself. Works like a charm.

Drop cloth/plastic for the win.

I've found it best to not bother lining it with anything. It it's really deep, use something ike a jug to get most out into buckets to dispose of. Then, I've got a plastic dust pan with a rubber edge to scoop it up when it's shallow. Finally, a squeegee to gather up the last of it and scrape it into the dustpan or just straight off of the squeegee if it's thick. I'm usually cleaning up while still messy, so then I'll go shower and come back with a mop and bucket to get the last of it. If you're using stuff like custard that will start to smell over time, get a mop with a detachable head and put that through the washing machine once you're done. Let it air dry for 24h and get any small pools of water with a hand towel after that. Slightly time consuming, but I'd rather that than a new pool every time with the number of scenes we do. xx

Great advice from a pro!

I've re-used the same pool several times. No need for a plastic sheet/liner inside the pool. (Really, don't use a liner, it's just something that'll get tangled up in a sticky mess. Not the fun kind of mess either).
[Tarps for the floor, painter's sheets for the walls, unless you're in a bathroom/wetroom please still cover the walls]

My mess of choice is gunge- extra thick extra goopy. Usually MS Gunge, MS Clayzee Colours (bentonite + powder paint), Have used Slube and Gelli/Slime Baff also.

Allow a few hours for cleaning.

1) Scoop out as much of the physical mess as possible. (Half fill buckets, top with water, swish it together, and flush down toilet).

2) Fill a bucket (or two) with warm soapy water and tip it into the pool. Get in the pool. Best tool for cleaning is a ball shaped mesh loofah/body scrubber/shower puff (find them in the bath/shower section).
What you'll find is the wires of the loofah act like cheese-wires and cut through gunge/mess, quickly lifting it off your pool. The open mesh of the loofah makes it very easy to wash out when it gets clogged with gunge/mess. (unlike a sponge, where you spend longer cleaning the sponge than the pool).

3) Scoop out as much water as possible. Repeat step 2, this time it's a detailed clean to pickup any odd bits of mess you've missed. A regular kitchen sponge can be useful as well as the loofah.

4) Repeat step 3, this time plain water (no soap). This is a final rinse of the pool. Drain as much water as possible. Towel dry the pool. Leave the pool inflated overnight in a warm room to ensure it's fully dried out.
When deflating, use a pump to fully suck out all the air- allowing it to fold up into it's original box.

If you can get your pool outside (hosepipe), or into the bathtub, or you have a wetroom, you can do steps 1, 2, and 3 a lot lot faster. Loofah still strongly recommended.