How To Clean A Hot Tub

One of the key ways to maintain your hot tub and have it work as efficiently as possible is by performing routine cleaning and maintenance. If you don't routinely clean your hot tub, it can lead to problems like mold and mildew growth, clogged internal equipment, and cloudy water.

Luckily, you've come to the right place.

Today, we're going to dive in and give you all of the information that you need to learn how to clean a hot tub easily and effectively.

Continue reading to learn more.

Step-By-Step Guide To Cleaning Your Hot Tub

Powering Down And Draining Your Hot Tub

Hot tubs will run at very high-temperature settings, which is why they often end up being the perfect environments for bacteria, such as mold and mildew.

For this reason, it is important to drain your hot tub, clean it, and refill it every once in a while.

The first thing that you will need to do when cleaning your hot tub is to turn off power to the hot tub.

You can do this by powering it down at the circuit breaker.

You do not want the the jets or the pump to start up while you are in the middle of your hot tub cleaning. Side note:

always turn the power to the hot tub off when performing cleaning or maintenance, purely for safety.

One of the best ways to avoid mold or mildew from growing inside your hot tub and ruining the components is by flushing out the lines using a special hot tub cleaner before you drain the hot tub.

After adding your hot tub cleaner, you will want to drain all of the water out. We recommend referring to the instructions in your owner's manual, as it will give you a step-by-step process on how to empty your particular spa model.

Draining your hot tub is a very crucial step and it is very important to make sure you have a place in your yard where you can drain it safely. Remember, you have a lot of hot tub chemicals in there. The last thing you want is to pour all of these into fresh garden soil or a nicely manicured lawn, as it could completely ruin the natural elements.

Clean The Hot Tub

Once your hot tub is completely empty of water, you can begin spraying down the interior with a special hot tub cleaning solution. There are specially formulated sanitizer products that can make the process of cleaning your hot tub much easier. These chemicals are made to get rid of unwanted grime, keeping the interior clean for long periods. If you'd like to see our recommendations for the best hot tub chemicals, or best hot tub chemicals for sensitive skin, head over to these informational articles and we'll share with you our top picks.

The next thing you want to do is clean the exterior of your hot tub. Typically, hot tub shells are made with durability in mind, meaning you will only need to wipe them down with a cloth and some warm water. In the same manner, you should also spray down your hot tub cover with a hose and allow it to dry out in the sun.

Whenever you are using cleaning chemicals like these, we highly recommend wearing gloves so that they don't irritate your skin.

Clean Up Your Filters

Making sure that your hot tub filters are clean is ultra important, as your hot tub filters are one of the first places that bacteria and grime will develop and grow.

If your filters have been in your hot tub for more than a year, it is important that you replace each one of them with a new hot tub filter.

However, if you already have a new filter, you can simply clean the filter by sticking a hose into the filter and spraying it down.

We also recommend buying specialized clean filter chemicals that you can clean it out with. Make sure that you never use an abrasive brush to get your filter clean, as it can ruin your filter, forcing you to buy a brand new one.

If you want to make your filters extra clean, you can use chlorine to disinfect them. Chlorine is great, as it can break up any unwanted build-up. Whenever you place chlorine on your filters, it is important that you rinse them off with clean water from your hose.

Do note that your filter might be quite difficult to reach compared to other filters out there. We recommend taking a photo of your filters while they are placed in your hot tub so that you know how they were inserted. This way, when you replace your filters, you can easily put them back according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Refilling Your Hot Tub

Now that your hot tub is sparkly clean, it is time to replace your hot tub water. you can do this by simply placing a garden hose in the hot tub and allowing it to fill. It is very important to make sure that the water coming out of your garden hose is clean. Allow it to flow through the filters as you fill it up. Once your hot tub is filled up to the line, turn the power back on.

Treating Your Hot Tub Water

Once a few hours have gone by, you will want to use a test kit to test out your spa water. You're looking to make sure that the chlorine and pH levels are where they should be. At this point, you may consider treating your hot tub with some sort of sanitizer, hot tub shock, or other hot tub chemicals.

It is a good idea to refer to your owner's manual before doing any of this so that you can get an idea of the optimal chemicals to use in your tub. The chemicals that you use to keep your water clean will depend on whether you use bromine or chlorine in your hot tub water.

Once you add chemicals to your water, you will want to put the hot tub cover back on your spa and allow them to dissolve for a few hours. Make sure that you continue to test the water for the next few hours or so prior to getting back in your hot tub.

Continue Maintaining Your Hot Tub

There are plenty of ways to clean a hot tub. It is crucial to have a hot tub maintenance routine for draining and cleaning it. Similar to a pool, hot tubs need a bit of love so that they can stay in the best condition possible.

If you're wondering what kinds of activities you should add to your routine cleaning schedule, here are a few things that you might consider:

Sanitizing your hot tub with chlorine or bromine weekly. In doing so, you will keep your hot tub water clean and crystal clear.
Make sure to clean out your hot tub filter every month, as this is where debris, dirt, and grime will get trapped. Keeping your hot tub filters clean is one of the best ways to make sure that your hot tub is running nicely.
Wipe down and clean your hot tub shell every four months or so. By cleaning out your hot tub shell when your hot tub is empty, you can prevent dirt or grime from building up and affecting the water quality once it is filled up.
Always make sure to clean your hot tub cover so that there aren't leaves, debris, or dust on the top. You should also consider taking it off the top of your hot tub every once in a while to spray it down, especially if you live in a climate with inclement weather.
When your hot tub is not in use, it is a good idea to keep the cover on it.
Clean out the plumbing system every 12 months or so. If you don't clean out your pumps, biofilm can build up inside of them, causing issues with the water quality. Having biofilm in your pumps will force your pumps to work harder than normal. This also forces hot tubs to use more sanitizer than is necessary.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are many ways to clean a spa and maintain it. From the flush to the rinse to the surface spray, we hope that you are able to follow these tips to keep your spa in the best condition possible. In keeping your spa in good condition in terms of cleanliness, you will be able to keep the pump and plumbing system working for many years, bringing more longevity to your relaxation investment.

A clean hot tub is a happy hot tub. Good luck and happy soaking!