Housely
Having a hot tub isn’t all about sliding into the warmth with a glass of wine and a good book. In order to enjoy your outdoor spa for as long as possible, quite a bit of maintenance is involved. Cleaning, testing, and balancing the water’s chemicals are all key to having a hot tub that’s safe and properly functioning. While you can definitely hire a professional to handle these tasks, the price of doing so isn’t cheap.
Here are some ways to maintain your outdoor hot tub on your own.
Caring for the Interior
Your hot tub’s interior jets will eventually develop a build up of calcium and debris if they’re not cleaned regularly. You can opt to buy a cleaner meant for hot tubs or clean the jets with distilled white vinegar and a toothbrush. Vinegar is also effective at cleaning hot tub valves.
A spa tub is just like a bathtub: it has to be cleaned, not just rinsed, to get rid of any hidden dirt and grime. You won’t need to use harsh chemicals or get on your knees and scrub for hours, but draining the hot tub is necessary for proper cleaning. Turn the power to your hot tub off before starting, then drain the water until only the foot well contains water. Wipe down the interior, and if you prefer, spray a small amount of spa cleaning solution while wiping. Don’t forget to remove and wipe down your spa pillows while you’re cleaning the rest of the hot tub.
Completely drain the water out, then rinse the interior well. Once it is rinsed and empty, give the interior a wipe down with a clean towel before refilling it. You only need to completely drain and clean your hot tub every three to four months, unless it’s very heavily used.
Exterior Clean Up
Baking soda is a natural, mild abrasive that works well when it comes to cleaning hot tub tile and fixtures. Don’t forget to clean around the exterior knobs and valves on your hot tub, especially the air control injection valves.
Though many hot tubs are made from UV and stain resistant material, it’s necessary to give them a quick cleaning from time to time. Don’t use abrasive or harsh cleaners, a mild dish detergent will do. You can also opt to simply wipe down the exterior with a clean damp cloth or spray it down with your garden hose.
Filter Maintenance
One of the best ways to keep your hot tub filter in good shape is to use spa enzymes in your hot tub’s water. In addition to keeping your filter cleaner, such products break down lipids from oils and keep the water from developing scum.
Cleaning your hot tub filter on occasion with a spray cleaner is another way to keep it working efficiently, and you’ll definitely notice that your spa’s water stays cleaner as well. One thing you should be careful of is the type of products that you use. Never put household chemicals and cleaners on your hot tub’s filter or interior components — they can be much too harsh and even strip the finish. Instead, create your own natural solutions or buy products especially made for cleaning hot tubs.
If you have a hot tub with a replaceable filter, simply buying another one will suffice when yours gets too dirty. However, if replacing your filter is expensive or your spa has a filter that’s meant to be cleaned rather than replaced, try running it through your dishwasher to make the job easier. Don’t use any detergent and don’t use the heated drying setting. Just put the filter on the top rack, run the dishwasher without anything else in it, then allow it to air dry.
Treating the Water
Be careful about using chemical treatments meant for pools in your hot tub — working with less water means you don’t need solutions that are as potent. Chlorine is the chemical of choice for maintaining pools, but hot tubs are much smaller and benefit more from bromine. Bromine is a very effective spa tub sanitizer and chemical treatment that’s affordable. Occasionally using a hot tub shock to oxidize and remove impurities from your outdoor spa’s water is also a good idea.
Frequently test the pH of the water in your hot tub with test strips — some spa owners do this as many as five times per week, but twice per week is usually sufficient. Adding small amounts of regular household baking soda to your hot tub’s water will help put its pH in balance. If your test strip shows that the pH is below 7.2, try using baking soda to raise the pH before resorting to store bought chemicals.
To extend the life of your hot tub sanitizer and keep the water cleaner, cover it up whenever you’re not using it. Having both a floating and standard hot tub covers can provide more convenience and flexibility.
Cleaning the Water
Keeping debris from recirculating in your spa can be tricky. Placing nylon stockings or pantyhose over your hot tub return inlets will prevent this from happening and help keep your filter system and water cleaner for longer lengths of time.
You may also notice that your spa develops a slick or oily layer, specially when it’s heavily used. Just as you can with an in ground pool, placing tennis balls into your hot tub’s skimmer or directly into the water will help pull oils and residue from skin care products, makeup, lotion, sunblock, and the like. All you need to do is toss two or three balls in. If you place them into the hot tub instead of the skimmer, do so overnight to give them a chance to absorb any oils on the water’s surface.
Something you can do to keep your spa’s water looking and smelling fresh is to clean its cover. Make a solution of 10 percent bleach and 90 percent water. Wipe the bottom of the hot tub cover with this solution at least once every three months to prevent the formation of mildew or off odors.
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