Owning your own hot tub is an affordable luxury. Relaxing in it after a long day of work, or play, or a strenuous workout is a wonderfully soothing way to wind down. But while the bubbles are relaxing, even the most stylish of hot tubs can be made unpleasant by the buildup of dirty water, gunk, and slime.
For your hot tub to operate properly and remain hygienic, you need to drain and clean it every 3-4 months. Remember, your hot tub is like a giant bathtub, but you don’t drain it after every use. Consequently, body oils, cosmetics, and other body fluids build up in the water over time.
So, it is imperative to clean your hot tub three to four times per year. By staying on top of your hot tub cleaning, you will find that maintaining your hot tub is less of an inconvenience than you might imagine. And, it is something you can do yourself without too much exertion.
Before we get into how to do it let’s go over the tools and supplies you’ll need, some of which you probably already have on-hand. You need:
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Line flush product
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Hot tub cleaner
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Cotton cleaning rags
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Garden hose
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Electronic pool and spa water tester
Note: All the supplies and chemicals you need to clean and maintain your hot tub can be purchased online through our website.
To thoroughly clean and sanitize your hot tub follow the steps outlined below.
Before Draining Your Tub
Over time the hot tub’s plumbing conduits can accumulate buildup so, before draining your tub, administer line flush product. Different products work somewhat differently, but generally speaking, line flushes are added, in a specified amount, to a hot tub in operation.
After the directed period of time, drain the hot tub according to your manufacturer’s instructions. Be ready for an unexpected amount of dirt to come out. In the future, add line flush consistently to minimize accumulation.
Here’s an easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide on how to perform the system flush
Drain the Hot Tub
Once you have flushed the lines it’s time to drain your hot tub. Depending on how much time you have there are a couple of ways to do this. Before you drain your spa, make sure to eliminate all risk of electrical shock by flipping the hot tubs breaker and cutting all power to your unit.
One option for draining your hot tub is to connect a hose to the built-in drain plug and let gravity do its thing. This usually takes hours to completely empty your spa so it can be quite time consuming.
If you don’t have the patience to wait on gravity or are in a hurry, you can use a sump pump to empty your hot tub in minutes rather than hours. Plan to stay close by to keep an eye on the water level because a sump pump will drain the hot tub quickly. If the pump continues to run once the water is gone, it can burn up the motor, so turn off the pump as soon as it stops pumping water.
Clean Your Hot Tub
With the hot tub empty, spray down all of its interior surfaces with a hot tub cleaning product, which can be purchased online through our website. As an alternative you might be able to use a household cleaner like Windex or Soft Scrub. But to be on the safe side, check with your hot tub manufacturer that it’s acceptable to use an all-purpose cleaner. It’s important to always follow the manufacturers’ recommendations.
Wipe down the tub with a towel after spraying. This will eliminate any cleaner residue that could later cause the water to foam. You should have a few clean, dry towels on hand to make sure you remove the entire residue.
After cleaning the hot tub you should clean the hot tub cover the same way, wiping it down with a towel once finished.
Remove and Clean the Hot Tub Filters
Next, remove the hot tub filters. As they are designed to remove grime and grit from the water, the filters quickly accumulate debris. If your filters are relatively new, all you have to do is spray them with a garden hose to loosen all debris. Then, wash them with hot tub cleaner to remove all debris. Finally, rinse them off and return them to the hot tub.
Note: Replace the filters if you haven’t changed them in a year or more.
Refill Your Hot Tub
Now that your hot tub is clean it’s time to refill it. With most hot tub models, it’s simply a matter of placing a garden hose into the filter well. Once filled, turn on the hot tub and add the chemicals that consist of your regular water treatment program. Finally, cover your clean hot tub and allow time for the water to for the chemicals to balance over the course of the next 12 hours or so.
One last step before getting back to relaxing in your hot tub is to make sure to check the chlorine level and add chemicals as needed to make sure the pH level is ideal.
That’s it! The only thing left to do is jump in and enjoy the relaxation that only your hot tub can provide.
In Conclusion
To get the maximum enjoyment and health benefits of your hot tub it is important to drain and clean it 3 to 4 per year. As you’ve seen this important maintenance is not too hard and something you can definitely do yourself. All the supplies necessary can be purchased online through Crystal Waters Hot Tubs website.
