One thing that we’ve heard from many people is that they don’t want to purchase a hot tub or swim spa because they think it will be a lot of maintenance and work. The reality is this kind of thinking could not be farther from the truth! The amount of time spent cleaning and performing hot tub maintenance can, of course, vary depending on the amount of use your backyard hot tub gets, but the average hot tub should not require more than 60 minutes per month dedicated to hot tub maintenance.
We’ve put together a guide of the most efficient ways to keep your hot tub or swim spas clean, so you can spend less time doing chores, and more time in the water relaxing.
Keep your hot tub cover clean
Cleaning your hot tub cover monthly should only take about 15 minutes. Remove the cover and spray it down with a hose to rinse off any debris. Your spa cover can be washed and cleaned with a soft cloth or soft bristle brush. It’s important to note that your bristle brush should be soft – if the bristles are too rough you can scratch or tear at the surface of the cover. Use a mild cleaner, such as Niagara Hot Tubs’ Cover Care cleaner, to prevent any staining, wear, or chemical damage to the cover. Having a cover that is in good condition is necessary for keeping debris out, holding the temperature of the water, and preserving the life of the spa, so be careful not to damage the cover.
Once you’ve washed the cover with the soft brush or cloth, rinse it off and then dry the cover with a clean cloth. The next step is to condition the cover with a UV inhibiting vinyl protectant, which will prevent sun damage. All of this should take a total of 15 minutes when done monthly.
Regularly clean out the filters
Cleaning out the filters should be done every 3-6 weeks, depending on the frequency with which the hot tub is used. The more often someone uses the tub, the more frequently the filters will need to be changed. These hot tub supplies should be replaced every 1-2 years.
When cleaning them, ensure the hot tub is powered down or place the spa in “hold” mode. Once the spa is on hold, remove the filter cover to access the filter cartridges. Once the filters are removed, spray the filters down with the hose to remove the loose debris. After that’s complete, soak the pleated filters for approximately 6-12 hours in a bucket of warm water with some filter solution to remove body oils from the filters.
Drain the water and clean the shell
This only needs to be done every 3-6 months. In order to do this, find a large area to drain the spa. Once you’re ready, turn off the hot tub spa’s power, and locate and pull out the drain. Attach a garden hose to the drain spout, which will activate the drain, and then wait. The water should all flow out.
Once the water is drained, pull out the drain spout and remove the hose. Then, replace the drain cap and push the drain back into the spa. While the hot tub spa is empty, this is the time to clean the shell surface. Cleaning the shell surface should only take about 15 minutes, and can only be done when the hot tub is drained, so it’s important to ensure this hot tub maintenance is done now. The hot tub chemicals ensure that the water is clean, but there can be build up from oils, lotions, and hair products, especially if you frequently use your hot tub.
To clean, apply a small amount of a low sudsing shell cleaner (such as Niagara Hot Tubs’ Clean product) to a soft damp cloth and scrub the surface. After, rinse well and then dry with a clean cloth. Once the shell is clean, simply refill the tub.
Following these steps will ensure that your hot tub spa remains in great condition. If there are any hot tub problems in any of these steps, be sure to contact your local hot tub dealer, who will assist you.
