A hot tub is a great way to create human connections, so it’s no surprise that many of the most common places to find social gatherings are at homes with hot tubs. But what happens when these home spas aren’t being used enough? When they need cleaning. A lot of owners of this popular party accessory don’t realize how much damage the build-up of bacteria, fungi, mold and other potentially harmful materials can lead to.
How to clean a hot tub?
The first step you should take in the long process of cleaning your hot tub is removing all users from the water. Once you’ve done this, make sure that the filter system is turned off or removed completely (it’s often necessary to remove it if it’s not already detachable). You might read: HOW TO CLEAN SUEDE COUCH STAINS?
Generally, the first step you should take in cleaning your hot tub is brushing or wiping down its surfaces with a mild detergent solution. This means avoiding bleach-based detergents as they can be harsh on vinyl if they’re used too often. Once this has been done, it’s time to move onto the next step: adding a strong disinfectant to the water. The best choice on the market is chlorine because it’s effective against almost all kinds of bacteria and fungi, even at low concentrations. Read more about Diy concrete pool.
Once the hot tub has been filled with chlorinated water, you should leave it for 24 hours. Once that time period has elapsed, drain and rinse the hot tub and refill it with fresh, clean water (without detergents). You should then add a non-chlorine shock treatment that will kill any algae spores.
Finally, you should add new chemicals to the water: bromine or potassium monopersulfate for increased disinfection power and an algaecide to keep algae at bay. It’s also recommended that you add a buffer to the water in order to maintain water balance. A good pH level is between 7.2 and 7.6, which can be achieved through the addition of sodium bicarbonate or potassium carbonate.
What about filters?
You should replace them every two weeks for the best results, but it’s not always possible to do this regularly. If your water is extremely dirty, you may need to clean the filters more frequently. To do this, simply rinse them with a hose or let them soak in biodegradable laundry detergent for an hour.
If all these tips sound like too much to remember at once, don’t worry. It might be best to opt for professional help at least once or twice a year because cleaning your hot tub thoroughly enough so that it remains safe and germ-free is not easy.
How often should you clean a hot tub?
This depends on how often it is used and the presence of animals around the house. Cats and dogs can carry a lot of bacteria that rapidly accumulate in water – just one little dog paw print contains up to 1,000,000 germs!
Another factor to consider is how dirty your water becomes depending on where you live: areas with high levels of pollution require a more diligent approach to cleaning in order to keep water safe for use.
Cleaning a hot tub is not an easy task, but done regularly it can prevent damage to the material and ensure that you’ll be able to continue using it for years to come.
How often should you change the water in your hot tub?
How often you change the water in your hot tub depends on how many people are using it, and whether or not there are animals around. For example, if you have a dog that uses the spa as its own personal swimming pool you should consider cleaning it more frequently. Because their paws carry so much bacteria into the water, which can be extremely dangerous to young children. If you have a child, you should also consider changing the water more often so they don’t fall ill by ingesting too much of the spa’s water. And obviously, if there are younger kids playing in and around the hot tub it’ll need cleaning more frequently than when only adults use it.
If you live in an area where pollution levels are high, you should also consider cleaning your spa more often as the water quality will be even worse.
If you want to maintain optimum water conditions, it’s best to treat it like a swimming pool and change its water every 2-4 weeks. Even if the volume of water remains the same between cleanings, the water’s condition will dramatically decrease after just a few weeks of use.
Hot tubs are a luxury to enjoy, but they require a lot of maintenance. Follow the guidelines above and your hot tub will be safe for up to 10 years, even if you use it frequently!
