How To Clean A Hot Tub That Has Been Sitting
On average, you should clean your hot tub every two weeks. Also, if you’ve not used the spa for a long time, you will notice that it has mold and algae all over it. Getting into such dirty water can have you end up with a variety of diseases.
The best way to clean and restart a hot tub that has been sitting for a while is to do the following:
- Check if the filters work (Use filter spray to dislodge any gunk from body oils)
- Clean the filters
- If your hot tub has mold and mildew, use chemicals or vinegar to remove it.
- Rinse the hot tub with cold water
In addition, after draining the water, you can use cleaning agents such as vinegar or bromine. When using vinegar, sprinkle it all over the tub and leave it for about an hour. Then scrub using a cloth or a soft brush and rinse the tub.
What can I Use to Clean the Inside of my Hot Tub?
Here are some of the things you need to clean your hot tub.
Sanitizers
These are chemicals such as chlorine and bromine, and they help to get rid of bacteria, bad odors, and stains in your spa.
Detergents
Detergents work by removing the particles that bind dirt together. Such chemicals are thus the best in eliminating any oils stuck on the surface of your spa.
Abrasives
Abrasives are a bit harsh and can easily scratch your hot tub. However, if used with moderation, abrasives can help you clean stubborn stains. Examples of these products include scouring powders and steel wool.
How do you Clean a Hot Tub Without Draining it?
It’s possible to clean the hot tub without draining it, which reduces wastage. Here are some of the ways you can clean your hot tub and without draining the water.
Shock the Hot Tub
Use chlorine or bromine granules to shock the hot tub. Shocking the spa helps to remove any impurities and built-up dirt. The first step toward shocking your spa is checking the water quality to help you determine the amount of chlorine or bromine to use.
Once you apply the chlorine granules, cover the spa overnight. In the morning, test the water and make sure it has only 1-3 ppm of chlorine.
Recycle the Water
Cleaning your hot tub without draining it first doesn’t mean that you have to reuse the water in the tub. Instead, you can drain the water into your swimming pool. If you don’t have a swimming pool, use the water for your gardening needs. Recycling is a great way of utilizing water that has overstayed in a hot tub.
Use a Vacuum
The other way of cleaning your spa without draining it is by use of a vacuum cleaner. All you need to do is scrub any dirt from your hot tub. Then, use your vacuum to suck out the dirt, leaves, and other debris from your water. Make sure to empty the canister once it fills with dirt.
How do I Get Rid of Brown Stains in my Hot Tub?
The accumulation of gunk from body oils, bacteria, and mold will cause brown stains. To remove brown stains and any other type of stains, you should first turn off the power connection to your spa. Then, you should drain the water from the hot tub.
Baking soda removes brown stains from hot tubs quickly because it’s a mild abrasive. All you need to do is to make a paste using baking soda and water.
Apply the solution on the affected areas of your hot tub. Scrub the stained areas using the paste solution and a damp cloth. Alternatively, you can use vinegar soaked in a cloth. For better results with vinegar, pour it on the stained area and leave it for about an hour before scrubbing it.
How do you Deep Clean a Hot Tub?
It would be best if you deep cleaned your hot tub at least once every year to help eliminate grime and other dirt that may affect the way you use your hot tub. Dirt comes from body oils, sweat, cosmetics, mold, and other bacteria. Here is the process of deep cleaning a hot tub.
- Flush the filters to remove any grime stuck on the walls
- Then switch off the power connection leading to your hot tub
- Drain all the water from the tub
- Use your preferred detergent and a damp cloth to wash the inner shell of your spa
- Concentrate on areas that seem to have any stains
- You can use cleaning agents such as baking soda and vinegar because they also help deodorize your hot tub
- Rinse all the soapy water and dry your hot tub using a dry cloth or towel. Leaving the detergents can alter the PH of your water
- Clean the cover of your spa using the same process and wipe it dry
- Also, make sure to clean the outer shell of the hot tub to give it an extra sparkle
- Finally, deep clean the outer surfaces of the filters using soapy water
- Fill your tub with water, connect the power and enjoy your clean hot tub
Can you Use Bleach to Clean a Hot Tub?
It is not advisable to clean hot tubs using regular bleach such as Clorox because it alters with the pH of your water. When the pH of the water in the tub is off-balance, it can make your skin itchy and dry anytime you get into the water.
According to the experts, you can only use bleach when you want to shock the water in your hot tub. Either way, this should be a one-off scenario and not a daily routine. You should never try to shock the hot tub water with bleach, especially if you used chlorine already. This is because chlorine is stronger than bleach, and your bleach will be useless.
Can I Use Dish Soap to Clean my Hot Tub?
Yes, you can use dish soap to clean your hot tub. It’s worth noting that dish soap isn’t sufficient to remove stubborn stains. After using dish soap to clean your hot tub, make sure to rinse the hot tub thoroughly to prevent soap residues from sticking at the surface of the spa. The residue may cause your water to foam once you fill the hot tub with water.
Can I Use Baking Soda in my Hot Tub?
Baking soda is useful to hot tub owners in two ways:
- Firstly, baking soda helps to raise the alkalinity of the water. Acidic water can burn your skin and also damage the heating element of your spa. You should add a tablespoon of baking soda for every 100 gallons of water in the hot tub to achieve your desired pH levels.
- Baking soda can also be used as a mild abrasive to clean out tough stains. When used as a cleaning agent, baking soda also helps to eliminate bad odors from your hot tub.
Can I Use Vinegar to Clean my Hot Tub?
Vinegar is a great cleaning agent because it’s not only safe to use but also helps to remove bad odors from your hot tub. If you live in an area where water has a lot of calcium, the deposits often build up making your tub look gross.
Vinegar quickly removes clogged dirt and tough stains from hot tubs. It also helps to remove soapy residues from the surface of your spa.
