Having a hot tub in your home or garden is a real luxury, but it will require some maintenance from time to time. Keeping your hot tub clean and changing the water regularly will ensure it remains safe and hygienic - so you can make the most of it all year round. Today we're going to explore how often you should change your hot tub water, as well as some of the hot tub cleaning practices that will keep your spa looking and feeling brand new for years to come.
How often should you replace the water in a hot tub?
When it comes to completely changing the water in your hot tub, we recommend that you do it at least once every 1-3 months. After 3 months of semi-regular use (or 1-2 months of frequent use), your hot tub water will become dirty and ready for a change.
Remember, hot tubs contain quite a lot of water, so even infrequent use will lead to a build-up of dirt and debris. While your hot tub will have a filtration system to deal with the bulk of the dirt particles, it won't be able to remove everything! So, be sure to change your hot tub water completely every 1-3 months to keep it clean.
We recommend using a hot tub cleaning agent, such as our Hot Tub Flush, before you drain your hot tub. This will circulate around the hot tub and its jets to ensure a thorough clean!
How can I keep the water clean between draining?
There are a few things you can do to help keep your hot tub water as clean as possible, which can help to prolong the time you can use it before it needs to be drained. Making sure that you, and anyone else who uses your hot tub, is clean before they get in - is an excellent starting point. There are certain products that people commonly use that make your hot tub water dirty. It's best to avoid using or wearing any of the following if you intend to get into the hot tub...
- Sun cream
- Perfume, deodorant or scented sprays
- Make-up
- Self-tanning products
- Moisturisers or lotions
Have a shower before getting in the hot tub
Even if you're confident that you've avoided all of the products listed above, it's advised that anyone getting into a hot tub has a shower beforehand. Things like sweat, pet hair, and dirt can gather on your skin without you even noticing, so be sure to have a good wash with shower gel or soap and rinse thoroughly with clean water. It's important that all of the soap is also removed from your skin before you get into the hot tub.
Give your hot tub swimsuit an extra rinse
If you've read our blog about what to wear in a hot tub, you'll know that we recommend dedicating a swimsuit for hot tub use only! Not only will this preserve your swimsuit for longer, but it will also help minimise the contaminants going into the hot tub water.
We highly recommend keeping the swimsuit that you intend to wear in the hot tub as clean as possible - including giving it an extra rinse to remove any soap residue. It only takes a very small amount of detergent in your swimsuit to create a foamy layer of scum on the top of the water. This foamy layer can't be removed by the chemicals that you add to the hot tub water to keep it clean, so if it has a chance to build up over time, you really will need to change the water completely. Keep this in mind if you're trying to minimise the frequency of complete water changes.
If you are experiencing foam on the top of your hot tub, there are some products on the market - such as our Premier Foam Away - that can help to reduce the amount of foam. Be conscious that this product won't actually clean your hot tub water.
Use sanitation products
Keeping your hot tub water clean involves adding either bromine or chlorine. These chemicals stop bacteria from growing in your hot tub water, so maintaining a healthy balance is vital to the cleanliness of your hot tub.
Chlorine
Chlorine is a popular choice for hot tub owners because it's cost-effective and fast-acting. Chlorine has a relatively neutral pH and can be bought in a few different forms, depending on your preferences. Here at Premier Hot Tubs, we always recommend that you use chlorine granules.
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Bromine
Bromine is a gentler option in comparison to chlorine and is best suited for people with sensitive skin or eyes. It is slightly more expensive than chlorine but gives off less of a chemical odour. Bromine also comes in multiple forms, but we recommend you use bromine tablets.
We also offer a wide range of hot tub cleaning products such as:
- Surface cleaning gloves
- Filter spray
- Descaler
- Skim nets
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Keep an eye on the pH of your water
One of the most important steps in a hot tub maintenance regime is maintaining the pH level of the water. Not only is it essential in keeping your water clean and balanced, but it also ensures that all of the parts of your hot tub can work properly.
So, what is the ideal pH level for a hot tub? It needs to be kept between 7.2 and 7.4. For reference, water with a pH level lower than 7 is considered acidic, and anything above 7 is considered alkaline.
At a pH level of 7.2 - 7.4, the chlorine or bromine in the water will be able to work effectively to keep the water clean. Be conscious that when you add sanitation products to your hot tub, this will impact the overall pH - so it's important that you check the pH level as soon as you've finished your cleaning routine & regularly afterwards (once or twice a week).
So, if you've been wondering how often you should change your hot tub water, or how you can keep your hot tub cleaner while you use it, we hope you've found this helpful. You can shop our full range of hot tub cleaning products below.
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