Keeping your hot tub clean is much simpler than you might think. But before you get started, it’s worth making sure you’re using the right stuff. Read on to find out what chemicals you should be using in your hot tub.
Hot tub chemicals
The first thing that goes into a hot tub is water. Can’t enjoy a relaxing dip if there’s no water in the tub!
But along with the water, you’ll need to use some cleaning products to ensure the water is clean and safe to use.
We recommend either bromine or chlorine to sanitise your water. Chlorine is the most popular of the two.
What chemicals do I put in my hot tub for the first time?
When you first get your tub, sprinkle chlorine granules on the surface of the water (make sure the water is heated first) while running the massage pumps to fully dissolve them. Then, when using the hot tub, make sure you add 1-2 caps with the pumps running each time you finish a session.
Chlorine is relatively pH neutral and, if used properly, will keep your water sterile.
Bromine works in the same way as chlorine, but is softer on sensitive skin. It is slower-acting, and generally more expensive, but if your skin is particularly sensitive – or you don’t like the odour of chlorine – bromine can be worth it.
Hot tub pH
Check the levels of whichever chemical you’re using before you bathe. The amount should be between 3-5mg per litre. We offer test strips to determine this for you.
The test strips will also show you what the pH is in your hot tub water. This is an indication of the levels of acid or alkali in your water. Ideally, the pH should be neutral, somewhere between 7.2 and 7.4; if it’s significantly higher or lower, you may suffer from skin and eye irritation, which will definitely ruin the hot tub experience!
Fortunately, we offer pH balancers to ensure your hot tub water stays in that neutral range.
What should not go in my hot tub?
For a hot tub to work properly and provide the relaxing experience you deserve, there are some things you should avoid bringing into the water with you.
- Hygeine & make-up products - Firstly, make sure you are clean of any kind of make-up, fake tan, perfumes, moisturisers, sun lotion, deodorants and other body products. Much like getting into a public swimming pool, you should have a shower before you get into the hot tub – ideally in your swimming costume so that it is clean as can be. A hot tub is not a bathtub, so it’s best to be clean before you get in, rather than using it to become clean.
- Household products - When you’re in the hot tub, make sure you don’t use any household products like bubble bath or bath oils. For one thing, they may get too foamy to properly enjoy, and for another, they can clog up the filters and pumps.
- Alcoholic drinks & glass drinkware - If you want to enjoy a drink while you’re soaking, make sure it’s not alcoholic to avoid the possibility of passing out and drowning. You should also keep it in a plastic cup – broken glass is just as hazardous in a hot tub as it is on dry land. It’s also wise to keep food out of the tub too, to stop the filters and pumps getting too clogged.
- Inappropriate chemicals - Also, you should make sure you’re only using the appropriate chemicals in the hot tub. Do not use swimming pool chemicals when sanitising the water. Chlorine is used in both hot tubs and swimming pools, but the formula for swimming pool chlorine is different to hot tub chlorine, so it cannot be used as a substitute.
Other than chemicals and water, the only other thing that should go into your hot tub is you!
For a more in-depth look at how to keep your hot tub clean, check out our maintenance guide here.
Hot tub maintenance
Keeping your hot tub clean is vitally important – no one wants to take a dip in murky, oily, or foamy water. But how do you clean a hot tub?
Chlorine or bromine will keep the hot tub water clean, but the pumps, pipes, and filters all need cleaning regularly.
Before you clean the rest of the hot tub, you should ‘shock’ the water at least once a week with a non-chlorine shock treatment. This will break down the chloramines present in the water – chloramines occur when the sanitiser reacts with sweat and dead skin from bathers, and lead to cloudy water and an unpleasant chlorine odour.
READ MORE: How to Shock a Hot Tub
You should also keep the filters clean, using our specialised filter cleaner on them once a fortnight. Make sure to rinse them thoroughly once you’re done to prevent the hot tub water getting too foamy!
We offer a wide range of hot tubs, as well as all the cleaning tools and accessories to go with them. Contact us today to find out more!
Frequently Asked Questions
