Regular hot tub maintenance is a key part of ensuring that your hot tub continues to last and perform optimally for years to come. Caring for your new hot tub doesn’t take a ton of time, effort, or previous experience to be done right. This blog will cover the basics of the common question of “how to take care of a hot tub?”, in an easy to understand way to get you on the right track to excellent hot tub maintenance.
The Basics Of How To Take Care of a Hot Tub
Taking care of your hot tub can be broken down to three different areas of care: water circulation, physical hot tub cleaning, and water chemicals. These three elements of hot tub care are relatively easy to understand and are enough to get you started on a top-notch hot tub maintenance routine that will keep your hot tub safe, enjoyable, and clean!
Hot Tub Maintenance Basic #1: Water Circulation
The first thing to remember about how to take care of your hot tub is water circulation. Regular circulation of the water in your hot tub makes it harder for inorganic and organic contaminants to build up within your hot tub and cause issues. Depending on the model of your hot tub, your tub may have automatic cycles that will take care of circulation for you, or you may have to manually turn on the hot tub to ensure that water circulates a couple times a day.
With regular circulation, your hot tub’s filters help to catch and trap these contaminants to give you the best hot tub experience. As a result, it’s essential to keep your hot tub filters in the best shape possible, which can be achieved with regular cleaning of the filters. To begin, just rinse the filters with warm water and spray them down with a high-quality filter cleaner to help remove grime and buildup. Once that is completed, make sure to rinse them off before putting them back. It’s also a good idea to soak your hot tub filters in a chemical cleaner a few times a season to get a really thorough clean. Again, once you’ve let them soak for the advised amount of time, make sure to rinse them off before placing them back in your hot tub. Finally, if your filters have seen better days and are looking weathered and worn, it may be time for a replacement hot tub filter.
Hot Tub Maintenance Basic #2: Physical Hot Tub Cleaning
The next part to your basic hot tub maintenance schedule is physical hot tub cleaning. This means keeping your hot tub in tip-top shape by addressing the scum that may buildup in your hot tub, debris, and the exterior of your hot tub. Regular weekly cleaning and scrubbing of your hot tub shell and jets can help to reduce the buildup and keep your hot tub looking good as new! It’s also important to incorporate a seasonal full drain and clean into your hot tub maintenance routine.
In addition to cleaning the inside of your hot tub, you should also take time to skim your hot tub for any debris that has fallen in the water, such as bugs or leaves. Finally, don’t neglect the outside of your hot tub. Since it’s exposed to the elements, there may be dirt or buildup that should be cleaned off regularly to help preserve the overall look of your hot tub. Don’t forget to also take care of your hot tub cover with a specialty hot tub cover cleaner and protectant for an all inclusive hot tub clean.
Hot Tub Maintenance Basic #3: Water Chemicals
The final part of your hot tub maintenance basics is water chemicals. This is an essential part of keeping your hot tub safe for you to use and running smoothly. Weekly water test strips should be used to keep an eye on your levels of pH and alkalinity, so that you can adjust as needed. If pH or alkaline levels are out of whack they can cause damage to you or your spa – something that can be avoided with the use of regular testing of your hot tub water. Additionally, keep a sanitizer of your choice – either bromine or chlorine – on hand to keep your hot tub water safe and clean for you and your family to use.
Keeping a well rounded supply of hot tub chemicals at your disposal so that you are able to adjust your hot tub water as needed is a key part of overall hot tub maintenance. Sanitizer (bromine or chlorine), shock, pH increaser, and pH decreaser are all chemicals that can be used to help keep your hot tub water at adequate levels and should be kept in supply so that when you need them, you have access to them. Alternatively, you can order a beginner-friendly chemical kit that provides you with all the necessary chemicals to keep your hot tub and hot tub water ready for you to enjoy!
Hot Tub Maintenance – Made Easy!
There you have it, the basics of hot tub maintenance in three simple categories! Of course, there is more to cover when dealing with the annual and seasonal hot tub maintenance, but use this as an introductory guide to help you begin caring for your hot tub to keep it running smoothly for years to come.
