how to clean your hot tub

How to Clean Your Hot Tub

It’s hard to beat the comfort and calm of a hot tub. But to keep the hot tub and water looking beautiful, it’s important to take care of your personal retreat with regular cleaning.

October is the perfect time to drain, clean, and refill your hot tub. The weather (depending on where you live) is not too hot, and the hustle and bustle of the holidays is still in the distance.

Cleaning your hot tub will not only help it look better but make it easier to keep the water balanced. That’s a win-win in our book. 

clean hot tub
Cleaning your hot tub shell helps maintain the life of your spa and keeps it looking good.

5 Steps to a Sparkling Clean Hot Tub

1. DRAIN.

To really clean your hot tub, it needs to be empty. You should drain your hot tub every six months, and this is a great time to clean the shell of your spa. Many Master Spas hot tubs have an internal drain that make removing the water easy. Refer to your owner’s manual for more information.

2. WIPE.

Once your hot tub is empty, it’s time to go in with a soft cloth and cleaner. Be sure to use a cleaner designed for acrylic to clean the hot tub shell, jet, and other controls. Be wary of aggressive or coarse cleaners. Rather than giving a deeper clean, they can damage or scratch the hot tub shell, while taking off the sheen. It’s the equivalent of sanding a car. 

3. SPOT TREAT.

When you are cleaning the empty hot tub, you might notice some stubborn mineral-based buildup. To tackle those lines, you can use white vinegar or mild scale remover product with a soft cloth. 

For general cleaning or to banish those lines, a Magic Eraser might also help.

Always, if you have any questions, be sure to talk with your local Master Spas dealer.

4. RINSE.

Be sure to rinse your hot tub thoroughly as many cleaners will likely cause foaming.  That’s fine during the cleaning process but it’s definitely not something you want to see when you refill your hot tub. Residual cleaners can also affect the chemistry of your spa water. 

Rinse the cleaned surfaces with fresh water from your garden hose and wipe with soft cloth as doing so will help to remove residual cleaning agents.

5. SPA PILLOWS.

While you are cleaning the shell of your hot tub, it’s also a good time to take off your spa pillows and give them a good rinse. This helps improve pillow lifespan and slows down deterioration of the pillows (i.e. discoloring, becoming stiff and flaking of the material). 

Aside from Master Spas’ Clarity hot tubs, most spas feature pillows with two plugs on the backside of the pillow. We must be careful when removing not to damage these plugs because they keep the pillows in place. 

Pillows on clarity hot tubs are easier to remove because they do not have the plugs.

Check out our Quick Tip video about how to clean your spa pillows!

how to clean hot tub filter
Master Spas recommends cleaning your hot tub filter once a month.

Other Considerations When Cleaning Your Hot Tub 

  • The filter elements are one of the most important components of your spa. Not only are they essential for clean water but they keep your hot tub looking clean and extend the life of the spa equipment. You should clean your filter on a regular basis and replace the EcoPur element every six months. Draining your hot tub for cleaning is the perfect time to replace the element.  
  • Always use an approved insulating spa cover by Master Spas to cover your spa when not in use, especially in outdoor installations.
  • Never leave your spa left open, uncovered in direct sun for too long. The heat from the direct sun on warm days can cause damage to components.
hot tub cover
Keeping the cover of your hot tub clean is an important part of hot tub maintenance.

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