Every hot tub eventually needs a deep clean. That means draining your hot tub, purging the inside of your hot tub plumbing, and cleaning the surfaces. But how often should you clean your hot tub? And when does the water need to be completely replaced?
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to clean your hot tub, including how to clean inside of your hot tub pipes. Watch the video below or keep reading for the complete tutorial.
Every three to four months, plan to drain and deep clean your hot tub. That’s because contaminants build up over time inside your hot tub plumbing. And these contaminants form a layer of biofilm that makes it resistant to your normal hot tub chemicals. So whenever you’re draining your hot tub, plan to also flush your hot tub plumbing with a hot tub line flush.
Don't let your hot tub fill with hard-to-remove gunk. Clear out the gunk and keep your hot tub water fresh. It removes gunk in your pipes caused by lotions, sunscreens, cosmetics, etc.
Besides regular quarterly cleaning, when else should you deep clean your hot tub? Here are some signs that it’s time to drain and clean:
If these symptoms are happening more and more often, it’s time to purge your plumbing, clean your surfaces, and replace your water.
If you’re planning on a hot tub deep clean, start by purging your hot tub lines with a line flush cleaner. Then drain the water and wipe down the hot tub shell. Finally, refill your hot tub with fresh water and rebalance your hot tub chemicals.
Here’s the complete step-by-step walkthrough of that process:
Before you drain out any water, you’ll want to purge your hot tub pipes. First, remove your cartridge filters. Then add a hot tub line flush product to the water. This will clear out any grime and biofilm buildup inside your pipes.
Don't let your hot tub fill with hard-to-remove gunk. Clear out the gunk and keep your hot tub water fresh. It removes gunk in your pipes caused by lotions, sunscreens, cosmetics, etc.
Turn your jets on high, leave your hot tub cover off, and let the line flush circulate for at least 20 minutes (or whatever the manufacturer’s instructions suggest). If you’ve never used a
You’ll notice nasty foam or scum forming on the surface of the water as the
If excess foam starts to form and threatens to overflow, turn off your air valve (jets) and wait for the foam to resettle, or scoop some foam out with a skimmer net. Then restart the jets for another 20 minutes.
Turn the jets off and shut off your hot tub circuit breaker. Then drain out your water using a hose or submersible pump (sump pump). If you’ve never drained your hot tub water before or you need help finding your drain valve, check out our guide on How to Drain a Hot Tub.
As your hot tub is draining, clean your hot tub filter. You can spray it with water using a high-powered garden hose nozzle. If your filter is very dirty, soak it in a hot tub filter cleaner solution. We recommend soaking it overnight in the solution. This will clean in between all the pleats, making your filter look and work like new. If you want more help cleaning your filter, check out our walk-through on How to Clean Hot Tub Filters.
If your filter is older than a year or it looks like it is in bad condition, replace it. It’s a good idea to keep a second, clean filter on hand to replace the cartridge while the other one soaks in the filter-cleaning solution.
Soak your hot tub filters in this deep-cleaning solution, rinse with water, and your filters will look brand new in 24 hours!
Once the water has completely drained, it’s time to clean the hot tub shell. Wipe down all of the surfaces with a soft cloth to avoid scratching the acrylic shell, and use diluted white vinegar. You can also use a
303 Marine Multi-Surface Cleaner is perfect for cleaning hot tubs. It cleans and brightens water-safe surfaces, rinses residue-free. Spray, wipe/rinse, and repeat if necessary.
Be sure to clean all of the nooks and crannies and the headrests. No matter what you use to scrub your hot tub, be sure to rinse it thoroughly before you start refilling, or you may end up with foam.
Before refilling, double-check that all your jets are open. This reduces the risk of water pressure problems from trapped air.
Then, refill the tub with fresh, clean water. Use a hose filter to remove any impurities, like minerals and metals.
Fill your pool or hot tub with this hose filter that'll filter your water so you can have a fresh start with water chemistry.
Fill the hot tub by putting the hose inside the filter. The water will fill up the pipes inside the hot tub first, which will help prevent hot tub air locks. If you do end up with an air lock issue, check out our guide for more help. Your water level should be at least halfway up the skimmer opening.
Wipe down the underside of your cover with a diluted solution of vinegar or bleach (10% bleach solution). If your hot tub is outside, you may also want to apply a cover protectant to help avoid sun damage. Then, clean your spa cabinet (the hot tub “frame”). Most cabinets are made from wood, so use a gentle wood cleaner and a soft cloth. We have a full guide on How to Clean a Hot Tub Cover if you need more help.
Once the hot tub is filled, test the water. Keep your jets on low and your air blower off when adding chemicals. You want the chemicals to circulate and dissipate, but too much air in the water can cause high pH and oxidization.
Start by balancing your total alkalinity and pH. Your alkalinity levels should be between 100 PPM and 150 PPM (80 PPM is okay), and your pH levels should be between 7.4 and 7.6. If you’re struggling to get your chemistry balanced, check out our Hot Tub Chemistry 101 guide.
Wait for the chemicals to circulate and dissipate (at least 20 minutes), then add your chlorine or bromine to sanitize the water. You don’t need to add shock since the water is new. Allow the water to circulate through the hot tub for at least 8 to 12 hours with the cover on. Warm water helps the chemicals dissolve, so be sure to heat up your water.
The first step to keeping your hot tub clean is sticking to a simple, weekly cleaning schedule. This means wiping down the surfaces above the water line, rinsing your filters, and balancing your water chemistry.
Once a week, you’ll want to do the following hot tub care routine:
Now that you know how to clean your hot tub the right way, you can avoid lots of issues like cloudy water and scummy water. And if you keep your water balanced and your filters clean, you should only have to do a full drain and clean every 3-4 months.
Need more help cleaning your hot tub? Here are some common questions and answers.
Diluted white vinegar is great for cleaning hot tub surfaces, but it’s not the best choice for trying to purge your hot tub plumbing. The sludge that builds up in the pipes responds much better to a hot tub line flush that’s powerful enough to break down any biofilm completely.
Because your hot tub shell is made of acrylic and can scratch easily, use a soft cloth or sponge to wipe down your surfaces. Use diluted white vinegar or a hot tub shell polish. Finally, a multi-surface cleaner that’s made to clean vinyl, fabric, and metal can be used to clean your hot tub cover.
To clean a brand new hot tub, start by rinsing the jets, filter well, and shell with water. That’s because new hot tubs are usually shipped with antifreeze inside the fittings and plumbing. Then drain and remove the water with a sump pump, shop vac, or garden hose. Wipe down the surfaces with a soft cloth and diluted white vinegar, then fill the hot tub with filtered water.
While weekly cleaning will help with most hot tub issues, plan to drain your hot tub and change out the water every three to four months. This also includes purging your hot tub pipes.
Why do you need to drain and clean your plumbing? Every time you use your spa, contaminants like hair products, sweat, and body oils get into the water and pass through the filter and plumbing. And as those contaminants pass through the pipes, they start to build up and create a layer called biofilm. The only way to get rid of biofilm is to drain your hot tub and use a
Besides regularly draining it every three to four months, you’ll need to drain your hot tub if:
Matt is the founder of Swim University. He's been in the pool industry since 1993. His mission is to make pool care easy for everyone. Each year, he continues to help more people with water chemistry, cleaning, and troubleshooting.
Need to remove a bit of dirt from your hot tub between cleanings? Got any Silly Putty on hand? If not, we have other ideas to help you get the yuck out.
You test your water, add chemicals, and clean your spa from time to time. But what else could you be doing to make those maintenance chores even easier?
Before you reach for harsh chemicals, take a look around the house. You may already have all the household products you need to clean your hot tub.
