While cleaning the hot tub water may sound bothersome, it is a huge part of your maintenance. Doing so can increase your hot tub�s life span and give you a more relaxing warm bath experience to remember. Experts recommend changing and cleaning your hot tub water once every 3-4 months to avoid contracting diseases caused by dirty hot tubs like hot tub folliculitis. However, these would vary depending on usage.
But it doesn’t simplify the process, particularly if you have big hot tubs or a swimming pool. So as a hot tub owner, you might wonder if you can just clean hot tubs without going through the tedious task of draining the water and refilling it again.
Is that possible? Thankfully, yes. Tune in to the end of this article to learn how to clean a hot tub without draining it in four easy and practical steps.
How To Clean A Hot Tub Without Draining It In 4 Steps
To clean your hot tub water without needing to drain all the water, follow these four easy steps on how to clean a hot tub without draining it.
Step 1. Clean The Interior Of The Hot Tub
It is preferable to begin cleaning the tub’s interior while there is water. As dirt and germs are prone to scrape off the inside and into the water, this step should be performed before balancing and treating the water with a hot tub chemical. Any leftover filth and bacteria can be removed by first letting the dirty water pass through the hot tub’s filter and then treating it, mainly when cleaning your hot tub that has been unused for some time.
The cleaning procedure will be the same for the hot tub seat, hot tub shell, and another interior components.
Things to remember when cleaning the hot tub interior:
- Avoid tough and harsh brushes that can cause dents and scratches on your hot tub’s interior and water line. In the long run, this can shorten your hot tub�s life.
- Take a stronger cleaning solution if you see stubborn stains that won’t wash out with hot water and a little dish soap. Any hot tub cleaner will likely be able to get rid of the stain quickly. To remove the stain, either spray some cleanser on it or put a drop of it on the cloth you’re using and wipe it.
- Avoid letting significant amounts of the cleanser fall into the water while using cleaning agents or combinations to clean hot tubs. This will impact your pH level in the hot tub. High acid levels will lead to corrosion on the hot tub’s operating components.
Step 2. Remove And Wash The Jet
Because it lessens the strain placed on the equipment and keeps the jets from clogging up, cleaning the hot tub’s jets is crucial. Additionally, it makes the jets operate more effectively, producing a stream with considerable effect.
Remove the jets from your hot tub and immerse them in a mild cleaning solution consisting of 50% warm water plus 50% vinegar a t approximately 3 to 4 hours. By doing this, you’ll be able to remove bacteria from the jets and dissolve any accumulated dirt.
Step 3. Clean The�Hot Tub Filters By Removing
If you haven’t done, you should shut off the hot tub and remove the hot tub cover and water filter so you can clean it. Depending on the hot tub model, you might need to detach some parts of your hot tub cover and water pump to access the hot tub filter, which may have already started to clog due to the filth cleared from the filtration system and pipelines at this point.
Things to remember when cleaning the filtration system:
- Never clean the filters with dish soap or detergent. For a quick wash, only use water, ideally warm water. If you wish to submerge the filters, purchase a filter-cleaning solution.
- You can put the filters in a chlorinated cleaning agent or another option for a couple of hours to provide more good cleaning before giving it a good rinse and replacing it within the hot tub.
- Remove any remaining material, including dirt, mold, algae, or germs, with a soft-bristled brush, and then give the area another hose washing.
Step 4. Treat The Water In The Hot Tub.
After thoroughly cleaning most hot tubs, you must treat the water with hot tub chemicals to eliminate any leftover germs from the cleaning operation and maintain a stable pH level. You’ll require testing strips to determine the pH of the water in your hot tub. The pH level of the water in your hot tub should ideally range from 7.2 to 7.8.
After checking your water chemistry, there will be instances that your water would fall between acidic and basic. If these case would happen to your hot tub water, this is what you should do.
How to Treat Acidic Water
Anything below seven causes your water to start becoming acidic. The inner shell of the unit’s plastic or other materials may corrode, resulting in long-term, irreparable damage. Additionally, individuals with high acidity may get dry, itchy skin after using a hot tub.
Apply alkaline-based chemicals to raise the pH level in your hot tub’s acidic water. Sodium carbonate, sometimes called soda ash, is a typical component to elevate the pH level depending on the amount recommended by the product’s instructions after six hours.
How To Treat Basic Water
More than a pH of seven causes the water to become basic; chlorine loses some of its antibacterial effectiveness. If you notice calcium accumulation or white water mildew, which appears as white flakes, it could indicate that the water in your hot tub is too essential. The buildup can cause your filters and jets to become blocked.
You can put sodium bisulfate or muriatic acid in the hot tub to clean basic water and lower the pH. Like neutralizing acidic water, follow the product’s directions and apply as much as necessary to cover the water volume in your hot tub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions to guide you in cleaning your hot tub.
How Do You Clean A Hot Tub After Sitting?
The filter may be dusty and blocked if your hot tub seems inactive. After soaking in a spa filter for the night, rinse the hot tub filtration with clear water. Before reinserting the filter, let it dry for the best results.
How Do You Get The Dirt Off The Bottom Of A Hot Tub?
A spa vacuum would be the best option. You may need to shock the hot tub in cases of a significant invasion of extra dirt and debris. Debris at the bottom of the hot tub may only be removed with a spa vacuum.
Can You Clean Dirty Hot Tub Water?
Simply let your filters soak for two hours in a mixture of 50% vinegar and 50% warm water. Remember that if the filter is too dirty, you may have to use a special hot water filter cleaner or replace the filter.
Is It Possible To Clean A Hot Tub Without Draining The Water?
It is probably hard to believe that, especially since most hot tub owners can only think of draining the water when cleaning their hot tubs.
So is it possible?
Yes, you could, but you shouldn’t do it frequently. Cleaning your hot tub without draining it requires more maintenance than simply draining the water from the tub. It’s more of an upkeep job. A few procedures are necessary to keep your hot tub clean.
Conclusion
While it may seem like a hassle to clean your hot tub, you get the job a little be at ease by not having to drain the water. Make sure to make hot tub cleaning part of your schedule. Keep it clean and fresh every 3-4 months, and remember that you will reap the benefits gained from having to clean your hot tub regularly.
