- Category:
- Hot Tub Maintenance •
- Spa •
Routine cleaning and proper sanitization of your spa is important for keeping your spa water safe and free of problems. A simple spa maintenance routine makes it easy, with a few minutes each week and a reset every few months.
Why Does Your Hot Tub Need Routine Cleaning?
Spas operate at a high temperature, up to 104°F (40°C). That heat can create a high rate of water evaporation and an environment that may promote the growth of bacteria and algae.
Heavy use of your spa can cause the water to become cloudy and dull. It may also make your spa more likely to have corrosion, staining and scaling. A steady routine keeps all of that in check.
Basic Routine Cleaning Tips
Use a chlorine or bromine sanitizer? These basic routine cleaning tips apply either way.
- Sanitizer: Maintain free available chlorine at 3 to 5 ppm, or bromine at 2 to 4 ppm.
- Shower first: Shower before entering the spa.
- Shock: Shock treat your spa weekly.
- Total alkalinity: Maintain total alkalinity at 80 to 120 ppm.
- pH: Maintain pH at 7.2 to 7.6 for chlorine spas or 7.2 to 7.8 for bromine spas.
Your Spa Maintenance Routine at a Glance
Save this schedule and your hot tub care and maintenance stays simple. Heavy use, parties and new fills mean doing tasks more often.
| How Often | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Every soak | Shower first and keep lotions and detergent out of the water |
| Twice a week | Test and balance alkalinity, pH, hardness and sanitizer |
| Weekly | Shock, check your sanitizer feeder and add enzyme cleaner |
| Monthly | Clean your filter |
| About every 90 days | Deep soak the filter, then drain and refill |
How to Keep Contaminants Out of Your Hot Tub
Do these every time you soak.
The cleanest water starts before anyone gets in. These habits cut down on oils, foam and cloudy water.
- Shower before you soak: Rinse off lotions, makeup and hair products.
- Skip the detergent: Wash swimwear without detergent so soap stays out of the water.
- Look before you leave: Notice any foam, haze or odor so you can treat it early.
How to Test and Balance Your Spa Water
Test your water at least twice a week with HTH spa™ Test Strips . Each strip reads total bromine or free chlorine, pH, total alkalinity and total hardness in seconds.
Adjust in this order: total alkalinity, then pH, then calcium hardness, then sanitizer.
- Low alkalinity: Raise it with HTH spa™ Alkalinity Up . Add 1 ounce directly to the water, circulate 1 to 3 hours and retest.
- Low pH: Raise it with HTH spa™ pH Up using the label dosing table.
- High pH: Lower it with HTH spa™ pH Down using the label dosing table.
Add pH Up or pH Down into the filter skimmer with circulation running, then retest after 30 minutes. Scan your strip with the HTH Test to Swim™ app or enter your numbers in spa water testing for product picks made for your water.
How to Sanitize and Shock Your Hot Tub Each Week
Keep sanitizer in range
Check your sanitizer every time you test. Bromine spas use HTH spa™ Bromine Tablets in a floater or feeder. Adjust the feeder as needed to hold 2 to 4 ppm.
Chlorine spas use HTH spa™ Clear Chlorinating Sanitizer . Scatter 0.4 to 0.6 ounces per 500 gallons over the water and hold 3 to 5 ppm while the spa is in use.
Shock at least weekly
HTH spa™ Non-Chlorine Shock Oxidizer breaks down odor-causing ammonia, chloramines and organic contaminants. It works in chlorine and bromine spas.
- Turn the filtration system on.
- Add 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) per 250 gallons of spa water.
- Circulate for 15 minutes with the spa cover off.
Prefer premeasured doses? Try HTH spa™ Non-Chlorine Shock Oxidizer EcoPods .
Add enzyme cleaner
HTH spa™ Enzyme Cleaner breaks down oils, lotions and organic buildup that sanitizers alone may not fully remove. Add 1 fluid ounce per 250 gallons weekly to help prevent waterline buildup and reduce filter clogging.
How to Clean Your Hot Tub Filter
Your filter traps the oils and debris your sanitizer leaves behind. Clean your filter monthly and shock at least weekly.
About every 90 days, or whenever water pressure noticeably drops, give it a deep clean with HTH spa™ Filter Cleaner . This hot tub filter cleaner removes oils, lotions and residue that clog filters and reduce performance.
- Turn off the circulation system and remove the cartridge filters.
- Rinse each filter with water to remove loose debris.
- Mix the entire bottle with 4 gallons of water in a clean plastic container.
- Stand the filters upright and soak for 3 to 6 hours or overnight.
- Rinse thoroughly with water and reinstall.
Time your deep soak with your water change and you handle both jobs in one session.
How to Drain and Refill Your Hot Tub
Fresh water gives your sanitizer a clean start. Plan to drain and refill about every 90 days, and sooner with heavy use.
- Drain the spa completely.
- Clean all surfaces and clean or backflush the filter.
- Refill with fresh water.
- With circulation running, pour one bottle of HTH spa™ Metal Out evenly around the edge of the spa. One bottle treats up to 500 gallons.
- Balance calcium hardness, total alkalinity and pH.
- Start your sanitizer. Bromine spas can build a bromide bank with HTH spa™ Bromine Reserve .
Don't enter the spa until bromine reads 2 to 4 ppm or free chlorine reads 4 to 5 ppm. Our guide to opening your spa walks you through every startup step.
How to Fix Common Hot Tub Water Problems
Even with a solid routine, your water will sometimes need extra attention. Match the problem to the fix.
| If You See | Try This First |
|---|---|
| Cloudy water | Clean the filter, then add HTH spa™ Clarifier |
| Foam | Add HTH spa™ Defoamer , then shock |
| Strong chlorine or bromine smell | Balance pH, shock and raise sanitizer |
| Scale or mineral buildup | Add HTH spa™ Scale Preventer |
| Stains after a refill | Add HTH spa™ Metal Out at startup |
Get the full fix in our guides to cloudy hot tub water , foamy hot tub water and strong chlorine or bromine odor . For buildup, see hot tub scale and hot tub stains . Shop HTH spa™ Clarifier , HTH spa™ Defoamer and HTH spa™ Scale Preventer .
How to Care for Your Hot Tub Through the Seasons
Your routine shifts a little with the seasons. Cold weather calls for extra protection, and longer breaks call for a proper shutdown.
See our 5 tips for winter spa and hot tub protection and how to cover and close your spa . Want to cut running costs too? Read how to recharge in an energy-efficient hot tub .
A Routine That Keeps You Relaxing
Test twice a week, shock weekly, clean the filter monthly and refresh your water about every 90 days. That simple rhythm keeps your water clear and your soak comfortable.
Before you treat, review how to use spa products safely and our 5 water care basics for your spa . Shop all HTH spa™ hot tub chemicals or find an HTH™ retailer near you . HTH™ is here to help.
Routine Spa Cleaning FAQs
How often should I test my hot tub water?
Test at least twice a week with HTH spa™ Test Strips . Test more often during heavy use, after new fills and after adding chemicals.
How often should I shock my hot tub?
Shock your spa at least weekly, and again after heavy use or when water turns cloudy or smells. HTH spa™ Non-Chlorine Shock Oxidizer works in chlorine and bromine spas.
How often should I clean my hot tub filter?
Clean your filter monthly. About every 90 days, or whenever water pressure drops, deep clean it with HTH spa™ Filter Cleaner .
How often should I drain and refill my hot tub?
Plan to drain and refill about every 90 days, and sooner with heavy use. Add HTH spa™ Metal Out each time you refill.
Why should I shower before using my hot tub?
Showering rinses off lotions, body oils and hair products before they reach the water. That means less foam, clearer water and less work for your sanitizer.
