April 21st, 2023 – Spring (I swear!) is going to finally start showing itself here any day now. Won’t it be great to go outside and get your backyard—and hot tub—spruced up? I’m one of those hot tubbers who uses my tub religiously in the cold months, but I know there are those of you out there that don’t. If you fall into that group, here are five smart things to do to get your hot tub ready for spring.

• Drain, clean & refill your hot tub. A fresh batch of water is a great way to get your tub back on the path for healthy soaking. Before draining it, consider getting a bottle of Clean Start from our E-Store. This terrific product will clean and sanitize your tub, including the plumbing and equipment you can’t reach. It will rid your tub of any biofilm and get it in the ideal shape for a fresh fill.
• Thoroughly clean or replace filters. Be honest! When was the last time you gave your filters a good cleaning? I’m not talking about a cursory rinse under a tap or with the garden hose. Filter matter is designed to trap body oils and debris from your water. If you DO NOT clean them with a good filter cleaner, that matter gets clogged. That can restrict the flow to the heater and the other equipment, which could cause your tub to stop heating. (Never mind that the #1 thing they’re there for—cleaning—is handicapped tremendously!) Pleatco Filter Cartridge Cleaner is the answer! It will de-grease the sleeves of your filter to restore optimal flow and cleaning ability. Filters should be cleaned—not just rinsed!—monthly. If your filters are older than a year (if your tub has one filter), or two years (if you have two or more), it’s time to replace them. If you have A Hot Spring Spa with Tri-X filters, good news! They last up to four years before you need to replace them.
• Clean and condition your cover. One of the things that gets most neglected is cover care. The interior of your vinyl hot tub cover should get cleaned with baking soda to help rid it of odor and any mildew that may have built up along the seams. Simple Green also does a great job on any black buildup. The exterior of the cover should be cleaned with a mild dishwashing liquid (like Dawn). Once clean, rinse thoroughly. Then, condition the exterior with 303 Protectant. This will help protect against UV damage and keep the vinyl supple. If your cover is three-plus years old, it’s likely becoming water logged. Not good! Time to get a new cover. Waterlogged covers cannot insulate, become extremely heavy, and could eventually put strain on a cover lifter and rip it out of the tub’s siding. That’s not a cheap repair.
• Consider O-Care to simplify your ongoing water care. O-Care is a terrific additive for your hot tub! It helps dispense of any biofilm, can reduce the need for sanitizer a bit, and help your alkalinity and pH stay in check. It also helps guard your skin against the drying effects of hot water and chemicals. Properly balanced water will not only feel great, it’s also essential for your health.
• Clean the space surrounding your tub. Part of sprucing up outside should include cleaning the path to and from the tub so you don’t track extra stuff into it when you soak.. Clean moss off decks/paving stones and remove dead leaves or twigs. Good steps in front of the tub with grips on the treads to rub anything off the bottom of your feet before hopping in is a smart idea, too. If you have some debris that gets in the tub, we have spa vacs that will help remove any of that quickly.

If you’re in need of any supplies to spruce up your tub, we can help! All our showrooms have everything mentioned here, and our team can help out with any water care questions. Our E-Store is also just a click away!

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention this: If you’re in our service area, why not let our Valet Team do all this work for you? We have terrific ongoing plans to take hot tub care off your to-do list. Contact our Service Center to learn more.

Let’s get outside! And, once you have that hot tub in tip top shape, let that hot tub aid you with your health and relaxation.