April can be a truly glorious time to enjoy your hot tub. Crisp air, trees blooming and lots of time out in the yard and great outdoors (hopefully your allergies are behaving!)
Hot water therapy has many benefits, including lowered stress levels, reduced joint pain and muscle stiffness, and better sleep, to name just a few. Many hot tub owners (and prospective buyers) are concerned about use of a hot tub (or pool) during the corona virus outbreak. So let’s review the basics of hot tub water safety, and answer these top questions: Is it safe to use a hot tub during the outbreak? And, can people get the coronavirus in a hot tub?
The CDC has provided answers in a new report that states:
There is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread to humans through the use of pools, hot tubs or spas, or water playgrounds. Proper operation, maintenance, and disinfection (e.g., with chlorine and bromine) of pools, hot tubs or spas, and water playgrounds should inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19.
The bottom line is that you should be more than safe to use your hot tub as long as you are following proper sanitizing protocols.
So let’s review.
Keeping Water Clear and Clean: Safety First
The average hot tub is filled with 200 – 700 gallons of water and it needs to be clean, clear and sparkling to provide life-giving benefits.
If you’ve been using your hot tub frequently, and/or think you might have exposed the area to someone who has been exposed to the corona virus, we recommend you super shock the tub water.
“Shocking” the spa water is done by mixing a large dose of oxidizer to shock the water into a clean state. Shocking removes organic components in the water such as dead skin, shampoo, makeup, and other contaminants brought by real humans into your pool or spa. For complete instructions on how and when to shock your water, see your owner’s manual or give us a call.
Thereafter, the standard recommended chlorine/bromine levels are fine (1.5 ppm – 3.0 ppm). We recommend Monarch and Leisure Time products, which we carry in all our retail locations.
Adding extra sanitizer is not necessary and may actually cause eye and skin irritation.
Disinfect all surfaces not submerged in water with a chlorine bleach solution of 1/3 cup bleach to 1 gallon of water. This will disinfect and kill any contaminants on surfaces.
If you’re thinking of a new hot tub for your enjoyment during these stay-at-home days – and you’re stuck at home like everyone! – let us take you on a virtual tour of some of our most popular showroom models. Call or message us and we’ll set up a FaceTime chat with you where we can show you what options might be the perfect fit for you.
Stay safe. Stay home! All our best.
The Hearthside Team
