Fewer things are more relaxing than a warm hot tub on a cool evening. Whether you are looking for some quiet alone time or a fun evening with friends, a hot tub can create an atmosphere unlike anything else. After a long day, the warm water relaxes your mind, soothes your muscles, and helps you unwind. Read on for a few simple tips for getting your hot tub squeaky clean and in top working order for winter.
Top 3 Tips for Keeping Your Spa Water Clean
Maintaining a Caldera spa is really as simple as following a basic weekly routine that requires very little time or effort. There are 3 basic steps to keeping your water clean:
- Set FROG® dosage based on usage: Each of our models come standard with an in-line water care system that makes it easy to keep water fresh, clean and ready for you to enjoy your spa year-round. All you need to do is shock the spa with Monarch® chlorine or Monarch MPS Plus non-chlorine shock once a week and replace the FROG mineral and bromine cartridges as needed. The purple bromine cartridge should be replaced every 2-4 weeks depending on user load and the blue mineral cartridge should be replaced every 4 months. Each cartridge is simple to set and adjust based on your personal user load. Best of all, the bromine and mineral system is gentler on your skin and requires fewer chemicals.
- Rinse off before entering hot tub: Ideally, you’ll keep your water clean longer if you enter the spa fresh from a shower. Soaps and lotions are the main culprits for negatively impacting the water balance. Always strive to be lotion-free before using the spa and reduce the laundry soap used to wash your swim suit.
- Drain and refill once a quarter: If you follow the first two steps above then it’s likely you’ll be able to extend the time between draining. When it’s time to replace the water, we recommend using Vanishing Act® calcium remover in areas with high calcium hardness (commonly known as “hard water”).
Use a gentle cleanser to scrub all surfaces, including seats, spa pillows and head rests (following your owner’s manual to remove these), and walls. The best time to deep clean is when you drain and replace the water in the tub (roughly once a quarter). After spraying, wipe down the tub with a towel, to remove any excess cleaner residue that could cause the water to foam.
Clean or replace filters. Your hot tub filters are absolutely essential to maintaining clean water and ensuring proper performance of your hot tub. Dirty, clogged or worn-out filters will fail to trap contaminants and put a strain on your spa’s jet pumps.
Once a month, it’s a good idea to remove your filters and spray them with a garden hose to remove any debris that may have accumulated between the folds. Whenever you change out the water in your hot tub, give your filters a full cleaning. When it’s time to replace your filters, check your owner’s manual or give us a call to determine the filters specifically designed for your spa model.
Clean your hot tub cover by removing it and spraying it off with a hose. Scrub it with a gentle cleanser and rinse again. Let it air dry before replacing it.
Need to close up your winter home this year? Be sure to drain the hot tub! If you need to shutter your winter home it’s important to drain the spa completely and take a few added measures to winterize the spa in areas where the temperatures fall below 32 degrees. We provide a step-by-step guide for winterizing in the owner’s manual provided with every spa and also available online. While the process is straight-forward, it’s really important to take the time to ensure that all water is out of the pipes and spa to prevent any potential freeze damage.
Now sit back, relax, and make some plans to enjoy your hot tub all winter long!
