How to Keep Hot Tub Water Crystal Clear

To ensure your hot tub soaks are refreshing, healthy and safe you need to make sure your hot tub water is clean. Murky, cloudy and green water is not only unappealing, but it could also cause problems for bathers’ skin. However, you can easily learn how to keep hot tub water crystal clear and make your hot tub bathing experience a positive one. In this article, we provide a series of tips that will help you keep your hot tub water clean and refreshing.

Use A Hot Tub Cover

Many of the impurities that can cause your hot tub water to turn cloudy or off colour fall into the water from above. Contaminants such as pollen, dirt, dust and fungal spores float around in the air and can end up tainting the hot tub’s water. An easy way to keep these adulterants out of the water is to use a hot tub cover when it’s not in use. Not only will a hot tub cover help keep your water clean, but it will also reduce your water heating costs and prevent water and chemicals from evaporating. A hot tub cover is a simple solution to many hot tub owner headaches.

Skim Out Excess Debris

You won’t be able to keep the hot tub cover on when the tub is in use, so there will always be some sort of debris ending up in the water. Make things easier on yourself by skimming any large particulates out of the water whenever you have a chance. The longer detritus is allowed to remain in the water, the more likely it will cause it to go cloudy.

Shower Before Bathing

Oils, cosmetics, and dirt from bathers’ skin tend to build up in hot tub water over time and cause the water to discolour and go cloudy. You can slow this process by having a shower before entering the hot tub. This is another simple solution that can keep your hot tub water clean and clear for extended periods of time. Take it a step further by wearing a bathing cap in the hot tub.

Regularly Test Your Water

Keep an eye on the various levels of your hot tub water including pH, total alkalinity and calcium hardness. Keeping the water chemistry balanced plays a huge role in making sure your water is fresh, clean and safe. It will also extend the life of the hot tub and its various components as well. The frequency of testing your water can range from weekly to daily depending on how much use your hot tub is getting. 

Use the Appropriate Chemicals

You might not have known it when you decided to buy a hot tub but being a hot tub owner means regularly dealing with chemicals. However, there’s no reason to worry. You won’t need a degree in chemistry to keep your hot tub water clean. Depending on the results of your water tests it’ll become quite apparent which types of chemicals you’ll need to add to keep everything in balance. Adding chemicals when the test results dictate will ensure your hot tub water remains safe and clean.

Empty and Refill the Hot Tub Regularly

No matter how much skimming, showering, and chemical sanitizing you do, you’ll need to empty and refill the hot tub on a regular basis. Draining the tub every six months and giving the walls a good washing will allow you to start from scratch once again. 

Clean or Change Your Filters

Eventually, the lifespan of your hot tub filters will run their course. You can clean them regularly to allow them to work properly, but eventually, it’s in your best interest to swap them out completely. Read the instructions for the type of filters you use and clean and replace them as suggested.

To learn more about hot tub maintenance, download a hot tub buyer’s guide here.