Hot tub cleaning horror stories
Learn how hot tub cleaning can help maximize your investment (and enjoyment).
Once you’ve set aside enough money to make a major purchase on a hot tub, the hard work isn’t done just yet. Hot tub owners can testify that owning a spa is a big responsibility with regular upkeep and maintenance needed to promote health and sanitation.
What happens when hot tub pH levels aren’t maintained?
Even though you may have the best intentions, time can easily fly by before you consider starting a routine hot tub cleaning and maintenance schedule. The next time you open your hot tub cover to have a relaxing soak, you could be left with a mess on your hands.
As a hot tub owner, keeping pH levels stable should be your top priority. Manufacturers recommend testing hot tub pH levels each day to ensure they stay between 7.2 and 7.6. If pH levels change, a product like Hot Tub pH Plus or Minus can be used to make alterations.
- If pH levels fall below basic recommendations, hot tub water can easily become corrosive to damage expensive parts and equipment.
- If pH levels are too high, hot tub water can lose its clarity, and mineral scale will form.
In a worst-case scenario, high pH levels in a hot tub will lead to cloudy water, mineral scale formation, short filter cycles, and skin and eye irritation. Low pH levels in a hot tub will lead to poor sanitation, corroded equipment, skin and eye irritation, stained plaster, and imbalanced water alkalinity.
What you need to know about hot tub sanitation
Sticking with a regular cleaning and maintenance schedule will keep water fresh, stable, and sanitary. It’s essential to understand that hot tub chemicals aren’t a quick fix solution, like a Band-Aid that can be slapped over a larger problem.
Even though chlorine is a spa chemical used to kill germs, it doesn’t guarantee that water is sterilized. Skin infections are one of the most common side effects of an improperly maintained hot tub. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirm that you’re likely to get a hot tub rash if you spend time soaking in an unsanitary spa.
Some hot tub users have experienced even more serious issues, like sinus and respiratory infections caused by breathing in recirculated sweat and oils in an improperly filtered spa. Other potential hot tub ailments spread in a contaminated spa include genital herpes, folliculitis, and a bacterial infection called Legionnaire’s Disease.
These unpleasant health risks and side effects should be more than enough motivation to clean and maintain your hot tub on a daily and weekly schedule. Suppliers recommend draining a hot tub completely for a thorough cleaning every 4 to 6 months to flush out bacteria and reduce the risk of infection.
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