Cleaning your home spa

Hot tubs are not required to be drained after every use, and therefore it is important to follow the steps necessary for it to have clean water all the time and after many days of being used.

One of the most important steps you should follow in order to keep your spa clean is using the right sanitizer. Using a spa sanitizer regularly is important in order to kill microbes and bacteria in the water. The most popular spa sanitizers available in the market are chlorine, bromine and ozone. Each one of these sanitizers has a different methodology of use, and therefore you should follow the specific instructions the one you acquire has.

Other important step towards keeping your spa clean is testing the water and balancing it. Since the water in a hot tub isn't changed for months, organic materials need to be neutralized in order to keep the water healthy and clean. This is done by measuring the chemicals in the water and then balancing them.

When balancing the water of your hot tub, you should start by measuring its pH. PH indicates the acidity of the water, and in order for it to be healthy it should be between 7 and 8, ideally around 7.5. Keeping the water pH balanced is not only important for maintaining the water clean, but also for keeping the hot tub in good shape since unbalanced pH levels can also corrode the plumbing.

In order to test the pH and other possibly unbalancing elements in the water, you should use strips made specifically for this purpose and which you can acquire at any spa or other related supply stores. Usually, these strips test the calcium, alkalinity, PPM, and pH levels in the water, and allow you to know what is needed for balancing it. You should test the water in your hot tub every week, and refill it at least every six months, ideally every three or four, depending on how much you use it.