For the Love of Your Tub (hot tub that is)

Hot tubbing is absolutely one of my favourite things to do. A cold winter's night with a light snowfall is a magical experience. Alone or with friends, it really does not matter.

If you live in a northern climate like I do, you want to keep your tub as clean as possible so you minimize the number of times you need to change the water in the winter. Dealing with frozen water hoses and faucets is not a lot of fun during February in Canada.

My previous blog went into detail on how body oils and scum loading takes away from your tubbing enjoyment. I have the dermatological scars to prove it. But let's stay positive - what actions can you take to take control of the situation? Don’t underestimate properly balanced water chemistry - it is important, and I am going to assume you have it covered at this point. Let’s look at what you need to do to battle scum.

First, you need to actively clean your filter weekly or every other week. That means removing it from your tub, soaking it in an effective cartridge cleaning agent then gently spraying and brushing the pleats to remove all of the build up. These filters are delicate and expensive so you want to have the right tools to do this job.

Second, you need to use a hot tub cleaner, like ScumRay, to absorb body oils, lotions and cosmetics quickly when they first enter your hot tub via your people. This is the most important step overlooked by many hot tub owners who don’t do this or use inferior products to do the job. Wash often as this style of cleaner absorbs an amazing amount of “stuff” quickly.

Lastly, you need to periodically remove all of the biofilm that builds up in the plumbing, jets and pumps - all the interior surfaces you can’t see. This biofilm continues to build up creating a hotbed of bacterial activity that can cloud and stink up the water and use an inordinate amount of sanitizer. Start with an effective biofilm degreaser made specifically for hot tubs to get your tub back into shape. You may need to do this step a couple of times depending how your tub has been used and how old it is. Then do this every time you change your water. This will stop the biofilm from reestablishing itself.

Be prepared to see things you never wanted to see floating around in your tub after this cleaning step. Rinse the tub thoroughly and fill with fresh water. You will now be in control of the situation. You can find ScumRay at www.scumray.com - our cleaning crystals and cleaning equipment will be available on the site soon, let us know if you are interested and want to be notified when the products are in stock.