How to Clean an Inflatable Hot Tub

Sooner or later you are going to have to spend some time cleaning your inflatable hot tub. It’s a shame as we would all far rather be lazing in the water but regular cleaning and maintenance of your inflatable hot tub is essential to keeping the water fresh and healthy. But how do you actually go about cleaning an inflatable hot tub? Inflatable spas are relatively easily damaged so what should you use and what happens if you have stubborn mold or algae forming on your hot tub?

I decided to do some thorough research into how to approach cleaning an inflatable hot tub and this is what I found out.

So, how do I clean an inflatable hot tub? It’s best if the hot tub is empty and you should be able to clean off most stains with a soft cloth, warm water and some elbow grease. You can use a small amount of liquid soap, a mixture of white wine vinegar with water or a specialist cleaning product as well. Thoroughly wash off all cleaning residue with clean water before refilling.

Regular Inflatable Hot Tub Cleaning

The best way to keep your inflatable hot tub clean is through a schedule of regular cleaning and maintenance. If you are going to keep it inflated for any length of time then you will need to get used to checking the water PH levels, keeping on top of your water chemistry and adding chlorine/bromine as needed.

This isn’t anywhere near as complicated as it sounds and you will find my “Hot Tub Maintenance and Cleaning Made Simple” post a good place to start. If you do keep your water chemistry under control you will find that a majority of the problems that people have with dirty, cloudy or smelly water just don’t happen and, provided that you change your water on a regular basis as well, you should have few problems.

However, particularly with inflatable hot tubs, you might well still find that the hot tub itself collects stains and dirt relatively easily and you will need to regularly keep on top of this before things escalate.

At this point, it’s probably worth saying that if you deal with any dirt problems whilst they are small and when they don’t have time to develop then things will be much easier. We have all let dirt accumulate only to have what could have been a small and relatively easily dealt with problem get out of hand. A regular schedule of maintenance that is carried out little and often will make all the difference.

This post from the Huffington Post has become quite infamous in hot tub circles for the way it describes how concerning dirty hot tubs can effect your health – read with caution!

So, what sort of dirt needs dealing with on a regular basis in an inflatable hot tub and how do you tackle getting rid of it?

Floating debris – One of the most common problems you will come across is that of floating debris. This is likely to be foliage from trees, seed pods as well as dirt and dust – basically anything from the environment that can fall or be blown into your hot tub.

Big bits of floating debris are easily moved by just scooping them out with your hand. You will also get much smaller bit that you would otherwise miss by using a hot tub skimmer like this one on Amazon. Hot tub skimmers aren’t very expensive and you will find that if you use it regularly it will prevent your filter from becoming clogged so quickly and keep your water clearer for much longer.

Dirt on the hot tub floor – You might also want to think about getting a hot tub vacuum to vacuum up dirt and debris from the floor of the hot tub under the water. Using one of these will again keep your water clearer for longer but also has an added advantage in that it could potentially help to prevent punctures in your inflatable hot tub.

The floor of an inflatable hot tub takes most of the weight of the water and also the wear and tear from the weight of bather’s feet. Inevitably our feet also introduce abrasive earth and sand particles into the hot tub when we get in. If these are rubbing on the hot tub floor whilst under pressure it makes damage and puncturing much more likely.

So, particularly in an inflatable hot tub, it can be a good idea to vacuum the floor on a regular basis.

It will also obviously help to keep debris out of the water if you use a hot tub cover when the hot tub isn’t in use. You should also try to remember to shower before getting in the hot tub as well so that you minimize the chances of introducing dirt from your body into the hot tub water too.

If you didn’t get a cover with your inflatable hot tub have a look on Amazon here.

Waterline stains – The area around the water line is a common problem and often shows ugly signs of mineral or chemical deposits, oil deposits and the associated build-up of dirt. You can prevent a build-up of dirt around the waterline by cleaning it regularly just with a soft cloth and warm water – even if it looks relatively clean. It’s much easier to keep clean if you do a little often than trying to clean the water line once it has become noticeably grimy.

If you have noticed a dirty line then your best bet is to empty the water out of the hot tub and to do a thorough clean around the waterline without the water in the tub.

You might be lucky and find that you can clean away the problem with warm water, a soft cloth and elbow grease. If you find that this doesn’t work then you can theoretically use some liquid soap and some people recommend white wine vinegar and water.

Personally, I would hesitate to use either of these things – especially on an inflatable hot tub. The liner of an inflatable hot tub is relatively easily damaged and so my advice would be to use a specially formulated solution with a soft cloth. Even using a bit of liquid soap can potentially cause excess foaming a bubbles when you refill the hot tub even if you think you have washed it all away.

It’s also worth mentioning that the more you rub an inflatable hot tub liner and the harder you rub it the more likely you are to damage it. Gentle rubbing with a soft cloth is fine but don’t be tempted to use a brush or to use a lot of pressure as it will potentially damage the liner.

It is a far better policy to lightly clean regularly to prevent build up of dirt around the water line in the first place and, if you do need to do some serious cleaning then get a good quality specialist hot tub cleaning solution to do the work so that you don’t have to rub too hard.

Mold and Algae – The first thing to say is that, in theory at least, a well maintained hot tub where the water is correctly balanced and the sanitizer levels are regularly checked, shouldn’t grow mold or algae.

If however, you do start to get a mold or algae problem then the best bet is to drain the hot tub, thoroughly clean it and to start afresh with new water. Have a look below for a guide as to how to drain, refill and balance your water chemistry.

Once you have emptied the hot tub then you need to very thoroughly clean off all mold and algae from every part of the hot tub. Bear in mind that if any traces are left they will, most likely, quickly multiply and create a bigger problem again.

As above you need to achieve the deepest clean you can on your hot tub by using as little abrasive pressure as possible on the hot tub liner. Make sure that you are using a soft cloth and that you always rub the liner with plenty of water to avoid a build up of friction that could cause damage.

To get rid of mould and algae you can use a very mild bleach solution. Be careful to avoid getting it on your hands and also in your eyes and be especially careful to wash all of the bleach solution away with clean water once you have finished.

You are most likely going to need to clean around filter housings and connections and in all of the nooks and crannies to make sure that you remove every trace of contamination. Remember even the smallest bit left could quickly multiply and cause problems again later on.

Finally, once you are happy that the mold and algae has been removed thoroughly hose down the whole hot tub with plain water. Make sure you get into all of the creases and nooks and crannies and then completely drain the hot tub. It is then worth washing down again and drying off to make completely sure that there isn’t any bleach residue left before you refill the hot tub.

General dirt and stains – Usually a good soft cloth and some gentle rubbing will remove most stains. Again the key is to do a little and often to prevent dirt from building up and becoming much more difficult to remove. It’s best to avoid using any cleaning chemicals whilst the hot tub is full of water as there will inevitably be contamination of the hot tub water by the cleaning solution.

How to drain and prepare an inflatable hot tub for cleaning

You will need to drain your hot tub regularly and at the same time give it a really good clean before refilling with fresh water. Generally speaking, you will need to change your hot tub’s water every two or three months but this will depend on how clean you keep the hot tub, how good your water chemistry has been and how much use the hot tub gets.

You will know it’s time for a water change if the water is cloudy or smells, or it has become foamy or just doesn’t feel fresh any more. You can also measure the amount of total dissolved solids in the water (TDS). This is a measurement of how much organic matter, dirt and gunk there is in the water and, once your TDS level approaches 1500ppm the water is basically saturated with dirt and it’s time for a change.

Unplug your hot tub from the mains – It’s an obvious point but water and electricity don’t mix well at all. Your inflatable hot tub should be completely safe to mix water with electricity during normal operation but, when you are draining your hot tub water can rather unpredictably go anywhere so unplug to be safe!

Remove the filter and cover the holes – You should have some caps to place over the inlet and oulet pipes and also to cover the filter housing once you have taken it off.

Reach under the water and unscrew the filter and remove it. Cover the filter inlet with the cap that was provided with your hot tub. You need to cover the remaining inlet/outlet holes as well.

Covering the holes from the inside will help to prevent the water from flowing out when you remove the pump in the next step.

Remove the pump – The next step is to unscrew the connections between the pump and the hot tub. You will probably find that there is a ring that you need to undo on each pipe. The rings should go anticlockwise to unfasten them. If you find they are really tight or you have wet hands and can’t undo them try gripping them with a cloth or towel to help with your grip.

Once the connections are untightened you can quickly remove the pump. Just pull it out of the way. There will be some water leakage from the pipes into the pump and also possibly from the pipes that go into the hot tub. If you can quickly use a screw on cap to stem the flow.

Attach a hose to the drain and drain the water – Identify which pipe/hole is the drain and screw the supplied hose adapter onto it. You should find that it is easy to then attach a hose to the drain and then to direct the water away to where you want it to go.

Have a read of my post here on what to do with dirty hot tub water.

The water will flow out as long as the hose stays below the level of the hot tub. It could take an hour or so to drain out.

Undo the plug – Once the water has drained out as far as it can via the hose you will now be able to open the plug on the floor of the hot tub. It can help if you find something to prop the hole open so that the water can drain away beneath the hot tub freely.

Again this can take some time and you may not get all of the water out via this method. Using a pump can speed things up and help get all of the remaining water out.

Dry off and clean – Dry off the hot tub thoroughly using an old towel and allow it to dry thoroughly. Once you have done this you can start cleaning as we looked at above.

Refill with water – Refilling is simple. Make sure that you have removed all traces of any cleaning solutions you have used by flushing the hot tub with clear water and draining it off. Close the drain holes, reconnect the pump and then refill with water from the hose to the correct level.

It is a good idea to use a water filter attached to the hose as this will remove any dirt and impurities so that you have clean water to start with. You can get one from Amazon here.

Check and adjust your total alkalinity and then check and adjust the PH levels before adding sanitizer.

It’s worth taking your time to get the water chemistry absolutely spot on at this stage as this is the basis for clean trouble free hot tub water. It might take several attempts to get the amount of adjustment chemicals right but it will be time well spent.

How to Keep Your Inflatable Hot Tub Clean and Avoid Problems

By far the best plan is to try to keep your hot tub clean in the first place. However, this is often a bit easier said than done so here are some ideas to help you:

Use a cover – A good hot tub cover will not only keep your hot tub well insulated and cut down on your energy bills but will also keep dirt and debris from getting into the water.

It’s a good idea to keep the cover on the hot tub whenever it isn’t being used. The only exceptions being just after you have added chlorine or shocked the hot tub and also preferably on a weekly basis when you should take it off to air it and to dry the cover.

When you have added chemicals to the hot tub it is a good idea to keep the cover off to allow the vapors to escape and to prevent them from attacking the bottom of the cover. The weekly drying session is a good idea if you can take the cover off and allow it to dry out in the sun for a few hours. This can prevent the cover from soaking up moisture and becoming waterlogged and can also prevent mildew from forming on the cover as well.

You might like to have a read of my post about caring for hot tub covers here.

Shower before getting in the hot tub – Needless to say our bodies introduce a huge amount of dirt into the hot tub. Sweat and bodily fluids combined with shampoo, soaps, perfumes etc etc all contaminate the water and make the hot tub much more prone to bacteria development and just general dirt and grime accumulation.

Try to get into the habit of having a good wash before you get into the hot tub and, at the end of your shower, rinse your body and hair thoroughly in plain water to get rid of any soaps and oils. It can also be a good idea to shower when you get out of the hot tub as well. This is a bigger priority if you have just used a public hot tub as you don’t really know how clean the water is.

Wash your feet before getting in the hot tub – You would be surprised how much dirt quickly accumulates on bare feet. If you walk outside with bare feet and then get straight into your hot tub you are almost inevitably going to transfer dirt, dust and grit into the hot tub water.

It only takes a moment to step into a foot bath and then straight into the hot tub to avoid this problem.

Clean the hot tub little and often – If you can get into a regular habit of hot tub maintenance you will avoid most of the common problems. A quick regular wipe down of the hot tub and also removal of any obvious debris will go a long way and will take less than 5 minutes a day.

If you also keep a regular check on your water chemistry and sanitizer levels then you should avoid most of the common hot tub problems. Combined with regular filter cleaning this is really the only way to keep your hot tub clean, fresh and healthy. It does take a bit of regular work but this is far preferable to having to deal with problems of dirt, algae and mold once they have really taken hold.

Clean the filters according to the instructions – All inflatable hot tubs will have at least one filter cartridge and the manufacturer will provide instructions on how frequently to clean and replace them. This will provide a general guide because the more you use your hot tub the more frequently you will need to clean or change your filters. So, it’s a good idea to get into the habit of inspecting and cleaning them on a weekly basis.

Most filters are easily removable and simply cleaned by hosing them through with clean water. You can use a filter cleaning wand/attachment like this one on Amazon if you would like to. It will make cleaning more efficient and get more dirt out with each clean.

You can also perform a deeper clean by removing the filters and then soaking them overnight in a filter cleaning solution. Remember to clean them again with clean water before putting them back into the hot tub though. A similar deep clean can be done by putting them in your dishwasher without any detergent in.

However, at some point all filters will need to be replaced so make sure that you change them at the recommended intervals or even before if they are looking too dirty and clogged.

Amazon have a good selection so you will hopefully be able to find the filter you need at a good price here.

Use scumbugs – these funny little things do exactly what it says on the tin. They “devour scum, slime and grime from pools and spas”. They are basically sponges that permanently float in the water and they suck up all of the gunk. When the scumbug is fully saturated with grime you just throw it out and replace it.

Scumbugs are a cheap and simple way to help keep your hot tub water clean – you can get them on Amazon here.