Don’t be fooled into thinking that general household cleaning products like dishwashing liquid, car wash shampoo and kitchen detergents are safe to use to bring hot tub filters back to life, quite the opposite. Unsuitable cleaning products can have disastrous consequences on the hot tub’s water chemistry, leading to potential skin issues and difficult to remedy cloudy water.
There are multiple ways to clean a hot tub filter and each can be very effective. However, you will get different results with each method, so it really depends on the amount of time and energy you’re willing to put into it.
At Clean My Hot Tub, we recommend adopting a scheduled programme for hot tub filter maintenance. In doing so, you can dramatically prolong your spa filters’ life and have the peace of mind that your filters are working as efficiently as possible.
1. Weekly – The Quick Rinse (5-10 mins)
Pull the filters out of your hot tub and give them a quick rinse with water. You can rinse them with a garden hose or in a sink. Be sure to spread apart from each pleat and rinse well between them to get any dirt, hair, or other debris out. The main benefit to the quick rinse is that it allows you to prevent hair from building up and clogging the filters.
2. Monthly – The Chemical Rinse (20-30 mins)
For this, we advise that you invest in a recommended hot tub filter cleaning solution. If you already have filter cleaner, and it doesn’t come in a spray bottle, use the recommended dilution method for the cleaner and put it in a clean spray bottle.
Generously spray down your hot tub filters and let them sit for about 20 minutes. This allows the chemicals to dissolve into the filter padding and remove the dirt and grime buried within. Once the 20 or so minutes are up, give the filters a thorough spray down to remove all substances and residue left from the cleaning spray. Filter cleaners can cause a ton of foam in your tub when you put the filters back in and create an imbalance in the chemistry worth avoiding.
3. Quarterly – The Overnight Chemical Soak (24 hours)
Using a cleaner designed specifically for hot tub filter cleaning, dilute the chemical with water according to the bottle’s directions. Make sure you use enough water to submerge the filter completely.
Let the filter rest in the solution overnight or 24 hours. This gives the cleaning chemicals plenty of time to dissolve the dirt and lift the debris off the pleats.
The following day, be sure to rinse the heck of the filters with clean water. Again, you don’t want foamy hot tub water so spray until the water drips off the filter is 100% clear.
Chemical soaking your spa filters overnight every 6 months. Some pool and hot tub supply stores might offer this service, but it’s straightforward to do at home with a 5-gallon plastic bucket and some hot tub filter cleaner.
Professionals Bonus Tip
Purchase 2 filters so that you always have another on hand which isn’t in use. This way you can immediately replace a filter once it’s been removed, giving you more time to clean and restore its condition.
Do I have to turn the hot tub off whilst the filters soak overnight and then dry??
Hi, yes we recommend turning the hot tub off while the filters are removed. If not, you add the risk that debris and other items move into the pipework and cause damage to your hot tub.
We’re just new tub owners. Ours became very foamy and the water turned a pale green within a couple of weeks. I drained the tub and started again. On the first use, the water started to foam again. It was pure white foam though so is this normal with the jets on full. On reading your article on filters, could it be that there are contaminants in the filter from the previous water that are causing the foam, as I only hosed the filter down? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Foam build-up is usually caused by a reaction between body and cosmetic oils with the water’s alkalinity. I recommend you shock the spa, which will oxidise the oils into particles to be trapped in the filter media. Once this has occurred, use the quarterly method highlighted above to cleanse the filter thoroughly.
I’m presuming you are not washing your costumes in detergent ,I just rinse mine through with water and we’re generally showered before we use it.
The only time it foamed was when my disabled son dived in in his clothes before we could stop him.It’s been ok other than that.