Cleaning your hot tub filter is a vital part of hot tub maintenance and plays a key role in keeping its water safe and clean. While cleaning your hot tub filter may seem complex and cumbersome, it can actually be quite simple—particularly if you have a good set of instructions at your disposal. This article will walk you through the most common ways to keep your tub's filter spotless. Regardless of how clean, it is imperative that you replace this component at least once a year. In addition to putting a severe strain on your tub's pump, worn-out tub filters are unable to properly trap contaminants. Your tub's filter should be given a thorough rinsing once every two weeks. However, if you make frequent use of your hot tub, you may want to utilize this method of filter-cleaning on a somewhat more frequent basis. This method is simple and can often be accomplished with nothing more than a garden hose. Taking care to remove every speck of dirt, use the hose to give your filter a vigorous soaking.

If the filter is particularly dirty, all-natural cleaning products can be used in conjunction with this method. It is also important to rinse your filter off in this fashion whenever you change the water in your tub, regardless of how recently its last cleaning took place. If you want to keep your tub's filter clean but aren't a big fan of elbow grease, filter-cleaning cartridges may be right up your alley. Simply attach these cartridges to your garden hose, then attach your filter to the cartridge and spray. Window Cleaning BackpackAs you spray the hose, the cartridge will gently rotate, meticulously cleaning every inch of the filter. T Shirts For AmputeesWithin minutes, your filter should be as good as new.Puppies For Sale In New Baltimore Michigan

If your tub's filter is exceptionally dirty—or plagued with an all-too-common buildup of calcium scales—you may want to consider incorporating the aid of cleaning products. Acid Magic is particularly well-respected among filter cleaners, as it has proven extremely effective in laying waste to caked-on dirt and calcium. Should you decide to use cleaning products for filter-cleaning, it is strongly advised that you chose something all-natural and make sure that the product is intended for cleaning filters. Chemicals and detergents found in many household products can cause foaming problems with the water in your hot tub, so when scrubbing that filter, Mother Nature is a responsible hot tub owner's best friend. When cleaning your hot tub filter, there are two important things you should avoid. First off, do not attempt to clean your hot tub filter in a washing machine or dish washer, as the immense water pressure can damage the filter irreparably. Secondly, do not try to clean your filter with bleach or laundry detergents, as they will cause severe foaming problems with your hot tub's water, much like other commercial cleaning products.

And there you have it. If you utilize the previously discussed methods of cleaning your hot tub filter—and avoid making the previously discussed mistakes—the water in your hot tub will remain nice and clean for years to come. There is nothing more disgusting than a dirty hot tub, in my opinion. Also, it’s really not safe to soak in a hot tub that hasn’t been cleaned or properly treated. The good news is, you don’t always have to run to the store to pick up cleaning chemicals for your hot tub. There are quite a few products that I’m sure you already have in your house that will help clean your hot tub. You’ll be surprised at some of these.It’s by far the most unique and helpful tip on this list, so I wanted to start off with a bang! Margarine or a little olive oil works great for removing sap or pitch from the spa cover and cabinet. Simply rub the problem area gently with the margarine or oil until the sap breaks up, and then just wipe it away. Remove any oily residue by using mild soap and warm water.

Then treat the surface with a good protectant, like 303. The protectant will prevent the sap from sticking so well in the future. Perhaps the most versatile liquid known to man, besides water. I use white vinegar for a bunch of different reasons, but you can use it specifically to wipe down the chalky white water line that appears around the inside of your hot tub. Be sure to dilute it a bit. I’d recommend 50% white vinegar and 50% water. I also suggest you buy a giant bottle of white vinegar. It’s super cheap and I use it to mop my kitchen and bathroom floors, and to clean my Keurig Coffee Maker.If you’re looking for household cleaning advice via video, you need to check out Melissa’s YouTube page. If you’re hot tub is sanitized with chlorine, then you can use a diluted bleach solution to also clean scum lines around the inside of your hot tub, much like you can with diluted white vinegar. I know that lots of companies recommend using diluted bleach for cleaning the hot tub cover.

I think that diluted vinegar is a far better option because it is less damaging to vinyl. I have seen terrible results from customers who have used bleach. If you don’t have any white vinegar on hand, you can certainly use bleach but be sure to use caution. Just like I mentioned that white vinegar is the most versatile liquid, baking soda has to be the most versatile powder — and if you mix them, a wonderful reaction takes place. Baking soda is great for adding abrasion to your cleaning. If you’re trying to remove a stubborn scum line, or organic matter, you can just add a little baking soda to your sponge. If you don’t have baking soda, I hope you have some alkalinity plus (you should always keep this chemical on hand if you own a hot tub). Alkalinity increaser is the same as baking soda. has an incredible video on using baking soda to clean. Here’s a product that can be used for a variety of cleaning chores. Most recently, my friend bought a giant bottle to clean his boat with.

Boats are a chore to keep clean with salt water deposits and general icky-ness from the sea. If you have a bottle of Simple Green, you can use it wipe down the interior of your hot tub after you drain it. Be sure to rinse thoroughly before refilling. My buddy Cliff Pryor of Aquatic Educations had this to say about Simple Green: Simple Green – my fave cleaner for hot tubs.  Non-caustic, environmentally friendly and minimal foaming, Simple Green does the job quick on scrubbing down a tub and getting rid of the scum line. According to Melissa, rubbing alcohol is a very underrated cleaner. Mainly because it’s not found in the cleaning isle of the store, but instead, the first aid isle of a drug store. As you’ll see in the video below, rubbing alcohol can be used for all sorts of applications. My favorite though, it using it for stainless steel and to keep frost of your car windshield in the winter. My buddy Cliff again, says this about using rubbing alcohol:

I use 70% for general cleaning as well as for drying out my ears every time I get out of the pool.  For tough jobs like removing sticky film, I use 91%.  A bit harsh, but 91% will get rid of the toughest sticky stuff.  However, NEVER use 91% to clean a white board.  It will remove the sheen that makes a white board work.  Learned that the hard way.  Just use good old Windex to clean a white board. I have never used a Magic Eraser before, but apparently it’s awesome. In fact, Alice Cunningham from Olympic Hot Tub wrote an entire article praising it. The Merlin Eraser Sponge is chemical-free and only requires water to remove tough dirt, grime, stains, pencil, marker and crayon from surfaces such as; walls, appliances, bathroom fixtures, office equipment, patio furniture, work surfaces and car interiors/exteriors.  It works best on hard, smooth surfaces like the tile line of your hot tub. If you have any additional tips for using household products to clean a hot tub, be sure to share them in the comments below.