Hot Tub - Cleaning Spray?

[TRog]

I’m wondering what other hot tub owners us as their weekly cleaning spray for wiping down the shell / headrests?

For example, the maintenance guide says to wipe the jets and shell with a sponge with white vinegar on it. Has anyone put this in a spray bottle? And if so what sort of ratio did you use?

 

[kimkats]

@RDspaguy is the guy for you!

 

[RDspaguy]

What you use depends on what you are cleaning up.
Acid, such as vinegar, will help remove scale (calcium coming out of solution and depositing on surfaces, usually due to high ph) and disinfect to a degree.
But if your issue is an oily buildup at the waterline, acid will make things worse. TSP (trisodium phosphate) would be a better option for that, but I'd drain it first and clean it out before refilling as you probably don't want that in your water. But then, it's in many breakfast cereals, so who knows? I'm no chemist, like @JoyfulNoise .
For general cleaning, if you have no specific issue, I recommend a no-scratch scrubby and a liberal application of elbow grease. Maybe a scrub brush or toothbrush for those hard to reach spots. Clean behind pillows, around jets, and the inside of the cover with a chlorine solution about 30ppm if mold is an issue.
@Ahhsomeguy has some products out that I would, and often do, recommend. Spa purge is a must, and he has a new product out that looks promising, though I have not had the chance to try it out myself yet.
Bottom line, if you are cleaning because it's a good habit, then it likely doesn't much matter what you use. If you are having an issue, then there is likely another problem that needs to be addressed that is causing it, and we would need details about your specific issue.

 

[phonedave]

I use a rag, and a bucket with bleach and water. I really don't measure the bleach and water - maybe a 1/4 cup in a gallon. That is pretty strong. I put the rag in it, and wring it out until it is just damp, and wipe down the parts above the water line. I also scrub with the rag (it is just a cotton rag that you get a big box store, Harbor Freight, or Auto supply store) below the water line, but since that is under the water, there is not really a reason to dip it in the bleach solution. I don't get anything on my tub that requires a great deal of effort to remove.

I would like to find an Armor-All like product for my headrests - but one that is OK to use in the hot tub,

I also have to find a detergent I can use to clean my cover. My is a Sunbrella type fabric, and has a LOT of pollen in it right now, more than just a good hosing will remove.

 

[RDspaguy]

Not really familiar with that material. I'd try a deck brush before a detergent.

 

[Ahhsomeguy]

Hello RD and Phonedave: Thank you for the valuable information that you offer hot tub and pool owners on this forum. I am quite sure that many people are very happy after they follow your instructions. We actually do manufacture a cleaner for acrylic surfaces as well as vinyl. This is used primarily to clean the released organics from the waterline after a soak. It is also used to clean and make vinyl hot tub covers look like new again. Sorry that I did not mention this new product when it first came out. It is very effective. You can clean just about any surface with it.

 

[phonedave]

Hello RD and Phonedave: Thank you for the valuable information that you offer hot tub and pool owners on this forum. I am quite sure that many people are very happy after they follow your instructions. We actually do manufacture a cleaner for acrylic surfaces as well as vinyl. This is used primarily to clean the released organics from the waterline after a soak. It is also used to clean and make vinyl hot tub covers look like new again. Sorry that I did not mention this new product when it first came out. It is very effective. You can clean just about any surface with it.
View attachment 414225

My cover is fabric, so I don't think this will work. I can see this being useful for people who get stuck on stuff around the waterline.

 

[Mdragger88]

My cover is fabric, so I don't think this will work. I can see this being useful for people who get stuck on stuff around the waterline.

What kind of fabric? Like sunbrella material? Never seen one that wasn’t vinyl.
I really love the wet & forget concentrate stuff for outdoor things- the active ingredient is Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, this is the same thing that is in clorox disinfectant wipes, fantastik all purpose, & scentiva all purpose. All of which are safe to spray on fabrics & won’t harm colors. The fantastik is the cheapest & my go to for lots of stuff as it’s other surfactants really pack a punch - & any residual left behind should inhibit mold/mildew growth.

 

[phonedave]

What kind of fabric? Like sunbrella material? Never seen one that wasn’t vinyl.
I really love the wet & forget concentrate stuff for outdoor things- the active ingredient is Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, this is the same thing that is in clorox disinfectant wipes, fantastik all purpose, & scentiva all purpose. All of which are safe to spray on fabrics & won’t harm colors. The fantastik is the cheapest & my go to for lots of stuff as it’s other surfactants really pack a punch - & any residual left behind should inhibit mold/mildew growth.

Yep - it is like a Sunbrella fabric. Bullfrog covers are fabric.

 

[EricJ320]

Yep - it is like a Sunbrella fabric. Bullfrog covers are fabric.

Ours is fabric as well, not sure what kind though. Ours seems very similar to the fabric on our boat’s Bimini top. You might find something like Babe’s Clever Cleaner or their Seat Cleaner might do the job. Just be careful to not get it in the tub as it will surely cause it to foam up. Clean the cover off the tub, clean it just before a purge, or just be very careful to not allow any of the cleaner in the tub.

 

[phonedave]

Ours is fabric as well, not sure what kind though. Ours seems very similar to the fabric on our boat’s Bimini top. You might find something like Babe’s Clever Cleaner or their Seat Cleaner might do the job. Just be careful to not get it in the tub as it will surely cause it to foam up. Clean the cover off the tub, clean it just before a purge, or just be very careful to not allow any of the cleaner in the tub.

Yeah, mine is like a boat top as well. My cover does not come off my tub - at least not without removing a bunch of bolts.

I just got a bottle of the AhhSome spray cleaner. They said it should work on the fabric cover, but I will of course test it in a small spot first. The good thing is, the cleaner is made to clean around the waterline of the hot tub (among other things) so it should not be an issue if it gets into the tub itself.

 

[Ahhsomeguy]

There are no issues with the Ahh-Some Spray cleaner getting into hot tub water. You could pour a cup of it in the tub with no issue.

 

[BravoRomeo]

I use a damp Costco microfiber rag to wipe down the waterline and headrests as part of my weekly maintenance. For stubborn stuff I have a bottle of dilute Ahh-some hot tub purge. Haven’t thought of using vinegar on the headrests to get after calcium deposits. Hmm.

Yes, Bullfrog has their covers made with Sunbrella (or equivalent) instead of vinyl. Looks nice and maybe will last longer. Mine gets pollen and tree sap on it. I usually just scrub it down with a wet microfiber rag to get most of the dirt. Tree sap I just leave for Mother Nature to clean up. It eventually breaks down and goes away, but it sure isn’t pretty in the mean time.

Once a year we unzip and remove the foam cores from the cover and clean / dry them out in the sun the best we can.

 

[phonedave]

I use a damp Costco microfiber rag to wipe down the waterline and headrests as part of my weekly maintenance. For stubborn stuff I have a bottle of dilute Ahh-some hot tub purge. Haven’t thought of using vinegar on the headrests to get after calcium deposits. Hmm.

Yes, Bullfrog has their covers made with Sunbrella (or equivalent) instead of vinyl. Looks nice and maybe will last longer. Mine gets pollen and tree sap on it. I usually just scrub it down with a wet microfiber rag to get most of the dirt. Tree sap I just leave for Mother Nature to clean up. It eventually breaks down and goes away, but it sure isn’t pretty in the mean time.

Once a year we unzip and remove the foam cores from the cover and clean / dry them out in the sun the best we can.

I used the AhhSome spray cleaner on my Bullfrog cover over the weekend. It does seem to have a mild surfactant in it, which is helpful. I wet the cover with a hose, sprayed it with the cleaner, and gave it a scrubbing with a soft brush, then hosed it off. There is still a little pollen in some spots I missed, but overall it worked really well. I also used it to clean the headrests and waterline of my tub, but that is usually not a big issue for me anyway.

 

[Ahhsomeguy]

I would just spray those spots again and see if it takes the stain off.

 

[phonedave]

I would just spray those spots again and see if it takes the stain off.

It is not really a stain as much as it is pollen itself. Keep in mind this is not a vinyl cover, but more of a sunbrella fabric, with a pronounced weave with many nooks and crannies.

Pollen gets in the nooks, and needs to be first loosened by breaking its bond with the fabric (which your product does well) and then physically removed (which I failed to do with the brush)