To winterize a hot tub, shut off the power at the breaker. Drain the tub completely and use a shop vac to clear water out of all lines and jets. Disconnect the pump and heater unions to drain remaining water, add RV antifreeze to all lines, and secure the cover.
Winterizing your spa should happen before temperatures drop below freezing. Draining the water while temperatures are still relatively warm will ensure that trace amounts don't freeze in the spa or its pipes afterward.
Start by pouring the antifreeze into the filter cavity. Eventually, you should see the antifreeze enter the hot tub's shell. From here, pour a bit of antifreeze down each jet opening and any other opening where water can get into your spa's plumbing.
Refill the Hot Tub: Fill the hot tub with fresh water.
People put tennis balls in hot tubs because the fuzzy felt covering is highly effective at absorbing surface oils, body lotions, cosmetics, and sunscreen. Tossing a clean ball into the water helps prevent the buildup of greasy scum lines, cloudy water, and chronic foaming.
Keep bubble suds, bath lotions, soaps, shampoos, detergents, and other foam-causing concoctions out of your hot tub. It's also best to use a non-foaming algaecide to keep frothy conditions to a minimum. If you have a pool as well as a hot tub, you may think it's OK to use the same chemicals for both. Not so fast.
First, take two tennis balls and put them in a sock. Then, take that sock, put it in the middle of your back. Next, she says to dig in which helps to break loose the middle of your back which gets super tight as you're stuck sitting on a long trip.
Hot tub folliculitis is a bacterial infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which thrives in warm water. Whether or not someone develops the itchy, red rash depends on several personal and environmental factors, explaining why some people in the same hot tub get it while others do not.
Hydrogen peroxide can help treat mild bacterial folliculitis by acting as a short-term antiseptic to kill surface bacteria. However, it should be used with caution—only in a diluted form and for a few days at most—as it can dry out the skin and kill the healthy bacteria your skin needs to heal.
If you feel sick after a hot tub soak, immediately exit the water, cool down in a shaded area, and sip water to rehydrate. Overheating and dehydration are the most common culprits.
The average hot tub needs 1 to 2 gallons (3 to 8 liters) of antifreeze for winterization. Regardless of your spa's size, buy two gallons of antifreeze. You'll add antifreeze to the filter well and spray it into each jet fitting, so it's better to have too much on hand than too little.
A "cowboy hot tub" (often called a "stock tank hot tub") is a modified galvanized steel or poly-lined agricultural livestock watering trough used for soaking. Instead of a permanent, high-end jacuzzi, these tubs are customized with a circulation pump, a water filter, and an external heater to function as an affordable backyard hot tub.
Not necessarily, but the damage can be severe. Ice expansion often cracks rigid plumbing lines, pump housings, or the heater. Fortunately, early inspections and safe thawing can often save the spa or isolate the damage to cheap, easily replaceable parts.
Never Leave a Hot Tub Off or Empty Without Winterizing
Without heat circulation in winter, standing water in pipes will freeze and expand, causing cracks and damage to pumps, heaters, and plumbing. Proper winterization means removing all water from the tub, pipes, jets, pump, heater, and internal equipment.
What to avoid during the two-week wait. While it's important to stay positive, there are a few things you should avoid to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible. Hot baths and saunas – Although they might seem relaxing, it's best to refrain from hot baths and saunas.
Over time, the water in your hot tub can become contaminated with bacteria, oils, and other organic matter. These contaminants can build up and create a breeding ground for harmful bacteria that can cause skin irritation and other health issues.
To kill folliculitis naturally, use antibacterial and antifungal home remedies. Apply a warm compress soaked in a mixture of 1 tablespoon of white vinegar per pint of water, or use diluted tea tree oil and pure aloe vera gel to eliminate bacteria and soothe inflammation.
Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful oxidizing agent that kills a wide variety of germs, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and bacterial spores. It acts by creating oxidative damage that destroys cell walls and proteins.
How Do I Treat Folliculitis? Luckily, mild cases go away on its own within a couple of weeks. In the meantime, you can alleviate symptoms and encourage healing with a warm compress with white vinegar.
Hot tub folliculitis is caused by pseudomonas bacteria, which can be found in hot tubs, water slides and heated pools in which the chlorine and pH levels aren't correct. Razor bumps (pseudofolliculitis barbae). This rash can look like folliculitis but it's caused by ingrown hairs, not infected follicles.
The root cause of folliculitis is the inflammation or damage of hair follicles, which then makes them vulnerable to infection or irritation. This condition, which causes red bumps or pus-filled pimples around hair roots, stems from a few primary triggers:
While there is no universally guaranteed "permanent cure" for everyone, folliculitis can often be cleared long-term or managed indefinitely. Because it is usually triggered by external factors—like bacteria, yeast, or hair irritation—eliminating those triggers and adopting preventative skincare habits keeps it from coming back.
Putting a tennis ball in your luggage is a highly recommended travel hack because it serves as a lightweight, compact, on-the-go massage tool. Rolling it against stiff muscles in your back, legs, or feet helps relieve tension, alleviates cramps, and stimulates blood circulation during long, stagnant flights or car rides.
Tennis players keep an extra ball in their pockets (or tuck them into their shorts/skirts) primarily to be ready for their second serve without delaying play or losing focus.
One of the most creative hacks for laundry doers everywhere is to throw tennis balls in dryer machines. What does this do? It can prevent clumping of the filling of bulky items (like those mentioned above) AND create more fluff1. However, this practice isn't for everyone.