While you could use a hot tub without chemicals, you could not soak safely. Water needs to be circulating and treated in order for it to be good for soaking. When you don't use chemicals in your hot tub or use too little, you are creating the perfect environment for algae, bacteria, and other contaminants to thrive.
There are alternatives to chlorine including bromine, ionizers, and ozonators, though with each you'll still need to use some chlorine. A fourth alternative is PHMB, which doesn't require the use of any chlorine. All four have drawbacks, including cost. Chlorine is relatively cheap.
Regular household bleach (non-scented and without additives) can be used in a spa, but the pH level may rise as bleach has a very high pH of 13. For this reason many spa owners may find it easier to use dichlor (chlorine granules) or non-chlorine shock (MPS), which are more pH neutral.
You can use baking soda in your hot tub if its pH is too low. Baking soda can raise both the alkalinity and the pH of your hot tub and help it achieve the right chemical balance and stability. Its presence can also keep your tub from being cloudy.
If you are looking to disinfect your spa, we're sorry to say that bleach has virtually no disinfecting abilities if chlorine is present in the water. To make matters even worse, bleach will likely throw off the pH of your water and lead to dry, itchy skin for users.
What you really need is hot tub salt. It's more often labeled as “pool salt,” which is perfectly fine to use in your hot tub. It's chemically the same thing as table salt, but it's a coarser grind to work better in a chlorine or bromine generator. And you can buy it in bulk, which will save you a lot of money.
Can You Use Vinegar to Clean Your Hot Tub or Spa? You can use vinegar or any acetic acid to clean your hot tub, but we recommend our pH Down for best results. Vinegar is an all-purpose cleaner. From the floors in your home to your favorite coffee cups, vinegar can handle just about any cleaning need.
Cleaning Your Hot Tub Without Chemicals
Empty your hot tub. Mix a solution of ½ part water and ½ part vinegar into a spray bottle. Spray the vinegar and water solution in liberal amounts over the hot tub.
The benefits of swimming pool salt
Using swimming pool salt instead of chlorine delivers greater swimming comfort: Swimming pool salt does not give off an unpleasant odour as chlorine does. It is much less harsh on hair and skin. It does not cause your eyes to sting.
Short answer: yes. Longer answer: it depends on the formulation. The label on every bleach bottle should tell you the ratio of sodium hypochlorite (and available chlorine) in the bottle to everything else. A higher percentage is generally better, as you'll need to use less bleach to treat your pool.
A rule of thumb is 1.5 lbs. of baking soda per 10,000 gallons of water will raise alkalinity by about 10 ppm. If your pool's pH tested below 7.2, add 3-4 pounds of baking soda. If you're new to adding pool chemicals, start by adding only one-half or three-fourths of the recommended amount.
Is bromine OK for a hot tub? An alternative chlorine, bromine can be used to keep hot tub water clean. However, bromine works differently than chlorine and is not the best choice for use with mineral systems. Bromine breaks up the particles in the water by ionizing the water.
What if I do not put chemicals in to my hot tub? If you do not want to put any chemicals in to your hot tub, no problem. But you must drain down and refill after each use and ensure that the water is never in the spa for more than 12 hours!
Yes, you can certainly have a chlorine-free spa pool, swim spa or plunge pool. The main alternatives to chlorine for spa sanitising are: Hydrogen peroxide.
To clean your hot tub, first, add a gallon of vinegar to your water and run it through the lines for at least two hours. This attacks biofilm in the tubes and jets. Next, make a 1 to 1 solution of vinegar and water to use for wiping down your tub cover and shell.
Whilst it is tempting to use your favorite cleaning products on your hot tub, All you actually need is water and a little bit of vinegar. Using harsh cleaning products will result in foamy water when you re-fill your hot tub. A product such as The Tub Scrubber can be used to remove any residual waterline build up.
While Epsom salt in the bathtub is OK, hot tubs and Epsom salt simply aren't a good combination. Pure Epsom salt has acidic properties that can disrupt the pH balance and total alkalinity of the water in your hot tub, which can eventually cause your tub equipment to corrode.
In most cases, you should never add pure Epsom salts to your hot tub. Despite this warning, if you still want to try, just be sure to drain and thoroughly clean the hot tub immediately after you're done soaking. This will help to avoid long-term damages to your spa.
The answer to this question is a resounding yes. But before you run off and tell everyone that they can get their saltshakers out and dump it into their water, here is what you need to know… In order to use salt water in your hot tub, you need what is known as a salt-water chlorinator.
Causes of cloudy hot tub water. When it comes to cloudy water, it's likely one of a few culprits — high pH, high alkalinity, and low sanitizer. Dirty filters, body care products, and old water can also be responsible for cloudy water.
Generally it is recommended that you shock your hot tub once a week – more often if it's seeing heavy use. If your levels are all good, but the water is a bit cloudy or doesn't quite smell right, it's time for a shock. You should also shock the tub if you haven't used it for an extended period of time.
Chlorine tablets are a great way for you to keep your hot tub, pool, or inflatable spa clean throughout the year. They are a great choice because they have the ability to sanitize algae, bacteria, and other contaminants while also being affordable.