So you turn on your hot tub jets and your spa starts to resemble a bubble bath. While kids LOVE hot tub foaming, most people over the age of 10 do not!
Foam is USUALLY caused by the introduction of something “foreign” to the water. These are a few triggers that may be the cause:
- Residue from shampoo or hair gel
- Left-over body products & lotions on your skin
- Foaming can even be caused from laundry detergent left in your bathing suit
- Chemical bacteria imbalance
Your hot tub owner’s manual will probably suggest you take a shower before getting into your hot tub. Most people don’t find that practical so here are a few tips we’ve found that work:
Don’t wash your bathing suit (especially if it’s cotton!)
Or if you do, don’t wash it very often, and rinse it very, very well. Rinsing your suit after use should dilute the sanitizer that got on your suit while soaking. Better yet, go without!
Wear your hair up off your neck
Hair products of any kind can cause foaming in your tub so If you have long hair, it’s best to keep it out of the water. For those with shorter hair, if you have used hair products that day (including leave in conditioner) either rinse prior, or keep your hair above water.
Don’t put lotion on your skin right before hot-tubbing
If you put lotion on in the morning & hot-tub at night, most likely the lotion won’t affect the water. If you can, wait until after you use your spa before putting lotions or oil onto your skin!
Correcting a foamy hot tub
Products like Anti Foam eliminate some of the foam, but know that if you add too much, the problem will just worsen & you’re best to just dump your water & start fresh!
Check your filter
Give your filter a regular cleaning to remove accumulated debris, and anything else that could contribute to the foaming in your tub. Having a spare and letting it dry between cleanings is beneficial.
If you make an effort to be careful about what goes onto your body or bathing suit and STILL have hot tub foaming, check to make sure your sanitizer levels are suitable, pH & calcium hardness are balanced, and use a shock product regularly. High pH can cause foaming as well as low calcium hardness! After you balance your water, you might not see a difference in your water for 24-48 hours.
Happy Hot-Tubbing!