You just got home after a long and stressful day at work, where you’ve been daydreaming for the past eight hours about soaking in your Cal Spas’ hot tub.

But when you finally get home, make yourself a cup of coffee, and peel back your Cal Armor Hot Tub cover, you notice a couple of stains on your hot tub’s shell. Don’t worry our beginner’s guide for hot tub maintenance will help you keep your spa tub clean and help you last it longer.

Now there are multiple factors that can contribute to hot tub stains, so before you get worked up, let’s get to the root of why. 

1. If you’re not cleaning and regularly testing your water levels with a filter strip then this would be one of the more obvious reasons you’re seeing stains in your hot tub.

2. But if you’re still seeing stains after regularly cleaning your hot tub then there’s a strong possibility it’s one of the following culprits listed below:

Hot Tub Scales or Calcium Buildup:

If you’re filling your hot tub with hard water it’s only a matter of time before your water’s high levels of calcium and magnesium start to deposit scales on your hot tub’s fixtures and shell. 

Rust:

If you’re noticing signs of rust then your water probably has high levels of copper and iron. These metals eventually oxidize and start to create/form rust.

Here’s a simple color chart breakdown: 

BLUE, GREEN OR BLACK STAINS = High Levels of Copper 

GREEN, BROWN OR RED STAINS = High Levels of Iron

To determine what type of cleaner you’ll need, it’s ABSOLUTELY critical that you test the water’s levels. Check to ensure you’re using filter strips that will measure for copper and iron levels as well. To find one that click here.

When it’s time to remove those hot tub stains you’ll have to get some good old fashion scrubbing in.

1. But first, you’ll want to shock your hot tub water with Leisure Time’s shock oxidizer.

2. Completely shut off your hot tub as well as the main power line to ensure it’s not receiving any electricity.

3. Then you’ll want to drain your hot tub completely and identify from your filter strips the culprit of your problem.

4. Clean the hot tub filter, read this article for a detailed breakdown on how to properly clean your filter.

5. Thoroughly rinse the shell (any cleaner residue can also cause foaming).

6. Inspect the stained areas and scrub them down with a Jumbo Handi Brush or an Oil Scum Absorber Zorbo.

7. Dry the areas of your hot tub that you won’t fill with water. 

8. Refill the hot tub. If you’re still experiencing issues with the water foaming use, Leisure Time Bright Clear combines & traps both small and large particles.  

9. Balance the water one more time by using the correct filter strips here.

There you go, you’re all done. Enjoy soaking in your Cal Spas’ hot tub!