How Do I Keep my Wood-Fired Hot Tub Clean?

By Julia Crawford

Cleaning your AlumiTubs Wood-Fired Hot Tub

Wood-fired hot tubs require no electricity, plumbing or chemical water treatments. Designed to heat with nothing more than wood, to go offgrid and to bring you deeper into the wild, its simplicity is what makes it so uniquely designed to deliver a connected experience to the outdoors. And keeping it clean is an important part of that experience! Doing is is both an art and a science, one that depends entirely on your property, your unique use, and how often you're prepared to empty it. Whether you’re soaking in it off-grid, at the lake, or in the backyard, these tips cover both chemical-free and natural hot tub cleaning methods to suit your preference and unique use. 

Practice Good Pre-Tub Hygiene 

Absolutely no one wants to soak in a dirty hot tub. As with any hot tub, the water's not dirty, the people in it are. Lotions, organic matter, oils, shampoo etc. contribute to the deterioration of water hygieine. Here's some tips to keep in mind for good clean soaking:

  • Shower beforehand: Just like in Japanese onsen-style bathing, give yourself a good scrub before getting in the water. Buff your skin using an exfoliant so you slough off dead skin cells and other microorganisms, and make sure to rinse off any residue from products you may have used. 
  • Rinse your feet: A pair of bathing sandals is helpful for walking to and from your hot tub. They help to protect your feet (and tub!) from dirt, mud, grass and other debris. Keep a bucket next to your tub to rinse off your feet just before dipping them in the water. 
  • Avoid harsh laundry detergent: If you can, wash and dry your bathing suits without the use of harsh detergent or chemicals. Any residue left on your suit will also transfer to your tub. 
  • Try not to spill: This is a no brainer but whether you're drinking a refreshment or even snacking while tubbing, make sure you avoid spilling food or drink in your AlumiTubs. 
  • Don't put on lotions or oils: Products like oils, soap, suntan lotion will pollute the clarity of your water making it cloudy and ripe for bacteria to grow. 

How to Clean Your Hot Tub Without Chemicals

Keeping your tub chemical-free is entirely possible, you'll just need to clean it more frequently, use built-in filtration that comes with the Hybrid or Electric hot tubs, or use a natural cleaning alternative like the Good Clean Living natural hot tub cleaning kit.

Built-in filtration used in combination with the Good Clean Living natural hot tubs cleaning kit will keep water clean and clear for 3-4 months at a time between water changes, while the cleaning products on their own will do this for approximately 3-4 weeks before water needs changing.

While it's not for everyone, we love the simplicity of an onsen-style bath. To decide whether chemical water treatments are right for you, check out this blog post on the pros and cons of using chemicals to treat your water.

Here's how to keep your water fresh and your tub clean without chemicals.

1. Expect 4 days of regular use with fresh water sans chemicals, or 7-10 days with salt water. Water treatments will extend water cleanliness by 4 weeks or more depending on the treatment, and by 3-4 months with filtration. There are many safe and effective water treatments such as granulated bromine and hydrogen peroxide. 

To help conserve water, you can pump it directly into your wood burning hot tub from a natural water source like a river, lake or ocean, or use treatments that extend the cleanliness for weeks at a time.

2. To clean your tub, drain the water by connecting a 1" hose to the Drain Kit, and drain the water to its ideal location. If using an internal plug the tub will have to be emptied with a sump pump or a siphon, followed by pulling the plug to empty the remaining water. If using a chemical agent for water treatment, use a neutralizer before emptying to protect the environment.
Once empty, use a gentle cleaning agent like soap or vinegar and water. With a soft cloth (never use anything abrasive on the aluminum), thoroughly scrub the sides and bottom.  To clean the cedar seats and fence, use a brush to softly scrub any build up away, then rinse with a hose. Spray it down with a hose and go over any spots that need a little extra elbow grease. See how to clean your wood fired hot tub in this video.

3. It's also a good idea to clean peripherally around your tub. Rinse off the step you use to get into your tub, the styrofoam insulation, the chair you may sit in while you tub, and anything else you may come in regular contact with during your sessions. It all helps!

4.  Keep debris out your tub by covering it with the lids and use a small handheld net to scoop out any debris that accumulates from trees above while in use. 


Sanitizing Your Hot Tub With Chemicals

Don't want to clean your tub every week? You can always add non-toxic chemicals to sustain the longevity of your water. We recommend granulated bromine and hydrogen peroxide because they're gentle and effective at safely sanitizing your water. Be sure to follow the instructions in our outdoor soaking tub for two users manual and dilute it before putting it into your wood heated hot tub.

    Check sanitization frequently; you can pick up test strips specific to bromine and peroxide. Similarly, you can always check the pH balance of your water to ensure it's balanced and you won't encounter skin irritation. 

    Other tips to keep your wood fired hot tub in tip-top shape:

    1. Mineral oils ca be used on the cedar components of your tub to bring out the grain. 
    2. Clean your stove box regularly with the ash scoop provided.

    Reserve your wood-fired hot tub today or get in touch to ask us a question.

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