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

By Julia Crawford

Cleaning your AlumiTubs Wood-Fired Hot Tub

AlumiTubs wood-fired hot tubs are designed to be low-maintenance, hygienic and easy to care for. Here's how to keep your AlumiTub clean.

Practice Good Pre-Tub Hygiene 

This goes without saying but we're not exactly the cleanest things on earth. As with any hot tub, there's good sense in being clean before entering. Here's some tips to keep in mind:

  • 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. 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. 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 AlumiTub by covering it with the Cedar Lid, the Firebox Plate or Aluminum Storage Cover, 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 AlumiTub.

    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 AlumiTub in tip-top shape:

    1. Over time, your AlumiTub interior will lose its shine due to the naturally-occurring process of oxidization (surface whitening). This is a natural occurring effect of aluminum. Mineral oils can be used on the tub liner to help bring back its glossy sheen.
    2. Mineral oils can also be used on the cedar components of your AlumiTub to bring out the grain. 
    3. Clean your stove box regularly with the ash scoop provided.
    4. Older AlumiTubs had a galvanized steel chimney cap that could rust over time. If you received your tub before 2022, you can inexpensively replace it from a hardware store if it becomes rusted.

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

       

      ← Older Post Newer Post →