You turn your jets on & your hot tub immediately turns into a giant bubble bath. Sounds fun, but for those of us who are hot tub & swim spa owners, it’s the furthest thing from fun. How does foam get into hot tubs and swim spas? Where does hot tub foam come from? How does one get rid of the foam?

 

How does foam get into hot tubs & swim spas?

Most people think foam comes from a chemical they’re adding or something that is wrong with the hot tub or swim spa. However, finding the source of the foam is actually an easy answer – your bathing suit! This is something that is always overlooked when trying to figure out why there’s so much foam in hot tub and swim spa water. How does this happen? Another easy, yet overlooked answer – your detergent. When you wash your bathing suit and clothes in the washer, they usually come out smelling fresh and clean! This is because there’s always some residual detergent that absorbs into the fabric of your clothing. This residual detergent smells great but can wreak havoc on your hot tub or swim spa water. You turn the jets on and before you know it, you’re in an oversize washing machine with bubbles up to your eyeballs!

 

How to get rid of foam in your hot tub or swim spa

This question doesn’t have such a simple answer. There are a few things you can do to get rid of the foam. First, run your jets & scoop out all the foam you can with a bucket or net or your hands. Manually removing the bubbles will help get rid of a lot of the soap residue. Second, chlorinate your hot tub with a dose of chlorine granules. This will help break down some of the soap particles from the detergents. Third, rinse your filters often throughout these processes to rid your hot tub or swim spa of any detergents. Fourth, if you’re still having some residual bubbles you can use our Freshwater Defoamer to help break down the bubbles. Defoamer does not get rid of soap, but it will help with bubbles.

How to avoid foam or bubbles in the future

Designate one bathing suit for your hot tub or swim spa. Do not wash this bathing suit in detergents. There is actually no need to wash a bathing suit after soaking in a properly sanitized body of water. The bathing suit is being cleaned by all the sanitizers in the water. When you have company over, you can’t expect them to rinse their bathing suit in warm water before coming over to use your hot tub or swim spa. So, expect that foam may arise again if friends or family come over.

For more tips on hot tub maintenance, visit Hotspring.com & read their Hot Tub Maintenance Tips article!