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Care, cleaning, and maintenance of your hot tub cover
Sometimes, it’s the simple things:
Over chemicalized hot tub water can deteriorate your cover. Imbalanced water can harm the cover and cause water logging of the cover. Some signs are a heavy cover, discolouration, or fading of the cover. Properly balanced water is key.
Yes! If the inside foam core is beyond repair, contact us to re-order.
Don’t panic !
It can be a common issue. The key to preventing mildew is keeping the chemicals properly balanced in the hot tub water.
If mildew does occur, mix warm water and mild dishwashing soap and with a soft brush, scrub the area to remove any mold or mildew.
If the mildew is on the inside of the vinyl cover, apply the same cleaning method but make sure to place the vinyl in the sun to dry. If the inside foam core news attention, clean and dry in the shade. Make sure everything is dry before reassembling your cover.
“Sap happens”!
Most grease and grime can be removed with a mild liquid dishwashing soap and warm water. Try not to use solvents on your cover as it may deteriorate your vinyl.
Tie down straps are important to keep the cover on your hot tub. For security and wind protection, the cover should remain clipped (or locked) in place.
A puddle means the foam core is damaged or broken. This is important to know because it could mean your cover is taking on moisture. If you get a puddle on your spa cover, unzip the vinyl covering and turn over the foam core. That will probably take care of it. If not, check to see if your spa is level.
If there is a puddle on top of your cover, unzip the vinyl cover and remove the inner foam core. Simply turn it over and re-insert the foam core. If the core is actually broken, it may be time for a new foam core or a complete new cover.
There are many factors when determining the life-span of your hot tub. It depends on sunlight exposure, level of care, weather conditions, and water chemistry of the hot tub.
Generally speaking, proper and routine maintenance for your cover can make the difference between your cover lasting 3-4 years instead of 5-7 years.
Remove the inner foam cores and flip them over at least once a year. The core is vacuum sealed but flipping the core can prevent sagging and reduce the absorption factor of water vapour.
Cleaning and maintaining our hot tub covers is very straight forward. Keep it clean and inspecting it often can go a long way.
Keep the cover clean. The vinyl needs to stay clean and conditioned. Use a mild soap and water solution to clean the vinyl of the cover at least twice per month.
Clean off any chemical film from the underside (liner) of the cover. This film or residue can break down the material causing water vapours to penetrate the core.
Unzip and clean the inside the zipper areas. This area can be a zone for mold and mildew to accumulate. Use a mild cleaning solution to clean this zipper area.
Clean and moisturize your hot tub cover ever 2-3 months. Once per season is a good idea. Do not use petroleum based products or cleaners with silicone as they may dehydrate the vinyl and degrade it quicker that usual.
YES ! Proper and routine maintenance for your hot tub chemicals can make the difference between your cover lasting 3-4 years instead of 5-7 years.
Recommendations:
It’s very important to maintain your hot tub chemistry. Vapours from the water will be less harmful to your cover if they are balanced.
Remove the cover after treating your hot tub water to avoid corrosive vapours deteriorating the underside or liner of your cover.
A thermal blanket can reduce harmful chemical vapours from seeping into the cover and drastically cut down on evaporation.
A sponge and soft liquid wash and warm water. Make sure no soap gets into the actual hot tub. Flip the cover to once side to clean side A, then flip it over to clean the other side. Most hot tub covers are very well made.
It’s always a good idea to remove your cover when adding chemicals. Over sanitizing the water can actually harm the materials of the cover. Avoid using petroleum based cleaners that can be harmful to the vinyl surface.
The inside zipper and fold should be cleaned as needed to prevent any mold or mildew from accumulating.
Cleaning your hot tub is a really good idea for several reasons.
It does depend however on the amount of use, but usually once a month is the recommended cleaning.
Vinyl can dry out and show signs of cracking and wear & tear. Treating the vinyl with cleaner with UV protection will help protect it from the UV & precipitation. The vinyl cover should be cleaned with a mild soap solution and not a detergent. Petroleum based products tend to deteriorate the vinyl and do more harm than good.
If possible, avoid direct sun light.
When the vapour barrier fails, the inner foam begins to absorb more and more moisture. This absorption is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria and mildew. Not only is it a health hazard consideration, but the waterlogged hot tub cover greatly affects the other components of the cover and the lifter. Waterlogged covers begin to lose their ability to insulate and become less energy efficient.
A waterlogged hot tub cover can lose up to 75% of it’s original R-Value or insulating capacity. Ouch !
Waterlogged or heavy covers also put stress on the lifters of your hot tub cover. It’s a waterlogged hot tub cover that should be replaced sooner that later.
There are several signs when your hot tub cover may need to be replaced. The most obvious one is weight. If you are finding your cover is difficult to lift, it has most-likely become water logged and it is time to replace it. Water-logging means that moisture has become trapped inside the cover. This can also cause an odour, which can be an indication of mold or bacteria growth inside the cover. If you notice any odour, the cover should be replaced right away.
Also watch for any type of material damage or tears. If the material is beginning to deteriorate or show signs of wear, this is how water will get inside the cover and it should be replaced.
