Cleaning Hot Tub Filters – Easy Cleaning Guide

If you own a hot tub, you know how important it is to keep it clean and well-maintained.

One of the most important components of your hot tub is the filter, which helps to keep the water clear and free of debris. However, over time, the filter can become clogged with dirt, oil, and other contaminants, reducing its effectiveness and even damaging your hot tub.

Cleaning your hot tub filter is essential to hot tub maintenance, but it can be a bit intimidating if you’ve never done it before. That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide to help you keep your hot tub filter in top condition.

We’ll cover everything from when to clean your filter to the tools and supplies you’ll need, as well as step-by-step instructions for cleaning the filter itself.

So, whether you’re a seasoned hot tub owner or a newcomer to the world of hot tubs, this guide will provide you with all the information you need to keep your filter clean and running smoothly.

How often should you clean hot tub filters?

Generally, I clean the filters in my hot tub once, sometimes twice a month. But this mainly depends on how much the hot tub has been used recently.

If, in a normal situation, only I use the hot tub every few days, then I would probably leave it for a month. However, if we have family staying who use the hot tub frequently, it will be sooner.

I normally visually check them roughly once per week. If they look particularly dirty or have large debris, such as leaves, stuck to them, I will at least take them out and rinse them using my garden hose.

How I clean my hot tub filters

This isn’t necessarily the best way to clean hot tub filters – but it works for me.

When I take the filters out of the hot tub to do a thorough clean, I do the following:

1. Remove the filter/s from the hot tub

Most filters in hot tubs are easy to remove by either turning them anticlockwise or simply pulling them off of the mount.

If you are wondering where is my hot tub filter, then it/they will either be under a screw-off lid (see picture after step 6) or a lid that you lift. If you are still struggling, then consult your hot tub’s manual.

2. Rinse with a garden hose

To get the worst of the dirt off the filters, I always use my garden hose. I normally stand the filter on its end and spray up and down the pleats, turning the filter as I go to ensure I clean the whole thing. It is easy to get rather wet when doing this, so you can try standing the filter in a bucket or similar while you do this to protect your clothes.

Note: There are a few filter cleaning products on the market that attach to a garden hose and allow the water to get inside the filter pleats easily to help clean more thoroughly. One of the most popular is the Katikies Cartridge Filter Cleaner, available on Amazon.

3. Fill a bucket

Fill a bucket with water and then add whatever cleaning solution you have (either a specific filter cleaner, such as Leisure Time filter cleaner, or one of the other hot tub filter cleaners shown below).

4. Soak the filter/s

I then completely immerse the filters in the water. Sometimes, I need to put something on top to weigh them down and leave them for at least an hour, normally two or more.

5. Rinse again

When I remove the filters from the solution, I then use my garden hose to thoroughly rinse them again to remove all traces of the cleaning solution.

6. Reinstall the filters

Put the filters back in the hot tub. You shouldn’t let them dry out as this could cause damage to the pleats and filter body.

Best hot tub filter cleaners

Black Diamond Stoneworks Ultimate Spa Filter Cleaner

Aquadoc Hot Tub Filter Cleaner

Can you reuse hot tub filters?

You can and should clean and reuse the filters in your hot tub. Cleaning them should be part of your regular maintenance routine to keep a hot tub in good condition and ready to use whenever you want.

If you replaced your hot tub filters every time they got dirty, you would be spending a great deal of money on new filters unnecessarily.

How to clean hot tub filter with laundry detergent

Cleaning a hot tub filter in laundry detergent has been a popular method of cleaning them for many years.

Soak the filters in a mixture of detergent and water. When using this method, I usually mix them to a ratio of 1 cup of detergent (or one capsule) to a 5-gallon bucket of water. I let them sit in the solution for at least an hour, preferably two hours.

Now and again turn them and agitate the solution to ensure they are cleaned properly.

After that, remove them and rinse them thoroughly with fresh water before putting them back in the hot tub. If you don’t rinse, the hot tub will probably foam.

Do not try to clean your hot tub filter in a clothes washer. The constant tumbling action of the drum will almost certainly damage your filters and could damage your washing machine.

How to clean hot tub filter with dishwasher detergent

You can use dishwasher detergent to clean hot tub filters, particularly if they are contaminated with body oils.

Use the same method as for laundry detergent above.

You might be wondering can I clean my hot tub filter in a dishwasher? Well it is not recommended as they can get damaged by the very hot water and the jets’ strength. The action required to clean smooth plates etc is not suitable for the pleats in a filter, which can get torn or “furry

How to clean hot tub filter with vinegar?

You can clean your hot tub filter with vinegar (preferably white). This is a commonly used method, but I do not favor it because I hate the smell of vinegar.

You should soak the filters in a mixture of vinegar and water (to dilute it). Mix them with a ratio of roughly 3-4 cups of vinegar to a 5-gallon bucket of water. Then let them sit in the solution for at least an hour, preferably for two hours.

Now and again turn them and agitate the solution a bit to ensure they are cleaned properly.

After that, remove them and rinse them thoroughly with fresh water before putting them back in the hot tub. You certainly don’t want your hot tub water to smell of vinegar.

Can you soak hot tub filter in bleach?

The jury is out on this one. Some “experts” say you shouldn’t soak a hot tub filter in bleach, while others say it is fine.

One of the main reasons you shouldn’t use bleach is that the chlorine in it may damage the filters. But that seems rather odd, as chlorine is mainly used for sanitizing hot tub water, so the filters spend most of their lives sitting in chlorinated water—aka bleach!

I soaked mine in a bleach solution when I had nothing else available, and to be honest, it worked and had no ill effect on the filters.

How often should hot tub filters be replaced?

Many hot tub manufacturers and supply companies will tell you that you should change your hot tub filters every two years or even every year. Well, of course, they would say that wouldn’t they as it is in their interest that you replace your filters as often as possible.

How often you change your hot tub filters depends on several things such as:

• How often the hot tub gets used and by how many people
• Is the hot tub outside or inside
• Is the hot tub covered when not in use
• How often you clean your filters
• Whether you have had a bad algae infection in the hot tub

How long do spa filters last? I have used my hot tub filters for up to 5 years at times as I keep my hot tub well maintained and generally, it is only me that uses it regularly.

The above assumes that you have paper filters. If you have ceramic filters, they can last considerably longer with proper care.

Clean spa filters summary

Cleaning dirty filters is not difficult or time-consuming, but it is an important hot tub care task you should do regularly to keep your hot tub water clean.

Generally, the best way to clean hot tub filters is to remove them from the hot tub, rinse them with a garden hose, and soak them in a filter cleaning solution. After another quick rinse with a hose, they can be replaced.

Filter Cleaning FAQs

Other related hot tub articles

How to get sand out of a hot tub

How to drain a hot tub