Your hot tub cover is an essential part of having an enjoyable, worry-free hot tub experience.

Not only does it help keep your water clean by preventing dirt, leaves, and other impurities from entering your water, it also provides a safety barrier for children and pets. It also has a positive impact on your heating bill by keeping heat from escaping your tub.

But hot tub covers are also one of the most expensive replacement parts of the tub. Keeping your hot tub cover clean and in good working order will not only prolong its life, but also maximize your hot tub’s energy efficiency. The best part is that hot tub maintenance is easy and takes little time. 

Cleaning and Protecting the Cover’s Exterior

Since the outside of the cover is the part most exposed to the elements, it takes the greatest amount of beatings from Mother Nature. Most good quality hot tub covers are durable and built to withstand harsh weather, but still need help from you to last.

Keeping the exterior of your hot tub cover clean is as simple as wiping it with soap and water, letting it air dry, and treating it with a special cover protector such as Cover All. This will help keep the vinyl from becoming brittle and cracking or tearing. Regular use of a cover protector will also help keep the vinyl from fading or flaking, and will repel dirt and water to keep it looking clean and new.

In the winter, clear snow off the cover with a broom or soft brush before the snow melts and sticks to the cover. Never use a shovel to clean snow off your hot tub cover, as the edge of even a plastic shovel can tear the vinyl cover when it is cold. There aren’t any dependable products to fix tears in hot tub covers, so if your cover does tear, duct tape is a common temporary solution.

Maintaining the Interior

Since the interior of your hot tub cover is generally protected from harsh weather, does it need regular cleaning as well?

The answer is yes!

The interior of your hot tub cover tends to change colour and fade with age. This is because the bromine or chlorine you have used to keep the water clean has risen and affected the look of the hot tub cover lining. This isn’t usually a functional problem, but it’s not appealing to look at.

You can easily avoid this by always leaving your hot tub cover open for at least 30 – 45 minutes after you shock your tub. If it’s the dead of winter and leaving your cover open isn’t an option, prop something, such as your water testing bottle, between the cover and the shell of the hot tub to keep the cover slightly open, allowing the shock to escape instead of eating into the cover.

Also, if you use chlorine or bromine tablets, don’t let the sanitizer go over 5ppm. We often see high sanitizer in water samples and, regardless of whether it’s from shocking or tablets, it’ll have an effect on the cover within one year. 

Hot Tub Cover Lifters

Another great way to extend the life of your hot tub cover is to install a hot tub cover lifter.

A hot tub cover lifter prevents damage to the exterior of your cover and the foam inners by eliminating the need to drop the cover to the ground after you get in the tub. With an easy-to-use cover lifter, your cover remains on the side of the tub and off the ground, keeping it safe and clean.

Lifespan of Your Hot Tub Cover

No matter how carefully you look after your hot tub cover, like everything else it has a limited lifespan. With proper maintenance, your cover should last around 5 years, but you may need to replace it if you notice any of the below:

• The cover is heavier than when you bought it, a sign that you have a waterlogged hot tub cover which can diminish it’s insulating performance and damage the arms on your cover lifter
• Numerous tears in the cover, particularly down the middle seam
• Steam is visibly rising from the middle or side of your cover in the winter (the heat loss can increase your home heating bills too)

With regular maintenance, you’ll help save money by avoiding a premature replacement and give your cover a chance to last for as many years as possible.

If you have a hot tub, we’ve got you “covered”! Lakeshore Pools & Hot Tubs has a hot tub cover sale each year from April 1^st – June 30^th and October 1^st – October 31st. Visit our store at 309 Lakeshore East in Mississauga to speak to our award-winning staff about finding the hot tub cover that’s perfect for you. We’ll deliver it, install it, and even take away the old one so you can stop worrying and get back to enjoying your hot tub.

Visit us or call (905) 891-8818 today!

Carefree, SpaGuard Hot tub watercare products – Lakeshore Pools & Hot Tubs