How to Clean Hot Tub Filters

Cleaning your hot tub filters properly improves their efficiency, helps maintain sparkling water and makes them last longer - so costs you less money in the long term.

You should establish a routine cleaning cycle based on the amount of hot tub use and the sanitiser you use. Cleaning hot tub filters every 2 to 4 weeks is the most usual routine.  If you using a watercare regime that includes enzymes you will find that monthly cleaning will probably be sufficient. If you use Aquafinesse you will probably find that you need to clean your filters at least weekly.

• Rinse to remove debris. Remove the cartridge from the filter housing and use a garden hose, or a tap, to wash down the filter element.  Work from the top of the filter, with the water flow at a 45 degree angle, and wash all pleats, ensuring that you remove any debris stuck between the pleats.  You can purchase various filter cleaning tools to help with this job.
• Spray or soak to remove grease and scale. Soak the filter cartridges for at least 1 hour (overnight is preferable) in a clean, suitable size bucket using a proprietary filter cleaner solution. Alternatively, use a spray-on filter cleaner and rinse very thoroughly after 10 minutes. Powder filter cleaners are much better at removing scale than sprays or liquids.
• Rinse the cartridge again after cleaning to remove any traces of cleaning solution. Liquid and spray cleaners can cause foaming if not thoroughly rinsed off the filter surface.
• If you want to make it really easy, place the filters on the bottom shelf of an empty dishwasher and sprinkle all over with a powdered filter cleaner. Run the machine on a standard 50 degree wash cycle.
• Dry. Always dry the filters before reinserting them back into your hot tub. This ensures that the tiny holes in the filtration material shrink back to their original size. Let them dry naturally, don't use artificial heat. It is a good idea to keep a spare set of filters and rotate them at each clean so that they can dry completely before reuse.
• Finally, any grit or debris inside your filter compartment can easily be removed with a spa vacuum cleaner.