Ask me anything: “How easy is hot tub maintenance”?
by Brian Huie, written July 14, 2025
In Seattle, a hot tub isn’t just a luxury - it’s a way to cope with the grey. Whether you’ve got a sleek spa overlooking Lake Washington or a cozy one tucked in your backyard in Ballard, a hot tub can make your home feel like a retreat. But here’s the catch: if you don’t take care of it, your peaceful soak can quickly turn into a cloudy, smelly mess.
Here’s how to keep your hot tub clean, inviting, and ready to impress whether you’re living in your dream home or thinking of getting one.
1. Test Your Water Every Week
Seattle’s weather brings rain, wind, leaves, and more. All of that can throw off your hot tub’s balance. Test the pH, alkalinity, hardiness, and sanitizer levels once a week to keep your water clear and safe. You don’t need to be a chemist—just grab some test strips and take 60 seconds to check things before your next soak. I like to use this test I pick up from the Home Depot that makes me feel like a chemist but really only takes a 1st grader’s understanding of colors. This test combined with my smart app makes it easy to keep perfect chemistry (see #3!)
2. Clean the Filter (Seriously, It Matters)
Your hot tub filter is doing the dirty work 24/7. Rinse it every couple of weeks, and do a deeper clean once a month. Bonus tip: buy a second filter so you can swap them out with zero downtime. A clean filter keeps the water looking (and smelling) fresh. I use Simple Green and rinse twice, then let dry until I swap out filters next time.
3. Smart Controls = Less Work
Seattle homeowners love smart homes, and your hot tub can be smart too. Many spas now let you control everything from your phone. Want to heat it up before you get home from a night out in Capitol Hill? Done. It’s also a great feature if you're selling your home—buyers love smart upgrades. I love my Crystal Smart Water Monitor because I can ask my cleaner to refill chemicals to maintain my hot tub at one of my vacation homes I only visit several times a year - So when I do visit, it’s perfectly how I want it the moment I arrive. The app says exactly how many ounces of what chemical I need and most chemicals are powders (such as baking soda!) and the caps to my chemical bottles are all 2 ounces so my cleaner just has to fill a cap each cleaning!
4. Make It Look Like a Spa, Not a Soggy Afterthought
Even if your hot tub is small, you can make it shine. Add wood trim, string lights, or plants to give it that PNW spa feel. In Seattle’s housing market, buyers notice details—especially when outdoor spaces feel peaceful and private. Here’s my pinterest board of a spa deck ideas or cabanas I plan to someday build - I’ll be going for a simple covering with spa deck around it at my wilderness recreation home (half covering so I can stargaze) and I’m thinking of a “hot spring” feel for my Seattle home!
5. Don’t Let It Get Gross
This is simple: if it smells weird, looks murky, or has stuff floating in it, no one’s getting in. Clean it. Keep the cover on when you’re not using it, shock the water between uses, and just get a spa monitoring app. A well-maintained hot tub adds value to your home—a gross one does the opposite. I use the “Jacuzzi manual spa vacuum” but there’s battery operated ones available. I use a cover so it only takes me 10 minutes with a manual pump and because I use it so infrequently I don’t want to rely on batteries.