Is Vinegar Safe for My Hot Tub Water?
Yes, You can use vinegar safely in your hot tub water. Vinegar helps to cleanse the tub, prevents bacteria, algae, and fungus from growing on the inside of your hot tub. However, vinegar is less effective than chlorine when killing germs already in the water.
The pH of most hot tubs is high enough that vinegar will not lower the pH, as it’s a weak acid. Vinegar will increase your hot tub’s alkalinity, but this will not cause chlorine to be less effective at killing germs.
If you contaminate your hot tub with algae and fungus, vinegar may lower the pH and cause a loss in the effectiveness of chlorine.
This is rare and usually only happens when someone is over-chlorinating their tub. The most common thing that causes this is an unvented hot tub, where the water heater vents directly into the pool or Spa water.
If the vinegar is too strong and the pH is low enough to lower the chlorine levels, the chlorine will be less effective at killing germs, including the chlorine added to the vinegar.
This is not a common occurrence nor harmful to your hot tub.
Use white vinegar, not any of the other vinegar. White vinegar will not stain your hot tub as balsamic or red wine vinegar can.
Can I Use Apple Cider Vinegar to Clean My Hot Tub?
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is a product of pressurized fermentation used since the early 1900s. You make it with apple cider that undergoes anaerobic fermentation in stone-ground barrels.
The vinegar produced has a pungent odor due to acetic acid production.
The acidity is then balanced by vinegar makers with other acids or acids from wine vinegar, allowing them to produce a milder, less acidic product than straight vinegar.
Yes! Apple cider vinegar is a natural cleaner that is inexpensive and easy to use. It’s especially efficient as a natural disinfectant, so you can keep your hot tub sparkling clean.
Here is how you use it:
1. Fill a bucket with 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar.
2. Add hot water to the bucket until it reaches halfway.
3. Mix in 1/2 cup of baking soda.
4. Fill the bucket with water and stir it well to dissolve the baking soda entirely in the water.
5. Use a towel or sponge to clean your hot tub walls, floor, and areas that are hard to reach, like corners, seams, and drains.
6. Rinse with water and wipe dry with a towel.
7. If your hot tub is made of fiberglass, you can use the same mixture without rinsing it off.
8. If you want to make the cleaning process faster, you can use this mixture to clean your hot tub once a week and then use plain water to rinse it off afterward.
What Type of Vinegar to Use
| Type | Explanation |
| Apple Cider Vinegar | Acidic pH makes it a very effective cleaner. -Dries rapidly. -Potent odor. |
| Diluted White Vinegar | Powerful acidic nature makes it powerful to break down fats, proteins, and starches. -Low pH makes it more acidic than water. – Dries quickly. – Low odor. -Safe to use on: Stainless steel, marble, glass, porcelain, chrome, and appliances like dishwashers and microwaves, as well as fixtures such as sinks. -Does not leave behind any residue. |
| White Vinegar with Essential oils added to it. | Acidic pH makes it a very effective cleaner. -Dries rapidly. -Easily available at the supermarket. -Low odor -Safe for use around pets and children. |
| Baking Soda and Vinegar solution | Solution must be periodically rinsed off not to leave behind any residue. -Baking soda is mildly abrasive, so it can be used to clean hard-to-reach spots. -Solution is safe around pets and children. -Needs to be regularly rinsed with water. |
How To Use Vinegar to Clean Your Hot Tub
Vinegar boasts antiseptic, antifungal, and disinfectant properties. Acetic acid can clean mold and mildew from hot tubs, tiles, and other surfaces.
The vinegar-to-water ratio is a matter of personal preference: 1:5 or 1:10 are the most popular solutions for most people.
Here are simple steps you can use to clean your hot tub:
- Fill a medium-sized bucket with cold water.
- Add a cup of white vinegar.
- Put on gloves, and apply the vinegar solution to the hot tub’s surfaces with a clean sponge or cloth.
- Let it sit for 20 minutes.
- Rinse off the solution with another bucket of cold water, wiping down the walls, seats, and floor of the hot tub with a clean towel or washcloth.
- Fill a bucket with clean water and scrub any residue from the hot tub’s surface if needed.
- Use a water hose to rinse the hot tub to ensure you leave no vinegar odor in the water.
- Turn on and heat the hot tub.
- Wash, rinse, and put away your cleaning supplies.
- Dry off the area around the hot tub before you leave.
Is Vinegar Safe for My Hot Tub Water?
Yes, Vinegar helps to cleanse the tub, and it prevents bacteria, algae, and fungus from growing on the inside of your hot tub. However, vinegar is less effective than chlorine when killing germs already in the water.
The pH of most hot tubs is high enough that vinegar will not lower the pH, as it is a weak acid. Vinegar will increase your hot tub’s alkalinity, but this will not cause chlorine to be less effective at killing germs.
If you contaminate your hot tub with algae and fungus, vinegar may lower the pH and cause a loss in the effectiveness of chlorine.
This is rare and usually only happens when someone is over-chlorinating their tub. The most common thing that causes this is an unvented hot tub, where the water heater vents directly into the pool or Spa water.
If the vinegar is too strong and the pH is low enough to lower the chlorine levels, the chlorine will be less effective at killing germs, including the chlorine added to the vinegar.
This is not a common occurrence nor harmful to your hot tub.
Use white vinegar, not any of the other vinegar. White vinegar will not stain your hot tub as balsamic or red wine vinegar can.
How To Use Vinegar as A Descaler For Your Hot Tub
Using vinegar in a pool or hot tub may seem counterintuitive, but there are many reasons to consider using vinegar instead of chemicals. Vinegar is safe, inexpensive, and non-toxic.
It also works on concrete, fiberglass, metal, and other surfaces without affecting the water’s pH balance or smell.
Here is how you can use vinegar as a descaler:
1. Mix a gallon of white vinegar with a gallon of water. Let it mix evenly.
2. Pour the mixture into your hot tub.
3. Let it sit. Hot tubs typically need 8-12 hours to clean, but follow the instructions for your hot tub.
4. Scrub the filters and the sides of your hot tub.
4. Rinse the mixture out.
5. Empty out the vinegar and water mixture. The vinegar helps to kill all the bacteria while leaving mineral deposits on the bottom of the tub; let it sit overnight in an area with good air circulation.
6. Wash your hot tub with regular household soap and warm water every few months or whenever you need to adjust your minerals or PH.
Are There Alternatives to Vinegar?
| Alternatives | Explanation |
| Lemon Juice | Lemons are acidic and good for balancing hot tub PH level, Kills bacteria and make soaps more effective, Removes odors and it’s a natural disinfectant. The acids in lemon juice won’t harm the vinyl or fiberglass of your hot tub like many other cleaners. |
| Baking Soda | It’s alkaline, and you can use it to manage the pH balance of a hot tub. It’s also a disinfectant and helps maintain clean water in the hot tub. You can add directly to the deep end of the hot tub, but it will require regular maintenance to keep its level even. |
| Hydrogen Peroxide | Water soluble, it has less potential for skin irritation than chlorine. A natural disinfectant that’s also safe for humans and pets. Environmentally friendly, as there are no byproducts or waste products once the hydrogen peroxide reacts with water to form water and oxygen. Biodegradable, nontoxic, economical, and easy to use. Hydrogen peroxide is also a powerful bleach and can be used to sanitize soft drinks and bottles to prevent contamination. |
| CLR | Alkaline water is ideal for tubs- Sanitize the whole house at once, Gives you a deep cleaning without scrubbing, Clog less often and reduces spills. |
Comparison Table: Vinegar Vs. Commercial Hot Tub Cleaners
| Factor | Vinegar | Commercial Cleaners |
| Price | They usually have very low-price tags, but some homemade vinegar recipes can be time-consuming and difficult. | They usually cost more, but they require little-to-no time or effort to use. |
| Safety | They are generally safe and may even be better than chemical-based cleaners. Vinegar is mildly abrasive, | They are high-percentage acids that can cause skin irritation and other problems. |
| Cleaning Power | It removes the “seal” a commercial cleaner leaf behind in tubs, allowing even hard water to seep through the tub and make your skin itch. | They are much more effective at removing stains than vinegar and use harsher chemicals that pose more health risks. The EPA considers bathtub cleaning chemicals “hazardous. |
| Chemicals | Contains no chemicals and are much more eco-friendly because they are not designed to poison your home. | They contain dangerous solvents, and they also use toxic mothballs that land in our waterways and cause harm to wildlife. |
| Time | It takes, on average, 6 hours to complete their recipe. | Take 5 minutes and use less than a cup of chemicals. |
| Availability | You can use vinegar, and the cheapest option is always the best. | Available in most stores but cost much more than your average vinegar bottle. |
Can I Clean My Bathtub with Laundry Detergent?
Yes, You can clean your bathtub with laundry detergent.
It’s economical and environmentally conscious, and it may be just what you need to help you regain control of your dirty bathroom.
The prerequisites for this homemade cleaning solution are all-natural laundry detergents and a container, such as a glass jar or plastic bag.
- Fill the container with water and add approximately 1/4 of the detergent cup.
- Mix well until it has dissolved completely.
- Fill the remaining container with water and add 1/2 cup of fresh filtered or spring water.
- Using a funnel, add the detergent bath solution to the second container and fill it with clean, warm water up to about halfway.
- The solution should be just under room temperature to prevent chemical reactions between the detergent and a bathtub much colder than the bath temperature.
Before using the bathtub cleaning solution, you must adjust the temperature of the water in the bathtub to keep it from freezing.
You can use a standard household thermometer if you have a portable electric heater. If not, you can create a heat source by adding hot water to the solution or by running hot water through an old tub for about 10 minutes.
As mentioned above, this solution is relatively clean and intended for cleaning tubs with little to no soap scum.
Does Baking Soda Scratch Tubs?
Yes, Baking soda will scratch the surface of your tub.
Baking soda is a corrosive chemical that will react with the residue on your tub to produce an abrasive slurry.
This is problematic because baking soda’s particles are as sharp as sandpaper and may cause deeper scratches than you might have had otherwise.
If you need baking soda on your tub, take precautions against scratching the surface using a soft scrub brush or cloth.
You should note that this only applies to baked-on residue from these types of products.
“It’s not the baking soda itself that will scratch the tub; it’s what happens when you mix baking soda with hard water residue and then scrub (with a hard bristled brush).
It can also leave a white film on the surface of your tub, which is hard to remove and has no other purpose than to irritate you- the homeowner.
You should also know that baking soda is alkaline and will continue to damage the tub if you don’t rinse the tub adequately. Normalize rinsing the tub and let it dry to prevent further damage.
You will harm your tub over time if you have hard water residue buildup. Products such as CLR clean the affected area by removing the buildup and neutralizing the pH level of your water.
This helps your tub maintain its natural shine and luster for years.
These cleaners don’t leave any residue, preventing future scratching or damage to your bathtub surface.
Conclusion
It’s a good idea to purchase a commercial bathtub cleaner whenever possible so your tub receives the proper care and attention it deserves.
However, vinegar is the best option for creating a quick, easy cleaning solution if you don’t have any natural cleaners for your tub.
