Wondering how to look after your spa cover? In this article, you'll learn top tips for keeping your spa cover in excellent condition, while reducing your heating costs.
Your spa’s cover is an essential element in looking after your spa. Knowing how to maintain it will make all the difference.
How do I care for my spa cover? A quality cover helps to protect your investment — your hot tub. Like all our investments, it’s important to look after and plan time to maintain them. Keep reading to learn the top 10 ways to ensure your spa cover stays in excellent condition so it can protect your spa for years to come.
1. Keep your spa cover clean One of the best ways to look after your spa cover is to keep it clean.
Start by wiping off any dust, dirt, and debris regularly to look after the vinyl surface.
Your spa may be nicely sheltered by some trees or shrubs so make sure you sweep off the leaves as often as you can to make sure they don’t discolour your spa cover over time.
Try not to rest your spa cover on grass or dirt, this will minimise the amount of cleaning you need to do.
Top tip: You can clean the cover with a soft microfibre cloth and a mild dish detergent to ensure you don’t scratch the vinyl. It's best to use warm water to wipe off any debris. Try to avoid harsh soaps as this may dry out the spa cover over time. To look after your cover long term we recommend using a specialised vinyl cleaner. You can use a vinyl protection spray on the outside of the cover, this will keep it looking brand new. Click below to view the full range of spa cleaning products in our online shop.
2. Keep an eye on your spa's pH levels Maintaining the pH levels of your spa water is not only important for your own comfort and enjoyment, it also helps to look after your spa cover. If the water in your spa is too acidic, the pH levels can damage the underside of the cover and it will begin to absorb moisture over time. This will make the cover heavier and harder to use and it will begin to deteriorate over time. Make sure you regularly test the pH of your spa water using a test strip or automatic PH reader. The ideal pH range for spas is 7.2 to 7.8. Any reading below 7.2 means your water is acidic.
3. Leave the cover off after adding chemicals When putting in chemicals or topping them up, make sure you leave the cover open for at least 15 minutes to allow the chemicals time to work their magic. This is important as once the chemicals are added to the water they release gas into the air. This process is called oxidation and the gas can damage the underside of your spa cover.
4. What not to do with a spa pool cover.
There are many ways to extend the life of your spa pool cover and avoid having to replace it too soon. As with most things, the more you care for them, the longer they will last.
We've come up with the top 5 things not to do with your spa cover:
Leave your dog unattended around the spa cover
Stand on your spa cover
Store items on your spa cover
Leave your spa cover off when not in use
Use sharp items when removing debris from your spa cover
We explain a few of the above points in more detail below.
5. Watch dogs around hot tub covers
We don’t know why, but dogs love hot tub covers!
To avoid finding your cover coated in dog hair, sagging in the middle or worse – ripped to shreds, we recommend keeping your furry friend away from your hot tub cover.
When it comes to dogs and spas, here are our top tips:
Move the stairs away so the dog can’t climb onto the cover. Although covers are strong and hard-wearing it’s best to keep any weight off them for longevity.
Consider fencing your hot tub so there’s a clear barrier to keep the dog away from the hot tub. This will also help if you have young children and want to keep them away when unsupervised.
Don’t leave the cover on the ground with an unsupervised dog. Once the dog has found the cover it may be too late. You could consider using a cover lifter to keep your spa out of harm's way.
6. Please do not stand on your hot tub cover We know it’s tempting to store a few lightweight items on top of the flat spa cover or to climb on top of it, but it’s best to keep everything off the top of your hot tub. This will prevent the cover from sagging or breaking and increase the life of your cover. Most covers are heavy-duty, have a foam core and aluminium bracing which gives a reasonable weight holding – but try not to stand on or place anything on top if you can. If you do accidentally damage your cover, don’t worry we discuss available repair options later in this article.
7. Keep the cover on when not using your spa We all want to jump out of the spa and head straight inside to dry off after relaxing, but you should take a few extra minutes to make sure your spa is left locked and covered. Keeping your spa covered and locked will help:
Reduce heating costs by keeping the water at a balanced level
Reduce water loss through evaporation
Help maintain the chemical levels
Make sure the hot tub is secure from kids and pets
It’s important to make sure your hot tub is kept locked and fastened to maintain the safety of children and pets. Don’t forget to check the condition of the straps and locks on your hot tub. These help keep your lid secure and will help keep your water warm and clean. Unfortunately, with wear and tear, these can break over time, but you can purchase new ones from us.
8. Protect your spa pool cover from the elements As most people have their hot tubs outside in an uncovered area, we need to take into consideration the wind, rain and sun. There are many ways to protect your cover from the elements. We recommend:
Using a cover protectant spray to help protect your cover from the sun. The protectant spray can also help to keep the cover moisturised so it doesn’t crack over time. Try to stay away from oil-based products as these can damage the cover over the summer months. We recommend using
Using a cover lifter will help to protect your spa cover by keeping it from being damaged when it hits the ground and ensures the weight of the cover is evenly dispersed and not resting on one corner, protecting the inner seams and core from breaking.
9. Save your back and use a cover lifter Ever noticed how difficult it is to lift your spa cover after you’ve finished relaxing in the spa? It suddenly feels a lot heavier, and sometimes results in unnecessary dragging and tugging. Using a cover lifter or cover caddy will help you to get the cover back on your spa. It will also minimise the time your cover spends on the ground, keeping it away from dirt and prolonging the life of your spa’s hardcover. Often, when a cover is left resting on the ground it can damage the interior plastic and stitching of the cover, weakening it over time. A cover lifter will keep your cover off the ground and ensure the cover weight is distributed evenly. This will ultimately help to maintain your cover and prevent small damages that lead to heat loss through the cover, saving you money in the long run. You’ll need to allow some room for the cover lifter, as the metal bracing will stick out from the spa, so allowing a minimum 20cm on each side of your spa and around 60cm at the back for the cover to rest on, will give you plenty of space. Ideally, you want the cover lifter to sit at the back of your spa, so it doesn’t block your view once the cover is stacked. You may also want to consider stacking the cover so it creates a wind block or extra privacy. We have a few different cover lifters available to help you avoid unnecessary lifting. Our team of experts are always available to provide the right solution for your hot tub.
10. Know when to repair or replace your hot tub cover
If you have a vinyl cover and accidentally damage it, don’t worry there are a few repair options available – as well as a few options you can try yourself, including:
replacing the foam in the cover
patching the vinyl to fix small tears and holes
sealing small cracks in the cover
Bear in mind that, while it is possible to repair vinyl spa covers – you may be better off replacing the cover altogether to ensure your spa pool is well protected and to reduce heat loss.
A good cover is essential for your spa pool to lock in heat and protect children. Modern covers made from high quality, UV resistant, marine-grade vinyl may need replacing within 5-7 years, but will likely last much longer.
Top four reasons to replace a damaged spa cover:
The foam insert has often expanded over time and won’t fit into the new vinyl.
It’s very difficult to get the vinyl off and often the foam inserts will get damaged in the process, meaning you have to replace the foam as well.
Often the cover is damaged due to wear and tear and a few of the other components need to be fixed as well.
The cost of replacing just the outer can be almost as expensive as replacing the complete cover.
In Summary We hope this article has helped you understand the many ways to maintain your hot tub cover and what to be aware of. If you are looking for more information on maintaining your hot tub, you can check out our other articles. As always, if you need any more help or advice, feel free to drop into our showroom. You can also contact our customer care team via our website. We are happy to help.
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