Beginner's Spa Maintenance Guide

Before fully enjoying the warm water of your new spa, it’s important to know some basics. Good spa maintenance starts with a better understanding of your equipment and how it works.

You may sometimes hear the terms portable spa, residential spa, or simply spa. Some people also use the word Jacuzzi to refer to all spas, but Jacuzzi is actually a trademark, not the general name of the product.

To simplify your spa maintenance and make it easier to purchase replacement parts, note the following information:

1. The brand and model of the spa
2. The year of manufacture or approximate age
3. The total capacity in liters
4. The type of filtration and disinfection system
5. The characteristics of your water, such as hard or mineral-rich water

This information will help you quickly get the right products, parts, and advice suited to your model. It will also be very useful when it comes time to request repair service or recommendations for maintaining your spa’s water.

A spa can be compared to a small pool: it requires effective circulation, regular cleaning, and well-balanced water. To simplify your spa maintenance, remember these three essential rules:

1. Maintain good water circulation and filtration

The water must circulate enough each day to pass through the filter. Good circulation helps remove impurities, distribute maintenance products, and keep the water clear.

2. Follow a regular cleaning schedule

Clean the shell, filters, and waterline according to a simple schedule. Regular maintenance helps prevent the buildup of dirt, deposits, and contaminants.

3. Balancing the water chemistry

Regularly check the pH, alkalinity, and disinfectant level. Well-balanced water improves bather comfort, protects spa components, and makes general maintenance easier.

Good water circulation is essential to facilitate spa maintenance and keep the water clean and clear. When the water circulates, it passes through cartridge filters that trap debris, oils, residues, and some contaminants.

Depending on the brand and model, your spa may be equipped with a continuous circulation pump or automatic filtration cycles. These cycles start once or several times a day to circulate the water through the filtration system.

It is important to allow enough filtration time each day. Insufficient circulation can lead to cloudy water, poor distribution of maintenance products, and contaminant buildup.

How Many Hours Should You Filter Spa Water?

We generally recommend a minimum of 10 hours of filtration per day. However, this duration can be adjusted based on:

1. The Frequency of Spa Use
2. The Number of Bathers
3. The Water Temperature
4. The Season
5. The Spa Model and Its Filtration System

After heavy use, it is also recommended to run an extra cleaning or filtration cycle to help the filter remove contaminants from the water.

Regular cleaning is an essential part of spa maintenance. By adopting a simple routine, you prevent dirt buildup, deposits on the shell, and many water quality issues.

Cleaning the Spa Weekly

Regularly remove leaves, insects, and windblown debris. Pay special attention to the waterline, seats, and jets, where body oils and residues can accumulate.

Once a week, gently clean the shell, seats, jets, and waterline with a soft sponge and a product designed for spas. Avoid household cleaners, as they can cause foam and disrupt the water balance.

Maintaining the Spa Cover

Take advantage of weekly cleaning to inspect the cover. Remove dirt and check for stains or mold.

The Dazzle Hot Tub Surface Cleaner helps clean the spa surfaces and prevent residue buildup.

Performing a Complete Spa Drain

It is generally recommended to drain and completely clean your spa every three to four months. More frequent draining may be necessary when the spa is used regularly or by multiple bathers.

Before draining, use Minéraluxe Cleanse and Drain to clean the plumbing and remove residues accumulated in the pipes. Add the product about 24 hours before draining the spa, following the manufacturer's instructions.

After draining, clean the shell, rinse the spa thoroughly, and refill it with fresh water. This routine makes spa maintenance easier and helps keep the water clean, clear, and pleasant.

Cleaning the filters is an essential step in spa maintenance. When the spa is running, cartridge filters trap hair, body oils, product residues, and other contaminants present in the water.

Clean filters promote better water circulation, improve its appearance, and reduce the effort required by the pump. To properly maintain your spa filters, use these three methods: rinsing, spray cleaning, and soaking.

1. Rinse the filters regularly

Rinse the cartridges with a garden hose to remove debris accumulated between the pleats. This step should be done regularly, especially after heavy spa use.

Avoid using a pressure washer, as the force of the jet could damage the filter fibers.

2. Clean the filters every week

Spray the cartridges with Power Blue Cartridge Cleaner to dissolve oils, lotions, and residues that don’t come off with a simple rinse.

Let the product work according to the instructions, then rinse the filters carefully before putting them back in the spa.

3. Soak the filters every month

Once a month, soak the cartridges with Minéraluxe Filter Revive. This deep cleaning helps remove stubborn contaminants, maintain good water circulation, and extend filter life.

After soaking, rinse each cartridge thoroughly before reinstalling it.

When to replace your spa filters?

Even with good cleaning, filters eventually need to be replaced. It’s time to change your cartridges when they show any of the following signs:

1. The pleats are deformed, torn, or frayed
2. The filter stays dirty after a full soak
3. Water circulation remains low
4. The water becomes cloudy quickly
5. The cartridge is cracked or damaged
   
   

Replacing filters at the right time makes spa maintenance easier, protects equipment, and helps keep the water clean and clear.

Tip: Keep a second set of filters on hand. This way, you can use your spa while the other cartridges soak and dry completely.

Water balance is one of the most important steps in spa maintenance. Although the principles are similar to those of a pool, spa water can become unbalanced more quickly due to its small volume, high temperature, and number of bathers.

Before adding a product, always test the water using test strips. Mainly check alkalinity, pH, calcium hardness, and disinfectant level.

For best results, adjust the parameters in the following order:

1. Total alkalinity
2. pH
3. Calcium hardness
4. Disinfectant level

Well-balanced water improves bather comfort, optimizes product effectiveness, and helps protect your spa’s components.

Essential products for spa water maintenance

Keep the following products on hand to quickly correct water chemistry:

1. Minéraluxe Alkalinity Plus: increases alkalinity and helps stabilize pH.
2. Minéraluxe pH Minus: lowers pH when it is too high.
3. Minéraluxe pH Plus: raises pH when it is too low.
4. Minéraluxe Calcium Plus: increases calcium hardness to protect the spa shell and components.
5. Minéraluxe Oxygen: oxidizes organic contaminants and boosts the disinfection program.
6. Spa test strips: allow quick checking of the main water parameters.
7. Spa defoamer: provides temporary relief when foam appears on the water surface.
   
   

How often should spa water be tested?

We recommend testing the spa water several times a week, as well as before and after heavy use. Results can change quickly when multiple people use the spa or when soap, cream, and body oil residues get into the water.

Avoid adding multiple corrective products at the same time. Add one product at a time, let the water circulate, then perform a new analysis before continuing adjustments.

Tip: If the water remains cloudy, foamy, or difficult to balance despite your adjustments, have it analyzed in-store. A complete analysis helps identify the source of the problem more precisely and choose the right maintenance products for your spa.

Like a car or any other regularly used equipment, your spa needs constant maintenance to operate efficiently and keep the water clean, clear, and safe.

Each spa has its own particularities depending on its brand, filtration system, disinfection method, and frequency of use. However, the main spa maintenance tasks remain the same and can be divided into daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual routines.

By following a simple schedule, you can:

1. Prevent water problems
2. Extend the lifespan of the equipment
3. Reduce the risk of costly repairs
4. Keep water more comfortable for bathers
5. Simplify overall spa maintenance

The goal is not to spend a lot of time maintaining your spa, but rather to do the right tasks at the right time.

Simplify your maintenance with Minéraluxe

To simplify your routine, the Minéraluxe maintenance system offers a simple and complete method to keep water clear, soft, and pleasant.

By following the manufacturer’s recommendations and regularly testing your water, Minéraluxe can help you reduce unexpected adjustments and enjoy your spa more.

Tip: Consistency is the key to successful spa maintenance. A few minutes each week often prevents much bigger problems.

A simple and regular spa maintenance routine helps keep water clear, comfortable, and easy to balance. Here are the main tasks to perform each week.

Test the spa water

Check alkalinity, pH, and disinfectant levels using test strips. After each adjustment, let the water circulate, then test again to confirm the parameters are within the correct range.

It is also recommended to have your spa water fully tested at a branch about once a month.

Disinfect and oxidize the water

Add one or two chlorine or bromine tablets to your floater, depending on your spa’s needs and your water test results.

Then add a sachet of Minéraluxe Oxygen to oxidize contaminants accumulated in the water. Leave the spa cover open for about 30 minutes after adding the product.

Protect spa components

Place a Minéraluxe cube near the filtration system. It helps protect spa components from deposit buildup and helps maintain easier-to-care-for water.

Rinse the spa filters

Remove the filters and rinse them thoroughly with a garden hose. A clean filter improves water circulation and helps prevent cloudy water, odors, and residue buildup in the pipes.

Clean the spa cover

Wipe the inside and outside of the cover with a product designed for spas. Regular cleaning helps prevent stains, bad odors, and mold growth.

Tip: Perform your spa maintenance on the same day each week. This simple habit helps quickly spot changes in the water and avoid many problems.