If you’re lucky enough to have a home hot tub or spa, it’s important to educate yourself as much as possible about proper care and maintenance as possible. This will not only prevent costly repairs, but also enhance the enjoyment you get out of your investment. But hot tub maintenance isn’t just about taking the right care of the water, filter, and other hardware: you also need to treat your hot tub cover right. Keep reading to learn everything you’ll ever need to know about your hot tub’s cover.
What Are Hot Tub Covers?
Hot tub covers are, of course exactly what they sound like: heavy covers to keep the interior of your home spa clean and safely contained. Hot tub covers are typically made with a solid foam core, sometimes many layers thick, which affects the strength of the cover as well as how much heat it retains.
Hot tub covers usually have one or more hinges to help you in putting them on and taking them off of your spa. They also tend to have faux-leather vinyl or PVC covers – a stylish, and more importantly watertight, way to make sure the spa’s interior stays warm and secure.
Do Hot Tub Covers Need to be Cleaned?
Yes, like anything else you hot tub cover does need to be cleaned. Luckily,

What happens when you don’t take care of your hot tub cover!
it’s not that arduous a task. Simply find a gentle, non-abrasive cleaning agent (like simple soap and water) and a soft sponge or damp cloth. Wet the cover with a garden hose, apply the non-abrasive cleaners, and wipe clean. Be sure to rinse the sponge or rag and re-apply cleaner regularly. DO NOT use harsh cleaning agents such as those containing alcohol, bleach, oil, detergent, or dish soap.
Once the spa cover is washed and rinsed, apply an oil-free, UV-blocking protectant spray. These products can be purchased at most pool and hot tub supply stores, and prevent cracking, fading, and other damage to the cover.
This process should be repeated every month or so, or as often as is needed.
What about Mold and Mildew?
It’s very common for hot tub covers to develop a problem with mold or mildew forming on the inside of the vinyl cover. If you think this is the case with your hot tub cover (the smell will give it away), don’t worry. Simply remove the vinyl jacket from the inner foam core and set the core aside in a dry, shady place.
Clean the inside with a cleanser like watered down ammonia or bleach. Thoroughly scrub, and then rinse with clean water and towel dry. Leave the cover out in the sun for another couple hours of air drying. Then, when the inside of the cover is spic and span you can replace the foam interior as good as new.
However, if the foam core itself seems rotten, waterlogged, or highly mold-ridden, it’s almost certainly time for a replacement cover.
Is Moss Normal on a Hot Tub Cover?
Yes. Especially during winter months, moss can start to grow on the exterior of your hot tub cover. This is common on or around zipper and surrounding stitching. Scrub the vegetation away and apply a cleaner like you normally would to the inside and outside. It’s nothing particular to worry about.
Can You Use a Hot Tub Cover as a Table or Shelf?
No. While hot tub covers are fairly sturdy, it’s not advised to use them for seating or storage. It would take less weight than you might expect to break the inner core and leave you without a cover.
If you have any more questions about hot tubs, hot tub covers, or other home spa accessories in Connecticut, contact Brothers Pool in Wallingford.