7 Tips on How to Clean Bathtub Jets

A jetted tub can have a lot of benefits. It can increase blood flow throughout the body, offers relief to sore muscles and joints, and a nice long soak can be the perfect stress reliever. Whether you’re buying a new house with a jetted bathtub or thinking of putting one into a new spa-like bathroom, it’s important to keep in mind that the jets are also a great habitat for soap scum buildup and bacteria. Even if you don’t see the grime, you should consider cleaning this part of your bathroom at least once every month.

Avoid Using Oils

Sometimes it’s nice to add baby oil or bubble bath to your water. Even a little aromatherapy essential oils in the bath can be a relaxing and enjoyable experience. However, the oils and bubbles can cause extra buildup in your jets.

As a general rule of thumb, you cannot use oils, salts or bubbles in a water jet tub because the products can damage your water pump. In fact, some manufacturers suggest you never use these products, so check your manual to see what your tub allows.

You may be able to use bubbles in an air jet tub, however the agitation of the water in an air tub will produce more bubbles than a still-water bath and could make a mess of the bathroom. Some tubs can handle epsom salts, so there are relaxing alternative options to oils and bubble baths.

Remember, even if it’s allowed by manufacturer standards, using bath products could mean you have to do some extra cleaning. If you really want to use some of these products, be prepared to do a deep clean right after you’re done soaking. Cleaning up the mess as soon as you create it will make it easier to get the gunk out of your jets.

Run Fresh Water After Each Use

You can cut down on grime buildup by simply rinsing out the system after you use it. With a few simple steps, you can cut back on the appearance of flakes and debris next time a bath is run.

Drain the tub of all of the water you soaked in.
Refill it with clean, cold water. Make sure the water is two to three inches above the jets.
Run the jets for 5 to 10 minutes.
Finally, drain the water.

It’s good to get into this habit every time you use the tub.

Do a Light Clean

How often should you clean your tub? That will depend on how often you use it. If you use it every day, you may want to do a light clean once a week. However, if you use it less frequently, you may be able to get away with cleaning your bathtub once a month.

For a light cleaning of your jetted tub:

Fill the tub with hot water. Make sure the water line is at least two to three inches above the jets.
Add two teaspoons of a low-foaming disinfectant, or dishwashing liquid or powder that produces few suds.
Run the jets for at least 5 to 10 minutes. This allows the cleaner to really work into the jets.
Drain the cleaning solution and refill with cool, fresh water. Once again, make sure the water line is at least three inches above the jets.
Run the jets for another 10 minutes to flush the cleaner out of the tub’s tubing and jets.

This simple, low-impact cleaning trick should be used most often, but keep in mind that this does use a lot of water and energy.

Add Bleach for a Deeper Clean

Have you missed a couple of light cleaning sessions? Are you trying to get a used jetted tub ready to soak in? There may be times when a deeper clean is needed. In fact, you should consider substituting your light cleaning for a deeper cleaning three or four times a year, depending on how often you use the tub. This will help kill any growing bacteria.

The steps for a deep clean are very similar to those of a light clean. The biggest difference is that in addition to the two teaspoons of low-foam detergent, add in two and a half cups of household bleach. Run the jets for 5 to 10 minutes and then drain it. When dealing with the bleach, it’s important to run a clean tub of water through, then after ten minutes, drain and rinse the tub thoroughly.

Some manufacturers suggest you do not use bleach because it can dry out the internal gaskets of your tub. In this case, you can use a cleaner designed for a jetted tub or follow the directions given in your user manual. In some dire cases, bleach may still need to be used. Just use it sparingly. No matter what type of deep cleaner you use, don’t forget to rinse out the solution by filling your tub up with cool water and running the jets again.

Use Greener Alternatives

Bleach isn’t exactly the greenest cleaning option. You can substitute white vinegar for bleach. It has similar cleaning effects, but is a little safer for the jet parts and better for the the environment. As always, make sure to double check your user manual before using white vinegar.

Use Your Hands

There may be times when running a cleaning solution through the tubes is not enough. Here are three ways to clean bathtub jets with your hands:

Use a soft, clean rag to wipe around the jets after your cleaning. This can help remove grime and get excess cleaner out of the jets.
Use a bottle brush and a soft cloth to clean into the jet mechanism. This allows you to get into the jets to remove scum buildup.
Carefully clean behind the jet cover with dental floss. Dirt and grime can get stuck behind the cover, but the thin dental floss allows you to reach some of that spaces that the rag may miss.

You may want to incorporate these hand-cleaning methods into your normal deep clean routine.

Hire a Professional

Sometimes it may be necessary to hire a professional cleaning team. This is especially true if you buy a home with a jetted tub already in it. If it wasn’t well taken care of, there could be bacteria and soap scum caked throughout the tubing system. A professional jetted tub cleaner will be able to do a deep clean for you. After an initial clean, you can start to do regular light and deep cleans to keep your tub in great condition.

Before you set out to clean your bathtub jets, you should read through the manufacturer’s manual if you have it available. That can help you figure out what type of cleaners are suggested for your particular model. It might even have other helpful tips you can use to keep your fixture in top shape.