Can You Put Bleach in a Hot Tub?

Household Bleach

• Standard household bleach consists of a combination of sodium hypochlorite and typically 5 percent chlorine, although different products contain different amounts of chlorine. Bleach is a suitable disinfectant for many surface household cleaning applications.
  
  

Water Maintenance

• You need to sanitize your hot tub water regularly. Sanitizing a hot tub kills the bacteria in it that produces scum, dirt and organic matters, such as dead skin and oils from cosmetics. The pH, or concentration of hydrogen, in the water needs to remain balanced and in the range of 7.2 to 7.8. When the pH is too low, the water turns acidic and can corrode the tub and cause skin irritation. Conversely, when the pH level is too high, the water will be too alkaline and mineral scales can develop on the sides of the hot tub. Hot tub manufacturers recommend special cleaning solutions or tablets that contain chlorine, not bleach, to maintain the proper acidity and alkaline.
  
  

Cleaning an Empty Hot Tub

• You need to periodically drain your hot tub and give the shell a good cleaning. You can safely use bleach to clean an empty hot tub. After you drain the tub, you can use a combination of bleach and water to wash the inside of the shell. Rinse the bleach completely, and dry the inside of the tub with clean towels before refilling with clean water.
  
  

Considerations

• Using bleach to clean the filters can weaken the fibers in the filters, causing you to replace them more frequently, according to The Spa Depot. Adding bleach to the hot tub water leaves a distinct bleach smell. The liquid can splash onto other surfaces on the tub, including the cover or outsides of the shell, and may discolor them.