Mold is rarely a welcome sight. Whether it’s a blueish-green spot on your cheese or a fuzzy black spot on your bathroom grout, mold is a sign that something has gone bad. But while the cheese can be tossed and the tile scrubbed, hot tub owners might find themselves stressing — not relaxing.
Mold thrives in damp, wet, and humid conditions. A hot tub can be the perfect environment for mold to grow. Owners might find black spots underneath the cover, around the spa pillows, or even in the water.
Yes, you can find mold in your hot tub water.
Hot tub owners who notice a slime or a mucus-like film on the surface of the water might have a problem with white water mold.
What is White Mold?
White water mold is a fungus that can be found in moist, dark areas like garden hoses and the plumbing of your hot tub.
Fun fact: A hot tub can have more than 100 feet of plumbing, which brings water to the jets and delivers a therapeutic massage.
But white mold in those jets is not so fun.
White mold will look like shredded paper or frozen snow floating your hot tub water.
Why Do I Have White Mold?
White water mold is caused by bacteria interacting with body oils, dead skin cells, soaps, lotions, and other things.
More often than not, the mold is able to take up residence in the spa’s plumbing and filters because of an oversight with water care. Mold builds up in lower circulation areas when you are using your hot tub and then can attach to the spa shell when the pump is off.
Routine water care and hot tub maintenance can help you avoid mold growing in spa. Regularly cleaning and replacing filters, as well as adding sanitizer on a consistent basis, can make it harder for mold to establish itself.
How to Get Rid of White Mold
Mold is not a problem that will not go away on its own nor can you fix it with just a heavy dose of shock. The sooner you are able to troubleshoot the issue, the sooner you will be able to enjoy your hot tub. Owners who wait to get rid of white mold will find it a more challenging process.
The first step in getting rid of white mold in your hot tub is to drain the water. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions for how to drain your hot tub.
Once your hot tub is empty, follow these steps to get rid of white mold:
- Clean your hot tub shell with a specialty spa cleaner, being especially mindful of the areas where you see the mold.
- Thoroughly clean your hot tub filter. While it might be tempting to rinse it, be sure to use a filter cleaner and follow package directions. Old hot tub filters should be replaced.
- Refill your hot tub. Don’t forget to use a prefilter!
- Add a non-chlorine shock to your hot tub, up to four times the dose, with the hot tub pumps running.
- Drain the hot tub and refill a second time.
- Shock the water once more, following the package instructions.
- Check the chemical levels of your hot tub water and balance the chemicals if needed.
If you are still struggling with white mold, you can contact a local service technician to help you troubleshoot your hot tub water.
