“We saw friends on New year’s eve. They had a new hot tub, so after a hot toddy or two we decided to give it a go. It was snowing and the wind was blowing the snow horizontal. We didn’t bring any swimming stuff so we were naked. It was too cold to sit up or lounge so we scooched down with just our heads showing above the water. You know those Japanese macaque monkeys, the red faced ones with snow on their heads who sit in hot springs to stay warm through winter? That was us.”

Some of us keep on hot tubbing through thick and thin, ice and snow, gales and storms. Snug and sheltered under a garden umbrella or gazebo, we grit our teeth and we bloody well enjoy it. Others are fair weather hot tub fans who prefer to close things down for the winter. If you’re the former, there are things you can do to maximise the cold weather tub experience. We’ll talk about that in another post. In the meantime, here’s how to retire a hot tub ‘til spring.

First, can you leave a hot tub on all winter?

Yes, you can. Leave the water in if you want to soak the chills away all year round. Plenty of experts recommend leaving a hot tub switched on and functioning through winter. Most new hot tubs are fiendishly efficient, so good at conserving energy that leaving it on, full and covered for a few months won’t bankrupt you. Keeping a hot tub on also means there’s no chance of frozen or burst pipes.

Clean the setting the hot tub sits in

Obviously there’s no need to clean the grass. But it’s good to scrub the patio, or brush and wash the decking so it starts the winter off clean and protected. Composite decking doesn’t need treatment but wooden decking does, and this is a good time to do it. Clean underneath the garden furniture as well as around it so you make a decent surface for garden furniture to over-winter on. 

Garden furniture cleaning tips

When a hot tub is part of a garden entertainment setting, surrounded by stuff like garden tables, chairs and loungers, there’s more to over-wintering than covering the tub. Modern resin garden furniture comes in a multitude of designs but it’s always incredibly resilient to the weather. All the same, you’ll want to clean it, dry it and protect it.

• Use a soft brush to get rid of dust, leaves and other loose dirt
• If there’s any bird poop, wet it, leave it to soften then wash it off
• Wash the rattan with warm water and a dash of washing up liquid
• A large car sponge is a great idea, a big surface that makes washing garden furniture faster and easier
• Rinse thoroughly with clean water. A watering can is a good idea   
• Wipe off the worst of the wet
• Leave it to dry completely
• Move it to a sheltered spot if you have one
• Cover it, ideally with a fitted cover that’ll stay on and keep the moisture out
• Clean the cushions as the manufacture recommends
• Store the cushions somewhere dry. A garden storage box is a good choice, or bag them up and put them in the garage, shed or loft  

Stash the BBQ, fire pit, fire bowl or chimenea

You may as well go the whole hog. Then all you have to do in spring is uncover everything and you’re ready to party. Clean and dry your patio fire, barbie, gas lamp, chimenea, fire bowl or whatever and store it the right way. Then do the same with the utensils, barbecue tools, grills and cooking equipment, tea towels, table cloths and dish cloths.   

How to protect a hot tub in winter

The setting is clean and protected, everything’s been put away, now it’s time to get cracking with the hot tub. Basically, the better you look after it the longer it’ll last and the less maintenance will cost.

One big advantage of emptying and cleaning a hot tub is you get to look at the parts, plumbing, electrics and everything else, and spot anything that needs attending to. On the other hand if you’re neither electricity-wise or plumbing-minded, you might want to hire a hot tub pro to do for you.

Harsh winters might be a rarity these days in the UK but nevertheless, it’s wise to plan for snow and ice just in case. Too cold and it can permanently damage the tub’s plumbing, equipment and surfaces.

Draining the water stops the tub from freezing. If a full tub freezes the water can expand so much it cracks things. The cold can split water-filled pipes just like it can in an under-insulated roof space indoors. So first drain all the water out, including the leftovers in the plumbing and other equipment.

Take care not to create hygiene problems with leftover water. Leave the smallest amount in the system and it can soon get smelly and nasty, stagnant and contaminated. If the balance wasn’t perfect in the first place and you leave a small amount of water in the plumbing or tub itself, it can stain the surface or develop an ugly scale-like finish.   

So, here are our tips about how to clean the surfaces to get rid of dirt, grease, bird poop, sticky insect poo and mould, and deploy the special fitted cover.

• Drain the water completely, including all the plumbing tubes
• Use a wet vacuum cleaner to get rid of water from the drain plug, which will otherwise stink really badly before long  
• Clean everything thoroughly with a hot tub cleaner or an acidic solution of vinegar and water
• Take out the filters and rinse them clean, using either plain water or a filter cleaning solution. If you use chemicals, rinse again thoroughly
• Blow the plumbing tubes with compressed air to get rid of every last drop of water. Or get a pro to do it for you 
• Add the recommended amount of antifreeze into the plumbing
• Remove detachable pumps, heaters and controllers and store them at room temperature
• Cover the hot tub with the fitted cover the manufacturer recommends
• Quickly check inside every month, just to make sure everything’s clean and dry
• In spring you’ll need to refill it, balance the water with the right chemistry, and check the equipment. Then you’re ready to go with a fresh start

There are pros and cons to emptying it out for winter, and the same for leaving it full and hot. Whatever you want to do with your hot tub when the nights draw in, make sure you do it well. Then your tub will treat you right for years to come.