How to prepare your spa for spring

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Depending on where you live, March can be the time to start thinking summer is around the corner. For some, that may not happen until April — maybe even May. When spring starts blooming and the days get longer and warmer, you might find your thoughts turning to your Strong Spas time.

Your spa, just like your yard, needs cleaning up in the spring. It needs a sprucing up to prepare for all the good times you will spend in it that are just around the corner.

Getting started on spring cleaning

It doesn’t matter if you use your hot tub during the winter or left it dormant. These easy steps are designed to ensure your Strong Spas experience will be fun, relaxing, and enjoyable for months to come.

The first thing to do is to clean around your tub and make sure it’s a clean area to work in. Leaves, dirt, twigs and other materials should be swept away before you start cleaning. You may even need to trim away shrubs and clear out any weeds that had crept in.

If you haven’t drained your spa over the winter, now is the time to do it and give it a good flush. To ensure the spa’s plumbing is free of build-up, we recommend using a spa system flush to clean out any gunk and stagnant water. The process is to drain and flush your spa and then give it a thorough cleaning before you refill it.

Even if you’ve already drained your spa for the winter, it’s still a good time to give it a flush to purge any stagnant water or buildup. Make sure to clean your spa cover and ensure it’s free of any mold or mildew.

A thorough spa cleaning and check the filter

When your spa is drained and dried, be sure to give it a deep, thorough cleaning that cleans out any molds or mildew or dirt. You can also give it a polish. Next, be sure to check the pumps, motors, valves, pipes, and the casings on the filters for rust, leaking, or if there’s any dirt or materials that have built up. In some cases if parts are damaged, you should replace them or you may need to call a technician to make repairs.

Next up is the filter. The filter shouldn’t be frayed or have materials that are coming apart. If that’s the case, replace it. Cleaning a filter in good condition is as simple as spraying it thoroughly with water to rid it of foreign materials that will clog it or cause buildup.

Getting the right chemical balance

Now that you’ve cleaned your spa, it’s time to refill it and ensure it’s running properly. Check all the jets and run through the various components making sure the pumps and filter are working properly.

The last thing to do before you enjoy a therapeutic Strong Spas soak is to check the water to ensure you have the right chemical balance. You can use testing strips or a water test kit to check the alkaline and acid levels and ensure your spa has the proper chemical balance.

When you’re adding chemicals, be sure to closely follow directions and don’t add all the chemicals at once. That will defeat the purpose of testing the water and getting the right chemical balance. We recommend continuing to check the chemical balance regularly, particularly because it’s likely you’ll be using your Strong Spas spa frequently.

Whatever your motivation for investing in a Strong Spas spa, whether it’s for relaxation, hydrotherapy, the spa lifestyle, sharing moments with family and friends, or a quite soak, or all of the above, a little spring cleaning will go a long way toward ensuring a great summer of soaking.

Making the most of your Strong Spas experience: How to plan for adding a spa to your home

You’ve made the decision to invest in a Strong Spas hot tub, which we think is very wise. You’ve picked the right spa for you and your lifestyle, whether it’s from our Elements, Premium, Summit, or Durasport series.

Now comes the next step: Incorporating your spa into your home and landscaping and creating a back yard getaway, or a back yard retreat, however you want to look at it. Whatever your viewpoint, rest assured that a spa enriches back yard living for homeowners like you.

Enhance your “homescape” with a Strong Spas hot tub

First things first. A Strong Spas hot tub can be an enhancing element of sophistication to your landscape design that can increase the value of your home.

A study by noted Virginia Tech Horticulturist Alex X. Niemiera found that home landscapes with an “appealing” design can significantly increase the perceived home value and can differentiate a home in a subdivision where house styles are similar.

You have a centerpiece with your Strong Spas hot tub. Now you are ready to take the next step.

Important considerations in adding a spa to your home

Some things to consider when you’re planning your back yard spa getaway:

  • Do you envision your spa as the feature of a smaller, intimate setting, or do you plan on hosting get togethers?
  • Do you want more of a natural setting with plants or a privacy structure, like a gazebo or even a pergola?
  • Do you want your spa out in the open or more enclosed?
  • If you don’t already have a patio or deck, which would you prefer? And would it be more of an in ground look or would you incorporate steps up to your spa?
  • Other options include wood or stone as features or surrounds to accentuate your spa’s charm.

Incorporating into the backyard or creating a personalized environment

It often depends on where you live and how you want to use your Strong Spas hot tub in deciding whether to leave it out in the open or enclose it. Enclosures such as a pergola or a gazebo are perfect for protection from the elements, whether it’s sun or rain.

When it comes to landscaping, before setting your hot tub check out the various views. Pick different spots and see if you have a preference of a view or background surroundings while considering what’s around your future hot tub. For example, are there mature trees that offer shade, but also may drop leaves? That can play a role in your spa placement.

Do you want your hot tub to blend into the surrounding environment? Or would you prefer to create an inviting environment and personalize your hot tub experience?

If you’re looking for easy ways to provide privacy, a trellis may be an option. If you go that route, many people like climbing plants to accent the trellis. If that’s the case, be sure to research plants to find the best ones for where you live, and if they’re a good fit for your intended purpose. After all, you don’t want to pick a climbing plant that will turn your space into a jungle if that’s not what you’re after.

Other considerations for adding a spa to your back yard include if you need something that is handicap accessible, or may need to be depending on whom you expect to enjoy your spa experience with you.

The best part of all this thinking and planning is knowing the end result isn’t far off. You’ll soon be relaxing and recharging in your Strong Spas hot tub in the perfect environment. And best of all, you have made an investment that pays off personally, physically, and financially.