Why Your Hot Tub is Foaming and How You Can Fix it

If you own a spa, chances are you have run into a problem with excessive spa foaming. You take off the cover, turn on the jets, and it’s suddenly a bubble bath. Even worse, the foam may be yellow or green and have a slimy texture and displeasing odor. 

Why All the Foam?

So what is causing all of this foam? While there are many factors that can contribute to spa foaming, the most common is failing to keep a proper level of sanitizer in the water. You can prevent this by topping off with a little bit of sanitizer after every spa session. Apart from a lack of chlorine and improper water balance, the number one contributor to spa foam is you! Maybe not you personally, but you and others using the spa will leave behind all sorts of gunk and hygienic/beauty products that will cause your spa to foam up the second you turn on the jets in your next session. You can reduce the amount of gunk that gets left in the hot tub by having all bathers rinse off in the shower before soaking.  

Let’s Fix It

There are two ways to handle the problem of foam: either by getting rid of the foam itself or by getting rid of the source problem of the foam. The first is the easiest, but may not be a long-lasting solution. However, when you just need the foam gone before you have guests over, nothing works better or faster than a foam eliminating product (we like ProTeam’s Foam Fighter). Literally, just a few drops of the product and the foam will vanish before your very eyes, perfect for last-minute fix-ups.

The second and more lasting solution is to go after the source of what is causing the foaming, which, as we mentioned before are all the people soaking in it with their lotions, oils, makeup, and general human gunk. An enzyme product like Spa Perfect is specifically formulated for the task at hand. Enzymes dissolve non-organic, foam-causing matter that we can bring in the water with us. You can use about one cap full of Spa Perfect per week to keep things running nice and smooth. By getting rid of the root of the problem, you should see a massive reduction in the amount of foam (if any) produced in your spa

Now that the foam has been eliminated it’s time to keep it from coming back. Properly maintaining water chemistry and keeping a clean filter is probably the best insurance policy against foaming, but consider having users rinse off in the shower as well to not only keep the foam from appearing but to keep the spa water fresher and cleaner for longer as well.