Now that “winter” has settled into Arizona you may be using your hot tub more than you did in the summer months. That makes sense. But what happens when you take off the hot tub cover and see black circles that look like smudges of dirt. How would that happen? It’s not dirt the swimming pool service pool contractors from SwimRight Pool Service & Repair in Scottsdale, AZ say — it’s mold. How to get mold off the hot tub cover is something they talk with their customers about and they have some suggestions for you to do just that.
Mold and mildew are not only dangerous to your health, they are dangerous to the health and viability of the hot tub cover itself. If the moldy cover is in place and the jets are bubbling away the mold spores can drop into the water, upset the pool chemistry and could even make you ill. Gross!
How to get mold off the hot tub cover
If you see these telltale signs of mold on the hot tub cover, you will want to remove the cover and place it in a spot where you can clean it, rinse it and leave it in the sun to dry thoroughly. Check the hot tub cover’s foam cores to make certain there are no telltale black smudgy looking areas there. If there are, you need to remove them and clean them thoroughly.
To clean off the mold spores, grab a bucket, a pair of gloves, a gallon of water a teaspoon of mild dish detergent and one cup of bleach to do the job. Wearing gloves will protect your hands from the drying properties of the bleach. Grab a sponge and begin scrubbing the hot tub cover. You may want to consider wearing eye protection so the bleach mixture doesn’t splash into your eyes.
Clean the hot tub cover in a well-ventilated area as the fumes can be harmful to your heatlh.
If the mold spores don’t come off with a sponge, you will want to grab a soft bristle brush and gently brush the mixture into it then wipe it away with the sponge. If the mold is stubborn and if you can still see its stains after you’ve removed the surface level mold, cover the areas with the bleach mixture and a papertowel to let it soak into the fibers of the hot tub cover to truly kill any lingering spores.
After you’ve thoroughly cleaned the cover, spray it with the hose several times to thoroughly rinse away the bleach, soap mixture. If you don’t rinse it completely, the soap/bleach mixture will drip into the hot tub water and upset the water chemistry.
Lay the cover in a bright, sunny location and let the sun dry it all the way before you put it back in place.
Inspect the hot tub cover regularly to assure there is no mold and wash it thoroughly on a regular schedule to assure mold doesn’t begin growing on it again.
