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Hot Tub Cleaning Between Airbnb Guests: A Safe Turnover Routine

Between Airbnb guests, a hot tub needs its sanitizer and pH tested and brought into range, the waterline and surfaces scrubbed, the filter checked, the cover cleaned and a log entry made. The CDC's guidance for vacation rentals is to keep free chlorine at 3 to 10 ppm or bromine at 4 to 8 ppm, with pH between 7.2 and 7.8, and to follow the manufacturer's schedule for filters and water changes (CDC, Vacation Rental Owners and Managers).

Guests love a hot tub. It is also the one amenity in your rental where a lapse can make someone sick. Warm water is where germs like Pseudomonas aeruginosa (the cause of hot tub rash) and Legionella grow if disinfectant levels drop (CDC, Preventing Hot Tub Rash). This guide is the routine I would give a cleaner or pool tech, based on CDC guidance. Your hot tub manufacturer's manual and your local health department always come first where they are more specific.

The numbers to know

These are the CDC ranges for a vacation rental hot tub:

Sources: CDC, Vacation Rental Owners and Managers and CDC, Staying Healthy in Hot Tubs for the temperature limit.

The CDC also says not to use cyanuric acid, or chlorine products that contain it, in hot tubs (CDC, Home Pool and Hot Tub Water Treatment and Testing). Check the label on any chlorine product before it goes near the tub.

How often to test

CDC guidance for home pools and hot tubs is to test chlorine and pH at least twice per day, and more often when the tub is being used by a number of people (CDC). The CDC also says to monitor and maintain disinfectant levels even when the hot tub is not in use (CDC).

In a rental, you are not on site twice a day during a stay. That is why the CDC suggests vacation rental owners consider an automatic disinfectant system for the hot tub. At a minimum, test at every turnover and bring the water into range before the next guest checks in. A DPD test kit gives more accurate results than test strips, though strips are acceptable (CDC).

Hot tub turnover checklist

Do these every time a guest checks out.

1. Test first

1. Test free chlorine or bromine and pH before touching anything else.
2. Write the readings in the hot tub log with the date and time.
3. If readings are out of range, adjust following the product label, wait the time the label specifies, and retest.

2. Clean the surfaces

1. Remove debris with a skimmer net.
2. Scrub the waterline and shell to remove the slimy biofilm layer. The CDC lists daily removal of this layer by scrubbing and cleaning as part of preventing Legionella in hot tubs (CDC).
3. Use only products your hot tub manufacturer approves for the shell. Household cleaners can foam or throw off water chemistry.
4. Wipe the headrests, steps, handrails and control panel.

3. Check the filter

1. Look at the filter cartridge for visible debris or a slimy coating.
2. Rinse it if your manufacturer's instructions call for it at this interval.
3. Replace it on the manufacturer's schedule (CDC). Keep a spare on site so a dirty filter never delays a turnover.

4. Clean the cover

1. Wipe the underside of the cover, which sits against warm, damp air and can grow mildew.
2. Clean the top and check straps and locks.
3. Leave the cover locked on after the turnover.

5. Reset for the guest

1. Confirm water temperature is at your guest setting and no higher than 104°F.
2. Set out the hot tub rules and instructions.
3. Take photos of the clean water, the waterline, the cover and the posted rules.

When to drain and refill

The CDC's direction is to replace hot tub water as often as required by the health department or recommended by the manufacturer (CDC). Many manuals give a schedule based on the tub's size and how heavily it is used.

Some hosts drain and refill between every stay. If you do, plan the time carefully. A fresh fill needs to heat up and have sanitizer and pH brought into range before the next guest arrives, which can be hard on a same day turnover. Whatever you choose, write it down so your cleaner or pool tech follows the same rule every time.

Handling hot tub chemicals safely

Chemical injuries are a real risk for whoever maintains the tub. CDC guidance for residential owners includes:

• Read and follow the label on every product (CDC).
• Never mix different pool or hot tub chemicals with each other. Mixing chlorine and acid is particularly dangerous (CDC).
• If a label says to pre dissolve a product, add the chemical to water, never water to the chemical, because a violent reaction can occur (CDC, Use Pool Chemicals Safely).
• Wear protective equipment such as goggles and gloves, and handle chemicals in a well ventilated area.
• Store chemicals separately, in their original labeled containers, below 95°F and away from heat and flames (CDC, Pool Chemical Safety).
• Keep them locked away from children, guests and pets.

In a rental, that last point matters. Guests should not be able to open the chemical storage. Lock it and keep it out of the areas guests use.

Who should maintain the hot tub

The CDC recommends that only people trained in pool chemical safety handle pool chemicals (CDC). You have two options:

• Your cleaner handles routine checks. This works if they are trained, comfortable with testing and adjusting, and have a clear written routine.
• A pool and spa service handles chemistry. Your cleaner still wipes surfaces and the cover, reports anything unusual and takes photos, while a trained tech handles chemicals and water changes.

Many hosts combine the two. Either way, get it in writing who is responsible for what.

Guest safety and disclosure

Airbnb requires hosts to disclose safety hazards in the listing and to provide instructions for features that could cause injury if used improperly, and it gives hot tubs as an example (Airbnb, Safety information on listings). Post simple rules near the tub, including:

• Shower before getting in (CDC)
• Stay out if sick with diarrhea
• Do not let children under 5 use the hot tub (CDC)
• Keep the cover locked when not in use
• No glass in or around the tub

Keeping a record

A written log with dates, readings, filter changes and water changes shows you took care of the tub. Photos from each turnover add to it. With Clyn, your cleaner photographs the hot tub as part of the turnover and Clyn's AI checks those photos against your standard, flagging cloudy water, debris or a cover left off before the next guest arrives. You get a dated photo record next to your chemistry log.

For the rest of the outdoor space, see the Airbnb outdoor area checklist, and if you also have a pool, read pool care for Airbnb hosts.

FAQ

Do you have to drain an Airbnb hot tub between guests?

The CDC says to replace hot tub water as often as required by your health department or recommended by the manufacturer. Some hosts drain between every stay. If you do, leave enough time to heat and balance the water before check in.

What chlorine level should an Airbnb hot tub have?

CDC guidance for vacation rentals is 3 to 10 ppm free chlorine, or 4 to 8 ppm bromine, with pH between 7.2 and 7.8.

Can my cleaner maintain the hot tub?

Yes, if they are trained in chemical safety and have a written routine. Many hosts have the cleaner handle surfaces and photos while a pool and spa service handles the chemicals.

If you want every turnover checked before check in, you can try Clyn free on one property at clyn.com.