Cleaning the Cover

[brewski]

Well it's time once again to give my hot tub cover a good cleaning. In the past I've used lukewarm water with a mild soap such as a dish washing soap. Is that okay to use? Any better suggestions out there?

[Bonibelle]

Brewski,  I used Tide laundry detergent the last time I scrubbed my cover..don't know if that is a bad thing, maybe someone will comment but it did a great job.  My cover gets very dusty, so I have to wash it pretty often. As soon as it dries, I use 303 to protect it from UV damage.

My cover is almost 3 years old and it looks great, inside and out.

[brewski]

Bonibelle,

Thanks for he suggestion. My wife asked me if saddle soap would be a good idea and I said I would throw it out here for discussion and see what kind of feedback I got.

I did notice that I probably put this original post on the wrong board (s/b on Hot Tub Forum) and wonder if the moderator could possibly move it to the correct one for me?

[Bonibelle]

Lets see if anyone knows anything about using saddle soap. In my experience, saddle soap is for leather. The 303 is specifically for the vinyl used on the covers.

[gwstudios]

I cleaned mine today with dish soap and a push broom for a scrub brush, came out beautiful. It's been very cool at night and I've been losing two inches of water per night so I had to put the cover on.

[Mr._Bubbles]

I’m thinking dish soap and laundry detergent may be a little too harsh. I’m sure they both would clean really well, though.  I know you shouldn’t use dish soap for a car, because it will remove any wax you may have applied.  Maybe you could find something mild at the auto supplies store.

[stuart]

I've used saddle soap for years and it works great! Simple green with a soft bristle brush works pretty good also.

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

Saddle soap is recommended by some of the cover companies. If you use regular soap, make sure to rinse the side toward the water really well. Applying 303 will help protect the cover and make the next cleaning easier.

[Elmo]

Do you apply 303 to the underside of the cover or just the outside?

[Bonibelle]

I only put it on the outside..but maybe I am only doing half the job???  :-/...

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

Just the outside, you don't want 303 to get into the hot tub water. Sorry if that was confusing! I clean the underside with mild cleaner and rinse well. If you read a Cal Cover warrenty, they require you to use saddle soap quite frequently or it voids your warrenty???!!!

[windsurfdog]

I use 303 on every part of the cover, topsides and underneath.  Have had zero problems with water because of it...wouldn't expect any either since it is coated on the cover and not introduced into the water.  I believe it helps protect the vinyl underneath from ozone and chem drying.