Like others I use a sump pump and hose. I then use a wet/dry vac for any water that the pump didn't get. I have never used the spas drain port. I live in a climate where it gets bitterly cold so I do my water changes around it, late Fall/early Spring. I now have the Blu Fusion salt system and I do not have to do water changes as often. After the spa is drained I clean both the inside and outside of the spa as well as the cover and the steps. It can be a chore but it's necessary.