How Do I Neutralize Soap in a Jacuzzi?

Why Soap is Bad for Jacuzzis

The chemical treatment for your hot tub works by making the water inhospitable for things to grow in it. This is done by making the water more basic or acidic than most organisms like.

Soap (or other active chemicals) will change the pH balance of the water, throwing it out of whack. If it gets farther away from neutral than intended, it can be bad for your bathers. If it gets closer to neutral than intended, it can be good for the microbes you're trying to keep out.

Many hot tubs are made of specialized materials that don't stain or corrode in the specialized chemical mix of Jacuzzi water. If you alter that mix, your nice hot tub might very well stain or corrode.

Clean Your Filters

Filters trap impurities while allowing other mediums (in this case water) to pass through them. If you get soap into those filters, some soap will come with any water that passes through later. There's no point in treating your water if it's going to pass through soapy filters.

Rinse out your filters thoroughly, or replace them if they were close to being worn out anyway. Also consider flushing out any pipes or hoses in the filtration system, as they might also be contaminated with soap.

Chemical Treatment

The next step is to chemically treat your water. You can do this with any number of commercially available defoamers, which neutralize the active ingredients in soap. Be sure to check the active ingredients in your soap, and make certain you use the right defoamer.

Scorched Earth

If cleaning the filtration and chemical treatment don't work, you can always empty the tub and clean it completely. Use commercial defoamers recommended by your spa expert to wipe down the inside and flush the filtration system. Once you're done, refill and use the experience as a reminder not to drop in soap anymore.