Summer may seem like a great time to use your hot tub, especially those summer nights when you just want to relax and unwind. Have you ever considered using your hot tub during the winter? It may seem a little odd due to the juxtaposition in temperatures if your hot tub is outside. That doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t use it though.

Caring for Your Hot Tub

It’s always important to take care of your hot tub regardless of the season. Taking care of your hot tub keeps it clean and safe to use at any time of year. To that end, get a quality, well-fitting cover for when your hot tub isn’t in use. Not only will this keep your hot tub cleaner, but it will also help it stay warm. Pay extra attention to water and filter cleanliness and maintenance. Keep tabs on the water levels too. Your hot tub could become damaged due to components freezing if the water level drops too low. Because of this, you may want to move your scheduled water change up if the next one is supposed to happen when the weather gets cold.

Enjoying Your Soak

A hot tub’s jets can feel amazing on sore muscles. That said, turn them down in the winter. They blow air into the water, which can cool things down significantly during the winter. Remember to turn them off when you aren’t using them. Hot water feels great when the air is cold, but don’t stay in for too long. You can still overheat so try to limit your soak to about 20 minutes. Be careful when exiting, since moving from extreme hot to extreme cold can place a lot of stress on your body. Remember to stay hydrated as well. Keeping a non-alcoholic beverage close to hand makes this easier.

After Your Hot Tub Experience

Don’t delay getting warm after you get out of your hot tub. Staying wet when it’s cold outside significantly increases your risk of hypothermia. Have a way to shield your body from the cold immediately after exiting the hot tub, whether that means wrapping a warm towel around yourself or putting a bathrobe and slippers on. Get inside quickly so you can dry off and warm up.

Whether you want to use your hot tub during the winter is up to you. You certainly don’t have to, but it’s absolutely fine to go hot tubbing during the winter if you want to. It doesn’t matter if your hot tub is inside or outside. That said, you may want to consider adding a fire pit, heat lamp, towel warmer, or weather-proof rug to make an outdoor winter hot tubbing experience as good as possible.

Keeping your hot tub clean is essential no matter what time of year it is. Click here for tips from Sonoma Backyard on how to keep your hot tub clean.