Why Your Hot Tub Always Smells Weird

It’s not you. It’s your hot tub. That strange funk that creeps in the second the cover lifts? It’s your water telling you it’s had enough of the bare minimum. A proper soak shouldn’t smell like gym socks and regret.

Hot tubs are basically warm petri dishes when ignored. Between the heat, the sweat, the body oils, and all the “relaxation” you’ve been doing in there, your water is under siege. And if you’re not on top of your sanitizer game, that smell is just the beginning.

It’s not just the water

Funky hot tub vibes can come from your filters, your cover, and even the plumbing. If you’ve never flushed your lines, congrats. You’ve probably invented a new life form. Also, that smell might not be your water—it could be mildew hiding in the vinyl seams of your cover.

3 reasons your spa stinks

• Old water. If it’s been more than 3-4 months since your last drain and refill, the water’s basically soup now.
• Clogged or forgotten filters. Rinse them every week. Replace them every year. Don’t argue.
• Low sanitizer levels. If your chlorine or bromine isn’t in range, things grow. And they smell.

How to fix it

Shock the water. Clean or replace your filter. Wipe down the cover with something that won’t damage it. And if it’s been more than a few months, just drain it. No amount of spa perfume is going to mask the science experiment you’ve got going on.

Your hot tub should smell like nothing. Or maybe faintly like clean water and pride. That’s the goal.