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Winter is fast approaching, and that means cosy nights by the fire, hot chocolates, big woolly scarves and best of all – warm bubbly spas! If you spent your summer splashing in the pool and neglecting your spa maintenance, then you’ll need our guide to bringing it back to life – fast.

We’ve got you covered

If you left your spa uncovered over summer, remove any debris or contaminants that have accumulated in the water. Alternatively, if you left the cover on, it’s time to take it off and give the water some aeration. The start of spa season is also a great time to inspect your cover for signs of wear and tear. If it’s looking worn out, it might be time for a replacement. A sturdy cover will prevent leaves and other debris from getting into the water and will also improve your spa’s energy efficiency by trapping the heat inside.

Check your filter

Next, check to see if you filter needs replacing. If you need some assistance in this area, your local BioGuard Approved Retailer will be more than happy to help! If your filter is in good condition, start the spa season off on the front foot by giving it a clean. We recommend using BioGuard SPA Filter Renew™ to remove any oil and grease trapped in your filter. A good clean will improve its performance and prolong its lifetime.

Deep clean

Now it’s time for a thorough clean. For this, use BioGuard SPA Swirl Away®. It will cut through any stains, scale build-up, grease and hard water deposits that can harbour all sorts of bacteria in the places you can’t see (like the pipes and jets). Dose your spa with Swirl Away, turn on the pump for circulation, and then drain the water. By doing this, you’ll leave your spa sparkling clean. (Dosage rates differ for spa baths and outdoor spas/hot tubs. Check the label for dosage rates).

Can I jump in now?

Now that your spa is sparkling clean and you’ve refilled the water, it’s tempting to jump right in. But before you can soak to your heart’s content, you need to perfect your water chemistry. We recommend heading to your local BioGuard Approved Retailer for a professional water test. Ensuring that your water is balanced correctly will keep the water comfortable and prevent damage to your surfaces and equipment.

Because your spa was ignored over summer, we recommend doing a shock treatment with BioGuard SPA Armour™. It’s a dual action product that’s both an oxidiser and sanitiser, and it will restore sparkling clear water and also control algae and bacteria. After the initial shock treatment, use BioGuard SPA Purity™ for weekly spa maintenance.

The next step is to ensure your water is balanced. You want your water pH to sit between 7.2 – 7.6, and you also want to maintain your total alkalinity to prevent scaling and cloudy water. To control your pH and total alkalinity, we recommend using BioGuard SPA Perfect Balance™. It will keep your water healthy and protect your hardware.

The final step and what we think is the piece de resistance is adding BioGuard SPA Velvet® to your water. This product will enhance bather comfort with soft, velvety water that nourishes your skin and hair, and it emits a beautiful rose fragrance!

You’re good to go

Now that you’ve done the hard work and brought your spa back to life, you can jump in, lie back and soak up the serenity.

Keep it regular

Once you’ve started up your spa for the season, ongoing maintenance is straightforward. Just circulate the water each day, keep the filter clean and remove any contaminants such as dirt, scale and oil from the waterline by using BioGuard SPA Squeaky Clean™.

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