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The best thing with which to clean a hot tub is whatever the manufacturer recommends; in most cases, this is a gentle surface cleaner and a soft cloth. Recommended hot tub cleaners can include specially formulated cleaning agents, mild dish soap, baking soda, vinegar, or diluted bleach. For your hot tub exterior, choose wood or vinyl cleaner (depending on the casing material).

You should never use household cleaning products, harsh chemicals such as undiluted bleach or acids, or abrasive cleansers or cloths, as these can scratch or etch your hot tub’s coating or shell and cause permanent damage.

Hot tub maintenance can cost between $240 and $900 annually. These costs include deep cleaning the tub, refilling the tub several times a year, and keeping the water's chemical balance. Keeping up with regular maintenance and cleaning tasks can help to keep your costs down, as you'll avoid more complicated and expensive repairs.

Many people find saltwater tubs worth the upfront expense. They cost less to maintain than traditional hot tubs, so you can save in the long term. Maintenance is also easier, typically involving balancing the pH and cleaning the tub rather than adding chemicals. They’re also gentler on sensitive skin, and you won’t walk away with a strong chlorine odor.

If water is left inside the hot tub pump over a cold winter, it could freeze and severely damage the pump, water lines, and jets. That can cause leaks, which require very expensive repairs. Freezing or leftover water can stain and damage the hot tub shell, which leads to replacement. Even in mild climates, leaving sitting water in the tub or pipes for a long period of unuse is a bad idea, since disinfecting chemicals fade and the water can develop bacteria, algae, and other big headaches when it’s time to use the tub again.