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In most cases, it is safe to clean a hot tub with vinegar. You will want to verify that your hot tub manufacturer lists vinegar as a safe cleaning product; however, given that vinegar is chemical-free, cleans, deodorizes, and is safe for people and pets, it is usually a good option. You can use vinegar to clean the hot tub shell, interior and exterior spa surfaces, hot tub jets, hot tub filter, and other parts. It is considered a strong, safe, and natural cleanser that can kill bacteria, remove mold and mildew spores, erase water spots, and remove hard water stains.

You can drain a hot tub very quickly by using a submersible pump rather than the hose-sized drain at the bottom exterior of the tub. A pump can move up to 30 gallons per minute, draining your hot tub in no time. Using the regular drain can take up to two hours.

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.

Generally, it is more cost-effective and energy-efficient to leave your hot tub on all the time rather than turning it on and off. Reheating a hot tub from a cold temperature consumes a significant amount of energy, so maintaining a constant temperature is usually more economical, especially with frequent use.

For daily or weekly use, it's recommended to keep the water at a constant, reduced temperature, such as between 80 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit, and then increase it to your desired temperature before getting in. If you know you won't be using the hot tub for an extended period, you can lower the temperature to save on energy costs. However, if you use it very infrequently, you can turn it off completely, as long as there is no risk of the water freezing.