How To Clean A Whirlpool Tub

Does your bathtub jets need cleaning? Check out how to clean a jetted tub. Skip the expensive store-bought cleaners and make your own jetted tub cleaner that easily removes grime and dirt from the jets.

When we first moved into our house years ago I cleaned our jetted tub with a cleaner from Home Depot. It was expensive, however, I was so grossed out by someone using the tub before us so it was well worth the money.

But as time went on I figured there had to be a cheaper way. I finally found that Kohler has instructions on how to clean a whirlpool tub and I have been using the instructions with a few changes for the last couple of years.

It's cheap and it doesn't take much time to do. So if your jetted tub is looking gross check out these great tips on how to clean a jetted tub.

How To Clean A Jetted Tub

To clean your jetted tub you will need a few things.

• Bleach (you can also use these bleach tabs which are awesome!)
• Cascade Dish Detergent
• All-Purpose Cleaner (I make my own all-purpose cleaner)
• Bathtub Scrubber (this tool works great if you don't want to bend over to clean the tub)

Even if you don't use your jets you need to clean them. Every time you take a bath the jets get water in them and they can quickly get mold or mildew growing in them.

Getting Started

Start by adjusting the jets pointing down, you don't want them to spray up as they are running. Then fill up the tub with warm water, until the jets are covered by at least two inches. 

You want to make sure that they are well covered so you don't get sprayed when you turn them on.

Add to the water:

• 20 ounces of bleach (or the bleach tabs)
• 2 teaspoons of automatic dish detergent (I use Cascade)

The bleach will kill off any germs that are in the bathtub jets and the dish detergent will break down the body grease that is stuck in the jets. I know, so gross, right?

Letting The Jets Soak

Once you have the bleach and detergent added to the water you will want to get them in the jets and mixed up.

Turn on the jets and set the timer for 10 minutes. This will let the bleach and dish detergent fully circulate.

I recommend staying close by the tub in case the jets have any problems.

When 10 minutes are up you can turn off the jets and drain the water.

Rinsing The Tub and Jets

If you are a baby like me about putting your hand in the dirty water, you can use a plastic hanger to pull up the drain. You can't see it in the picture, but it produced a lot of sandy-like dirt in the bottom of the tub.

Once your tub has drained you will want to fill it back up with water.

Once it has filled back up run the water through the jets for 2-3 minutes. This helps get out any of the cleaning solution left in the jets.

Drain the tub again and wash the debris down the drain. 

Cleaning The Whirlpool Tub

Now that the jets in your tub are cleaned you can now clean your tub down with the normal cleaners that you use.

I like to clean my tub using this homemade all-purpose cleaner. It's easy to make and cleans great.

Scrub down the sides of the tub and spend a few minutes scrubbing around the jets of the tub to loosen any dirt or grime that still might be there. If you have a hard time scrubbing the tub check out this cleaner from OXO.

Rinse the tub one more time and your tub is ready to go!

Kohler recommends doing this every two weeks, however, I find this to be a bit excessive.

Since I don't run my jets that often I try to do it once every month or two. Usually, I notice that the tub jets are starting to look a little gross and know it is time for a cleaning.

Now that you know how to clean a whirlpool tub you can clean it and then grab a glass of wine and book and enjoy your nice clean tub. 😉

Want some other easy bathroom cleaning tips?

• How To Clean a Bathroom Fan
• How To Speed Clean A Bathroom In Minutes
• Genius Bathroom Cleaning Hacks