How to Get Sand Out of Your Hot Tub (7 Quick & Easy Fixes)
By Jennifer Rhodes · Updated
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If you've ever been to the beach, chances are you know how annoying sand can be. It gets into everything—clothing, hair, food, etc. So you can only imagine how much fun it is to have sand in your hot tub!
Thankfully, getting rid of that pesky sand is actually pretty easy if you know what to do. Check out these seven quick and easy fixes for getting sand out of your hot tub. (Hint: having some type of vacuum device comes in handy!)
Here are, in my opinion, the best ways to get sand out of your hot tub:
- Use a shop vacuum
- Use a spa wand
- Make a siphon
- Buy a Grit-Gitter
- Water toys and squirt guns
- Try Silly Putty
- Drain the spa
Some of these methods take only a few minutes and work best for spot cleaning. Meanwhile, others demand more time and effort but provide more thorough sand removal. Ultimately, which solution works best for you depends on your tub's size and how dirty it is.
Below, we dive into the nitty-gritty of how these methods work. That way, you can learn several methods for how keep your hot tub as clean and comfortable as possible.
1. Use a shop vacuum
When it comes to getting sand out of your hot tub, it doesn't get much easier than using a shop vac.
There are two ways to utilize this gadget:
- First off, its powerful suction can drain your hot tub much more thoroughly than a siphon. This method is helpful if your tub is very sandy and needs a complete wash-down after draining.
- Secondly, a shop vac is excellent for spot cleaning. All you have to do is aim the hose at patches of sand to suck them up. But keep in mind doing this can rapidly drain your tub's water—and fill your shop vac.
Either way, ensure that you have a wet/dry shop vac:
Devices meant only for dry suction will break if pumped full of water.
2. Use a spa wand
Spa wands are a must-have for hot tub owners—especially if you live near the beach and drag lots of sand into your tub.
These handy tools are like long narrow vacuums that you stick into the water. They suck up sediment that you'd have to drain your hot tub to reach otherwise.
And the best part? Thanks to their design, you don't have to worry about getting wet while cleaning.
The spa wand is especially effective at removing sand from hard-to-reach places, such as corners and steps. Using one regularly can even save you from needing to drain your hot tub as often.
Generally, most spa wands are manually-powered with a pump. Although, there are also rechargeable varieties for heavy-duty cleaning.
3. Make a siphon
Is the high price of a shop vac or spa wand turning you away? If so, then a siphon is the perfect solution for you.
Siphons are like rudimentary pumps. One tube end is put in the water, creating a pressure vacuum. Meanwhile, the other end expels the water and any sand caught in it.
Here's how to make a siphon:
- Cut a garden hose to only seven or eight feet long.
- Dunk one end of the hose into your tub's water. If it floats, tie a weight to the end of it.
- Put the dry end over a bucket or drain. Ensure it's at a lower elevation than the submerged end.
- Place your thumb over the dry end opening, creating a vacuum.
- Pull the submerged end upwards while keeping it below the water line. Remove your thumb from the dry end at the same time.
- The siphon should start pumping water out the dry end of the tube.
Once the siphoning starts, you can target sandy corners of your tub. You should be able to siphon out a fair amount of the sand without having to drain your spa entirely.
4. Buy a Grit-Gitter
The Grit-Gitter is a convenient tool tailor-made for cleaning sand out of hot tubs. And using one is pretty straightforward.
These devices resemble small plastic bottles with a nose at one end. When you squeeze the body of the Grit-Gitter, it sucks in anything near the nose.
As a result, this tool is best for spot cleaning—especially corners and crevices. The textured nose is particularly effective at pulling sand from dirty jets and pumps.
You can also make your own Grit-Gitter with a standard household utensil: the turkey baster!
Squeezing the bulb of a baster produces a vacuum effect good for sucking up sand. Not to mention a baster may be able to reach narrow spaces that your Grit-Gitter can't.
5. Water toys and squirt guns
Believe it or not, your kid's pool toys can be great for spot cleaning your hot tub.
Many squirt guns use a pumping mechanism to refill. Because of that, you can use the pressure they generate to suck up things in the water.
For example, try pointing the tip of a squirt gun at the sand in your hot tub and then pump. The way most toys work, doing that should suck up the sediment. If you're lucky, you may even be able to convince the kids to do it for fun!
However, make sure to empty the toys when you're finished. After all, the last thing you want is someone getting a faceful of old, sandy hot tub water.
6. Try Silly Putty
Another surprisingly efficient way to get sand out of your hot tub is everyone's childhood favorite: Silly Putty!
What makes Silly Putty great is its versatility; you can use it both in and out of water. Plus, it's typically affordable and easy to find.
All you need to do is press the Putty into any sand you find. This sticky substance will then bind to the sediment so you can remove it from your tub.
The only caveat is that removing sand from the Putty is almost impossible. So clumps can't be reused once they have sediment in them.
7. Drain the spa
If you want the most thorough cleaning possible, you might have to consider draining your tub.
A complete drain removes all the water in your tub, providing dry access to every corner and step. It's helpful if you live in a sandy area where spot cleaning might not be enough.
Many hot tubs have a drainage hole that doesn't go right to the bottom, leaving a couple inches of water that you'll need to get rid of some other way. So to get the last bit of water out of bottom of a hot tub, you can either mop it up with towels, make a siphon, or use a shop vac.
Once the spa is dry, you'll be able to sweep or vacuum the last of the sand out of it.
If you go with this method, ensure that you redirect the pumped water to an appropriate drain—or dispose of it in an eco-friendly way.
