When you first get a hot tub and learn about the various chemicals needed for proper treatment and water chemistry, it might seem overwhelming.

Yet you will quickly learn how vital it is to test the water in your spa (twice a week, no matter what your use frequency) and treat it accordingly. Doing this incorrectly can compromise the health and safety of bathers, as well as cause damage to the spa itself.

In addition to understanding basic water chemistry, how to clean your spa, it’s helpful to know about solutions for specific problems. Enter the shock product. In some cases, the addition of one product like shock can greatly improve the environment of your spa.

What is Spa Shock?

Spa shock is an oxidizing product meant to neutralize contaminants (oils, sweat, skin products, etc.)  and improve the appearance and smell of your hot tub water.

Shock can be a chlorine product or a non-chlorine product. While shock with chlorine has more disinfecting properties than non-chlorine shock, it can also be harder on the spa and its plumbing components.

Chlorine shock is great to add when the hot tub hasn’t been used in a while or if recent bather load has been heavy (when bacteria growth is more likely). Because the chlorine can be abrasive, do not use chlorine shock every time you shock the hot tub.

Non-chlorine shock is not a true disinfectant, so do not use it if you’re concerned about bacterial build-up. It is ideal for weekly shocks when you’re using the hot tub on a regular basis and when the only problem is a little cloudiness.