There are a few things you can do to keep your hot tub cover looking brand spanking new and preserve it so you can use it for a lot longer.

Clean your cover using soap and warm water.  Hot tubs create chemical residue that will damage the outer lining of your cover as time goes by.  If you keep it clean, say by cleaning it twice a month, you will help preserve it.

If you protect the outer lining of the spa cover, this will help prevent water from getting past it and into the inner lining and the foam core because you will help eliminate cracking.  As soon as water gets to foam core of the cover, you are well on your way to needing a new one.  This is when things start to go downhill.

Beneath the outer lining, there is generally an inner lining made of plastic that directly surrounds the foam core.  Check this lining for rips and tears and also see if there is anything inside there that may cause friction against it and possibly rip it.

Cover your hot tub cover.  If you put something–tarps work well–over the entire hot tub, you can help prevent sun damage to your cover.  During times when you are away or aren’t using your spa for extended periods of time, consider doing this.

It will help you preserve your investment.  Here are some how-to videos that will help you take care of your hot tub.

Not only do they get heavy, they become moldy and smelly if not maintained properly. Poorly made or cheap spa covers tend to get “heavy” faster and make the life of the owner just that much more difficult.

The purpose of a spa is relaxation, not frustration.

When the foam core of the cover starts to take on water, this is when it gets saturated and difficult to maneuver easily. The real culprit is bad insulation. Good, well made, solid hot tub covers prevent warping, saturation, and mold.

They last longer and save the owner money, not only because you don’t have to replace it as often, but because they maintain the water temperature more effectively, which saves on your electricity bills.

Besides, heavy covers can be dangerous, especially if children are trying to operate a tub.

This is very common because often during winter if you live in a locale where it snows, you will notice that the water inside your hot tub cools off.

You may notice that snow that collects on the top of your hot tub cover does not melt.  This does not mean that your spa is so well insulated that none of the heat is leaving through the spa cover.

You may also notice that the water in you tub is cooling.  This may lead to confusion, because if no heat is leaving your hot tub (which you assume because the snow does not melt), then why is the hot tub water cooling down.

This all goes back to the topic of insulation.  Your cover may not be up to snuff in this category.  Hot tub covers have a foam core generally covered in some type of nylon.  The foam core of your cover is what insulates heat.

The way it works is there are air particles trapped between tiny foam balls that are bound together.  The air that is trapped inside the foam stays the same temperature because it is trapped and does not move.

If you have a weak hot tub cover, the insulation may not be up to par.  The reason your hot tub is cooling off is because water inside the tub evaporates and condenses on the bottom side of the jacuzzi cover.  This water cools and falls back into the hot tub, cooling it off considerably.

Read how to properly maintain hot tub covers  and make them last.

Vinyl hot tub covers typically are treated with UV, cold crack, and mildew inhibitors.  These treatments help preserve the life of hot tub covers at the same time the cover preserves the life of your spa.

Deterring mold is a very important part in protecting the life of hot tub covers because mold makes them susceptible to wear and horrible smells.  There is nothing worse than a smelly hot tub cover.

You can get hot tub covers custom made to your own spa, or just choose from the many options there are available to you.  If you live in an area of extreme weather temperatures, you may want to look into purchasing a thicker, more durable cover.  But for most people, a typical vinyl hot tub cover will suffice.  They are strong enough, and unless you are expecting heavy snow or rainfall, this type of cover will work for you.

Aside from the fact that hot tub covers protect the inner-workings of your hot tub, they also protect it from plant life, mold, insects, and prevent animals and children from falling in.  A lot of spa covers have locking mechanisms that add to the protection they provide.

Taking care of your hot tub cover.

You not only want your hot tub cover to protect your spa, you also want to protect the cover from wear.

Hot tub covers that are well kept and cleaned regularly will benefit you greatly and will save you money over the long haul.

Hot tub covers aren’t difficult to maintain, but if you want them to last, there are some things you should know about how to protect them.

Use a quality UVA/UVB vinyl protectant four or five times a year. Do not use protectants that have petroleum or alcohol in them, like Armor-All, which will damage the vinyl on hot tub covers.

If you choose to use bromine, use as little as possible and make sure to wipe the surface of the cover down very well. You don’t want gas from the strong chemical to get stuck beneath the underside of the cover, which will make it brittle and wear it out.

Make sure to leave your hot tub cover open for a half-hour jet cycle just to clear out the system and make sure no such gases are caught inside the spa.

One thing that destroys hot tub covers (or at least makes them ridiculously heavy) is seepage of water getting into the foam core. The foam core has a plastic covering that you don’t want to get punctured. If it does get punctured, water will begin to seep into the very dry core of the cover and it may mold and will definitely get heavier.

To fix the problem of water getting into your hot tub covers core, use clear packaging tape to patch up any holes or tears in the plastic covering.

Hot tub covers tend to sag after a few years of use and after water seeps into the inner core, which will happen over time.

You can take the inner core out of hot tub covers and flip it over. This should reverse any sagging.

If you do this every six months as well as check the inner plastic seal for holes, then you shouldn’t have to look for hot tub covers anymore. Yours will last for years.

See the rest of this site for more information on jacuzzi covers.

If you already have a high quality cover, then you just want to make sure that it fits well and forms a perfect seal.

The quality of the seal on hot tub covers is very important because it determines how well the temperature on your spa will be controlled and how well you will keep things out that you don’t want to get in.

The investment in high quality hot tub covers is minimal when you consider how much money it will save you in the long run on your larger investment in your hot tub. A better hot tub cover will preserve more heat and will protect your hot tub more effectively than the lower quality cover that comes with your spa.

The R-value of hot tub covers is the measurement used to express how well a cover retains the flow of heat. The main factor that affects this measurement is the thickness of the cover. The higher the R-value, the better the cover insulates the hot tub.

An R-value of 15 is considered good enough to protect your hot tub and keep it at the proper temperature. Anything higher is not really distinguishable from the quality of an R-value 15.

The better hot tub covers retain heat, the better your hot tub will function, the more enjoyable it will be for you, and the more money you will save.

The ultimate goal is to keep the water inside the hot tub warm and to keep everything else out of the tub.

A better insulated spa cover offers more protection and heat maintenance. In addition to these positives, you want to remember that a good hot tub cover will be mildew-resistant. This is another thing to keep in mind because you don’t want to have a smelly or moldy cover.