Can I Use Bubble Bath or Regular Soap in an Ella Walk-In Tub?

Yes. Everyday soap, shampoo, body wash and bubble bath are all fine in an Ella walk-in tub, including the jetted models, and you can use them while the hydro or air jets are running. The one habit that changes from a standard bathtub is quantity: the jets whip soap into far more foam than a still tub does, so bubble bath is used sparingly and the tub is rinsed afterward. Can You Use Bubble Bath or Shampoo With the Jets Running? Managing Foam in a Jetted Walk-In Tub covers the foam question in depth, and this page answers the plainer one: which bath products count as soap and are always welcome, which ones only look like soap and are the real concern, and the simple routine that keeps the jet lines clean.

Soap Is Always Welcome, in Any Ella Tub

Any ordinary brand of body wash, shampoo or bar soap is fine for everyday use in an Ella walk-in tub, whether it is a soaking-only tub or a fully jetted one. These products rinse away with the bath water and leave nothing behind that the pump or jets object to. Nothing about the tub's plumbing, acrylic or door seal asks you to change the soap you already use at home.

The reason the question comes up at all is the jetting. A jetted Ella tub draws bath water in through the intake, pushes it through the pump and the in-line heater, and sends it back out through the jets, and anything in the water makes that trip too. Soap makes the trip without harm. The products that cause trouble are the ones that carry oils, dyes, glitter or floral material, and those are covered further down this page.

Bubble Bath: Yes, but a Fraction of the Usual Amount

Bubble bath is a soap, so it is allowed, and it can be used with the hydro or air jets on. What changes is how much you pour. In a standard bathtub a capful of bubble bath produces a pleasant layer of suds. In a jetted tub the hydro and air systems churn the water constantly, so the same capful produces a mountain of foam that can climb the walls and spill over the deck. A full lather of shampoo under the jets behaves the same way.

• Start with a small amount, far less than the bottle suggests.
• Let the jets run for a minute before deciding whether you want more.
• If the foam gets ahead of you, switch the jets off for a moment and it will settle.
• After the bath, rinse the tub and run the hand shower over the jets so soap film does not dry inside them.

Excess foam is a nuisance rather than a hazard. The reason the team asks you to use bubble bath sparingly and rinse afterward is the soap film that heavy suds can leave inside the lines once the water drains. A quick rinse keeps that film from building up between the monthly flushes described below, and it is the whole of the extra care that bubble bath asks for.

Three Kinds of Bubbles, Only One of Them from Soap

Part of the confusion comes from the word bubbles itself, because an Ella tub can make bubbles without any soap at all.

• Air massage bubbles. The air massage system pushes air through the jets around the seat for a soft, bubbly massage, and you change how strong it is with the push control. No product is involved, and the bubbles are gone the moment the system stops.
• Infusion microbubbles. On tubs with the Infusion microbubble option, one touch of the micro button generates billions of tiny bubbles from a single port, and the water turns from clear to completely cloudy as they fill the tub. Again, nothing is added to the water.
• Bubble bath foam. This is the only kind that comes from a product, and it is the only kind that leaves a residue to rinse away.

If what you want is a bubbly bath, the air massage already provides one. Bubble bath on top of it is a matter of taste, and the small-amount rule is how you enjoy both without a bathroom full of foam.

Products That Look Like Soap but Are Not Treated Like It

The products Ella asks you to be careful with share one trait: they leave something behind that water alone does not carry away.

• Bath bombs are the one product to leave out of any jetted Ella tub. Their oils, dye, glitter and floral bits lodge in the jets and can damage the pump system. They are fine only in a soaking-only tub with no jets, with a rinse afterward.
• Bath oils, bath beads and fragrance beads are discouraged. They can get stuck in the jet and air pumps and damage the motors, and damage caused that way falls outside the warranty. If you choose to use them anyway, plan on extra vinegar flushes and rinse the tub well.
• Scented or colored bath salts carry the same oils, dye and glitter concerns. If used, use sparingly, dissolve them fully and rinse thoroughly.
• Plain Epsom salts are fine once fully dissolved. The best practice is to enjoy the hydro, air or microbubble therapy first and add the dissolved salts for the still soak afterward, then drain promptly and wipe the chrome, because salt water that dries on chrome or stainless leaves spots that look very much like rust. Why Are There Rust Spots on My Tub's Stainless Threshold or Drain? explains how to tell those deposits from a finish problem.

The complete product list with a verdict for each is in Can I use Epsom salts, bath bombs, bubble bath, or oils in my walk-in tub?. If you like to pair bubbles with a salt soak, Can I Use Epsom Salt and Bubble Bath Together in My Walk-In Tub? lays out the order: bubbles during the therapy, salt for the soak.

The Routine That Keeps Soap Out of the Jet Lines

Jetted Ella tubs do part of the cleaning themselves. The ozone generator runs with the hydro system to sanitize the water, and the air system's Auto Purge starts automatically about 20 minutes after the air pump is turned off and runs for 120 seconds to blow residual water out of the air lines. It cannot be stopped and is normal even if it begins while you are still in the room. Neither feature removes soap film on its own, so a short routine finishes the job.

1. After every bath, rinse the tub and run the hand shower over the jets.
2. Twice a month, wipe the tub with a non-abrasive cleaner and clean around the intake screen. Avoid powders and abrasive pads, which can mark chrome and plated finishes.
3. Once a month, run the vinegar flush: combine 2 cups of white vinegar with 2 cups of water, fill the tub with water to 1 inch above the highest jets, add the mixture, run the tub for 10 minutes, then drain. The same flush is used before first use, and it clears anything that bubble bath or other additives have left in the lines. Flushing after every bath is not necessary.

If the jets have already seen bath bombs or oils before you read this, run the monthly flush now rather than waiting for the calendar. And if you are unsure about a particular product, ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, or open a request at ellasbubbles.com/support with your model and the product label.

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