How do I clean a walk-in tub, including the floor and jets?

Cleaning an Ella walk-in tub comes down to a short routine. Wipe the acrylic, the seat and the floor of the tub with a non-abrasive cleaner about twice a month, keep the door seal and the pump intake clear, and on a jetted tub run a vinegar flush through the lines once a month. A soaking tub with no jets skips the flush entirely, which is why Soaking Walk-In Tub vs Jetted Tub: Which Is Easier to Maintain? calls the soaker the easiest Ella tub to care for. This guide takes the job surface by surface, starting with the cleanout you do before your first bath.

Before Your First Bath: The Initial Cleanout

A new jetted tub needs one flush after installation and before anyone bathes in it. The recipe is the same one you will use every month afterward:

1. Fill the tub with water to one inch above the highest jets.
2. Combine 2 cups of white vinegar with 2 cups of water and add the mixture to the bath.
3. Run the tub for 10 minutes.
4. Drain the tub completely.

The first video on this page shows the sequence on a newly installed tub, from filling past the jets to the final drain. Use the measurements listed here; if a video or an older printed guide gives a different amount of vinegar or a different run time, the figures above are the current ones. A soaking tub has no jet lines, so it needs no initial cleanout beyond a wipe-down.

The Acrylic, the Seat and the Bottom of the Tub

The shell, the seat and the floor are one acrylic surface, and they are cleaned the same way. About twice a month, wipe them with a non-abrasive cleaner and a soft, non-abrasive towel, then rinse. Dawn dish detergent is one of the approved cleaners, and the second video shows the kind of gentle cleaner that lifts soap film without touching the finish. Abrasive cleansers will damage the surface of the tub, so leave scouring powders and gritty pads out of the bathroom.

The bottom of the tub collects the most residue because everything settles there, so give the floor and the footwell a little extra attention and run the hand shower over it afterward to rinse the cleaner away. Two habits keep the floor cleaner between wipe-downs:

• Skip bath bombs on a jetted tub. Their ingredients can damage the pump system, and the residue clings to the floor and the jets. On a soaking tub, bath salts and oils simply rinse away with the drain.
• Catch hair before it reaches the drains. A silicone pop-up drain protector from a hardware store is the team's suggestion.

The Door and the Seal

The seal is the part of the door that keeps the bathroom dry, so it gets its own step. On the stainless steel inward-swing door fitted to the Elite, Petite, Royal, Deluxe, Ultimate, Companion and Escape, wipe the brushed frame and the frosted glass with a mild, non-abrasive cleaner and clean the seal with rubbing alcohol. That door is removable, so from time to time lift it out, clean the seal all the way around and wipe the tub wall behind it. What Is the Stainless Steel Inward-Swing Door on a Walk-In Tub? explains how the door locks and why you should never lean on it or use it to lower yourself into the seat, since the door and seal warranty depends on the alignment staying as installed.

Whatever door your tub has, leave it open when the tub is not in use. That lets the seal dry between baths instead of staying compressed, and it is the single easiest thing you can do for the life of the seal. On the outward-swing doors, the frame and glass panel take the same mild, non-abrasive cleaner you use on the acrylic.

Jets, the Pump Intake and the Monthly Flush

A jetted tub does part of this work on its own. Ozone sterilization runs whenever the hydro jets are on, and on tubs with air massage the Auto Purge starts automatically 20 minutes after the air pump is turned off and runs for 120 seconds to blow residual water out of the air lines. Auto Purge cannot be stopped, and it is normal for it to start while you are still in the tub. The second video shows both systems and the wipe-down routine.

Once a month, do the rest in one session:

1. Clear hair and debris from the pump inlet cover, the suction grate where the hydro pump draws water in, and wipe it with a non-abrasive towel and an approved cleaner. What Is the Pump Inlet Cover on a Walk-In Tub? shows what it looks like and why a clogged cover makes the jets feel weak.
2. Run the vinegar flush: fill to one inch above the highest jets, add 2 cups of white vinegar mixed with 2 cups of water, run the tub for 10 minutes and drain.

The flush clears mineral deposits and calcification from the lines before they build up. Flushing after every bath is not necessary. If the jets are weak or debris appears from them, check the inlet cover first and run a flush before assuming the pump is at fault.

The Glass Shower Screen, the Chrome and a Calendar at a Glance

If your tub has the 4-fold shower screen, clean the glass with warm soapy water and a lint-free cloth after use. Never use alcohol, petroleum liquids or chemical cleaners on the screen, and never anything gritty. Rubbing alcohol belongs on the door seal only, not on the screen glass or its hinges. What Is the 4-Fold Shower Screen on a Walk-In Tub? also explains the rubber gasket along the bottom of the screen: it should angle inward toward the tub and brush the deck lightly, and if water shows up at the bottom of the screen the fix is to level the screen and reset its height rather than to clean harder.

Put together, the routine looks like this:

• After every bath: rinse the floor, and leave the door open.
• About twice a month: wipe the acrylic, seat, floor, door frame and glass with a non-abrasive cleaner.
• Once a month on a jetted tub: clear the pump inlet cover, clean the door seal, and run the vinegar flush.
• Once, before the first bath on a jetted tub: the same vinegar flush.

Before you open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 about a cleaning or jet problem, have your model and serial number, a photo of the inlet cover and a note of when the last flush was done.

Related Guides

• Which cleaners are safe for my walk-in tub, and which chemicals should I avoid?
• Can You Use a Bath Bomb in a Jetted Walk-In Tub?
• How Do I Clean the Jet Lines on My Walk-In Tub?

Common Questions