What Is the Vinegar Flush on a Walk-In Tub?

The vinegar flush is Ella's canonical way of cleaning the jet lines inside a walk-in tub. You mix 2 cups of white vinegar with 2 cups of water, fill the tub to 1 inch above the highest jets, add the mixture, run the pumps for 10 minutes, then drain. Owners also call it the jet flush, the system flush or the vinegar clean, and the same recipe is used before the first bath and once a month after that.

How It Works

The air and hydro systems on an Ella tub are fully plumbed, so anything in the bath water can travel through the lines. The vinegar and water mix helps prevent mineral deposits and calcification and loosens soap and oil residue in those lines. Filling to 1 inch above the highest jets makes sure every line is submerged, and running the pumps for 10 minutes circulates the mixture through every jet, including the microbubble lines and the air jets, before it all goes down the drain.

The flush is not needed after every bath precisely because the systems are plumbed and self-contained; before first use and monthly is the published routine. Pair the flush with cleaning the pump inlet cover of hair and debris each month, as described in how to clean and maintain your walk-in tub month by month.

Which Ella Models Have It

The vinegar flush applies to every Ella walk-in tub with a hydro massage, air massage or microbubble system. The recipe is the same across the range, so one routine covers whichever therapy package your tub has.

What to Know as an Owner

Do the first flush before your first bath; before your first bath has the full first-use checklist. Then put the monthly flush on the calendar. It is also the fix for weak jets and for black flakes or slime coming from the jets, which are usually residue from bath bombs, oils and salts; black flakes or slime from the jets explains the causes and the fix. Bleach is not part of Ella's instructions.

Stick to the cleaners listed in approved cleaners and chemicals to avoid and follow the bath products rules, since avoiding bath bombs keeps the lines clean between flushes. If debris persists after a flush done exactly as written, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with your serial number, a photo of what is coming from the jets and a note on which bath products have been used.

Can I Use Nutra-Max Instead of Vinegar?

Yes. Ella's technical support has confirmed that Nutra-Max, a cleaner made for jetted tubs, is safe for an Ella walk-in tub and can be used to cleanse and disinfect the hydro massage system in place of the vinegar and water mixture. It will not harm the tub. Vinegar remains the standard routine, so Nutra-Max is simply an option if you prefer a purpose-made jetted-tub cleaner.

The Nutra-Max routine is a little different from the vinegar flush:

1. Fill the tub with warm water until the water level is above the highest jet.
2. Add 2 cups of Nutra-Max to the water.
3. Run the hydro jets for 20 minutes.
4. Drain the tub as soon as the 20 minutes are up.

Use it on the same once-a-month rhythm as the vinegar flush. It is not needed after every bath, because the air and hydro systems are fully plumbed and the ozone generator that runs with the hydro massage system helps disinfect the hydro lines between cleanings. Technical support gives the same monthly guidance even for a tub that is used every other day.

Related Guides

• Why Is the Water From My Walk-In Tub Rusty or Brown?
• How to Narrow Down an Ella Walk-In Tub by Space, Door Side and Therapy
• Can You Use Bubble Bath or Shampoo With the Jets Running? Managing Foam in a Jetted Walk-In Tub
• Can I Use My Jetted Ella Walk-In Tub as a Plain Soaking Tub With the Jets Off?
• Can You Use a Bath Bomb in a Jetted Walk-In Tub?
• Does the Monthly Vinegar Flush Clean the Air Massage Lines Too?

Common Questions