Never use a pressure washer or dishwasher on a spa filter — both destroy the pleats. A garden hose and a chemical soak are what the material is designed for.
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Rinsing and soaking do different jobs
A hose rinse clears debris and the loose layer sitting on the surface of the pleats. It's quick, and it's the one most people actually do. What it cannot touch is the body oil and lotion that wicks down into the fabric — that's a chemical problem, and it needs a filter cleaner soak to dissolve. This is why a spa filter can look perfectly clean, having been rinsed every fortnight for a year, and still be strangling your jet pressure.
The overnight soak
Pull the filter, rinse it first so the cleaner isn't wasted on surface debris, then submerge it fully in a bucket of filter-cleaner solution overnight. Rinse thoroughly afterwards — leftover cleaner going back into the spa causes foaming — and let it dry if you have a spare to swap in. Owning two filters and alternating them is the single best upgrade for anyone who finds the downtime annoying.
What a clogged filter actually costs you
Flow drops first, so jets weaken and heating slows. Then the water goes cloudy, because the filter is no longer removing what your sanitizer can't. Many people respond to that cloudiness by adding more chemicals, which doesn't help — the water is dirty in a way chlorine doesn't address. A clogged filter also makes the pump work harder against resistance, which is the expensive failure at the end of the chain. If your water is cloudy and the chemistry tests fine, check the filter before you dose anything.
Knowing when it's finished
Filters wear out. After roughly a year of normal use the pleats stop coming clean, the fabric starts to look permanently grey, and flow never quite returns to where it was. Fraying edges or a cracked end cap mean replace it now rather than at the next milestone — a filter that isn't sealing properly is letting debris straight past into the plumbing.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I clean my hot tub filter?
Rinse it every two weeks, deep-soak it in filter cleaner monthly, and replace it about once a year. Heavy use shortens all three. The rinse takes five minutes with a hose; the soak takes overnight, which is why most people skip it — and why most spa filters underperform long before they actually wear out.
What's the difference between rinsing and soaking a spa filter?
A hose rinse removes debris and the loose surface layer. It does nothing about the body oils and lotion that soak into the pleats — those need a chemical soak to dissolve. A filter that's only ever been rinsed can look clean and still be badly clogged, which shows up as weak jets and cloudy water.
Can I clean a hot tub filter with a pressure washer?
Don't. The pressure drives debris deeper into the pleats and can tear the fabric or separate it from the end caps. A regular garden hose with a spray nozzle, working between each pleat, is what the material is built for.
When should I replace my spa filter instead of cleaning it?
About once a year with normal use, or sooner if the pleats are permanently grey after a soak, the fabric is fraying, or the end caps are cracked. A filter that no longer comes clean is done — cleaning it again won't restore flow, and a clogged filter makes the pump work harder.