Towel – check!

Sandals – check!

Robe – check!

Knit hat – check?

Hot tubbing in the depths of winter can require a slightly different approach. And, yes, that includes wearing a knit hat while you soak. Sounds a little odd, we know. But we’ll explain in our cold weather hot tubbing tips:

Tip #1 – Keep your spa at the right temperature

You probably know your hot tub water should never exceed 104°. In the winter, it can be tempting to turn it higher to combat the cold air temperatures. Don’t. With your head and neck above water in the cooler air, it can confuse your “internal thermometer.” There’s a good chance you’ll end up hotter than you realize, perhaps even crossing over into dangerous territory.

Instead, play it safe. Turn the thermostat down to 100 degrees (yes, really!), and consider limiting your soaking time to 15 minutes. And, wear that winter hat. It will help regulate your body temperature so you don’t become overheated.

Tip #2 – Remove the cover carefully

Granted, snow and ice are a rarity here. But should you ever find some on your hot tub lid, you want to remove as much as possible from the lid before taking the lid off of your spa. Otherwise, you could end up with the icy cold mess in your clean, hot water. And that’s definitely a situation you want to avoid.

Tip #3 – Create an exit strategy

Any other time of year, you leisurely get out of your hot tub, dry off, and make your way to the house. But on the coldest days of the year? You want to be immediately enveloped in warmth and indoors as quickly as possible. You can do it – but you need a plan.

Make sure you take a towel, robe and sandals or other shoes with you to your hot tub. If it happens to be raining or snowing, you’re going to need a way to keep these items dry while you’re in the hot tub. We suggest wrapping them in plastic – a large trash bag can work well.

Then, when you’re done enjoying the hot water and powerful jets of your Master Spas hot tub, you can quickly be warm and dry before you’re ever back inside.

Of course, no matter the time of year basic hot tub safety and use rules apply, like keeping the water clean and sanitized.