Hot Tub Etiquette

The short version: keep the water at 104°F or below, shower before you get in, keep glass, food and soap out, keep children under 5 out entirely, don't drink alcohol before or during a soak, and put the cover back on and lock it every time you get out. If the water looks cloudy, smells strong or feels slimy, don't use it. Close the lid and call your host. The temperature, children, alcohol and pregnancy guidance here comes from the CDC and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The rest is what we've learned hosting guests in hot tub homes around North Lake Tahoe.

A private hot tub at a vacation rental isn't a hotel spa. There's no attendant, nobody tests the water between your soaks, and the "other bathers" are usually your own family and friends. So etiquette here means two things: keeping your group safe, and leaving the tub in the same condition you found it for the next soak.

Quick facts: hot tub safety at a glance

Before you get in

Read the house guide first

Every hot tub is different: where the controls are, how the cover lifter works, whether there's a separate button for the jets, and what the house rules say about hours and noise. Read the hot tub section of your house guide before the first soak, not at 10 pm in the dark with a cover you can't figure out how to lift.

Check the temperature

The CDC says hot tub water should not be higher than 104°F. The CPSC sets the same limit and adds that 100°F is safe for a healthy adult. The CPSC also notes that hot tub thermostats can be off by several degrees, so if something feels hotter than the panel says, trust your body. Don't raise the temperature past 104°F, even on a cold night.

Look at the water

Clean hot tub water is clear, and you can see the seats and floor. According to the CDC, a well-kept tub has little odor, and the tiles or surfaces shouldn't feel sticky or slippery. If the water is cloudy, green, foamy, or smells strongly of chemicals, don't get in. Skip to what to do if the water looks off.

Shower

The CDC recommends a shower before you get in. A quick rinse washes off sweat, sunscreen, lotion, makeup and hair product, which otherwise end up in the water, cloud it and use up the sanitizer. It makes a bigger difference than most people think, especially after a day at the beach or on the slopes.

Safety rules that actually matter

Kids

The CDC's guidance is plain: don't let children under 5 use hot tubs. For older kids, the CPSC recommends keeping young children away from spas unless there is constant adult supervision. Children heat up faster than adults, so keep their sessions short, keep the temperature lower and keep an adult within arm's reach. When the adults go inside, the cover goes on and gets locked, even if "we're coming right back."

Alcohol and medication

The CDC says don't drink alcohol before or during hot tub use. The CPSC warns that heavy drinking in a hot tub can cause drowsiness, then unconsciousness, then drowning. Hot water and alcohol both lower blood pressure and dehydrate you, and together they hit harder than either alone. The CPSC also says people taking medication that makes them drowsy shouldn't use hot tubs. If it's a celebration night, have the soak before the drinks, not after.

Pregnancy and medical conditions

If you're pregnant, the CDC says to talk to a healthcare provider before using a hot tub. The CPSC's warning is more specific: water above 102°F can harm a developing baby in the first three months, and pregnant women should keep to 100°F or below. The CPSC also advises anyone with heart disease, circulation problems, diabetes, or high or low blood pressure to check with a doctor first.

How long to soak

Neither the CDC nor the CPSC sets a time limit, so go by how you feel. A common rule of thumb is 15 to 20 minutes at a time near the top of the temperature range, then get out, cool off and have some water. Get out right away if you feel dizzy, nauseous, lightheaded or unusually sleepy. At Lake Tahoe's elevation, around 6,200 feet at the lake, many visitors notice they dehydrate and tire faster than at home, so keep a water bottle (plastic, not glass) by the tub.

Hair, drains and electricity

The CPSC lists hair entrapment, body entrapment and electric shock as real hot tub hazards. Tie up long hair and keep it away from drains and suction fittings. Don't sit on or block the drain. Keep phones, speakers and anything that plugs in well away from the water, and never run an extension cord to the tub. The CPSC also says to know where the pump's cut-off switch is so you can turn it off in an emergency. Find it before your first soak, and ask your host if you can't.

Illness

Stay out if you have diarrhea, as the CDC advises, and skip the soak if you have an open cut or a skin infection. Hot water is a good place for germs to spread through a group. Try not to swallow the water.

Etiquette for a shared rental hot tub

• Take turns in a big group. Most home hot tubs seat far fewer people than the house sleeps. Stay within the tub's seating, which is also the CDC's advice on maximum capacity, and rotate.
• Keep the volume down after dark. Water and quiet mountain air carry sound a long way. Your house rules list quiet hours. Neighbors hear hot tub conversations more than anything else a rental group does.
• No glass, ever. A broken glass in or around a hot tub can mean draining and cleaning the whole tub. Use plastic or metal cups.
• No food in the tub. Crumbs and spills clog filters and cloud the water.
• No soap, bubble bath or bath oils. They foam and upset the water balance. A hot tub is for soaking, not washing.
• Wear a clean swimsuit. Street clothes and cotton shed lint and dyes into the water.
• Leave the settings alone. Keep the temperature within the house guide's range and don't change filter or programming settings. If something doesn't seem right, ask.
• Towels stay dry. Bring a robe and sandals out with you so wet feet don't track dirt, pine needles and snow back into the water.

Cover and lid rules

The cover is the most important piece of hot tub equipment you'll touch. It keeps children and animals out, holds in the heat, and keeps pine needles and snow out of the water. The CPSC recommends always using a locked safety cover when the tub isn't in use.

1. Close it every time you get out, even for a short break inside. An open tub on a cold night loses heat quickly, and an open tub is a drowning risk for small children.
2. Fasten the straps or locks. If the cover has clips or locks, use them. Wind at Tahoe can lift an unclipped cover and damage it.
3. Use the lifter if there is one, and fold the cover the way the house guide shows. Don't drag it across the deck.
4. Don't sit, stand or put anything heavy on the cover. Covers aren't built to hold weight and crack or sag when used as a bench.
5. Two people for heavy or snow-loaded covers. A cover with snow or ice on it is heavier than it looks.

Cold-weather and snow tips

Soaking while it snows is one of the best parts of a Tahoe winter, and it takes a bit more care than a summer soak.

• Watch your footing. Decks and steps ice over fast after dark. Wear shoes or boots with grip out to the tub and back. Step carefully, and use a handrail if there is one.
• Clear snow gently. Brush light snow off the cover with a soft broom before lifting it. Don't chip ice or use a metal shovel on the cover, which tears the vinyl. If a big storm has buried the tub, tell your host rather than digging it out yourself.
• Keep the lid on between soaks. In freezing weather, an open tub cools quickly and takes a long time to reheat.
• Plan your exit. Put a robe, towel and sandals within reach of the tub before you get in. The walk back inside is the cold part.
• Wear a hat. Your body stays warm in the water, but wet hair can freeze on a cold night.
• Get out in lightning. In summer, afternoon thunderstorms roll over the Sierra. Get out of the water at the first thunder.

For more on a winter stay, see our Lake Tahoe in winter guide, or our Incline Village winter guide if you're staying on the Nevada side.

What to do if the water looks off

Water in a private tub can change quickly with heavy use, a big group or a hot day. Here are the signs to watch for, and what to do.

Two rules apply to all of these. First, don't add chemicals yourself. Guessing at doses makes things worse and can be dangerous. Second, call or message your host right away with a photo of the water and the control panel. That's the fastest way to get it looked at. For guests in our homes, the number is in your house guide, and our office line is (530) 317-0291.

About rashes: the CDC's page on preventing hot tub rash explains that it is usually caused by the germ Pseudomonas aeruginosa and tends to appear a few days after soaking in a poorly maintained tub. Mild cases usually clear up without treatment. See a healthcare provider if it gets worse or keeps coming back, and tell your host so the tub can be checked.

After your soak

1. Put the cover back on and fasten it.
2. Turn off any lights or jets you turned on, if the house guide asks you to.
3. Take everything back inside: cups, towels, phone and toys.
4. Shower with soap and wash your swimsuit. The CDC recommends both to help prevent hot tub rash.
5. Drink water.

A sample hot tub evening

Here's a plan that works for a family or group on a Tahoe winter night:

• Before dinner: Kids over 5 take a short soak with an adult in the tub, at a lower temperature. Then the cover goes back on.
• Dinner: Cook in, and keep drinks inside.
• After dinner: Adults take turns in the tub, 15 to 20 minutes each, with water bottles.
• By quiet hours: Last soak done, cover locked, deck lights off.

Finding a Tahoe rental with a hot tub

A number of our North Lake Tahoe homes have private hot tubs. The easiest way to see them all is our Lake Tahoe cabin rentals with a hot tub page, which lists every home with one. If you also want a fire going after the soak, see cabins with a fireplace. For bigger groups that will be taking turns, start with our large-group rentals.

Book direct with us for the lowest price on the same house. Our nightly prices on Airbnb are set 28% higher than on our own site, and on Vrbo 17% higher, to cover their fees. Every home page shows the dollar saving for your dates. See how booking direct works.

Questions before you book, like how many people a home's tub seats? Check our FAQs, call (530) 317-0291 or send us a note. When you're ready, search available homes for your dates.