Bonfire Night and Your Hot Tub: Fireworks, Sparks and the Morning After

Bonfire Night falls on Thursday 5 November this year, and plenty of displays and garden parties will run across the weekends either side. If you have a hot tub, it's tempting to plan the evening around it. A warm soak under the fireworks is a lovely way to spend a cold night, but sparks, ash and spent fireworks don't mix well with a spa or its cover. A little planning before the first rocket goes up saves you a clean-up job, or a damaged cover, the next morning.

Before the fireworks start

Keep fires and fireworks well away from the spa

Choose your bonfire, fire pit or launch spot with the hot tub in mind. Wind carries sparks and ash further than you'd expect, so put the fire downwind of the spa and well clear of it, its cover and any gazebo or shelter over it. Every firework has a minimum safe distance printed on it. Treat that as the distance between the firework and everyone watching, including anyone in the water, and never light anything from the hot tub deck or steps.

If you're hosting, give one sober adult the job of lighting fireworks and running the fire. That person stays out of the tub for the evening.

Clip and lock the cover

Until you're actually using the spa, keep the cover on with every strap clipped and locked. That keeps ash, sparks and firework debris out of the water, and it stops children climbing in unsupervised while the adults are busy. Our guidance on caring for your hot tub cover is clear on this: never leave an uncovered hot tub unattended, and never leave a covered one unlocked.

Check the clips a few days beforehand. If one is cracked or missing, the Universal Repair Cover Clip set (£19.95) replaces broken latches. Each clip opens and closes without a key and locks with a twist key.

If you're soaking while the fireworks go off

Watching a display from the water is one of the nicest things about owning a hot tub in November. A few rules keep it that way:

• Fold the cover fully onto its lifter or lay it flat well away from the fire. Don't leave it propped against the spa where sparks can reach it.
• Use plastic cups only. Glass and bare feet don't mix in the dark.
• Avoid alcohol before or during a soak. Warm water and alcohol both make you drowsy, and the NHS explains the risks of drinking too much. If you've been drinking, give the tub a miss.
• Take breaks. BISHTA, the British and Irish Spa and Hot Tub Association, recommends a maximum of 15 minutes before a break, with water to drink.
• Light the path from the house to the spa. Wet steps and a dark lawn cause more slips than the tub itself, as we explain in our guide to getting your hot tub ready for dark evenings.

When the display finishes, put the cover back on and lock it before everyone heads inside. Our hot tub safety guide covers temperatures, session length and health advice in more detail. If you have a heart condition, blood pressure problems or another health condition, speak to your GP before you soak.

Sparklers and children

Sparklers burn very hot and stay hot after they go out, so keep them away from the spa altogether. Hand them out on the lawn, well away from the hot tub and its cover, and have a bucket of water ready for the spent ones. Nobody should hold a sparkler in the tub or wave one over the water.

If children are using the hot tub during the evening, keep the water at about 36°C for under-12s and have a named adult in or beside the tub the whole time. BISHTA reports medical advice that children under four shouldn't use a hot tub at all. Our page on keeping kids safe in your hot tub has the full checklist.

The morning after: a quick clean-up

Even with the cover on, ash and firework casings tend to end up on it and around the spa. Work through these steps before the first soak of the next day:

1. Clear the cover before you open it. Brush off ash and debris so it doesn't slide into the water when you lift the cover. If it needs washing, use mild soap and clean water. Never use a pressure washer, solvents or strong detergents on the vinyl.
2. Check for marks. Look over the vinyl for scorch marks or small holes, especially on the side nearest the fire.
3. Skim the surface. A Leaf Skimmer Net (£20) with its 35cm telescopic aluminium handle lifts out floating ash, paper and bits of firework before they reach the filter.
4. Rinse the filter. Take the cartridge out and hose off anything that has washed in.
5. Test the water. Test Strips x 50 (£5.99) read chlorine, pH and total alkalinity. Each bottle holds 50 strips in five blister packs of 10, which keeps them dry between uses.
6. Shock if needed. After a busy evening with several bathers, or if the water looks dull, Non-Chlorine Spa Shock (1kg, £25) breaks down the organic waste your filter can't catch and helps your chlorine work properly without raising chlorine levels. Take the cover off completely while you dose and for 30 minutes afterwards, so splashes can't reach the vinyl.

Bonfire Night hot tub questions

Can I watch the fireworks from the hot tub?

Yes, as long as the fireworks are being lit at the distance printed on them, by someone who isn't in the water, and the spa isn't downwind of the bonfire. Keep the cover well away from the fire while it's off.

Is bonfire ash bad for my hot tub water?

A small amount that you skim off quickly is easy to deal with. The bigger problem is ash and debris that sinks or gets into the filter, which uses up your sanitiser and can leave the water dull. Skim, rinse the filter, test and shock if needed.

What if an ember lands on the cover?

Brush it off straight away rather than leaving it to burn out. Afterwards, check the vinyl for a scorch mark or hole. A small hole can let rain into the foam core, and a waterlogged cover gets heavier and insulates poorly.

If you'd like advice on your cover, water care or anything else before the big night, call our team on 01293 824094. Enjoy the fireworks.