Using bath bombs in a whirlpool tub

By Benjamin Clarke | Published on 26th April 2022

Getting some bath bombs from high street retailers like Lush or The Body Shop can seem like a natural way to increase the fun and relaxation of your bathing experience. But a common question that many people have is regarding whether or not they are suitable for use in whirlpool tubs and spa baths.

It's a fair enough concern, because the last thing you would want to do is to damage the water jets within your spa bath by adding something that is supposed to enhance your experience. While some bath bombs are fine, there are some that are definitely not suitable for use in a jetted bath.

What are bath bombs?

Bath bombs were actually invented in the late 80s by the founder of Lush Cosmetics and were initially inspired by the way Alka-Seltzer fizzes and disperses when dropped in water.

Bath bombs, or 'Aqua Sizzlers', as they were originally known, usually contain a mixture of oil, salts and other components that are released when they are dropped into a bath, often accompanied with an exciting fizzing effect.

Many bath bombs contain a straightforward combination of Epsom salt, citric acid and baking soda, which are not likely to cause any harm to a bath. If you are wanting to have bath bombs in your whirlpool bath, then a combination of these types of ingredients should not cause you any problems. A good rule to follow with bath bombs is the fewer ingredients the better.

Bath bombs to avoid

Dyes

Unfortunately, not all bath bombs contain simple ingredients such as those mentioned above. For extra excitement and effect, a lot of bath bombs contain dyes.

These dyes change the colour of the water and can initially look fantastic, really altering the atmosphere of your bath. However, they are also capable of staining your bath tub, particularly if you like a long soak or the bath is not rinsed down sufficiently afterwards.

As most baths standard or jet) tend to be white and made of acrylic, then can to be susceptible to staining, so you really need to make the decision as to whether a brief bit of colourful fun is worth the extra cleaning or the possibility that the colour won't fully come out.

Glitters

To really enhance bath time and to create some Instagramable moments, a lot of bath bombs contain glitter or equally concerning variants such as petals or confetti. As long as you're happy to do the extra clean up afterwards, then these types of bath bombs are not so bad for standard baths. Whether you happy for all this debris to go down the plughole is another matter and we wouldn't recommend you use them too often.

For whirlpool tubs however, it is definitely not recommended that you use bath bombs that contain any such elements. Glitter or confetti could easily get caught in the jets and drainage system of your whirlpool bath and quickly create some problems.

Whirlpool baths are not cheap so we would recommend you stay away from glittery bath bombs to help keep it working in top condition and prolong its lifespan.

Moisturiser and oils

Some bath bombs contain a creamy moisturiser or an essential oil as part of the 'explosion'. While admittedly these could help your skin to feel great, they're not ideal for use in jetted bath tubs.

The oil within the bath bomb concoction will quickly cause a build up of residue on the surface or the water and on the bath tub itself. Upon draining the oils are likely to be transferred into the jets and the inner workings of the system. Doing this on a regular basis will start to cause problems with the jet system, possibly causing blockages or at least to compromise to power of the jets.

These oils can also attract debris, change the ph balance of the water and create hygiene issues in the medium to longer term.

Bubble bath

Some bombs can contain bubble bath so that you get that lovely bubbling effect we tend to associate with a classic soak in the tub.

This is fine for regular baths and will usually enhance your experience, but they are completely unsuited for a rigorous jet system, which may send bubbles overflowing over the side.

What can I use?

Ideally, we'd advise to stay away from using bath bombs in your whirlpool tub altogether. While you can read the ingredients and thing you're just getting some simple Epsom salts, it's easy to overlook something that might be harmful to your tub. You'll only realise once the bath bomb has been added, which is obviously too late.

Whirlpool baths already have to cope with hair, skin and our natural oils, so you really have to question whether you want to add additional debris into the mix.

If you're still planning to use a bath bomb then do your best to avoid the damaging ingredients we've outlined above and make sure you give your spa bath a rigorous clean after using. We'd also recommend that you have your bath maintained on a fairly regular basis in order to prolong the life of your jet bath and ensure the bath doesn't stop working prematurely.

A good quality whirlpool bath that contains a variety of settings, some LED mood lighting and perhaps a bluetooth sound system should be enough to create your idea spa bath experience, making extra additions like bath bombs to be completely unnecessary.

View our high quality whirlpool baths

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• Our quick and simple bathtub buying guide

• Everything you need to know about Epsom salts

• What products can you use in whirlpool baths?

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