Kohler does have a jet tub cleaning page. Have you tried their recommendation?

Add 2 teaspoons of a low-foaming, powder automatic dishwashing detergent and 20 ounces of household bleach (5% to 6% sodium hypochlorite) to the water.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kohler - Flushing Your Whirlpool

Yeah, I wish I had tried it so that they either would have come back or given me my money back. I was just so fed up with it at that point that I stopped caring, which was why my husband had the cleaners come in the first place.

I have been using the Ahh-some cleaner, and the past 3 times I've also used bleach. I read a lot of posts at various forums where people thought things looked clean with just the bleach, but then tried the Ahh-some and were amazed at how much crap came out still. About 20 ounces each time, I saw that amount recommend somewhere. I put it in as the tub is filling, and then I run the jets for about 15-20 mins before draining.

If I scraped all the "gunk" off the sides of the tub and mashed it all into a measuring cup, we're talking like 1/4 cup maybe. Enough so that when I fill the tub with nothing it in to color the gunk, I can still see it swirling around in the tub.

Kohler's website says to use the dishwasher soap/bleach method.

I'm having my husband pick up some dishwasher soap & more bleach, as well as cheesecloth to keep the small particles from being sucked back up into the filter.

I'll keep in mind that the pipes are plastic - I didn't realize that, and I wouldn't want to punch a hole in any of them!

I guess I'm just frustrated. If cleaning it out 10+ times, with "professionals" trying their hand at it, is it even possible to clean it out at this point? At what point do I just give up?...

When you use the bleach I would run your jets for a few minutes and let it sit. Go back every 15 minutes for the first hour. Let it sit a couple hours and run your jets again. Do this every fifteen minutes for another hour and let it sit again. You don't have to run the jets for more than a couple minutes. What you are trying to achieve is to let the bleach soak and slowly remove the crud. You keep using the old solution. When you finally drain, I would put clean water up to the top of the jets and run through. If you do have small children in the house make sure and protect them from accidental drowning.

On the Kohler site, I thought the idea of the dishwasher detergent with the bleach sounded like a good idea. Though I would think the liquid dishwasher detergent would disperse better through the water.

The movement of the water, with the long soaks, should help remove the crud from the lines. When we soak coolers, that have been used to contain bloody salmon, we let them sit overnight. The RV sits for at least a couple hours before the lines are flushed.

Another option might be to try the cleaners that they make for front load washers. Tide makes one. It does state for a washer, with issues, that you have to use it for three consecutive weeks. Afterwards you need to use once a month. (You probably need to do this protocol with whatever method works.) Have never tried them so don't know if they would really create a lot of suds in a jetted tub. Maybe someone in the laundry site could comment on whether they thought they would create too many suds.

Just a FYI they do make ozonators for jetted tubs. My neighbor has one on her tub. I had one on our hot tub/spa. They do work. But I don't know if they can be retrofitted to an existing whirlpool tub.

Here is a link that might be useful: Luxury Spas Facts About Ozone Sterilization

I managed to do 4-5 "sessions" this weekend with a variety of mixtures of Ahh-some, bleach, and Cascade. The Cascade foamed a little bit, but nothing catastrophic!

I'll keep the soaking suggestion in mind when I have time to do it again. It definitely takes a time commitment between scrubbing the tub, filling it, letting it run, draining it, and scrubbing it again! The photo is of the tub in question - it's a corner one, so it takes a lot of water just to cover the jets.

The place I get my pedicure runs bleach water through their jets for 10 minutes. I don't know how much bleach they use. My husband did all the repairs on our plumbing and I never saw a clean water pipe. They always had a residue of soft mushy stuff, even the pipes we drank from. I don't know if that can be stopped. I would just worry about germs and use a bleach mixture. You might visit a place that sells tubs like that and talk to them.

If all that fails and you decide the only thing left is to replace the tub, I'd suggest an air jetted tub. I think all the major tub brands have one, but Bain Ultra was the first. Nothing but air goes thru those lines. Our remodel is almost 5 years old. I use the jets 99% of the time :)
Monica

I have to tell you that when we built our house in 1998 our builder convinced me to put in another whirlpool tub you know for "resale". I did NOT want one becasue we had one in our other house and yes there was that black crud that would float around in the tub when you wanted to use it. It was gross. I vowed I'd never have another one but then got talked into it by being promised that things had changed and that my old tub probably had sagging lines and that water had pooled in the sag and mildewed. Ok so the new house on the very first use had the black crud floating in the water.

Needless to say, I was NOT going to sit in mildew so some years went by and we never used the tub and then my husband just capped the jets so that I could at least take a bath. More years go by and one day we just ripped the awful thing out. I put in a soaker tub reminiscent of a claw foot but modern looking and on a pedestal instead of feet. I could not be happier. I do not miss the old tub and I love how much more room is in the bathroom. I hate that we were talked into another whirlpool tub by our builder. What a waste of money.

BTW, some people think that the newer type air jet tubs will be free of mildew but from what people tell me it's the same and the air makes the water cold. Not an enjoyable experience. I had considered this so I'm glad I dodged yet another bullet. I have to say when it comes to bathtubs, less is more. Go back to the future and get an old style of tub made with new materials as soon as budget allows, You won't be sorry! Mine is a Victoria + Albert brand the York model. It's a little narrower than I thought it would be so check out the MTI Linda tub if you want a little more room at the base of the tub. Price was what decided our choice or else there would be an MTI Linda tub in our bathroom! Good luck!

I have to tell you that when we built our house in 1998 our builder convinced me to put in another whirlpool tub you know for "resale". I did NOT want one becasue we had one in our other house and yes there was that black crud that would float around in the tub when you wanted to use it. It was gross. I vowed I'd never have another one but then got talked into it by being promised that things had changed and that my old tub probably had sagging lines and that water had pooled in the sag and mildewed. Ok so the new house on the very first use had the black crud floating in the water.

Needless to say, I was NOT going to sit in mildew so some years went by and we never used the tub and then my husband just capped the jets so that I could at least take a bath. More years go by and one day we just ripped the awful thing out. I put in a soaker tub reminiscent of a claw foot but modern looking and on a pedestal instead of feet. I could not be happier. I do not miss the old tub and I love how much more room is in the bathroom. I hate that we were talked into another whirlpool tub by our builder. What a waste of money.

BTW, some people think that the newer type air jet tubs will be free of mildew but from what people tell me it's the same and the air makes the water cold. Not an enjoyable experience. I had considered this so I'm glad I dodged yet another bullet. I have to say when it comes to bathtubs, less is more. Go back to the future and get an old style of tub made with new materials as soon as budget allows, You won't be sorry! Mine is a Victoria + Albert brand the York model. It's a little narrower than I thought it would be so check out the MTI Linda tub if you want a little more room at the base of the tub. Price was what decided our choice or else there would be an MTI Linda tub in our bathroom! Good luck!

Hummm, I wonder what I'm doing right. I've had a Bain Ultra Air tub for almost 5 years. Use it 95%+ of the time. I've never had any black or any other color gunk come out the holes.
Yes, the air does tend to cool down the water faster than a water jetted tub, but there tips and tricks to help with that. I'm completely happy with my Bain Ultra air tub :)

I think one mistake people with air tubs make is not using the dryer if they don't use jets. You can't do that. Water gets in those little wholes even if you don't use the jets so you still have to use the dryer. That's probably the problem, which is user error.

Do NOT use liquid dish washing soap. It will suds you to death! My mom did it. They mean to use soap meant for dishwashers. Not the same thing!

I have the Kohler air bubble tubs in my girls bathrooms and they are terrible!!! I have little black mold dots covering each of the holes all the way around the tub. I do have them use the air cycles... It should come with a pipe cleaner for cleaning.

Might try going to the swimming pool supply store. Tell them you have greasy black algae.
Pretend its a swimming pool. Chemical it up.. let it run.

I have a Jacuzzi jetted tub in our master bath and I love it and use it all the time. There is no gunk or ick in the jets because they self drain when the jets are turned off and no water sits in them. About once a month, I fill the tub to cover the jets, add about a cup of plain old bleach, then turn them on and let them run for about 5 minutes. Besides cleaning the tub itself every week and wiping it out when I use it, that's all I ever do to it.

My SIL gave her kids oatmeal baths in her whirlpool tub when then had skin problems Bad idea folks.

I went to a plumbing show room to pick out new faucets and ask about the whirlpool jets growing algae. She said it will do it if you don't use it. If you use it often it will keep the jets flushed out and that stuff will not grow. She did not tell me how to fix that.

Aurora..i'm exactly where you are. I finally got it to the most minimal amount of debris when i decide to plug the jet for a sec with my finger so the liquid can swirl inside....omg i was at square one again. Disgusting. Hydrovac in the east coast sounds legit....but i dont see them in west coast :/

we bought the house build in 1998 also with Kohler whirlpool tub. We are using it since we moved in 2013. I never saw any black gunk coming out of it, ever. I actually never cleaned it myself after the first cleaning once moved it. Maybe my cleaning lady does something magic to it ( I doubt it), but I really never saw any black stuff coming out of it.

I would try to clean the jets with q tip, to remove as much build up from them as possible.

If it were me I would have it removed and a reg tub put in. You have to use them regularly and clean them often if you don't. You never know what bad stuff is in the tubes even if it looks clean.

If you ever get it clean and decide to use it, don't run the jets after you have put anything on your body or hair or into the water. No matter what you use, it increases the likelihood of gunking up the pipes. I get in, whirlpool for a bit, turn it off, then start washing myself. I have not had to do the dishwasher soap and bleach thing in the 2+ yr we have had this one.

I found this inexpensive product called Plumb Clean (the one with the yellow label), that when used as directed, has effectively worked in my whirlpool bath. I use it regularly and have had no black yucky flakes or oily residue in my bath! Finally I can take a relaxing bath again and not have to worry about disgusting germs! Awesome! P.S…I wonder why the kitchen and bath manufacturers don’t tell you this…bleach can ruin your plastic seals in your tub and then you have bigger issues.
http://www.kitchenbathsinks.net/products/Plumb-Clean-Whirlpool-%26-Airbath-Cleaner-%28single-bottle%29.html

Did you ever solve your tub problem? I have the same situation as yours. My problem was my fault because I never knew you had to clean the jets. After using every problem solver out there I still have a problem.

Not completely, no. I probably did ~25 sessions or so using the Ahh-some bio cleaner, and while the amount of debris was certainly less than where I started, it never completely went away. We actually sold that house over a year ago, so no longer a problem for me. But I'd definitely never put a jetted tub in a house. I'd just get a hot tub instead!

Having the same issue. No matter how many times I run Oh Yuk, or bleach through it, there is still brown slime coming out. I'm thinking of trying oxy-clean. Has anyone tried this?

Have you tried the 'Plumb Clean' from the comment above? It has worked every time for me. Bleach is not good for your pipes.

http://www.kitchenbathsinks.net/products/Plumb-Clean-Whirlpool-%26-Airbath-Cleaner-%28single-bottle%29.html

Here is the Product Description for 'Plumb Clean' from their website. Lots of valuable info there!

Product Description
Whirlpool Bath Cleaner The Best Whirlpool And Air Bath Cleaner Plumb Clean has been developed to target unsanitary issues surrounding whirlpool bath recirculation plumbing and air channels for blower systems. Between uses of the whirlpool or air blower system, residual water is trapped in the plumbing containing body oils, exfoliated skin, hair and soap residue. The balanced blend of surfactants combines with metal brighteners to attack the soap scum, hard water scale, and the mold growing on it. The product is formulated to break the bond of these deposits from the internal surfaces of the bath's pipes and fittings. It does a good job cleaning the exposed surfaces, too. Hard water scale can build up quietly, and along with oily residues from soap, bath & body oils, emollients, sunscreens, and exfoliated skin cells become nutrients for a biological culture in the dark, wet pipes when the system has lain dormant for several days. Bacteria and mold thrive in this kind of environment and need a no-nonsense cleaner to flush them out of their hideout. Plumb Clean will create an environment that is unfavorable for growth of organisms, mold and fungi. By removing their food and lodging surfaces, the microbiological elements have no place to form a home. Plumb Clean provides a simple & convenient cleaning solution. Just pour 2 oz. of Plumb Clean into dirty bathwater after bathing, operate the whirlpool or air blower system for 2 - 5 minutes, then drain the bathwater. This simple process keeps the system clean of all debris. Regular use of Plumb Clean keeps the recirculation system clean. Plumb Clean is safe to use in all bath materials including; cultured marble, acrylic, fiberglass, cast iron or ABS plastics. Plumb Clean does not harm the rubber seals or connections in the pump & plumbing system, unlike bleach. Plumb Clean is non-toxic and safe when used as directed.

Yes, you NEED Oh Yuk -- oh yes you do and oh yes it is yucky when you see all the gunk that will come out of the pipes the first time you use it... You might have to do a couple cycles to get all the grossness out, but after that once a week will do, depending on frequency of tub use. I add a drop or two of dishwashing liquid to the water with the Oh Yuk - has the added bonus of cleaning the tub for me, all I have to do is drain, quickly wipe down and rinse - viola! sparking clean tub and pipes.

I also tried the Oh Yuk product but it didn't work for the grossness I had in my tub pipes. My tub had been sitting for a while unused. But Plumb Clean did the job and has been working like a charm every time since. Just don't use bleach. I had a problem with that in another tub I had. Bleach broke down the rubber seals and I had to replace a lot of stuff. Plumb Clean is also on Amazon but it's cheaper on their website, KitchenBathSinks.com Good Luck with your tub. I love mine!

Just have to add. We had whirlpool in prior home, hardly used it due to reluctance to dirty up the freshly cleaned pipes or fear that they hadn’t been cleaned in awhile. Too much water, too much trouble. Moved into new home with plain bathtub and use it all the time. No cleaning issues and not as water.

I finally got the pipes clean, but I was at it for almost a full day rinsing and repeating. I ended up using a little bleach also. I hate the whirlpool and would love to get it out and just put a regular tub in if I had the $$$

You don't have to run the jets...just use it as you would a regular bathtub. I have a big, deep jetted tub -- it's really more of a soaking tub, and I use it as such, rarely turn on the jets. I still use the Oh Yuk about once a month or so, as I assume some water still gets into the piping; just want to make sure everything stays clean down in there.

I just use Cascade in mine just as a precaution as I don't have this issue at all....I must say that I see this problem a lot and I have no idea why...I do wonder if soft water is a contributor...

And maybe don't forget that if the house was built in 2000 and you bought five years later, then you have five years worth of crud to clean (if previous owners didn't bother or didn't use the tub) and that won't happen in just a few cleanings...

I love my tub and wouldn't replace it for anything :)

We are remodeling our master bathroom. Space is not a problem. We have had a corner Jacuzzi hot tub for 21 years. We have not used it very much but on occasions when we have used it we love it. We originally thought we would want to keep the tub since it still looks like new and we do use it. What is the life span of a Jacuzzi tub that is not used often? Is there any maintenance upkeep we should have done to it while all the marble or tile is torn out around it before we close it up again? There is access to it from the garage below but not as easy to get to everything as it is right now....and who does this? Or should we get rid of it and start brand new? BTW: we have never done any cleaning with dishwasher powder or bleach (for 21 years) and have never had any problems. But now I will do that occasionally....maybe once a year would be enough as little as it gets used...lol

I just saw a post that said they had a bad experience using bleach so I will remember not to use bleach and maybe get PlumbClean or other such???

Thank you Niecee4! I managed to figure out that the gunk was behind the jet ring more than in the lines but couldn't get any products to work at "washing" it away. I have also struggled for YEARS trying to solve it. I just ordered the tool through Kohler thanks to you providing the item # and thank you for your tenacity! $3.51 & no shipping cost makes me happy too!

I wonder if this tool will work on a jacuzzi brand whirlpool tub?! im at my wits end with trying to clean the junk out of ours!!! Ahhhhh!!! oh yuk has helped, but not solved it. I’ll try plumb clean. I even put cheesecloth over the intake of my tub to catch a bunch of the black filth. But it’s driving me crazy!!!!!

@Katie Dyson : I have the same brand as you and also pulling my hair out as nothing will clean it properly. Have you had any success after your post?

I installed a jetted tub in a house we owned. I used it for about 9 months before the black flakes showed up. I used bleach, dish washer detergent, and vinegar to no avail. Ahhh-some was my answer. It cleaned out the black flakes, and I continued to use it about once every 2 or 3 months for over 10 years and never had a problem again . Now we've moved into a rental and I don't think the jetted tub has been used in over 10 years. Horrified. Brown, green, black gunk. Bleach, dish washer detergent, vinegar, did nearly nothing. Ahhh-some has helped significantly, but its still there after 55 runs which includes soaking overnight every night before running for 30 mins and soaking for 1-2 hrs before running for 30 minutes several times throughout the day. The guy at Ahhhh-some told me that the record is 64 purges at which point that particular tub ran crystal clean. I wasn't going for the record, but I'm fast approaching it. I may have to try removing the jets as suggested. I think someone asked earlier if the jet removal tool will work on an old jacuzzi brand. This one is about 1997 and HUGE. Does anyone have the answer to that question? If so, that will be my next step, but hope I don't have to do that. But I just can't do without my long bath soaks each night :(.

I'd like to invite you to check out Zero Bull Jetted Tub Cleaner. I’m a co-founder of Zero-Bull.com. We make powerful, safe, all-natural replacements for common, dangerous chemicals. We’ve taken a successful industrial cleaner used by Kellogg’s, Carnival, Craft, and U.S Navy and repackaged it for household bathtub use.

Pages like this often recommend DIY solutions using bleach, vinegar, or products that use “quat” like Oh Yuck. We have a lot of research on these chemicals as cleaning solutions. The consensus is that bleach and quat are extremely dangerous, and vinegar is mildly effective.

Here’s a brief explanation about why bleach, vinegar and quat are not great solutions for jetted tubs:

Bleach: when bleach is added to a tub of hot water, the chemical aerosolizes, filling the room with the noxious chemical known to cause asthma, lung damage, and rashes. Also, the corrosiveness of bleach will damage a jetted tub system over time.

Vinegar: household vinegar has a pH of about three. Vinegar by itself won’t actually clean out the jets—it’s better at cleaning mineral deposits but can’t cut and remove gunk saturated in biomaterial oil deposits.

Quat: Like Bleach, quaternary ammonium compound is known to cause asthma, lung damage, and skin irritation. Quat poses a “high health risk” and “moderate flammability” on the HMIS scale. Oh Yuk is a popular jetted tub cleaner that contains quat.

Jetted Tub Cleaner - LInk! Please send your feedback, we love seeing reviews, especially the nasty photos!

I’m been dealing with this issue in the house we bought for the last 6 months. Not sure I will ever feel clean enough to enjoy the jets. I use it as a regular tub sometimes but still worry that stuff is floating around from the jets. I’ve tried about 10 cycles of Oh Yuk and it definitely pulls stuff out but doesn’t completely fix. I guess I could go for the record of 50-60 but I honestly don’t have the money for that. Each bottle is $17 and only has 4 uses per bottle, so not ready to spend that kind of money on product + all the water waste, at that point i‘d rather just pull out and replace with a standard soaking tub. Currently trying to research a professional company to come clean it out for me and then I can do the weekly maintenance cleaning.

Hi Lauren T, sorry you’re having such trouble! maybe Zero-Bull.com can solve your problem once and for all. we use a more powerful solution in our jetted tub cleaner. heres a discount code so you aren’t having to spend as much either: SAVE20

do write back and let us know how it goes :)

Lauren,

I have been about to pull my hair out with this for YEARS. I finally, just a few weeks ago found a solution via a tub repair guy (who took foreverrrrrrr to find as well). The switch to turn on my jets quit working and I started calling hot tub places around asking if they knew anyone who worked on jetted tubs. I called several places that said they had no idea, until finally one had a recommendation. When they guy came to work on my tub I mentioned the dirty junk (he said it was bacteria..yuckkkk). He did a treatment with this stuff you can buy on amazon! In alllllllllll my searching I never came across this. I bought some for myself so I can continue treatments to keep it from coming back. It's not cheap, but it WORKS! And the little tub has 24 applications in it. I also bought the washing machine cleaner and it's great too. I tried the oh-yuk which did nothing for me.

Ahh-Some hot tub/jetted tub cleaner

Lauren,

I am the original poster of this thread - 8 years ago! Long story short, we purchased a house with a jetted tub. During our home inspection, the guy filled up the tub and ran it to see if the jets would work. He pointed out the small flakes coming out of the jets as old skin cells, bacteria, etc. from people not properly cleaning the tub. I wanted to respond to your post because at some point after many cleanings and still having flakes, I DID hire some professionals. They came out, used their fancy tools and fancy chemicals and what not. After they left, I did another round of Ahh-some cleaner. It was better, but there were STILL flakes. I NEVER got rid of them, no matter how many rounds of cleaning I did. The struggle ended when we sold that house 5+ years ago, and the beautiful tub with the icky jets became someone else's problem. I'd save your money and time on water and cleaners and just get rid of it. I don't think you can ever fully clean the jets once they are funked up. I will never buy another house with a jetted tub. My two cents - get an outdoor hottub if you need the jets, or a nice indoor soaking tub if you can live without them. Thanks for commenting. Even though it has been 8 years, every so often someone new posts on this thread, and it's a little endearing as to make me think about the house we use to live in :)

Air jetted tub since I bought my home (20+ years). The previous owners had not used the tub and when we'd turn it on ....voilà.... dark and brown flakes...that I could not get rid of) . Sounds familiar. Found a red-pinkish granule container at Home Depot in the home appliance section (spa cleaner). Two cycles of the product and it was clean and stayed clean. No more flakes, no more dead skin-like puke. Never had a problem till now. Divorced.. so I had not used the tub in a few months !! Flakes are back and can't get rid of them. Tried cascade+javex+TSP as suggested on https://spatecservice.com/system-cleaning-home-remedy.html. Tried the cycles suggested a few times. Not a lot of hair left to pull out. Frustrated like all of you. Of course I tried to find that that small container from Home Depot. Like all products that work, they don't make it anymore !! Still looking on the internet to find something similar. Moral ...don't get divorced !

Will try the ahh-some to see. Hope it works. Saw my daughters cleaning their metal drinking straws with those small brushes that come with the straws and said to myself 'hey that could work' Nope :(

Im in the same spot. i was using powdered dishwasher detergent. every yesr or so… didnt see much debris come out…. last week i used borax and blech. read online its a good combo and safe. needless to say, holy crap! its so nasty how much stuff is coming out!

now it wont stop. im now around 10 refills and it wont stop spitting out all thos black particles! sucks. im might try the soak method overnight….

Ugh