Can you use a hot tub with a cut or open wound?

It is best not to use a hot tub with an open wound. Warm, shared water can carry bacteria into broken skin, and chlorine or bromine will usually sting. Small cuts that have closed over are normally fine, but fresh cuts, deep wounds, stitches, new tattoos and sunburn should wait until the skin has healed.

Below you will find why broken skin and hot tub water do not mix well, when a waterproof dressing can help, and how to tell when your skin is ready. There is also a list of warning signs that mean you should stop soaking and speak to a GP or pharmacist.

This article is general information, not medical advice.

Why is using a hot tub with an open wound a risk?

Healthy skin is a strong barrier that keeps germs out of your body. A cut, graze or burn is a gap in that barrier. In a hot tub, warm water is pushed against your skin by the jets and bubbles, which makes it easier for germs in the water to reach the wound.

What lives in hot tub water?

Even a well kept hot tub contains some bacteria, brought in on bodies, swimwear, leaves and dust. The best known is Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the germ behind hot tub rash and its typical symptoms. It can also infect cuts and grazes, and it grows well in warm water when sanitiser levels fall.

Other germs, such as Staphylococcus aureus, live on human skin and can pass from one bather to another in shared water. Hot tubs usually run at 37-40°C (99-104°F), which is a comfortable temperature for many bacteria as well as for people.

Why sanitiser is not a guarantee

Chlorine and bromine kill most germs when they are kept at 3-5 ppm, but they do not work instantly. Levels drop quickly with several bathers, high water temperatures and strong sunlight. Bacteria can also shelter in slimy biofilm inside pipes, where sanitiser struggles to reach them.

This means there is always a small risk, even with good water chemistry. For intact skin, that risk is low. For an open wound, it is higher, because bacteria have a direct way into your body.

Who should take extra care?

Some people are more likely to develop an infection from a small wound, or to have trouble healing. If any of these apply to you, speak to your GP or pharmacist before soaking with any broken skin:

• People with diabetes, especially with cuts or blisters on the feet
• People with a weakened immune system, for example during chemotherapy or while taking steroids or other immune suppressing medicines
• People with poor circulation or slow healing skin
• Older people with thin or fragile skin
• Anyone who has had recent surgery
• Pregnant women, who should also check with their midwife about hot tub use in general

Why does hot tub water sting a cut?

The sting mostly comes from the sanitiser. Chlorine and bromine are chemicals that break down organic material, and in a wound they touch exposed nerve endings that intact skin would normally protect. The result is a sharp, burning feeling that can last for the whole soak.

Heat adds to the discomfort. Warm water increases blood flow to the skin, which can make a wound throb and may cause a fresh cut to start bleeding again. Hot water also softens the scab, and a soft scab can lift off early and reopen the wound.

Long soaks in hot water also strip away the natural oils that protect your skin. This weakens the skin's barrier, so skin that is already damaged loses moisture faster and takes longer to heal. Short, cooler soaks are kinder once your skin is ready to go back in.

Heat can briefly dull the itch of a rash or a healing wound, which makes a soak feel helpful. The itch often comes back stronger once you get out and the skin cools. Short-term relief in the hot tub is not a sign that the water is helping the skin to heal.

The reason is that very hot water strongly triggers the nerve receptors in your skin that sense heat and pain. For a short time, these signals drown out the itch signal. This masks the itch rather than treating it, and nothing has changed in the inflamed skin underneath.

The relief does not last long. On a rash, it typically fades within about 5-15 minutes, and then the rebound itch begins. A hot soak is not a reliable way to get through an itchy evening.

The hotter the water and the longer you stay in, the stronger this rebound itch tends to be afterwards. So the more soothing a hot soak feels on a rash, the worse the itching is likely to be later. With an itchy rash, it is better to stay out of the hot tub until the skin has settled.

If the pH is outside 7.2-7.6, the water becomes more irritating, even to unbroken skin. A sting does not mean a wound is infected, but it is a clear sign that the skin is not ready for a soak yet.

Do waterproof plasters and dressings make it safe?

Waterproof dressings made for showering keep out splashes, but most are not designed for a long soak in hot, moving water. Heat softens the adhesive, and the jets push water under the edges. Once water gets under a dressing, it can sit against the wound, which may be worse than having no dressing at all.

Think of a waterproof dressing as an option only for a small, shallow scrape that has already started to close, and only for a short soak. It is not suitable for deep cuts, stitches, surgical wounds, burns or new tattoos. Always follow the instructions on the dressing packet.

How to use a waterproof dressing for a short soak

1. Wash your hands, then clean the area gently with clean tap water and pat it dry.
2. Check the wound. If it is still bleeding, weeping or gaping, do not get in the hot tub.
3. Choose a waterproof dressing that is larger than the wound, so there is a border of healthy skin all round for the adhesive.
4. Apply the dressing to completely dry skin, with no cream or ointment underneath, and press the edges down firmly.
5. Keep the dressed area away from the jets and keep your soak short.
6. Get out if you feel the edges lifting or the wound starts to sting.
7. After the soak, shower, remove the dressing, rinse the wound with clean tap water, pat it dry and put on a fresh, dry dressing.

Check the wound again the next day. If it looks redder, more swollen or more painful than before, stay out of the hot tub and look at the warning signs further down this page.

Can you use a hot tub with a new tattoo?

A new tattoo is an open wound, even if it looks neat. Most tattoo artists advise against soaking in baths, pools, the sea or hot tubs until it has fully healed, which often takes at least two to four weeks. Large or heavily shaded pieces can take longer, so follow the aftercare advice your artist gave you.

There are two risks. The first is infection, for the same reasons as any other wound. The second is damage to the tattoo itself: soaking softens the healing skin, can lift scabs early and may pull out ink, which can leave patchy areas that need touching up.

A tattoo is usually healed when there is no more scabbing or peeling, the skin is no longer shiny or raised, and it is not tender to touch. Wrapping a fresh tattoo in clingfilm or a dressing does not make a soak safe.

What about new piercings?

The same thinking applies. A fresh piercing is a wound that goes through the skin, and the jewellery can trap water and bacteria inside the channel. Piercers usually advise avoiding hot tubs and pools for the first few weeks, and longer for some areas, so ask your piercer for their advice.

Is it safe to use a hot tub with sunburn?

Sunburn is a burn to the skin, and hot water makes it worse. The heat draws more blood to the burned area, which increases redness and pain, and the sanitiser will sting. A soak can also dry the skin further and make peeling worse.

The NHS advice on treating sunburn is to get out of the sun, cool the skin with a cool shower, bath or damp towel, drink plenty of water and use aftersun or a soothing cream. A warm hot tub is the opposite of what burned skin needs.

A cool compress is a better way to soothe hot, itchy or inflamed skin than a warm soak. Soak a clean cloth in cool water, wring it out and hold it on the area for 15-20 minutes. You can repeat this several times a day, using a fresh, clean cloth each time. This works for sunburn and for itchy rashes too.

Swap the compress for a fresh, cool one as soon as it has warmed to body temperature. A compress that has warmed up no longer draws heat out of the skin, so changing it keeps the cooling effect going.

Cool water helps because it narrows the blood vessels in the skin. This reduces blood flow to the area, which eases redness and itch in sunburnt skin or an inflamed rash. Unlike warm water, it does not bring a rebound itch once you stop.

Wait until the redness and soreness have gone before you soak. If the sunburn has blistered, the skin is broken, so treat it like any other open wound and wait until it has fully healed. If you have severe sunburn with a high temperature, dizziness or feeling sick, speak to a pharmacist or call NHS 111.

With an outdoor hot tub on a bright day, sit in the shade where you can and protect your head and shoulders. Shower off sunscreen before you get in, because creams and oils use up sanitiser and can leave a film on the water.

What about shaving cuts, bites, blisters and other broken skin?

Not every break in the skin is a big cut. Many small, everyday marks also need some thought before a soak:

• Shaving nicks and razor rash: shaving or waxing opens hair follicles and leaves tiny cuts. Give your skin a day before soaking if you can, which also helps you prevent hot tub folliculitis.
• Insect bites that have been scratched open: wait until they have crusted over and are no longer weeping.
• Blisters: an unbroken blister protects the skin underneath. A burst blister is an open wound, so wait until new skin has formed.
• Unbroken blisters and the jets: the pressure from the jets can burst a blister early and leave raw skin open to infection. Keep blistered areas out of the jet stream, or stay out of the hot tub until the blisters have healed.
• Itchy, inflamed rashes, such as allergic or contact rashes from plants, soaps or other products: the heat widens blood vessels, which increases redness, swelling and itching. Wait until the rash has settled before you soak.
• Grazes from steps, decking or the hot tub edge: get out, rinse the graze with clean tap water and do not get back in that day.
• Cracked skin on heels or hands: usually fine if it is not bleeding, but it may sting. A barrier cream after your soak can help.
• Cracked or weeping skin from a flare of eczema or psoriasis: see our guide to using a hot tub with eczema or psoriasis before you soak.
• Cold sores or shingles blisters: these are infectious and should stay out of shared water until they have healed. Our guide on whether you can use a hot tub with shingles explains more.

An allergic rash from a plant is a reaction in your own skin, so other bathers cannot catch it through the water. The plant sap or oil that caused it is different: if it is still on your skin, it can spread to the water and to other people. Wash any skin that touched an irritating plant with soap and water before you go near the hot tub.

Can a plant rash spread through hot tub water?

The rash itself cannot spread, but the plant oil can. If you get into a hot tub with plant oil still on your skin, the water can carry it to every part of your body that goes under the surface. The rash may then appear the next day wherever the water touched, not only where the plant brushed you.

An allergic plant rash is a delayed reaction. It usually appears hours to a few days after contact with the plant oil. This means someone who used contaminated water, or touched a contaminated surface, may not react until days later and may not connect the rash with the hot tub.

The fluid inside the blisters of an allergic plant rash does not contain the plant oil. Touching or bursting the blisters, or sharing water with someone who has them, cannot give another person the rash. Burst blisters are still open wounds, though, so they should stay out of the hot tub for infection reasons.

How can you soothe itchy or inflamed skin instead of soaking?

An itchy or inflamed rash usually settles more quickly with cool or lukewarm water than with hot water. If you want a soak, a short lukewarm bath of no more than 15-20 minutes is a better choice than the hot tub.

For an itchy rash, lukewarm means water that feels cool to slightly warm, below about 29°C (84°F). Water warm enough to widen the blood vessels in your skin will bring the itch back, even if it feels pleasant at first.

For extra relief, add colloidal oatmeal to a lukewarm bath. It is sold in pharmacies and can ease itching and inflammation. Soak for 15-20 minutes, then pat your skin dry gently with a clean towel rather than rubbing it.

A typical amount is about 240-480 ml (one to two cups) of colloidal oatmeal, or one pharmacy sachet. Follow the directions on the packet, and stir the water well so the oatmeal spreads evenly.

Other options from a pharmacy can help too. Always read the leaflet, and ask the pharmacist if you are pregnant, take other medicines or are treating a child:

• Calamine lotion: cools itchy skin and helps dry out weeping blisters. Apply a thin layer three or four times a day and let it dry before you cover it with clothing.
• Hydrocortisone 1% cream: can calm an itchy, inflamed rash when applied thinly once or twice a day. Do not put it on broken skin or open blisters, and ask a pharmacist first before using it on your face.
• A non-drowsy oral antihistamine, such as cetirizine: can reduce itching, which is often worse at night. Take it as the pharmacist or the leaflet directs.
• A drowsy antihistamine, such as chlorphenamine, taken at bedtime: if night-time itching stops you sleeping, a pharmacist may suggest this instead of a non-drowsy one. It can leave you sleepy, so do not drive or operate machinery after taking it.
• Creams to avoid: do not put antihistamine creams, numbing creams or antibiotic creams on an allergic rash. They can cause a further skin reaction on skin that is already sensitive.

A simple daily routine for an itchy plant rash can combine these. Read the leaflet for each product, and ask a pharmacist if you are unsure what suits you:

1. Take a cool or lukewarm oatmeal bath for 15-20 minutes.
2. Pat your skin dry gently with a clean towel.
3. Once the skin is dry, apply a thin layer of calamine lotion and let it dry.
4. Through the day, hold cool compresses on the itchiest areas whenever you need them.
5. At bedtime, if itching disturbs your sleep, take an oral antihistamine as the pharmacist or the leaflet directs.

How long should you wait before getting back in?

There is no single waiting time that suits every wound, because it depends on the size, depth and position of the injury. The general rule is simple: wait until the skin is closed, dry and free of any signs of infection.

Most allergic contact rashes clear by themselves within one to three weeks with home care. Wait until the rash has fully cleared before you go back in the hot tub, because heat and sanitiser can bring the itching and redness back.

Before your first soak after an injury, check the wound against this list:

• The edges of the wound have closed with no gap
• There is no bleeding, weeping or fluid
• Any scab is small, dry and firmly attached
• There is no spreading redness, swelling or warmth around it
• It does not hurt when you press gently around it
• You feel generally well

If you cannot tick every point, wait a few more days. If you are unsure, a pharmacist can look at the wound and give you advice without an appointment.

When should you see a GP about a wound?

Most small cuts and grazes heal by themselves within a week or two, and the NHS guide to cuts and grazes explains how to clean and cover them at home. Watch the wound closely if you have soaked with it, because warm water can introduce germs.

Stop using the hot tub and speak to a GP or pharmacist if you notice any of these signs of infection:

• Pain or swelling that is getting worse rather than better
• Redness or a change in skin colour spreading around the wound, which can be harder to see on brown or black skin
• Skin around the wound that feels hot to touch
• Pus or cloudy, yellow or green fluid coming from the wound
• A high temperature of 38°C (100.4°F) or above, or feeling hot and shivery
• A wound that is not healing after a couple of weeks

Get urgent help at A&E for a deep cut that will not stop bleeding, a wound with something stuck in it, or a cut that may need stitches. If you see a doctor about an infected wound, tell them you have used a hot tub, as this can help them choose the right treatment.

When to get help for a rash

Call 999 if a rash comes with swelling of the face, lips or throat, or with difficulty breathing. This may be a severe allergic reaction and needs emergency treatment.

Speak to a GP or pharmacist promptly in these situations:

• The rash covers a large part of your body, roughly a quarter of your skin or more
• The rash affects your face, eyes, lips or genitals
• The itching is so bad that it stops you sleeping or doing everyday activities
• The rash has not improved after a week of home treatment
• Blisters look infected, with pus, spreading redness or increasing pain
• The rash comes with a high temperature of 38°C or above, in which case speak to a GP or call NHS 111

Blisters that leak yellow or green fluid are a sign that bacteria have infected them. Arrange to see a GP within a day or two, and keep the area out of the hot tub until it has been treated and has healed.

For a severe allergic rash, a GP can prescribe a stronger steroid cream or a short course of steroid tablets. If blisters have become infected, they may also prescribe antibiotics.

A course of steroid tablets for a severe allergic rash usually lasts about two to three weeks, with the dose reduced gradually towards the end. It can shorten how long the rash lasts. Take it exactly as your GP directs and do not stop early without asking them.

If a wound becomes infected and you feel very unwell, for example confused, with slurred speech, very fast breathing, or skin that looks pale, blue or blotchy, call 999 or go to A&E straight away. These can be signs of sepsis, which the NHS describes here.

How do you keep the water safe for everyone?

A hot tub is shared water, so your skin and other people's skin both depend on good water care. Asking bathers to stay out with open wounds is one of the basic hot tub safety rules everyone should follow, along with showering before every soak.

Keep the water within these widely used ranges, and check your manual, because manufacturers sometimes give slightly different targets:

• Free chlorine: 3-5 ppm, or bromine: 3-5 ppm
• pH: 7.2-7.6
• Total alkalinity: 80-120 ppm
• Calcium hardness: 150-250 ppm
• Water temperature: no hotter than 40°C

Test the water before each session and again after heavy use. If someone bleeds in the water, ask everyone to get out, then test and top up the sanitiser or shock the water as your manufacturer recommends before anyone gets back in.

Sanitiser does not break down plant oils or other greasy residues. These can cling to the shell, the headrests and the filter, and stay there after the water looks clear. If you think oily residue has got into the hot tub, wipe down the shell and headrests and clean the filter as your manual describes.

A wipe down suits light, everyday residue. If you know someone got into the hot tub with allergy-causing plant oil on their skin, a wipe down is not enough, and you should follow the full clean described below.

Some allergy-causing plant oils can stay active on surfaces, clothing, tools and garden equipment for months and even years. Wash anything that touched the plant, such as gloves, shears or a garden chair, before it goes near the hot tub.

The sap of an allergy-causing plant can still trigger a reaction after the plant has died, dried out or been cut back. Clearing or pruning garden plants near the hot tub can put sap on your skin, your tools and the hot tub itself. Wear gloves and long sleeves, keep cuttings away from the tub, and wash before you soak.

Plant oil that gets trapped in the filter cartridge can be pushed back into the water each time the pump runs. Shocking the water will not remove it, because sanitiser does not break the oil down.

What to do if plant oil has got into the hot tub

1. Stop anyone else using the hot tub, and tell other people in your household and any guests that it is out of use until it has been cleaned.
2. Switch off at the isolator before you do anything else. Do not run the jets or circulation, because this pushes the oil further through the pipework.
3. Put on rubber gloves and drain the hot tub fully, following the steps in your manual.
4. Remove the filter cartridge and replace it rather than cleaning it. Seal the old cartridge in a bag before you put it in the bin.
5. Scrub the waterline, jets, seats and headrests with washing-up liquid or another degreasing cleaner. Soap breaks down plant oil where sanitiser cannot. Check your manual for cleaners that are safe for your shell.
6. Rinse every surface thoroughly with fresh water and drain away the rinse water, so no soap is left to cause foam.
7. Fit the new filter cartridge, refill the hot tub and shock the water as the chemical manufacturer directs.
8. Let the water circulate for about 24 hours, then test and balance it before anyone uses the hot tub.

Allow roughly 45-60 minutes of hands-on time for the drain, filter change and degreasing clean, depending on the size of your hot tub. Then add the 24-hour circulation wait before anyone gets in. A garden hose is the easiest way to rinse the shell, seats and headrests.

Wash towels and swimwear after they have been used with a rash or a wound. Plant sap and germs can stay on fabric and cause skin problems the next time someone uses them.

Towels, swimwear and clothing that may carry plant oil need a hot wash with detergent. Oil left on fabric can cause a fresh rash weeks later, so wear gloves to handle them and wash them separately from other laundry.

Clean the filters regularly and drain and refill the hot tub on the schedule in your manual. Clean water will not make a soak with an open wound safe, but it does lower the risk for everyone who uses the tub.

Summary: wait until your skin has healed

Broken skin gives germs in warm, shared water a direct route into your body, and sanitiser will usually make it sting. Small cuts that have fully closed are normally fine, but fresh cuts, stitches, surgical wounds, new tattoos, piercings, burst blisters, inflamed rashes and sunburn should all wait.

A waterproof dressing can help with a small, closing scrape for a short soak, but it is not a seal. If a wound shows signs of infection, stop soaking and speak to a GP or pharmacist, and seek urgent help if you feel very unwell.

Frequently asked questions

Does chlorine in a hot tub help to clean a wound?

No. The sanitiser in hot tub water is there to control germs in the water, not to treat wounds, and it can irritate damaged skin. The water itself also contains bacteria from other bathers. The NHS advises cleaning a cut or graze with clean tap water, then covering it with a dressing. Keep it out of the hot tub until it has closed.

Can I use a hot tub if I have stitches or skin glue?

No. Stitches, staples and skin glue need to stay dry or only briefly wet, depending on the instructions you were given. Soaking can loosen glue, soften the wound edges and let bacteria in. This applies to dissolvable stitches too. Ask your surgical team or practice nurse when you can soak again, and follow the timescale they give you.

Is it all right to go in the hot tub with a scab?

A small, dry scab on a wound that has closed underneath is usually low risk, but soaking will soften it. A soft scab can come away early and reopen the wound. Keep the soak short, avoid the jets on that area, and do not pick at the scab afterwards. If the scab is large, cracked or weeping, wait a few more days.

Does a saltwater hot tub help wounds heal?

No. A saltwater hot tub uses a generator to turn salt into chlorine, so the water is sanitised in the same way as a chlorine tub. The salt level is low and the water is not sterile. It will sting a cut in a similar way and carries the same infection risk, so the same waiting advice applies.

What should I do if I cut myself while I am in the hot tub?

Get out of the water carefully, rinse the cut under clean tap water and press on it with a clean cloth or dressing until it stops bleeding. Cover it with a sterile dressing and stay out for the rest of the day. Test the water and add sanitiser if needed. Seek medical help if the cut is deep or keeps bleeding.

Can children use the hot tub with grazed knees?

Children pick up grazes often, and the same rules apply to them. A graze that has closed over and stopped weeping is usually fine for a short soak, and a waterproof plaster can help. A fresh, weeping graze should wait. Children also feel the heat more than adults, so keep their soaks short and the water cooler than you would choose for yourself.