Thermal spa cleaning: specific protocols

A thermal spa combines the hygiene complexities of a pool, a wellness spa and sometimes a genuine hospitality property, with the added challenge of managing water with particular chemical characteristics and a public often made up of people with specific health needs. Cleaning in this context requires protocols distinct from those of a hotel with a simple wellness area.

This article describes the specific protocols for cleaning a thermal spa.

Contents

• Why a thermal spa has its own needs
• Thermal pools: regulations and checks
• Shared wet areas: changing rooms and showers
• Surfaces in contact with mineral water
• Relaxation areas and wellness paths
• Staff and specific training
• Coordination with medical staff

Why a thermal spa has its own needs

Thermal waters, because of their mineral composition, can leave limescale deposits and specific residues on surfaces and systems, different from standard mains water. A thermal spa also often welcomes a public with particular health conditions (skin, respiratory or joint issues), which makes hygiene standards even more critical than in a generic spa.

Thermal pools: regulations and checks

Thermal pools are subject to specific water quality regulations, often stricter than those for a standard recreational pool, with regular chemical and microbiological checks. Cleaning perimeter surfaces and pool edges needs to account for the mineral deposits typical of thermal waters, which require specific descaling products, different from those used for standard limescale.

Shared wet areas: changing rooms and showers

Changing rooms and showers at a thermal spa see very intense use, often with concentrated peak times, and need frequent checks and sanitising throughout the opening day, not just at the end of service. Mould growth and bacterial proliferation in these spaces are encouraged by constant humidity, a factor that needs managing with adequate ventilation as well as surface cleaning.

Surfaces in contact with mineral water

Surfaces in direct contact with thermal waters (pools, flow channels, thermal water showers) build up mineral deposits that, if not removed regularly, can even affect how some systems work. A dedicated cleaning plan includes periodic descaling work, more frequent than for surfaces in contact with mains water alone.

Relaxation areas and wellness paths

Beyond areas strictly linked to water, a thermal spa often includes relaxation areas, wellness paths and waiting spaces that need the same standard of care as a high-end hotel common area, with particular attention to fabrics and soft surfaces, often exposed to above-average ambient humidity.

Staff and specific training

Staff cleaning a thermal spa benefit from specific training on managing thermal waters and dedicated health protocols, in addition to standard training on safety and chemical products. A supplier with specific thermal spa experience already knows these protocols and applies them without needing an on-the-job learning phase.

Our cleaning service can also be adapted to thermal spas with dedicated health protocols.

Coordination with medical staff

At many thermal spas, cleaning needs to coordinate with the medical staff responsible for the facility, particularly for managing areas subject to specific checks (therapeutic pools, areas where thermal treatments are administered). Good coordination avoids overlap between the two areas and ensures the hygiene standards required by medical staff are also met in routine cleaning.

If you manage a thermal spa and want to evaluate a dedicated cleaning protocol, get in touch for an assessment.