It can grow tiring keeping on top of a cleaning routine for your ice bath, believe me. But thankfully ice bath cleaning tablets are a low-effort and cost-effective way to keep your water cleaner for longer.

I shouldn’t have to remind you of why it’s important to keep your ice bath clean, but in case you forgot. The more bacteria build up in your ice bath, the greater risk you have of skin irritation or infection. This means keeping your ice bath to an acceptable hygiene level should be a priority! Luckily, we can use ice bath cleaning tablets to actively fight off bacteria and prolong the time between water changes.

Typically when we think of cleaning tablets for a hot tub, we think of chlorine or bromine. We will go into the pros and cons of bromine and chlorine, and what I’d recommend for keeping your ice bath clean. If you’re looking for other easy ice bath cleaning products, then I’ve included another cheap and low-effort product to keep the bacteria away.

Why ice bath cleaning tablets are good

Ice bath cleaning tablets offer an easy and inexpensive way to keep your ice bath water nice and clean. The process of cleaning tablets is straightforward – just use a floating dispenser and cleaning tablets (linked below). Pop the tablet in the dispenser, leave it in your ice bath, and let it do its thing.

This method is low effort and arguably the lowest cost when compared to other approaches such as using a pump with a filter, or an ozone generator. Of course, combining the various approaches together will give the most effective solution for keeping your ice bath clean, but the cost can quickly add up.

Some people go all out with their ice bath cleaning setup with pumps, UV filters, and ozone generators. Now high-end ice baths that cost into the thousands can come with this equipment out of the box. However, you can achieve the same on a budget ice bath by retrofitting these. If you’re interested in this, have a read of these articles:

• Ice bath pump and filter: DIY setup for clean water
• UV filter for ice baths: How to use & best products
• Ozone generator for cold plunge

Difference between bromine & chlorine

Let’s analyse the difference between bromine and chlorine for the purpose of keeping your ice bath clean.

Chlorine is what most people think of and what is typically used when it comes to swimming pools. Chlorine is faster acting compared to bromine as it dissolves much quicker, this means chlorine would be more effective at cleaning a filthy ice bath quicker. There are some downsides to chlorine though, it gives off a strong chemical smell and can cause irritation for those that have sensitive skin.

Bromine is the preferable compound for a few reasons. Bromine is a softer alternative when compared to chlorine, so is ideal for those who may be concerned of irritation on the skin and eyes. It’s recommended to do a quick test on your wrist to check if you may suffer from irritation from bromine.

Bromine also dissolves very slowly, which means it can fight bacteria for longer and prolong the time between tablet changes. Although bromine is slightly more expensive than chlorine, when you consider the time it takes to dissolve both, the difference is negligible.

If using chlorine, it’s recommended to use testing strips to know the right amount to use. Chlorine is not as effective as bromine across the different pH ranges, this makes using chlorine particularly complicated for someone who just wants a clean ice bath.

For an easier, safer, and softer approach, I would go with bromine. Due to the relatively small volumes of ice baths, a minimal amount is required for them to be effective. Just one bromine tablet can maintain water cleanliness for approximately one month.

Recommended products

Below I’ve recommended an effective bromine tablet product and a floating dispenser to keep your ice bath water in great condition. There’s also a sneaky bonus product that is a strong oxidizer, ideal for ice baths!

Bromine tablets

Just one tablet is enough to maintain cleanliness for approximately one month, simply place it into the floating dispenser and let it work its magic.

Ice Bath Floating Dispenser

Bonus: Hydrogen Peroxide

Another popular product many use to keep their ice bath clean is hydrogen peroxide!

Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizer, bleaching agent, and anti-septic. This is commonly used in ice baths to stabilize and oxidize the water.

It’s recommended to use half a cup of hydrogen peroxide every time you replace your ice bath water. You can also add an extra capful after each plunge to make sure the hydrogen peroxide continues to oxidize and remove bacteria.