Hot tub heaven or human soup? The truth about campsite hot tubs

Picture the scene. You’ve spent the day wrestling with a new awning, navigating a particularly stubborn B road, or perhaps just enjoying a long and beautiful hike. You’re back at your pitch, the barbecue has been a roaring success, and as the sun dips below the horizon, you sink into the bubbling, steaming bliss of a hot tub. It’s the absolute pinnacle of campsite luxury, isn’t it? A little slice of bubbly heaven right outside your motorhome door.

For many of us, the idea of a campsite with a private hot tub is the ultimate dream ticket. It’s a chance to soothe those aching muscles, crack open a bottle of something fizzy, and do a bit of stargazing in style. It transforms a simple motorhome trip into a full blown spa retreat. What could possibly be better than that? Well, before you get too comfortable, let’s just have a little chat about what else might be sharing that warm, inviting water with you.

A warm, wet, human soup

I’m sorry to be the one to burst your bubble, but we need to talk about the gross stuff. When you’re wallowing in that 40-degree water, you’re not just wallowing in water. You’re sharing a bath. A very warm bath with everyone who has been in it before you. And what do people bring into a hot tub? Well, according to microbiologists, the average person carries about 100 milligrams of faeces in their bottom cleavage. Yes, you read that right. Faeces. Add to that a delightful cocktail of sweat, dead skin cells, and whatever lotions and potions people have on their bodies, and you’ve got yourself a rich, warm, human soup.

Now, in a perfect world, the chemicals in the hot tub, like chlorine or bromine, would zap all those nasty little germs into oblivion. But the more ‘organic matter’ (that’s the polite term for all the gunk I just mentioned) that goes into the tub, the harder those chemicals have to work. If the tub isn’t managed properly, it can quickly become a five star, all inclusive resort for bacteria. We’re talking E.coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and the one you really don’t want to meet, Legionella pneumoniae.

More than just a bit of a funny tummy

This isn’t just about the ‘ick’ factor. A poorly maintained hot tub can be genuinely dangerous. Inhaling steam from contaminated water can lead to Legionnaires’ disease, a severe form of pneumonia that can be fatal. This isn’t some theoretical, scaremongering story. In 2020, a 70 year old woman named Paulette Crookes died after contracting Legionnaires’ disease from a hot tub at a UK holiday park during her birthday celebration. An inquest found the maintenance records were “inconsistent and incomplete” and the water treatment levels were too low. It’s a tragic and sobering reminder that this is a risk to be taken very seriously.

The family noticed the water had a “scummy foam” on the second day, and several of them fell ill. This is a classic warning sign. If you get into a hot tub and your eyes start to sting, or it has a strong chemical smell that catches the back of your throat, that’s not the smell of a clean tub. It’s the smell of chloramine, a compound created when disinfectant mixes with all the sweat and urine. A properly clean hot tub should have very little smell at all. If the water is cloudy or foamy, it’s time to get out.

So, should you swear off hot tubs for life?

Not necessarily. A well maintained hot tub is a glorious thing. The key is knowing what to look for and taking a few simple precautions. The Health and Safety Executive has strict guidelines (called HSG282) for any business that provides a hot tub, so you have a right to expect it to be safe. Don’t be afraid to ask the site owner about their cleaning and maintenance schedule. They should be testing the water multiple times a day.

There are also things you can do to protect yourself and others. The most important one? Shower before you get in. A quick rinse to wash off the day’s grime (and, ahem, anything else) makes a huge difference to the water quality. Don’t wear fake tan or heavy body lotions, and for goodness sake, don’t pee in the water. Limit your soaks to about 15 minutes to avoid overheating, and always shower again when you get out. It’s just common sense, really.

The verdict

So, are campsite hot tubs a fantastic way to chill out or a disgusting way to wallow in someone else’s dead skin? The truth is, they can be both. It all comes down to maintenance. A clean, properly managed hot tub is a wonderful luxury that can elevate your motorhome holiday to a whole new level of relaxation. A dirty one, however, is a health hazard in a pretty package.My advice? Don’t let the fear of human soup put you off entirely. But do go in with your eyes open. Be picky, ask questions, and if it looks or smells dodgy, trust your gut and give it a miss. Your health is far more important than a quick dip, no matter how tempting those bubbles might be.