Absorber Balls of Scum for Spas Hot Tub, Reusable 3 Inch Hot Tub Absorber Ball of Scum, Washable Hot Tub Oil Spa Absorber Ball of Scum, Spa Sponge Balls for Scum Removal,White, 4 Pack

Judging from the other reviews it seems that people have had mixed experiences with these balls. I wonder if it possibly stems from perhaps unrealistic expectations? I don’t know, of course, but I can tell you what they will and won’t do at least from my experience.I’m not going to get into the process of keeping hot tub water in order, because I am sure that most people are aware of it already. I believe that the hot tub chemistry can be fine, but you still have foam to contend with. I have done a little bit of research on the subject and I believe that the problem is caused by nitrates. Sorry if I am naming the wrong chemical as the culprit here. I can only speak to my experience here, but in our case I think that part of the issue could be that we don’t typically shower before we get into the hot tub. We don’t get in it after working in the yard all day (without showering first), but if we haven’t gotten sweaty all day often times we just get in. Any body product that you used through the day, such as deodorant/anti-perspirant, hair gel, body spray, etc. could very well still be present on your body when you get in the hot tub later in the day. In our case this could be what causes the foaming issue.As far as how I keep a handle on it — well it’s a 3 prong approach. To quickly get on top of bad foaming, I will use some de-foamer and then change the filters after a day or so. This typically gets rid of the foam when it gets out of control. I keep these balls in all the time and frequently I will look at them and see that they are noticeably covered with colored goo of some kind. I believe that it is helping absorb some of the chemicals (body products like I mentioned earlier) off the surface of the water. I will then remove them and take them into the house where I will spray them off to get rid of this.I think that the foam balls help me use less de-foamer and use it less often. They keep up fairly well with removing the scum on top of the water, but if we use the hot tub more than usual, it seems like we are overloading the system a bit and it is necessary to use de-foamer and clean the filter. I can only speak for myself in that I typically dump the hot tub and use fresh water 2 to 3 times per year. I think that the chemicals, filters and these scum balls really help, but eventually I feel like it is necessary to start over with fresh water.In summary — are these scum balls going to take the place of certain chemicals or changing the filters on a regular basis? Almost certainly not. However, it has been my experience that they do help and the less chemicals (like de-foamer) I have to use the better it is.