(NAPSI)—The cooler months of fall and winter are a great time to turn your outdoor living space into a mini spa retreat. Soaking away the stresses of the day can have many mental and physical benefits. To help, here are some tips for enjoying your backyard spa and keeping maintenance simple:

• Make your spa a place of refuge and peace. Twinkling candles around the perimeter can set the mood for romance or quiet solitude. Use sturdy pillars, container candles, votives or flameless LED candles. Or string strands of twinkle lights along the fencing and watch the light dance on the water’s surface.

• Use your digital player or computer to fill the area with your favorite music.

• Surround the spa with pots of fragrant flowers, such as lavender, phlox and roses.

• Try aromatherapy available in bottles or pillow packs infused with numerous aromas. Each aroma is said to offer specific benefits. For example, apple is thought to release feelings of love and wisdom, while honeysuckle is said to sharpen intuition and bring prosperity.

• Simple stretching exercises, combined with the warm water, can relax muscles tensed by the day’s stress.

• Host a “Girls’ Night In” spa party. Offer herbal-scented skin oils for after-spa application; a tray of steamed, soft washcloths wrapped around sprigs of rosemary for soothing eye packs; and hot-wax treatments for hands and feet.

• For a soft, soothing spa environment, try a bromine-free, chlorine-free sanitizer like SpaGuard’s Soft Soak.

• Have a stack of warm towels nearby to make leaving the spa a little easier.

• Hang decorative pegs for robes and use a wood deck box to hold towels and keep slippers dry.

• Preventing problems before they occur can keep your spa sparkling clear so you can enjoy it all season long. Test water regularly and use an EPA-registered sanitizer to protect bathers.

• Proper water circulation is important. Run the circulation system every day.

• Clean the filter every four to six weeks.

• To preserve surfaces and prevent dirt buildup, you can use Off The Wall Surface Cleaner and Spa Guard Cleaning Mitts. Both are designed to work specifically with spa water chemistry.

• Regular draining and refilling is also an important part of spa maintenance. How often you drain and refill your spa depends on how often you use it. Experts advise you to go by this equation: spa gallons ÷ daily bathers ÷ 3 = days between draining.

You can learn more at www.spaguard.com and (800) 932-5943.

On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.(NAPSI)