SilkBalance Shock Gems | Odor-Eliminating Shock

• 40 SilkBalance Shock Gems — individually pre-measured 1 oz (28.4 g) soluble dose gems
• Resealable container — 2.77 lb (1.26 kg) net weight, twin-flip lid for one-handed dosing at the spa
• Directions and safety information — printed on the container label

The gem is the measured dose. There is nothing to scoop, weigh, or dilute — reach in, grab a gem, drop it in the water.

• Eliminates odors at the source — removes the compounds causing the smell rather than masking them with fragrance
• Resets the water — clears the organic backlog so the water smells and feels fresh again after a heavy soak
• Attacks organic waste — body oils, sweat, lotions, and cosmetics are chemically broken down through oxidation
• Helps your sanitizer work better — clearing out contaminants that block sanitizer effectiveness means less chlorine or bromine wasted on oils and waste
• Pre-measured single-dose gems — 1 oz each, 40 per container; no scoop, no measuring, no dosing calculations
• Non-chlorine formula — no added chlorine smell, no chloramine buildup, no eye or skin sting
• Fast dissolving — gems break down quickly with the jets running; no residue left on the shell or filter
• Maintains clear water — removes the organic particulate that clouds water faster than a filter can catch it
• Built to pair with SilkBalance Water Conditioner — the after-soak half of the SilkBalance program
• Universal sanitizer compatibility — chlorine, bromine, ozone, biguanide, salt systems, and mineral cartridges
• Safe on every shell type — acrylic, vinyl and soft-tub, rotomolded, and inflatable
• Genuine SilkBalance — factory-fresh product, not a repackaged generic MPS

What Every Soak Adds to the Water

Every time someone gets in a hot tub, they bring a load of organic material with them. None of it is dangerous in small amounts, but it accumulates fast — a single twenty-minute soak with three bathers introduces enough to affect water clarity within a day or two:

• Body oils — the largest single contributor, and the primary cause of scum lines
• Sweat — urea and ammonia byproducts that react directly with sanitizer
• Lotions — sunscreen, moisturizer, and skin care residue that rinses off in hot water
• Cosmetics — makeup, hair product, and deodorant carried into the water

What Happens If You Don't Oxidize It

• Sanitizer gets consumed fighting the wrong enemy — chlorine and bromine molecules bind to organic waste instead of bacteria, leaving less residual to actually sanitize
• Odor develops — that sharp "hot tub smell" is used-up sanitizer bound to organics, not clean water
• Water turns cloudy — organic particulate builds faster than the filter can capture it
• Cloudy water feeds microbial growth — organic contamination is food for bacteria, working directly against your sanitizer

What Shock Gems Do About It

When a gem hits the water and dissolves, the MPS releases active oxygen that breaks organic molecules apart at the chemical bond level. The broken-down remnants are small enough for the filter to capture or for the sanitizer residual to finish off. That's the "reset" — the water goes back to a clean baseline instead of carrying last night's bather load into tomorrow.

The knock-on effect is where most owners notice the difference. With the organic backlog cleared out, your sanitizer stops burning itself up on oils and waste and goes back to killing bacteria. The same chlorine dose does more work. The odor disappears because the compounds causing it are gone. Water quality improves without adding a single additional product to the routine.

Why "right after soaking" is the correct timing: organic load peaks the moment bathers step out. Dosing then means oxidation happens while the water is warm and circulating, so the load is broken down overnight rather than sitting in the water waiting for the next use.

Pro Tip: If your spa smells like chlorine, the fix is counterintuitive — you needmoreoxidation, not less chlorine. That smell is chloramines: spent chlorine locked onto organic waste. A Shock Gem breaks those chloramines apart and frees the chlorine back up. Owners who cut back on sanitizer to fight the smell usually make it worse; owners who oxidize after every soak rarely smell chlorine at all.

Dosing

• 1 gem after a soak with one or two bathers
• 2 gems after a soak with three or more bathers, or an unusually long session
• Never more than 2 gems at one time — additional gems don't improve results, they just consume product
• Heavy-use days: dose 2 gems every few hours rather than adding more at once
• Chlorine-system owners with light use: 1 to 2 gems weekly keeps the organic baseline low even without daily soaking

Application

1. Open the cover and leave it off or propped.
2. Run the jets on high — this dissolves the gems fastest and distributes the oxidizer through the plumbing.
3. Drop in the appropriate number of gems. They begin dissolving immediately.
4. Leave the cover open at least 15 minutes while the oxidation gases vent.
5. Close the cover once venting time has passed.
6. Wait 15 to 30 minutes before the next soak, depending on your sanitizer program and current residual.

When to Reach for a Gem

• After every soak — the primary use pattern
• Before a party or high-use event — start from a clean baseline
• When water starts looking cloudy — organic load is usually the culprit
• Any time you notice an odor — the smell means the water needs oxidation
• When starting a SilkBalance program — clears accumulated load from previous water care

Storage and Safety

• Keep the container tightly closed between uses — moisture uptake causes premature dissolution
• Store cool and dry, out of direct sunlight
• Store away from other chemicals, especially chlorine, bromine, and acids
• Keep away from children and pets
• Avoid eye contact — rinse thoroughly with clean water if exposure occurs
• Never mix gems with other chemicals outside the spa — always add directly to a full spa with circulation running

Pro Tip: The most expensive mistake in spa care is closing the cover immediately after shocking. Oxidizer vapor concentrates against the vinyl underside and destroys a cover faster than any weather ever will. Prop the cover open for 15 minutes after you drop a gem in. It costs nothing, it takes no effort, and it can add years to a cover that would otherwise need replacing early.

• Brand: SilkBalance
• Product: Shock Gems — shock oxidizer in single-dose gems
• Part Number: P3016
• Count: 40 gems per container
• Gem Size: 1 oz (28.4 g) each
• Net Weight: 2.77 lbs (1.26 kg)
• Active Ingredient: Potassium monopersulfate (MPS)
• Type: Non-chlorine shock oxidizer
• Function: Eliminates odors, reduces organic contaminants, maintains clear water
• Standard Dose: 1 gem for 1–2 bathers · 2 gems for 3 or more · never more than 2 at a time
• Application Timing: After soaking, cover open, jets running on high
• Vent Time: 15 minutes minimum with the cover open
• Re-Entry Time: 15–30 minutes after dosing
• Sanitizer Compatibility: Chlorine, bromine, ozone, biguanide, salt systems, mineral cartridges
• Spa Compatibility: All residential hot tubs, swim spas, cold plunges, and inflatable spas
• Shell Compatibility: Acrylic, vinyl and soft-tub, rotomolded, inflatable
• Effect on Water Balance: No meaningful effect on pH, alkalinity, or calcium hardness at recommended dose
• Does Not: Sanitize water, kill bacteria, balance pH, or remove scale
• Storage: Cool, dry, sealed, away from other chemicals
• Shelf Life: Multi-year sealed at room temperature
• Shipping Classification: DOT oxidizer — ships ground only

MPS is one of the most widely used non-chlorine oxidizers in the spa industry, and Shock Gems work alongside essentially any water care program. You do not need to be running the full SilkBalance system to use them.

Sanitizer Systems

• Chlorine — all forms; reduces chlorine demand and prevents chloramine buildup
• Bromine — all forms; MPS oxidation reactivates spent bromide, stretching sanitizer efficiency
• Salt systems — reduces the organic load the cell has to generate chlorine against
• Ozone systems — handles the residual organic load that ozone contact time doesn't reach
• Biguanide programs — these systems specifically require periodic non-chlorine oxidation, so Shock Gems fit the routine directly
• Mineral cartridge systems — silver ion and other mineral programs that rely on a low sanitizer residual
• Low-chlorine and "clean water" programs — where oxidation carries more of the workload by design

Spa and Water Types

• All residential hot tubs and portable spas
• Swim spas — dose proportionally for the larger water volume after heavy use
• Cold plunge tubs
• Vinyl and soft-shell spas — safe on the coating
• Rotomolded plastic spas
• Inflatable and portable spas

Where Shock Gems Fit in the SilkBalance Program

• Clean Start — the pre-fill plumbing line purge used at every drain and refill, clearing bio-gunk and sludge before fresh water goes in
• SilkBalance Water Conditioner — the weekly conditioner that holds pH and alkalinity in range, softens the water, and keeps sanitizer working efficiently all week
• Shock Gems — the after-soak oxidizer that clears bather load between weekly conditioner doses

What Shock Gems Won't Do

• Won't sanitize the water — bacteria control still requires chlorine, bromine, or another approved sanitizer
• Won't balance pH or alkalinity — that's the Water Conditioner's job
• Won't remove calcium scale or metal staining — those need a dedicated sequestrant or descaler
• Won't replace filter cleaning — oxidation reduces filter load but doesn't eliminate routine cleaning