After a long day at work, what do you seek as soon as you reach home? Fill up a bathtub with hot water and immerse yourself in it so that all your stress flushes away with it!
But doesn’t the bathtub look dirty? If you have been noticing yellowish marks on it, then our friend, you need to clean it. How to get stains out of the bathtub? What most people think is that because you bathe in a bathtub, it should not get dirty, right?
Wrong! When you bathe, all the oil and dirt from your body flushes out with the water BUT some residue may accumulate on the surface, and hence, when not cleaned it may discolor the tub.
So, is there a way to remove stains from the bathtub? How do you clean a badly stained bathtub? For all the answers, read along!
Whether you have an acrylic bathtub or a porcelain one, these tips are going to help you in bath stain removal from all types of bathtub surfaces. Thus, here is what you need to do:
1. Borax and Lemon Juice
Looks like those acrylic bathtub stains will not come out! Thus, when you have soap scum to deal with, using a mix of borax and lemon juice is the ideal way to get rid of it.
How do you make it? Mix borax and lemon juice to make a thick paste and apply it to the stains.
Leave it there for a time and then, rub gently with a stain and then rinse it. No matter which type of bathtub do you have, you should always use cleaners that do not contain harsh chemicals or simply switch to homemade natural ones so it doesn’t do any damage to your tub.
2. Commercial Cleaner
Some stains like water stains are hard to remove. Yes, water can leave behind stains if the excess is not flushed out and cleaned. Thus, the hard watermarks are very difficult to remove.
For this, we will recommend you to use a good commercial cleaner but make sure it does not contain harsh chemicals like ammonia or bleach that can damage your tub. Next, read the instructions on the cleaner and use them accordingly.
Alternatively, just dump the tub with some water, spread the cleaner throughout, and make sure it sits on the stains for at least 10 minutes.
Then take a brush, rub the stains and rinse. If the stains have not rinsed out completely, repeat the process until your bathtub shines clean. Also, do not forget to clean the tub dry, or else the moisture will quickly absorb into it and damage it.
3. Hydrogen Peroxide and Cream of Tartar
There are some stains like the rust that will not come out no matter what you use. Hence, for bathtub stains will not come out, you need to use something powerful.
If lately, you have been observing rust marks around your tub handles and knobs, then we have the best cleaning trick up our sleeve.
Mix hydrogen peroxide and cream of tartar to make a cleaner with a creamy consistency. Next, apply it to the rust stains and leave it for a good 10 minutes. When the time is up, use a nylon brush to rub the stains and rinse them.
The stains do not need to come out in one go and hence, repeat the process if needed. Just make sure you use a clean piece of cloth to clean the bathtub dry.
4. Bleach
Are you experiencing moldy growth in your bathtub? Disgusting! But is there are ways to clean a stained bathtub?
Fortunately, you can now remove moldy stains with bleach. Although bleach is a strong chemical and hence, should not be used for cleaning the bathtub regularly, using it once or twice to remove tough stains will not do any harm.
First, try to remove as much mold as you can with a scraper or paper towels. Then apply the bleach on the stains and leave it for 15 to 20 minutes, allowing it to saturate. Once, done, use a brush to rub off the stains and rinse.
Moreover, there are mold stain removers available in the market and hence, you can use specifically these that target mold.
Some Things to Remember When Cleaning Bathtub Stains
Since we have already told you ways of how to clean bathtub stains, it does not end here. Thus, here are some things you should remember when cleaning bathtub stains:
1. Material Type
Do you have a porcelain bathtub? A plastic one? Or an acrylic one? The type of bathtub that you have determines the method of cleaning it because some material can damage quicker than others when it comes in contact with chemicals.
Enamel– These types of bathtubs are made of powdered glass joined with steel and are also known as enamel porcelain. The best way to clean enamel bathtubs is to use gentle cleaners and avoid scrubbing with chemicals that may damage the surface.
Acrylic– Acrylic bathtubs are the most commonly used ones. Although the material is highly durable when it comes to cleaning, we would suggest using non-abrasive cleaners like mild liquid soap with water, etc.
Porcelain– If you are looking for luxury tubs, porcelain should be your first choice but that does not mean that these do not stain. You can either use mild commercial cleaners or make one at home for cleaning the bathtubs.
Fiberglass and plastic. These tubes are easy to install yet delicate. Thus, use baking soda and water to remove stains or white vinegar for tougher stains.
When you chose a cleaner for stain removal, you need to ensure which type of bathtub do you have. But one thing that is common for all is that make sure you use cleaners that are free of chemicals like bleach and ammonia.
2. Dry the Tub
Whether you have taken a bath or just finished cleaning it, make sure you dry the bathtub completely so the moisture does not absorb and doesn’t damage the bathtub from the inside.
Moreover, the longer the water retains over the surface, the more stain it will leave behind and hence, making it difficult for you to remove.
3. Scrub with a Soft Brush
Whenever you rub off the stains, always use a soft-bristled brush, or else, the hard brush can scratch the bathtub.
Maintenance is Important
When you want things in your house to last longer, make sure you pay extra attention to their maintenance. Because a bathtub is amongst the most regularly used items and comes in contact with water, it is more prone to staining.
You can either use a mild bathtub cleaner or make one at home, depending upon your choice. Use them to regularly clean the bathtub so it does not stain.
Moreover, what is important is that when you are done taking a bath or cleaning it, use a clean piece of cloth to dry it.
Why? This is so the moisture does not absorb and damage the bathtub from the inside. Moreover, the water if remains on the surface of the tub longer, the chances of stains developing over it becomes higher.
Relax and Enjoy!
Thus, if you have been observing stains on your bathtub, which of course looks bad, you need to get to removing it ASAP, or else, getting rid of them will become difficult.
Also, if you are unable to do it on your own, you can always hire professionals for some help who will be quick to remove the stains for you.
John Wesley is passionate about cleaning industry especially vacuum cleaners. He is having more than a decade of experience in repairing and selling vacuum cleaners from a well known retail shop. When he’s not testing and reviewing latest vacuum cleaners for this site, he likes to spend time with his partner, 2 kids, and doing house projects.
