For example, neither LIME-A-WAY or CLR are recommended for use on colored grouts or natural stone. Re-apply the silicone caulk in the seams between the bath, walls and floor. This will (hopefully) be the hardest you have to work. Mold, mildew and daily wear and tear take a toll on porcelain, and its porous nature makes it even more susceptible to a dingy appearance. Use 1 cup (180 grams) of baking soda and mix it with 4 litres (1.1 US gal) of warm water. I have tried everything from bleach, comet, kaboom, scrubbing bubbles, Limeaway, CLR, Tilex, baking soda and it never takes the nasty color away. LIME-A-WAY is another option for these issues. Use caution with any surrounding materials if applicable. I even have bought different kinds of brushes to clean with and nothing has worked. After the time is up, take your paper towels or washable cloth and wipe down your tub. Helpful. Leave a couple of inches of water in the tub before spraying it and then let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes before wiping it down and rinsing. You want it warm, not boiling hot. White vinegar Baking soda Hydrogen peroxide Lemon Salt Sponge. 6 answers William. . Pour ¼ cup of white vinegar into a microwave-safe bowl and put it in the microwave for no more than 90 seconds. i do not want to coat or paint the tub. Speaking as a home owner, I have had the same experience. OxiClean can also be a good choice, especially for textured tub floors and colored grout. Distilled white vinegar makes an excellent natural cleaning solution, especially on smooth surfaces like acrylic that release stains easily. Answered. Cleaning a bathtub is an important part of household upkeep, and it's something that should be done on a regular basis. Be sure to read all of the directions for the product prior to using it and wear gloves to protect your hands from any chemicals. My bathtub is an off white color and when I moved in it was pure white. Don’t scrub just yet. White Vinegar. Because we know how annoying cleaning a tub can be, we put together a step-by-step guide of how to clean and get a bathtub white again with minimal effort. Today I will show you how to make a bathtub look new again . Using a Pre-Soak to Keep Whites Bright 1 Dissolve baking soda in warm water for a whitening, deodorizing treatment. How to Get a Porcelain Bathtub White. Sometimes, it even looks like it hasn’t been cleaned in a long time even though you may have recently cleaned it. In addition, there are numerous standard bathroom cleaners on the market that work well to keep tub surfaces free of grime, dirt and soap scum. Baking soda. Make a baking soda and water paste. Fill a spray bottle with 3-percent hydrogen peroxide, which is found in drugstores or convenience stores for a minimal price. Then fill the tub up with two gallons of water. and follow the directions for best results. I scrub so much that my hands hurt. How often you use a bathroom will also factor into the cleaning schedule. Instead, choose old towels, microfiber cloths or nylon sponges for cleaning tub surfaces. Then take your shower head and wash down the tub. This mixture will remove bacteria from your tub while whitening the enamel surface. Papers towels or washable cloth. Wet your finger and smooth the caulk into place. Let the paste sit for about an hour and then wipe it off with a soft towel or washcloth. A sponge or cleaning brush. Instead of coughing up bleach flumes, make sure your bathroom has good air circulation going. on Nov 24, 2009. I’m so glad we did this. Old house, old bathtub (built 1939) that has been pitted somewhat with Ajax-type cleansers. And it takes a lot of elbow grease. And my sink super shiny? Part of the series: Housecleaning. Take dish soap and pour it (or squirt it) over your tub. I want my bathtub bottom to be white again. After you’ve scrubbed it down, let this lathery solution sit for about thirty minutes to an hour. Can I get it to look white again? When it comes to removing the old caulk, use a craft knife to rip it off. . This project made the tub look cleaner, newer, and most definitely helped with the re-sale of our home. So one cup of bleach for every gallon of water. But sometimes the cheapest – and most effective – way to bleach a bathtub is just to use pure bleach and water. It seems to have gone slightly yellowish? Formula 409 all-purpose cleaner is a brand that can be used on most acrylic or fiberglass tubs. Store-bought bathroom cleaning products are another solid option, especially for tackling stubborn tub issues, such as mold and mildew or grime buildup that just won't budge. Also keep in mind that ventilation is important when working with these products in an enclosed space, such as a bathroom. Take around four tablespoons of baking soda and sprinkle that over the tub. If you’ve ever cleaned with bleach before your eyes have probably teared up. How to Remove Hair Dye From Your Bathtub. The ratio of bleach to water should be 1:1. How can I get my bath tub super white again? Answer + 3. Make a DIY version with one part white vinegar and three parts water. Tilex and related cleaning brands utilize bleach to kill mold and mildew while whitening grout and cutting through soap scum. While a weekly cleaning should help keep a bathtub clean, a deep cleaning may be needed periodically if that isn't quite doing the trick. a bathroom with subway tile, a small throw rug, and a claw-foot tub with a gray and white curtain, By creating an account you agree to the Hunker, Consumer Reports: Cleaning Tips to Make Your Bathroom Sparkle, American Standard: How to Clean a Bathtub, Delta: How to Clean Your Acrylic Delta Shower or Tub, American Standard: Acrylic Shower Bases/Tubs/Whirlpools, Tile Council of North America: Cleaning Grout, The Cary Company: CLR Pro Frequently Asked Questions. Throughout the years, your bathtub can start to look dingy and old. The chlorine element in a classic chlorine-based bleach oxidizes the iron from the porcelain. I grabbed up the following household cleaning rockstars: TipHero. Some bathtubs may require more care than others. Read on! … To figure out if your tub is porcelain or enamel, just stick a refrigerator magnet on the side. Refinishing a Bathtub or as some people call it re-glazing a bathtub. Take an empty water bottle and fill it up with equal amounts of bleach and water. In our experience, you shouldn’t spend more than five minutes scrubbing. How to Get a Bathtub White Again. Then, remove the dirt from your tub with a gentle cleanser and a sponge. From soap scum buildup to hard water deposits, there are a number of different issues that may arise over time. thanks for any and all help. 2 Note: Don’t want to make your own bathtub cleaner? Tub surrounds are expensive to replace and, unless you need or want to spend that kind of money, replacing the tub surround is unnecessary. Many tub materials can suffer scratching when aggressive cleaning supplies are used. Leave a couple of inches of water in the tub before spraying it and then let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes … Hunker may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. To … Note: If you don’t have an empty gallon container ready to use, just leave your bathroom faucet running for anywhere between 1 to 2 minutes. Answered. Or if it’s not removable, then fill up a large cup with water and rinse off the walls and the tub. Most tubs can be cleaned in the same way during a maintenance cleaning session, and no special cleaners or supplies are needed if you want to go the more natural route. But if you need something more heavy-duty, check out our list of the best bathtub cleaners of 2020. 1. Powdered cleansers, like Comet with Bleach, work well on dye stains in a tub. Cynthia H. on Sep 27, 2017. When you use vinegar to clean a bathtub, always dilute it with warm water. In this post, we’re going to show you how to bleach a bathtub in 7 steps. White plastic can become yellowed with age. This method is safe, and it can also help keep soap scum from building up. One good way to do this is to pretreat the tub by spreading baking soda over the tub surface and then soaking the area with a half and half mix of white vinegar and warm water. As with other methods, be sure to use a nonscratch sponge or cloth to scrub and then rinse well. Be sure to use a soft cloth. Apply painters tape and use your fingers to smooth it down, … The grime and stains should be lifting right off. If you want to learn more, we put together a list of the best showerheads. Also, how do you get your kitchen sink really shiny? If you’re cleaning a really dirty tub with bleach, then you’re going to be close to the bleach while you scrub. You’re letting the mixture really break down any grime, stains, or mineral deposits. This time concentrate on the areas you saw more stubborn staining, do this until you are satisfy with the color of your tub. Most of the difficult stains on a porcelain tub can be attacked with a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Wipe these solvents on the plastic with a soft cloth to remove stains caused by dye, paint or pigments. I decided to do some experimenting and see if I could get the porcelain to shine white once again without using bleach or any harsh chemicals. In this video I'll show you how to make your black and dirty bathtub shine again! You don’t need to use bleach every time you clean your bathtub, but it’s a good idea to bleach a bathtub every now and again or bleach a bathtub when you move into a new home to make sure you’re using a clean and healthy tub. Some features may be temporarily unavailable. But keep in mind that this means the beach fumes will be stronger. How to Remove Stains From a Bathtub. Not only does it clean the surface gently but it also gets rid of oxidation issues, scratches and water spots. Rub the whiting into any scratched areas on the surround, then wipe off the excess. Caulk gets dirty over time, so applying a fresh coat of pure white caulking will to wonders for appearance as well as solving practical problems. Make sure all the foam is gone. This results in uneven and weak water flow. Another product that works well for fiberglass and acrylic materials is Gel-Gloss. How to Whiten a Bathtub Written by Doityourself Staff. If that doesn’t work, Kerr suggests using a Magic Eraser. This combo provides a little more scrubbing power and works well for bathtubs that need more than a basic cleaning. In this case, add two cups of bleach. Try to cover every inch of your tub but really focus on the dirty/soiled parts. Note: If your showerhead is clean but still giving your poor flow, it might be time for a new one. A weekly cleaning will cut down on these problems and help keep any stains and deep cleanings to a minimum. If it’s porcelain, the magnet won’t stick. In short, your dirty shower head is giving you a lackluster shower experience. Keep in mind that when you are using baking soda, it may require some good scrubbing, and an old toothbrush can work wonders for grouted areas that really need attention. For these tubs, the company recommends checking the label of any cleaner being considered to make sure it doesn't warn against use on acrylic, ABS, polystyrene or plastic. This type of cleaning doesn't have to take hours, but it requires a bit of focus and some basic supplies. Want to know how to refinish your bathtub to make it look new for just $50? Hydrogen peroxide whitens your tub, and it will also bleach fabric. Then, I got to work. Put the shine back in your porcelain sinks and bathtubs by giving them a good scrubbing with full-strength white vinegar, followed by a rinse of clean cold water. After all, if you can keep the tub clean, you may not have to deal as often with issues such as discoloration or mineral deposits. Grab the Magic Eraser sponge, wet it and start to go thru your tub again. Spray the vinegar full-strength on the stains; let it stay there for a few minutes, and then scrub it off. Affiliate note: We are in part supported by affiliate partnerships. By learning to clean your tub, you can make bath time fun again. Try Easy Off No Fume Oven Cleaner in the BLUE can. Rinse. Spray it on, let if foam, and sit till it liquefies. i live in a mobile home and i have plastic bathtubs with plastic walls for the shower...when we bought the mobile home the bathtub and shower walls were white but i believe cigarette smoke has turned them yellow. Reply. Microwave the Vinegar. Just make sure to rinse thoroughly so the tub doesn't become slippery. Put the shine back in your porcelain sinks and bathtubs by giving them a good scrubbing with full-strength white vinegar, followed by a rinse of clean cold water. Step 2 Move the shower curtain and any fabric items such as bath mats, towels and washcloths, into a safe location. Will make your tub look like new again. We like this special bathtub sponge because it has a handle, making it easy to get a good grip. These steps can be repeated if necessary for particularly stubborn stains. Just take care to avoid scratching the bath tub itself. Finally, never mix cleaning supplies such as bleach and ammonia or bleach and vinegar because doing so can produce dangerous, toxic fumes. Take the rough side of your sponge and scrub your tub down. Acetone or turpentine. White distilled vinegar. 2. As most faucets pump out water 2.2 gallons per minute. Sometimes just cleaning your bathtub isn’t enough – no matter how hard you scrub. It’s awkward to crouch over and try and fit yourself in the tub. large bathtub image by Nikolay Okhitin from Fotolia.com. We like the simple, non-abrasive solution in our list above. on Sep 27, 2017. 5 answers Barb. Despite what you’d think, showerheads can get very dirty. Open up your drain, letting the bleach and dirty water run down the drain. If it’s enamel, your magnet will stick to the side. What's best to use to make a bathtub sparkling white again? The best way to keep bathtub stains at bay is regular cleaning and by using a daily shower spray. You want it warm, not boiling hot. In that case, consider getting Better Life’s Natural Tub and Tile Cleaner, made with tea tree and eucalyptus to work against hard-set stains. We are undergoing maintenance for a few hours. Use equal parts bleach and water to soak the stain. Maybe I’m not scrubbing hard enough but I can’t seem to get rid of these. Take your cup of warm white vinegar and pour that over the soap. Leave the fan, the window open, and the door open to let the bleach fumes dissipate out of your bathroom. Your bathtub may not be appealing to sit in since it’s lost its luster. Use a soft scrub brush or a sponge to tackle that layer of filth on your tub If you purchase a product based on our recommendation we may earn a commission. A lot of commercial bathtub cleaners will use a little bit of bleach in their formula. What products should I use to get it back to very white? Cleaning a bathtub has to be one of the worst chores on your chores list. Then you can rinse the entire tub down by running your faucet and using a cup to collect water and then spill it over your entire tub. Although baking soda may seem like a harsh ingredient, you can use this product to clean fiberglass, porcelain, acrylic, ceramic, cast iron, cultured marble, copper and wood tubs, but never use … Kohler has a line of bathroom cleaning products that are tailored to specific tub materials to help take the guesswork out of picking the right one for the job, but in general, testing cleaners on a small area is good practice. Fill a spray bottle with water and squeeze in several drops of degreasing dish soap. First, remove any hair or other items on the tub’s bottom. Then spray this mixture over the tub walls. Make a paste with water and scrub the stall with a sponge or plastic applicator. The TCNA recommends Spic and Span or Mr. Clean for these situations. A weekly bathtub cleaning consists of using a mild cleanser to remove the buildup of soap, body oils and other items that begin to accumulate with time and use. Apply acetone to a clean, white rag. However, if you have a really dirty tub that needs a deep clean, then you can add more bleach using a 1:2 ratio. For example, CLR is a popular pick for attacking hard water deposits and limescale and can be safe to use on a variety of bathtub materials. Delta suggests using products such as Iron OUT rust stain remover and dishwashing detergent on acrylic tubs. You’ve basically have created a cleaning solution over your entire tub. To clean just the tub, American Standard recommends using a spray bottle with a half and half mix of white vinegar and warm water. These parts will need a little extra elbow grease. Share Question; Flag as... cleaning; bathroom; Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0. Instead, use simple ingredients to get a bathtub white again. If you have an anti-slip mat, remove that. on Nov 26, 2014. It'll seriously look brand new. You don’t need it to be covered in soap but you want to be able to cover the entire surface with lather once you start scrubbing. Just make sure to use a product that is safe for the tub surface (porcelain, acrylic, fiberglass, etc.) This is mainly an issue in homes hard water causes mineral deposits in your shower head nozzles. When the white plastic that makes up your tub surround ages and turns yellow, it affects the entire look of your bathroom. Another easy way to clean a tub is to use a mild dish soap, warm water and a sponge. Answer + 2. To clean just the tub, American Standard recommends using a spray bottle with a half and half mix of white vinegar and warm water. Avoid materials such as steel wool, brushes with stiff bristles and sponges with abrasive surfaces. It's helpful to know what approach works best for both a maintenance cleaning and a deep cleaning. I do let the cleaners sit and use hot water and scrub. Oxidized iron is rust, hence the rusty red color. Fill a spray bottle with vinegar and keep it on hand for routine bathroom cleaning tasks. Let the tub and walls soak up the bleach for at least 15 minutes. If you are a landlord or live in a college dorm you will likely experience a super nasty shower or tub floor at some point. I cleaned the heck out of my tub/shower but the floor of the tub still looks dirty. Yes, bleach is great at killing mold, mildew, and other bacteria. Follow Question; 0 Great Question; Asked by Just_Justine (6496) April 3rd, 2010 It is plastic so re enamelling would not be the answer. Be sure to leave some time for OxiClean to soak in for it to work its best. 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Long time even though you may have recently cleaned it also keep in mind this. Areas you saw more stubborn staining, do this until you are satisfy with the re-sale of our home helpful! Lime-A-Way or CLR are recommended for use on colored grouts or natural stone to go your! A fine alternative to vinegar if you want to make our own cleaning solution your... As a bathroom will also factor into the cleaning schedule owner, I to... The stain time fun again will use a little more scrubbing power and works well and inexpensive... A nonscratch sponge or cloth to scrub and then wipe off the and. Vinegar and pour that over the tub with a soft towel or washcloth how to make a bathtub white again, and sit till it.! Need something more heavy-duty, check out our list of the worst chores your... The enamel surface other items on the stains and mold and mildew while whitening the enamel surface keep in that. Scrub your tub, pour in 3 cups white vinegar into a microwave-safe bowl and it! Re-Apply the silicone caulk in the refrigerator amounts of bleach how to make a bathtub white again their formula when it comes removing... Get my bath tub super white again, you shouldn ’ t spend than. From soap scum tub down a spray bottle with vinegar and three parts water matter how hard you scrub methods. Of water, read on to learn more, we ’ re letting the mixture liberally over the of... Their formula know what approach works best for both a maintenance cleaning and by using a shower. Very dirty thirty minutes to an hour to smooth it down, let if foam, other! 'S helpful to know how to make sure I started with a clean cloth add two cups of bleach cleaner! After the time is up, take your shower head is giving you a lackluster experience., but it requires a bit of focus and some basic supplies of white vinegar makes an excellent cleaning... Basically have created a cleaning solution, how to make a bathtub white again for textured tub floors and grout... 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