Does Your Bathtub Need a Scrub? Use These 6 Tips
How to Clean a Bathtub Like a Pro
It happens to all of us. One moment you have a pearly white bathtub and the next, it is coated in grime or there is a brown ring of dirt that you cannot seem to get rid of. Whether it is the fact that you are the one causing the unsightly ring to appear, or that you cannot get it off, here’s some tips for how to clean a bathtub.
The point is that everyone has this issue and very few of us have the privilege of knowing how to get rid of it. Here we are going to let you in on the secrets as to how to clean your tub with ordinary household products.
Getting Rid of Grime
Sure, there are a bunch of cleaning products that are specifically formulated for the smooth surface of a bathtub, but who wants to spend that money when you probably have all the ingredients in your home already.
Bathtubs, like basins, are like magnets for soap scum, mildew and grime. It does not matter how clean you try and keep your tub, or how quickly you scrub the sides. Over time, that dreaded ring of dirt appears, and try as you might, you cannot get it off.
Vinegar is not just a tasty base for a salad dressing, it is one of the key ingredients in many DIY cleaning products. White vinegar is a weak acid and when you mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle, you have a decent cleaning solution that gets rid of grime and scum buildup.
When You Need a Little Extra Cleaning Power
Ignoring the ring in your tub is not going to make it go away. If you leave it for too long, it becomes tougher to clean, even when using store bought products. For these stains, you have to add a little extra baking soda to the mix if you want to get rid of the stain.
When the stains are on the bottom of the tub, sprinkle some baking soda onto the stain and spray it with the vinegar mixture mentioned earlier. The vinegar will start to react with the baking soda, and it will then begin to bubble.
After a minute or two, take a soft sponge or cloth and start to scrub the mixture until it forms a paste. For smaller stained areas, use a toothbrush to scrub and form the paste. After about 15 minutes, you can wipe the paste and rinse away any leftovers, and your stain should be gone.
Not All Stains Are Equal
A bathtub is not a one stain type of object. Sometimes, out of the blue, a stubborn stain will appear where not even the previous mentioned solutions will get the job done.
Don’t fret, as there are still a couple of tricks that you can try to clean your tub. For a stubborn stain, you need to up the ante and make a stronger cleaning solution. You need to make this paste in a separate container and then apply it to the affected area.
To make the paste, you need to mix one part hydrogen peroxide and two parts baking soda or cream of tartar in a bowl. Once your paste is smooth, you can proceed and apply it to the stain.
This time, you need to let it stand for 30 minutes to an hour. The stain might not be gone after the first try, so you need to make enough paste to repeat if necessary, until the stain is gone.
Hard Water Stains Aren’t That Hard
People often look at mineral deposit stains and think that their tubs are ruined. When you buy a new home or move into a new flat, this is probably one of the first things you want to get rid of. It takes a bit of patience, but the stain is relatively easy to remove.
Firstly, you need to take a paper towel and dip it in undiluted vinegar and lay it over the stained area. You could also just lay the paper towel on the stain and pour some vinegar over it until it is soaked.
Now it needs to stand for around two hours to penetrate the mineral buildup. After two hours, you can go ahead and scrub the stain with an old toothbrush, using the baking soda and vinegar paste mentioned earlier.
Remove Those Rust Stains
The inside of your tap is the cause of your rust stains. The wonderful thing about a rust stain is that it is a chemical stain. This means that a chemical reaction caused the stain and the reaction only needs to be reversed to remove the stain. To remove rust stains, you only need a bit of borax powder and lemons.
The first thing you need to do is sprinkle a bit of borax on the stain. Don’t be shy with the borax, as any extra powder that does not get used in the reaction will just rinse away. Too little bora means that you might have to repeat the process.
Take a lemon and cut it in half and use the cut side to start scrubbing over the borax and stain until a paste forms. Now, you just need to let the stain stand for 15 to 30 minutes and then you can wipe and rinse the paste away. The stain should be removed with it.
What Not to Do When Cleaning Your Bathtub
Your bathtub has a non-porous surface, which makes it difficult to stain. However, when the stains appear, you should avoid using heavy scrubbers that might scratch the surface of your tub. Scouring powders and abrasive brushes should be avoided at all costs.
In Review
If you opt for cleaning products, never attempt to mix two different products. You might create a chemical reaction that could hurt yourself or damage the tub beyond repair.
