How to Remove Stains & Deposits From a Porcelain Tub

A porcelain tub can add elegance to your bathroom decor.

Bathtubs can develop stains and soap scum rather quickly. Mineral stains and deposits---scale, lime, copper and rust---will cause your porcelain tub to look old and dingy. The naturally found minerals in your water will cause mineral spots and stains to form. The stains are difficult to remove, requiring more than the normal bathtub cleaners. Fortunately, there are a few home remedies that will remove the stains and restore your porcelain bathtub.

Things You'll Need

• Oven cleaner
• Cloth
• White vinegar
• Sponge
• Pumice stone

Instructions

Oven Cleaner

1. Spray the stains with oven cleaner. Using oven cleaner on a colored porcelain tub could cause discoloration.

2. Allow the cleaner to sit on the porcelain tub for several hours.

3. Wipe the tub down with a damp cloth. Rinse with cool water.

Vinegar

1. Fill your porcelain tub with hot water.

2. Add 3 cups of white vinegar to the water. Pour the vinegar under the hot running water to help mix it with the water thoroughly.

3. Allow the water and vinegar to sit for several hours.

4. Drain the mixture and scrub the tub with a clean sponge.

Pumice Stone

1. Run the pumice stone under water so that it becomes softened. You must soften the pumice stone so that it does not scratch the porcelain.

2. Scrub the stains on your porcelain tub with the softened pumice stone. While scrubbing you will notice residue left behind from the pumice stone. This is essentially mud and will wash off rather easily with water.

3. Rinse the tub completely with cool water.

4. Repeat the process until all stains are no longer visible.

References

• Reader's Digest: 6 Household Items for a Sparkling Bathtub
• Merry Maids: Cleaning Tips
• The Natural Handyman: Removing Mineral Deposits From Household Surfaces