Do-It-Yourself: Acrylic Wax for Bathtubs

Freshly waxed bathtubs enhance your bathing experience.

Maintaining a fresh, shiny bathtub is essential to a bathroom's cleanliness and visual appeal. All bathtubs inevitably become filthy with soap scum and dirt buildup, which attract mildew and mold. Regularly cleaning bathtubs reduces mildew and mold, making bathtubs more sanitary and pleasant to bath in. Polishing bathtub surfaces with acrylic wax every three months brightens the glossy finish, as well. Acrylic wax also helps repel soap scum on bathtub surfaces. Fortunately, acrylic wax is safe to use on all bathtub surfaces, including acrylic, porcelain and fiberglass.

Things You'll Need

• 1/4 tsp. liquid dishwashing soap
• Cleaning bucket
• 3 washcloths
• Dry towel
• Translucent acrylic wax
• Cellulose sponge

Instructions

1. Clean the bathtub first to remove visible grime. Start by mixing 1/4 tsp. of liquid dishwashing soap with about 1 qt. of clean, warm water in a cleaning bucket.

2. Saturate a washcloth in the soapy water. Wipe the soapy washcloth over the bathtub's surfaces to remove all grime. As you clean, rinse the washcloth frequently with fresh water.

3. Moisten a fresh washcloth in plain water. Wipe the wet washcloth over the bathtub's surfaces to rinse off soapsuds.

4. Wipe the bathtub's surfaces with a dry towel. Absorb all moisture from the tub's surfaces.

5. Apply translucent acrylic wax to a cellulose sponge. Wipe the sponge over the sides of the bathtub, evenly spreading a light coat of acrylic wax over the bathtub's surfaces. Don't apply wax to the bathtub's bottom surface.

6. Let the acrylic wax air-dry on the bathtub's surfaces completely.

7. Buff the sides of the bathtub with another washcloth to remove excess acrylic wax. Continue buffing the surfaces until the acrylic wax residue dissolves and the bathtub shines.

Tips & Warnings

• Use lemon oil infrequently for tile walls and frosted shower doors.

• Abrasive cleaners and polishes may scratch bathtub surfaces.

• Waxing the bottom of a bathtub is a safety hazard.

References

• Ask The Builder; Acrylic, Fiberglass Tub Care and Maintenance; Tim Carter
• Merry Maids: Soap Scum In Tubs and Showers
• Venetian Plaster: Acrylic Wax
• Texston: Texton Acrylic Wax