How to Clean a Bathtub

Introduction

Scrub-a-dub-dub, there's soap scum in your tub; now how do you get it clean? With brushes and gloves you'll clean out that tub and give it a sparkling sheen. Follow these simple steps and get your tub looking clean as new.

By: eHow Home & Garden Editor

Length: 1:12

Comments: 36

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Instructions

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Difficulty: Moderate

Tips & Warnings:

Cleaning the bathtub and tub area frequently will lessen the scrubbing required. Do a quick clean once a week, instead of an hour-long scrub after two or more weeks.
Never mix cleaners. The fumes could be deadly.

Cleaning the Walls and Above the Tub

Step1

Before you clean the bathtub, put on rubber gloves.

Step2

Spray all-purpose cleaner on the walls above the tub.

Step3

Allow the cleaner to sit a few minutes, then rinse or wipe it off.

Step4

Remove mildew from grout by using a tile cleaner.

Step5

Apply the tile cleaner to the grout with a grout brush and scrub thoroughly.

Step6

Rinse well.

Cleaning the Tub

Step1

Apply a heavy-duty bathtub or all-purpose cleaner to a tub coated in enamel, the most durable of bathtub materials. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes, then scrub with a scrub brush using gentle pressure. Rinse well.

Step2

Scrub away the remaining soap scum with a scrub brush or an old toothbrush. When scrubbing, pay special attention to the corners of the tub and the area around the drain, where soap scum and dirt tend to build up. Also, look for evidence of a bathtub ring, the ring of dirt and stains that forms around the edges of the tub, which will require extra time and scrubbing.

Step3

Rinse again.

Step4

Apply a nonabrasive bathroom or bathtub cleaner if the tub is acrylic, which can scratch easily. Gently scrub with a soft-bristled brush. Rinse the tub well.

Step5

Apply a specialized fiberglass cleaner or a nonabrasive bathtub cleaner to a fiberglass tub. Scrub gently with a sponge. Rinse well.

Comments

Chickytoo82 said

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on 6/4/2007 To remove the rust stains underneath the faucet if it leaks is to use a pumice stone (the type people use to scrape dead skin off their feet) and use it to scrub off the rust it works perfectly and won't damage the enamel (don't use it on fiberglass though)

maryjane said

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on 11/16/2006 Or, you can just buy a tub that CLEANS ITSELF!!! I bought a whirlpooltub from Hydromassage. The best investment I ever made, and very cheap!