How to Remove Rust Spots on the Bottom of a Bathtub

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Things You'll Need

  • Steel wool

  • Scrubbing pad

  • White vinegar

  • Lime juice

  • Table salt

For many people, a bathtub is part of a sanctuary or spa. For others, it is just a place to get clean. But unattractive rust stains at the bottom of the tub can become a part of the bath water, and no one wants to bathe in rust. Bathtubs are made of a variety of materials these days from porcelain to hard plastic. But rust forms when the protective coating of some bathtubs wears off. The underlying material is exposed to moisture or water and rust develops. Removing rust from a bathtub is not hard to do.

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Step 1

Scrub at the rust stains. Use a scrubbing pad or steel wool pad to remove the rust. Use a lot of elbow grease on stubborn rust stains. Wipe the areas clean and then rinse out the tub. The abrasive quality of these pads breaks down the rust. For many bathtubs, scrubbing is all that is needed.

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Step 2

Pour vinegar on the stains. Close the tub drain. Pour in a bottle of white vinegar to saturate the rust stains at the bottom of the tub. Wait 10 to 30 minutes for the ascetic acid in the vinegar to work on the rust stains. Scrub at the rust stains. Open the drain, turn on the water and let the rust and vinegar run out. Repeat the process if rust remains.

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Step 3

Make a paste. Combine two parts table salt with one part lime juice. Apply the paste to the rust stains with a scrubbing pad. The Eartheasy website recommends leaving the paste on the rust stains for two to three hours. Then scrub at the rust with the steel wool or scrubbing pad. Turn on the faucet and let the running water wash away the rust, salt and lime juice.

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