Whether your gorgeous vintage bathtub is the focal point of your bathroom or you’re just stuck with an old tub, you want to keep it looking clean and brand new. But how? We found the best ways to keep your tub sparkling; read on for tips on taking care of your porcelain beauty.
What to Avoid
Porcelain enamel is painted over and fused to cast-iron, so you don’t want to use any abrasive cleansers that could ding or chip the porcelain. Cleaners like scouring powder, white vinegar and steel wool should also be avoided, as they can damage the finish.
What to Use
For gentle weekly cleaning, look for store-bought cleansers that are marked “safe for porcelain enamel”, or make your own by mixing a few tablespoons of dishwashing soap with about a gallon of hot water. Use a rag or soft sponge to scrub the porcelain, and then rinse well with water.
Deeper Clean
For a deeper cleaning on your tub, add ¼ cup of ammonia and ¼ cup of baking soda to a bucket of warm water. While the baking soda is a little bit abrasive, it is not so rough that it will damage your enamel, and the ammonia will help to cut any grease or soap scum that has built up. Soak a soft sponge in this mix and gently scrub your porcelain until the stains are removed. Be sure to rinse off the paste. (Only use this technique once a month at the most.)
Add Shine
Adding a little shine to your tub is easy! Take a clean rag and dab lemon oil on it. Rub the rag all over the sides of your tub – but not the bottom, since the oil will make it slippery – to add a light coating and a glimmering finish.
Source: HowStuffWorks
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Lime and calcium streaks can leave your tub looking dull and chalky. Clean off these hard water deposits in a few simple steps to keep your fixtures looking shiny and new – and give your old bathroom an instant upgrade.
Spray Clean
Either buy a lime removing cleanser – although some can be very harsh – or make a mix in a spray bottle of white vinegar and water. You can use this to clean your tub, shower and fixtures. Spray your cleanser on the walls of the tub, fixtures and shower walls and scrub down with a damp rag or paper towel. Or, soak a towel in a bowl of your mixture and use the wet towel as a scrubber. You should see the hard water stains disappearing immediately.
Add Power
If you’re not seeing the results you were hoping for, make a paste of white vinegar and baking soda for more cleaning power. Spread on the stains and let sit for about 15 minutes; then wipe off with a damp rag or paper towel and make sure to dry the spot afterwards to prevent further staining.
Avoid New Streaks
If you’re continually seeing streaks and spots from hard water, the best thing you can do is start preventing the stains. After showers and baths, spray the tub with either a daily cleanser or a mix of vinegar and water — then wipe down the tub so the water can’t leave any spots.
Source: HowStuffWorks
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Bathtub cleaning is a chore that everyone wants to avoid. While you can’t avoid giving the tub a good scrub forever, you can hold heavy cleaning at bay with some easy regular maintenance (we hesitate to even call these moves cleaning). So, follow these simple tips and you’ll have a sparkling tub without all the hard work.
Always Rinse
When you’re done with your shower, or giving the kids a bath, rinse the whole tub down. Every time. Let the water run as you finish your shower – after you’re done rinsing off soap or shampoo from your body. And turn on the shower for 30 seconds after everyone is out of the tub. Take a quick look and make sure the water is running clear – no soap suds, bubbles or hair.
Get a Spray Bottle and Some White Vinegar
You could buy a major brand daily shower spray, but for a less toxic daily cleanser, buy an inexpensive spray bottle from a discount store and a cheap bottle of white vinegar. Get the store brand and save the splurge for something fun. Once or twice a week, post shower, spray the whole thing down, including the door or shower curtain, with the white vinegar, which is a natural cleanser.
Bath Scrubber
Also, get a shower and bath scrubber with a handle. After you spray down the shower, rub the vinegar into the grout, the corners of the tub and around the drain. This will really get into the grime and keep those areas clean and you won’t be on your knees every week dealing with gross built up gunk.
Use a Scrub
When you do tackle the big clean up, use a thick paste scrub. Squeeze it onto your sponge, not the tile or ceramic; you’ll get more mileage out of the cleanser as you hit those nooks and crannies. Run the shower for a few seconds before you start to loosen up the gunk, and make the full cleaning easier.
Adding a bathtub with jets to your home is a great way to add a little luxury to your everyday life. From soothing sore muscles to calming the mind with a relaxing soak, jetted tubs have many benefits. But just like many of the other items in your bathroom, they can also harbor bacteria and have significant soap scum build up as a result of bubbles, body oils, and soap. Even if you can’t see it, it’s important to clean out the jets of your bathtub regularly to ensure that they continue to function properly and to ensure that you’re actually bathing in clean water and not with gross germs.
It’s a good idea to avoid using certain products in jetted tubs — such as baby oil and bubble bath — to reduce the amount of buildup to begin with. and to refill the tub with warm water and then run the jets for 15 to 20 minutes to clear them out after each use. But even the most cautious homeowners will still need to do a deep clean of their jets once per month if they regularly use their bathtub. This requires just a few simple steps.
Fill the tub with hot water to at least three inches above the height of the jets. Add two to four teaspoons of powdered dishwasher detergent (or another low-foaming disinfectant). For a deep clean, you can also add up to one-half cup of bleach. Run the jets for 15 minutes, and then turn off and drain the bathtub. Refill the bathtub with cool water and run the jets for another 15 minutes. Drain again, and your jets should be free and clear of all the soap scum and germs that you’d rather not have joining you the next time you settle in for a relaxing bath.
Source: HowItWorks
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