Homeowner Forum / Cleaning / January 2007

It really doesn't take much effort.  Some cleanser and a sponge.  Or
one of those "magic erasers".

I apply a bathroom foaming spray to the tub and allow it to work for a
few hours.  Then I scrub the sides and bottom with a nylon brush
dipped in household ammonia.   I do this quickly while holding my
breath and with the bath fan on, then rinse with cold water.  The
ammonia fumes can be irritating to the mucous membranes.  Once a week
keeps it shining.  I also use an after-shower spray everyday.
Household ammonia is hazardous when mixed with bleach, otherwise it is
safe, cheap, and an effective cleaner.

Depends on how dirty/what kind of dirt/finish of tub.

Baking soda is a mild abrasive, harmless to most surfaces, and will
remove mild soap scum & water deposits. It rinses away completely, and
has no fumes or strong chemicals. That's what I have used for years on
porcelain, glass doors & fiberglass. But I stopped using bar soaps
20+years ago, so we don't get soap scum buildup anymore.

If the scum isn't too bad, then the foamy spray types work pretty good
without too much elbow grease.

Recently I needed to clean a fiberglass shower with years of scum
accumulation left by a lazy homeowner. I tried all manner of cleaners,
until I finally used a lye-based oven cleaner of all things. I let it
set for about 20 minutes, then scrubbed with a brush & rinsed. Worked
like a charm.

Note: Do NOT get oven type cleaners on metal, glass or porcelain
surfaces. It will damage them permanently. Also beware the fumes.

It depends on what kind of tub...and what kind of grime you are talking
about.  If it is a cast iron painted tub, and you have water/rust/lime
stains on it...I would use Lime Away toilet bowl cleaner carefully on
it...If it has soap scum on it, I would use Scrub Free on it.  It may
take a couple of applications, but spray it on, let it work and then
scrub it off.  DON'T use the Lime Away toilet bowl cleaner on fixtures.
I also have great success with Bar Keepers Friend for just about any
scrubbing job that you don't want scratches on.  Good luck!
P.S...for regular maintenance, I use liquid laundry soap when I clean
bathtubs for homes I work in.  It leaves them really clean and with a
shine.

Berlin Brown wrote: