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Thread: Any good products for scrubbing a bathtub?

  1. #1
    Geila
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    Any good products for scrubbing a bathtub?

    Am I the only one having a heck of a time cleaning the bathtub? What I mean by clean is scrubbing the whole tub, including the sides, to remove the film that often forms from daily use. I currently use Comet and a combo of brushes and sponges to do it. I have to kneel by the tub and scrub it by hand. I'm short, 5', so reaching across the tub and into the corners and sides is hard tiring work. I'm looking for a product designed to do this with less effort. There's got to be something out there!

    Part of it is the use of bar soap, I know it adds a film to the tub. I use Dove Sensitive and I'm willing to switch to a liquid body cleanser but most of them have perfume, which I don't like. Dh loves his Dove's, not sure if I can get him to switch to liquid. But I'm willing to try.

    Anywho, back to the original problem:

    Please help me find some products that will make the tub cleaning job easier. Frugality is not the goal here (well, it is in a way, because if I can do the tubs myself I won't be tempted to hire a cleaning person). So I'm willing to spend some money for a product that works well.



    I'm even considering removing the tub and installing a shower to make life easier. But that is an expensive and involved project, not likely to happen for another 5-8 years.


    ETA: I should clarify - I'm looking for tools and equipment to help with the scrubbing of the tub. The mechanical aspect.

    Has anyone tried those new power scrubbers I just saw on amazon? I wonder how well those work....
    Last edited by Geila; 7-1-17 at 3:08pm. Reason: clarity

  2. #2
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    If you want to go natural and cheap, vinegar and baking soda is tough to beat. I love vinegar; DH HATES it because of the smell, which evaporates pretty quickly, BTW. I use it for almost everything.

    If you want to go semi-natural--a commercial product with the least amount of chemicals--(to be honest I HATE saying this because I am so opposed to multi-level marketing schemes) Melaleuca has great cleaning products. They have one specifically called "No Work Shower Cleaner." You spray it after the shower and just let it sit and soap scum never accumulates. Again, I have no vested interest in telling you this. My sister-in-law sold it and I supported her by purchasing things now and then. She no longer sells it, so I've stopped buying it, but I have soooo much of it left from when I was buying it, I'm good for a while.

    Here's the link: http://www.melaleuca.com/ProductStore/Product?sku=5679
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  3. #3
    Geila
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    Thanks Catherine. To be honest, I find that natural products are not as effective as the old standbys. I even had a cleaning lady do my house a couple of times who used green products like vinegar and such and the house just never looked really clean to me even though she worked really hard. I like the shine and brightness that products like Comet and Lysol provide. And things seem to stay cleaner longer. It makes all the elbow grease and sweat worthwhile!

  4. #4
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Geila View Post
    Thanks Catherine. To be honest, I find that natural products are not as effective as the old standbys. I even had a cleaning lady do my house a couple of times who used green products like vinegar and such and the house just never looked really clean to me even though she worked really hard. I like the shine and brightness that products like Comet and Lysol provide. And things seem to stay cleaner longer. It makes all the elbow grease and sweat worthwhile!
    OK, well, then we're definitely in different leagues! I hate the chemical smell of harsh cleaning products, and I would never buy a power scrubber for a bathtub, but that's just me. I understand some people have much higher standards than I do!! I have to think, thought, hotel maids NEVER use power scrubbers, and the bathtubs in all the nice hotels I've been in are always gleaming. I wonder what they use?

    On a separate note, I have to say, though, I tried that pretty well-known toilet cleaning hack yesterday--the denture cleaning tablets, and I think those work amazingly well!!.


    ETA: A link to how hotel maids work: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/...b0d8cc109965a8

    http://www.hgtv.com/design/decoratin...-from-the-pros
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  5. #5
    Senior Member gimmethesimplelife's Avatar
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    What I use on our very old porcelain tub is bleach - I fill the tub with water, pour in a half gallon or so of bleach, lock the bathroom door overnight so the cats can't get in, and let the bleach water sit in the tub overnight. I then drain the tub in the morning using salad tongs so that my hands don't touch the bleach water. Cheap, and effective - this very much whitens the tub and gets rid of any grime or discoloring. Maybe the tub doesn't gleam but it's clean, sanitized, and very porcelain white after I drain the bleach water. Rob

  6. #6
    Geila
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    Quote Originally Posted by Geila View Post
    Thanks Catherine. To be honest, I find that natural products are not as effective as the old standbys. I even had a cleaning lady do my house a couple of times who used green products like vinegar and such and the house just never looked really clean to me even though she worked really hard. I like the shine and brightness that products like Comet and Lysol provide. And things seem to stay cleaner longer. It makes all the elbow grease and sweat worthwhile!
    I read those hotel cleaning articles and the gist of it is that they clean the whole bathroom every single day with multiple strong products, sponges, brushes and LOTS of manual labor! I've read before that drying out the tub after each use is also helpful. But not likely to happen in my case.

    I sure don't want to clean the tub every day. So.... that power scrubber is looking good. They have some that attach to drills. Dh already has a drill...

    p.s. I didn't know about those products with hydrogen peroxide though! I'm going to check that out. Thanks!

  7. #7
    Geila
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    Quote Originally Posted by gimmethesimplelife View Post
    What I use on our very old porcelain tub is bleach - I fill the tub with water, pour in a half gallon or so of bleach, lock the bathroom door overnight so the cats can't get in, and let the bleach water sit in the tub overnight. I then drain the tub in the morning using salad tongs so that my hands don't touch the bleach water. Cheap, and effective - this very much whitens the tub and gets rid of any grime or discoloring. Maybe the tub doesn't gleam but it's clean, sanitized, and very porcelain white after I drain the bleach water. Rob
    Rob - how often do you do this?

    I do this with my kitchen sink every couple of months to sanitize it and the drain, garbage disposal, etc. But I only let it sit for maybe 10 minutes as I find pure bleach a bit too strong. It irritates my throat and nose. But I do like the Comet an Lysol products that contain bleach. I use the Comet with bleach on my sinks and tub every time I clean. They look beautiful but it does take a bit of work.

  8. #8
    Senior Member Rogar's Avatar
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    I have a similar aversion to scrubbing the bathtub and recently bought a circular brush through Amazon that has a drill fitting. So theoretically I can use a rechargeable power drill with the brush to scrub the tub. The jury is still out for me, it's sort of fun to use but it's no great work saver. Seemed like a good idea, but I don't know that I'd recommend it very strongly. I think a pure castile/pure olive oil soap leaves less residue as far as bar soap goes, and use Dr. Bonner's castile bar soap.

  9. #9
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Geila View Post
    Rob - how often do you do this?

    I do this with my kitchen sink every couple of months to sanitize it and the drain, garbage disposal, etc. But I only let it sit for maybe 10 minutes as I find pure bleach a bit too strong. It irritates my throat and nose. But I do like the Comet an Lysol products that contain bleach. I use the Comet with bleach on my sinks and tub every time I clean. They look beautiful but it does take a bit of work.
    I typically do the Clorox in the toilet bowl for 20 minutes and I get good results, but I don't know if I'd be into leaving a half gallon in the tub overnight. I don't know if there's a work-free solution to keeping your bathroom spotless, frankly. Another of my own favorite time-saving tricks is to scrub down the walls and the tub while I'm IN the shower. It's definitely less work.
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
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  10. #10
    Yppej
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    I was told when I had the tub relined that I could only use Formula 409 but I am not impressed with it.

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