View Full Version : 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.
:help:
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....
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
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!
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/hotel-housekeeping-tricks_us_56a1598ce4b0d8cc109965a8
http://www.hgtv.com/design/decorating/clean-and-organize/bathroom-cleaning-secrets-from-the-pros
gimmethesimplelife
7-1-17, 3:32pm
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
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!
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.
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.
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.
I was told when I had the tub relined that I could only use Formula 409 but I am not impressed with it.
gimmethesimplelife
7-1-17, 7:19pm
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 do this every six weeks or so, Geila. I scrub the tub down every ten days or so - depending on how busy I am - working banquets means I don't have set days off so sometimes this gets done sooner and sometimes later. And the bleach water every six weeks or so and I've got one nice, clean and happy tub. I do agree with you that bleach is really strong, though, and I air out the bathroom before using it after I drain the bleach water. The bleach smell lingers but after a few hours is not as strong. Rob
The best tool I've found for cleaning soap scum is (forgive me) melamine-foam sponges ("Easy Eraser", "Magic Eraser", etc.). They are way faster than my predecessor treatment, Bon Ami and water, and use far less elbow grease. Yes, they're a "chemical" product. Yes, they are consumable. Yes, they're considerably more expensive than Bon Ami and water. But the Bon Ami treatment required at least a rag/sponge, too, and I don't keep them forever either. I'll get 4-5 tub uses out of each "eraser" and they're destined to scrub the toilet before they're tossed out. It makes short work out of a less-than-favorite task. They're also useful on wall marks, dirty athletic shoes, and marks on hard floors.
I wonder about the hardness of the water where you are?
For whatever reason, where we are the only thing that really works is lemon juice. Something in the water (I think it's manganese and/or iron) precipitates out when the water hits air and leaves a really nasty darkness on tubs, inside dishwashers, etc. Another family member who lives close to us had resorted to using something chemical enough that she had to wear a mask to clean it and still didn't like the results.
Someone suggested she try lemon juice, which she did, and wow does it ever work. We both found that half a cup of lemon juice in the dishwasher cleaned it with essentially no scrubbing, and it was similarly successful on the bathtub.
Might be worth a try? Certainly cheaper than a new shower, and you could likely do something with the rest of the lemon juice if it didn't work!
ToomuchStuff
7-1-17, 8:06pm
I have a friend who uses quite a few of those "magic erasers" and highly recommends them. I used a power scrubber once, when my parents bought a different house years ago, as the woman who had it before was older and the grout shown it. (it worked well on that)
Years ago, I obtained a old claw foot tub and I used a smelly chemical cleaner that was obtained from a hardware store (wish I could remember its name). Not a regular thing but good for a start. From there I know I like to use Blue Dawn quite a bit, as a grease/krud cutter, and a former poster here, got me started on Bleach tablets.
I have thought about trying some pool chlorine cleaner with those bleach tablets to make chlorine bleach (chlorine is the disinfectant).
Google the Dawn dishsoap/vinegar cleaner. This is all I use for cleaning my bathtub now. Works very well!
When we remodeled the bathroom in our last house, I swore I would never let it get gross again. After every shower, we wiped down the tile walls and tub with a towel and it all looked new when we sold the house three years later. On older tubs and sinks, we have had pretty good results using Barkeeper's Friend.
Those magic eraser things are the best thing since sliced bread, IMO, for cleaning a tub. You do have to scrub, but they work wonders.
I've been a hotel maid. I think the big difference is the tub gets cleaned daily. What did we use? A sprinkle of cleaning powders and a wet washcloth. That's it. It didn't take much effort.
What Libby said....a spray bottle half filled with white vinegar, two generous squirts of blue original dawn detergent and filled with warm water. Spritz on generously, close the door and go have a cup of tea, and when you return just wipe off all the gunk. Works amazingly!
early morning
7-4-17, 12:44pm
I'm not a fan of hard labor or smelly chemicals. Dh's bar soap leaves a nasty scum and our tub used to need a lot of scrubbing. I was getting really sick of it, and decided to try another tack. Our water is neither soft nor hard, so YMMV - but I keep a flat scrubber (like a scotch-brite scouring pad, only I get them at the dollar store) hanging in the tub. At the end of my shower I just run it around with my foot - around the bottom, up the sides, etc. Takes off whatever DH left, even if it's dried overnight. I use a long handled brush on the bottom of the vinyl shower curtain, and it - the curtain - goes into the washer a few times a year, as needed. I've not actually scrubbed the tub, other than wiping around the top, in years, and it looks great.
What Libby said....a spray bottle half filled with white vinegar, two generous squirts of blue original dawn detergent and filled with warm water. Spritz on generously, close the door and go have a cup of tea, and when you return just wipe off all the gunk. Works amazingly!
I'm going to try this today as my tub is in bad shape and I don't feel like scrubbing with the magic easer.
Williamsmith
7-4-17, 1:33pm
I'm a big fan of the magic eraser for quick clean up daily and have used the soft scrub Clorox blend for a longer session. The softness of your water matters. My current residence has a Kenetico water softening unit which makes a big difference in the accumulation of crud.
I spray one of those daily shower sprays that you use after your shower and my shower/tub looks fine. The cleaning lady scrubs it every two weeks but there's not much accumulation to scrub.
The vinegar/Dawn/warm water spray on worked FAB! Holy cow! Most of the soap scum came off rather easily. There was a tougher spot or two that I ended using the magic eraser on, but it was very quick and I didn't have to scrub much at all.
I didn't have "real" Dawn, just the Target generic equivalent.
Sorry I have not responded sooner! We had a last minute out of town trip for the holiday and I'm just now getting back into the swing of things.
I'm going to test out the Dawn+Vinegar+Water solution today or tomorrow.
I've heard good things about those Magic Erasers. Do they work on baseboards? I've got a nasty black line along all of them from the vacuum cleaner. White baseboards.
And I'm going to do the lemon soaking in my kitchen sink! I've got a robust lemon tree and this will be a great way to use the overripe fruit. It will help clear out the smells from the garbage disposal too. We don't have a dishwasher so everything gets washed in our white porcelain sink.
I think our water is okay. Truthfully, I probably just let the tub go too long between washings. We use it (tub/shower combo) at least twice a day and with me being an avid gardener and barefoot walker plus DH being quite physically active, I'm sure we deposit lots of dirt, oil and grime in there. Plus the residue from bar soap, shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, etc.... I always put it off too long and then it's harder to clean.
How often do you guys clean your tubs? I'm going to aim for once a week and see if I can maintain it.
Question for the Dawn/Vinegar users:
How long does the solution last?
Since the recipe calls for heating up the vinegar, I'm assuming fresh is better? If so, I'll want to mix just enough to use quickly, rather than the large 3 cup version.
Thanks!
This is a very ungreen answer, but if you want a gleaming tub, you can use a caustic cleaner like Scrubbing bubbles once a week, and then spray it with a daily shower cleaner after you use it, like thisone:
https://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Meyers-Clean-Day-Lavender/product-reviews/B0021YVAQG
Once you get it really clean, you may be able to switch to maintainance only with Mrs. Meyers
Question for the Dawn/Vinegar users:
How long does the solution last?
Since the recipe calls for heating up the vinegar, I'm assuming fresh is better? If so, I'll want to mix just enough to use quickly, rather than the large 3 cup version.
Thanks!
I make large batches of this cleaner. I have some from two years ago and it is still fine. I also use it to clean my kitchen sink. And my toilets, mirrors, Windows. Pretty much anything.
I've heard good things about those Magic Erasers. Do they work on baseboards? I've got a nasty black line along all of them from the vacuum cleaner. White baseboards.
Kind of depends on the paint on your baseboards. Some paint is more scrubbable than others -- the general rule is that the glossier the paint, the harder you can scrub. But that doesn't mean you have to use the eraser like a sanding block, either. You can try lots of short, shallow passes and see how it does before you really go at it. But erasers are touted for removing black marks on floors and athletic shoes and the like, so I certainly would try it.
I'm sure we deposit lots of dirt, oil and grime in there. Plus the residue from bar soap, shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, etc.... I always put it off too long and then it's harder to clean.
How often do you guys clean your tubs? I'm going to aim for once a week and see if I can maintain it.
We use only organic products and see almost no residue or buildup. I rinse the walls/floor right before I shut off the water. DH squeeges (sp) the walls when he gets out. We clean the shower maybe once every 2-3 weeks.
Kind of depends on the paint on your baseboards. Some paint is more scrubbable than others -- the general rule is that the glossier the paint, the harder you can scrub. But that doesn't mean you have to use the eraser like a sanding block, either. You can try lots of short, shallow passes and see how it does before you really go at it. But erasers are touted for removing black marks on floors and athletic shoes and the like, so I certainly would try it.
Now that I've just finished a round painting my bedroom trim, and I can say the answer to cleaning scuff off white baseboards is to get a can of white semi-gloss paint and just repaint. It's far less elbow grease and the results are so rewarding. In a bathroom, it would take you 20 minutes at the most to do all the baseboards.
Oh, my baseboard issue is not in the bathroom - it's in the rest of the house! :) Especially in the hallway. I guess I like to vacuum tightly in there. :) So I don't think painting would be easier since I have hardwood floors and would probably drip all over the place. I'm thinking I could spend a lazy afternoon on the floor 'erasing' the vacuum lines while playing with the dogs.
I tried the Dawn/Vinegar yesterday! It worked great. Caveat: I scrubbed the bathtub last Friday with Comet bleach so it was pretty clean. It had started to lose it's shine and was starting to look 'used.' I sprayed the solution all over and let it soak for maybe 30 mins and then washed it down with a washcloth. The tub looks bright and shiny. Very pretty.
I think I used too much solution on all the areas I did (stove, sinks, window sills) because it was very soapy and it took forever to get all the soap residue off. And the sprayer got gummed up after a bit. The plus side, it's REALLY clean everywhere I used it! I might add water next time to make it easier to use. The Dawn/Vinegar only is quite thick and concentrated. And the vinegar smell is pretty strong. Not sure if this is safe to use on tile (we have tile surround in both bathrooms) since the vinegar is acidic and the tile has some decorative glazing. Would it be safe on metal/steel, like the range hood?
I also did a test on my other tub that is not used as much (DH uses it a few times a week and I use it to bathe the dogs every 1-2 weeks). I had not scrubbed it in over a month so it was looking dingy and dull. On this one I used my Lysol All-Purpose cleaner (the yellow one). I simply sprayed it everywhere and let it sit for 30 mins. After I rinsed it all off. The results were pretty good. The tub looks clean and shiny, though not as white and bright as when I scrub with Comet. But it was pretty dirty and I didn't even wipe it down at all, just rinse. I find the smell of this product less harsh than the vinegar and Costco sells it in big bottles. This is safe to use on tile and metal.
So now I have two methods for good results in the tub with much less work.
Today is my house cleaning day and I might give the second tub a scrub with Comet to get it up to snuff and then see if I can keep them looking nice with only the occasional scrub (maybe once a month). I'll do the spray and wipe weekly and see how it holds up.
ETA: Libby - do you use water in your solution?
Sagewoman
7-13-17, 11:16pm
The thing I use the most is shampoo. :idea:A cheap kind from the dollar store especially one designed for oily hair, though I've used the regular stuff, too. Never with conditioner or anything like that added, though. It seems to get the soap scum off the tub surround, which is older and using anything abrasive would scratch and ruin it. That's why I tried it originally. Now, I also use it on the porcelain tub right after a bath or shower. Just glob some on a cloth or on the tub itself. Then rinse. It is not soap-based, but is meant to remove oils, etc. I do it when it looks like it needs it. It looks pretty shiny afterwards. If I let it go too long, I use a scouring powder, usually the one that doesn't have bleach and is a natural product. Sometimes comet, but rarely use that. Oh, and about the shampoo, I started with Breck for oily hair, but the cheap stuff from the dollar store works just as well. The good thing about shampoo is that it doesn't have harsh chemicals and no grit to try and get rid of, like scouring powders.
gimmethesimplelife
7-13-17, 11:39pm
The thing I use the most is shampoo. :idea:A cheap kind from the dollar store especially one designed for oily hair, though I've used the regular stuff, too. Never with conditioner or anything like that added, though. It seems to get the soap scum off the tub surround, which is older and using anything abrasive would scratch and ruin it. That's why I tried it originally. Now, I also use it on the porcelain tub right after a bath or shower. Just glob some on a cloth or on the tub itself. Then rinse. It is not soap-based, but is meant to remove oils, etc. I do it when it looks like it needs it. It looks pretty shiny afterwards. If I let it go too long, I use a scouring powder, usually the one that doesn't have bleach and is a natural product. Sometimes comet, but rarely use that. Oh, and about the shampoo, I started with Breck for oily hair, but the cheap stuff from the dollar store works just as well. The good thing about shampoo is that it doesn't have harsh chemicals and no grit to try and get rid of, like scouring powders.Interesting....I think I will try this. Rob
Oh, my baseboard issue is not in the bathroom - it's in the rest of the house! :) Especially in the hallway. I guess I like to vacuum tightly in there. :) So I don't think painting would be easier since I have hardwood floors and would probably drip all over the place. I'm thinking I could spend a lazy afternoon on the floor 'erasing' the vacuum lines while playing with the dogs.
I tried the Dawn/Vinegar yesterday! It worked great. Caveat: I scrubbed the bathtub last Friday with Comet bleach so it was pretty clean. It had started to lose it's shine and was starting to look 'used.' I sprayed the solution all over and let it soak for maybe 30 mins and then washed it down with a washcloth. The tub looks bright and shiny. Very pretty.
I think I used too much solution on all the areas I did (stove, sinks, window sills) because it was very soapy and it took forever to get all the soap residue off. And the sprayer got gummed up after a bit. The plus side, it's REALLY clean everywhere I used it! I might add water next time to make it easier to use. The Dawn/Vinegar only is quite thick and concentrated. And the vinegar smell is pretty strong. Not sure if this is safe to use on tile (we have tile surround in both bathrooms) since the vinegar is acidic and the tile has some decorative glazing. Would it be safe on metal/steel, like the range hood?
I also did a test on my other tub that is not used as much (DH uses it a few times a week and I use it to bathe the dogs every 1-2 weeks). I had not scrubbed it in over a month so it was looking dingy and dull. On this one I used my Lysol All-Purpose cleaner (the yellow one). I simply sprayed it everywhere and let it sit for 30 mins. After I rinsed it all off. The results were pretty good. The tub looks clean and shiny, though not as white and bright as when I scrub with Comet. But it was pretty dirty and I didn't even wipe it down at all, just rinse. I find the smell of this product less harsh than the vinegar and Costco sells it in big bottles. This is safe to use on tile and metal.
So now I have two methods for good results in the tub with much less work.
Today is my house cleaning day and I might give the second tub a scrub with Comet to get it up to snuff and then see if I can keep them looking nice with only the occasional scrub (maybe once a month). I'll do the spray and wipe weekly and see how it holds up.
ETA: Libby - do you use water in your solution?
I use water in the mix, and I use two parts vinegar to one part Dawn. I don't like soapy cleaners either. How much water you want to use probably depends upon how much soap/vinegar strength you need, but I use quite a bit of water in my solution: like half water, and the other half would be the two parts vinegar to one part Dawn. It makes for a really good all-round cleaning solution. I use vinegar on my tiles, and on the inside of my microwave. In fact, I've read that if you put vinegar in a bowl and let it sit in the microwave for a while, it makes it much easier to clean.
At the same time, Tybee mentioned Mrs. Meyers. I noticed Amazon Prime had a deal on Mrs. Meyers and I was looking for a good hand soap, so I got a bundle of 3 cleaners: the hand soap, all-purpose cleaner and dish detergent. The all-purpose cleaner works FANTASTIC on my black appliances. I always have a hard time making them look really shiny, but the cleaner dissolved the grease and left a streak-free shine.
I dont use any water in my mixture. I also quit using a spray bottle and use an empty dish soap bottle instead. I am pretty sure you could use less dish soap in this mixture and it would still work great.
happystuff
8-5-17, 10:02am
Timely thread for me. Will be trying the dawn and vinegar! Thanks all!
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2025 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.