Approved. Put the bath mat in the tub and allow it to soak for up to an hour. Distilled white vinegar makes an excellent natural cleaning solution, especially on smooth surfaces like acrylic that release stains easily. Leave the door to the bathroom open while you work to allow fresh air to circulate. Leave the paste on the area for an hour or so. You can either clean the bath mat by hand in the bathtub or you can put it in the washing machine with bleach. But will a DIY finish work? Michelle Driscoll is the Owner of Mulberry Maids based in northern Colorado. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Rinse the bathtub with hot water from the shower or … ", "I was interested in all of the information.". One kit should be enough for the two recommended coats on a standard bathtub. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 2,023,184 times. A Rust-Oleum product-support representative, who gave his name only as Arthur, said that when problems occur, it’s usually because the surface wasn’t cleaned or scuff-sanded thoroughly beforehand, as the instructions specify, or because someone failed to remove all of the residue before applying the new finish. Make it a point to wipe down your bathtub regularly (ideally once every couple of weeks) so that you won’t have to dedicate the time to deep-cleaning later on. For stubborn stains, respray the spot and scrub with the pumice stone. Bubbles may appear right after the finish goes on, but the finish is self-leveling, so they should disappear as the finish cures. Since finding this product is very easy, you do not need to worry. Using anything more abrasive than a sponge to scrub enamel may wear down the finish. You can also use specialty scrubbing tools, like the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, which are made from porous melamine foam for added stain-fighting power. Rust-Oleum’s Tub & Tile Refinishing Kit costs $23.70 at Home Depot. Wear gloves and work in a well-ventilated area when handling chemical cleaning solutions. In the bathtub, combine 1 cup of bleach per 5 gallons of water then let the bath mat soak for a couple of hours before scrubbing it with a scrub brush. At Home Depot, for example, a standard 60-inch-long drop-in tub starts at around $155 if you buy one with a porcelain enamel finish on steel or around $254 if you opt for an acrylic tub. Cleaning an Acrylic Bathtub. The cleaner won’t be as effective if it’s too thin. ", "It looks like great information, but I don't know what my tub is made of. Spray the tub with the shower head or fill a cup with water and pour it around the inside of the tub. Scrub the bath mat stains with a pumice stone until the stains are gone. We remove a lot of shower doors and see this kind of residue all the time, so we do have some ideas that may remove the stain once and for all. Cover the entire stain with the paste. You can also wet a clean sponge or washcloth and use it to rub in the cleaner until it thickens. Let the vinegar mixture soak into the stain for a bit then scrub with a stiff cleaning brush. % of people told us that this article helped them. There will come a point when simply adding more and more vinegar won’t suffice. This article has been viewed 2,023,184 times. Out of sight, out of mind — until it’s time to remodel. Bathtub caulking is a common place for stains and once they set in it can be very difficult to get rid of them. Rinse. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Soak the bath mat in the tub. If you’re battling against stubborn stains, however, you’ll have to call on powdered cleaning agents. The tub was installed in 2005, but we saw the stains only recently. If you have tile around the tub, the company can refinish that and the grout lines, too, using the same material. Essential oils like tea tree and peppermint can also act as natural disinfectants. For the odor, you can try cleaning the tub with a mix of equal parts white vinegar and water – vinegar is a great natural deodorizer. How can I tell if my bathtub is porcelain, enamel or acrylic? Fill the tub with hot water to fully cover the stains. Wait one hour, then rub with a cloth or sponge. This etching process is caused from years of cleaning, use and the build-up of mineral scale and soap scum. Did you know you can read premium answers for this article? {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/0\/0f\/Clean-Tough-Stains-from-a-Bathtub-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Clean-Tough-Stains-from-a-Bathtub-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/0f\/Clean-Tough-Stains-from-a-Bathtub-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/aid425568-v4-728px-Clean-Tough-Stains-from-a-Bathtub-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"