Immersing yourself in a spacious bathtub and letting your body and mind relax among the bubbles is one of the most beneficial activities you can imagine. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a bathroom spacious enough to have a bathtub, but those who own one know that keeping it perfectly clean and just like new is a mission that requires consistency and dedication. Dirt is often hidden in the corners of the bathtub and in less visible areas, thus complicating the daily routine and slowing down the cleaning process considerably. In the presence of stubborn and inadequately cleaned dirt the bathtub fades and loses the natural brilliance and smooth finish which is typical of resin. When this happens, it does not mean that the tub is compromised forever and that bringing it back to its former glory is impossible. To regenerate it and polish it you will certainly need a lot of elbow grease, but your efforts will be amply repaid by the impeccable result you will achieve.
Cleaning the bathtub with natural products
The first thing to do when preparing to clean a faded bathtub is to keep in mind that every material needs to be treated in a very specific way. It is important to be aware of the fact that not all the products present in the house will be good to remove the stains from the resin coating of your bathtub. Those, such as bleach, which are excessively aggressive, despite their effectiveness, are not advisable. It is better to opt for a blend of natural products that allow you to carry out accurate and thorough cleaning without damaging the resin in any way. First, use a common dish washing detergent to be mixed with apple or wine vinegar and with baking soda. The mixture obtained will have the consistency of a thick paste, therefore, you will have to apply it uniformly on the lining of the tub with the aid of a special small brush with flat bristles. The obtained mixture must be left in place for at least ten minutes and then rinsed with plenty of hot water. With this treatment you will effectively remove even the most dated and stubborn dirt, while for the actual whitening of the bathtub it will be necessary to follow a second step. This time you will need salt and a glass and a half of turpentine oil: also, in this case the mixture must be spread on the enamel and well rinsed after 10 minutes. Once this time has elapsed, you will have to remove the mixture with a sponge. The results will be immediate: the tub will immediately regain its original colour and the brilliance that seemed lost.
How to remove lime scale from the tub
The main cause of the yellow stains that ruin the aesthetics of sanitary ware is often lime scale, bitter enemy of those who do the house cleaning. The tub and the shower tray are a real limestone haven, which is why the only way to keep them white is to deal with it almost daily. We suggest you take advantage of one of the most powerful allies in daily cleaning: vinegar. Diluting it with water you will obtain a very powerful, and above all low-cost, mixture, which will completely regenerate your bathtub. The only secret is to make sure that the vinegar remains on the stain to be eliminated for a while: this is why we recommend placing cloths, soaked in vinegar, in the area to be treated for a few hours. The vinegar degreases the stain and gives its natural whiteness back to the enamel.
How to clean a tub ruined by rust
If the yellowing of the tub is due to rust, as hated as lime scale, it will be necessary to use a series of products: lemon juice, steel wool, borax, enamel, rust-converter products and a small paint brush. The process will be more laborious, but the result will not disappoint your expectations. The stain will first be treated with borax and lemon juice with the help of the metal scrubber, avoiding being too "violent" and irreversibly scratching the bathtub. With a brush and rust-converter you will intervene on the area which you have previously treated, sanding it until obtaining a homogeneous and uniform result. Once the operation has been completed, you can rinse the tub and then dry it with a special microfibre cloth. It will look as bright and shiny as when it was purchased. Try it!