How to Clean Your Bathtub: 6 Approaches

The place where you go to get clean can get rather dirty. Knowing how to clean your bathtub keeps your home sanitary and protects your family’s health.

Besides, who relishes climbing into a filthy enclosure at the end of a hard day? Use this guide to discover what causes nasty tub stains and how to prevent them. Master how to clean your bathtub and leave it sparkling for the next time you hope to sink below the bubbles. 

The Anatomy of Your Bathtub

Understanding the anatomy of this space provides insight into how to clean your bathtub — and what not to do. For example, unless you have an old-fashioned cast iron tub, using an overly abrasive cleanser can cause scratches that hold dirt and make the enclosure look grimy, minus a professional refinishing job. 

Take heart if you rent — you can take measures to make a scratched-up enclosure look better. However, knowing how to clean your bathtub the right way is a must for homeowners protecting the value of their investment and those in new apartments hoping to recoup their security deposits. 

How Do Bathtubs Get Dirty, Anyway? 

Does it shock you that the place you go to get clean can grow filthy? After all, doesn’t everything rinse away down the drain? Not exactly. Over time, oils and dirt from your skin can linger on tub surfaces, breeding bacteria and viruses. Furthermore, residue from the cleansing products you use can also cause nasty, sticky buildup. 

What Causes Bathtub Stains?

Bathtub stains can result from any of the following: 

• Hard water containing minerals like calcium, magnesium and iron often cause orange stains and can rust metal tubs
• Tannins in the water can cause yellow stains 
• Pink mold, also called Serratia Marcescens, can be dangerous to immunocompromised folks and causes orange stains
• Oil buildup and soap scum
• Commercial cleaners containing bleach, can cause a yellowish discoloration

Preventing Stains in the First Place

Another reason knowing how to clean your bathtub correctly matters is that prevention is the best cure. You can keep many stains from occurring in the first place by cleaning the space once per week. Additionally, adding a water softener system to cut down on heavy metals inhibits many stains and may make your hair feel silkier as a bonus. 

What Should You Avoid When Cleaning Your Bathtub?

You should avoid using bleach, harsh abrasives and metal scrubbers when cleaning your bathtub. Bleach can mix with iron residue, instantly making rust stains worse. Harsh abrasives can leave scratches that hold onto dirt, as do scrub brushes made of stainless steel or copper. Those brown lines will defy every attempt at improvement, mocking your weekly cleaning efforts until you break down and refinish your tub — or cover the bottom in appliques. 

How to Clean Your Bathtub: 6 Approaches

To clean your bathtub the right way, try one of the following approaches. 

1. Hot Water

This method works well when you don’t have a lot of time or want to sterilize an unfamiliar tub — like one at a hotel. Simply crank the water up to the highest setting and fill the bottom of the tub to dissolve old soap. Many water heaters default to between 140° and 160°. Water hotter than 130 to 140 degrees can kill most harmful bacteria species within a few minutes. 

2. Baking Soda Formulas

Baking soda is a gentle enough abrasive to clean your tub. Although it’s not naturally anti-bacterial, its high pH level makes it toxic to mold, including the bathtub-staining pink variety. You can use it alone or mix up a more potent stain-removing formula. 

To use baking soda alone, sprinkle it around your tub and add water to make a paste. Get the ledges, too, hanging your shampoos and body wash over your curtain rod or placing them elsewhere for the moment. Gently scrub with a microfiber cloth before washing it down the drain. 

You can also try one of these formulas:

• Baking soda and ammonia: Ammonia dissolves grease and oils, making this solution a smart one if you use creamy or oil-based body washes or lots of hair conditioners. 
• Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide can remove rust stains, making this a good solution if you have hard water with lots of metal. 
• Baking soda and lemon juice: Citric acid is tough on soap stains. You can cut a lemon in half, dip it in baking soda and use it like a scrub brush. 

3. Vinegar Formulas  

You can also mix vinegar and baking soda to transform your bathtub into a temporary volcano. Vinegar dissolves oil and grease, getting rid of residue from your skin or beauty products. 

Another popular formula that also works well on tile consists of mixing ½ cup of dish soap with 1 ½ cups of vinegar. Add it to a spray bottle and keep it under your sink for quick cleanups. 

4. Cream of Tartar Stain Remover

If you still have bathtub stains that haven’t moved, try this natural stain cleaner. It’s free of nasty fumes that could harm your houseplants and aggravate your allergies. 

Mix cream of tartar with hydrogen peroxide to make a thick paste. Apply it to hard water stains and leave it on for at least a half hour before scrubbing with a microfiber cloth. 

5. Heavy-Duty Muscle 

You might have seen impressive scrubbers that attach to drill bits to power through tough stains without making your shoulders ache. You can use these devices — if you do so wisely. 

Remember, you want to stay away from harsh abrasives, meaning you shouldn’t select a pad with sandpaper grit. However, you can use one with a microfiber cloth or a soft brush attachment — no harsh bristles. Look for those with the consistency of carpet, similar to the gentle brushes found in commercial car washes. 

6. Commercial Cleaners

Of course, you’ll find plenty of commercial tub cleaners on your grocery store shelves. In general, those labeled specifically for this purpose are safe, as long as you don’t apply them with sharp-bristled scrub brushes. However, the most natural formulas that are better for your family also do a superior job of cleaning. Some of the best brands to try are: 

• Better Life Tub and Tile Cleaner
• Aunt Fannie’s Bathroom Cleaner 
• Koala Eco Multipurpose Cleaner
• Biokleen Bac-Out Natural Bathroom Cleaner
• Ecos Bathroom Cleaner

How to Clean Your Bathtub 

Knowing how to clean your bathtub the right way matters. Using the wrong products can result in scratches and stains that leave your space looking filthy even after you give it a fresh scrub. 

Use the tips above to clean your bathtub and preserve its shine for years. Doing so protects the value of your home — or makes your landlord more likely to return your security deposit. If you appreciate this article, please consider sharing it on social media to help your friends make their tubs sparkle, too.