apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I discovered Mr. Clean's Magic Erasers through a post here and have been using it for the bathtub ever since. Works like a charm!

Leave the stains there and don't take baths: it's a waste of water.

I use Bar Keeper's Friend, and it works beautifully.

I second visualingual, Bar Keeper's Friend and a scrub brush.

If the stains have any sticky residue, try using the product called Goo Gone. It generally takes a few applications to thoroughly clear away. Also, Shaklee makes a paste called Scour Off which is environmentally safe.

Try something like "Comet". Make it into a paste by adding a little water. Apply to stain and let sit for an hour or so. Scrub off.

Or if it seems calcified, put stopper in tub. Fill with some vinegar to cover stains. let sit for awhile (a couple of hours or so) scrub. The vinegar will break up the deposit.

This is what you'll need to do - I've gotten out funk from two semesters worth of college senior lacrosse players who... well, you just can't really imagine how filthy they were. The bathroom was an active growth zone, and the tub was ringed with black. If you find the magic eraser doesn't work, do the following:

Plug the drain. Fiill the tub up as high as you need for stain removal with hot water, and pour in a lot of bleach (I'm sorry, this is so not green). Let it sit for a minimum of overnight. In the morning, drain out the water and use Soft Scrub and a good sponge with an abrasive back and scrub your heart out. There isn't much that can withstand this kind of treatment.

I had the same issue and used a razor blade to remove surface level reside (although it originally appeared to be all gone). After doing that the cleaners could actually do their work & get rid of the dark stains below.

I have had the same stains on several tubs and have used every abrasive product known to man and lots of elbow grease and soaking and nothing works. Basically, those ovals are slip prevention aids that are applied to the tub by the manufacturer and the stain is grime that is stuck to them. In my experience, in other words, an old tub mat did not leave those marks, the ovals themselves act as the mat. I have not tried a Magic Eraser yet but that will be my next attempt.

Who called the water police? Even if she's only taking a shower, the stains are gross.

If all else fails, you can have the tub re-glazed. It costs around $200-400 and will look brand new when finished.

Third Bar Keeper's Friend. It is amazing.

After many attempts on my tub with many cleaners, I finally used Brillo pads and they did the trick.

try fantastik. i think its spelled like that. anyway leave it on for 10 minutes and then come back and scrub it off. it should work.

Seconding tub reglazing as a last resort. I've had it done at two apartments (once on a 100 yr old claw ft tube, once on a 70 year old tub) and boy, talk about bang for your buck!

Remember not to mix your cleansers...if you try the bleach or the comet, don't use anything else until you have that rinsed off and down the drain really well...mixing ammonia based cleaners (like fantastik or 409) with bleach based cleaners can be deadly!

Yup, Magic Erasers will get rid of all the dirt and grime. They are amazing.

i have not tried barkeeper's friend but i always use Scrubbing Bubbles. I know its probably not 'green' but i do use it every time i move somewhere new. it's the easiest, fastest way to really clean the hell out of someone else's filth.

after i've done that then i find its pretty easy to keep clean with less abrasive, natural products.

Also i agree with someone else - this picture seems to show a manufacturer-created texture. my last apt had that and every time it started to stain we knew we had to clean.

Vinegar, baking soda, scrub brush, & elbow grease.

Lestoil

I swear by Fantastick with Bleach. Spray it on, let it sit for about 5-10 minutes and scrub away with the rough side of a sponge!

my tub had the exact same "stains" - and previous posters are right, they aren't stains at all, they're manufacturer-created texture spots to reduce slip risk. i got the dark color out with soft scrub cleaner, the green/abrasive side of one of those green and yellow sponges, and a whole lot of elbow grease. i really cannot under-stress the elbow grease aspect. i actually did the cleaning while taking a shower (with the shower spray off most of the time, water police), which meant i could really get in there at any angle, not worried about getting wet or getting bleach on my clothes... but the good thing is that now if the spots start to look dark again, it's really easy to give them a quick scrub and they go white again.

Another vote for the Magic Eraser.

treehugger or re-nest had some posts about how magic erasers are toxic--can't recall details. might be good to check it out.

that said, before I read the information above, I used the M.E. pretty amazing product. and baking soda. and for mold, vinegar or hydrogen peroxide (don't mix those products).

yup, ditto Emmers, that's exactly it--they're non-slip dots and they hold dirt like crazy. i also used soft scrub and a mountain of effort, and was able to get them clean at our old place.

Just a quick comment about the Magic Erasers.. Ive used em twice in my life and both times theyve left the hand doing all the work covered with itchy, red spots, like an allergic reaction. I can only imagine that the same "magic" that took off all filth and stains tried to do the same to my hands. I cant believe the box suggests using them to wash your dishes! What the heck! WEAR GLOVES, your skin will thank you!!

The magic eraser doesn't work. The cleanser doesn't work. The vinegar doesn't work. General household cleaners do not work. Baking soda does not work. Bleach does not work. I have that tub and those stains. If you find something that does work, I implore you to let me know.

I would refinish the tub even if I was renting. Bathtubs and carpets in rentals are hard for me to get past.

http://www.tubbyusa.com/tubby3.html

MyDesignSecrets.com

Yeah, those ovals are either put in by the manufacturer or by the landlord. Basically, when you're a landlord, you'll do whatever it takes to not get sued for a slip-and-fall accident. But it is an unfortunate texture because of the way it really does attract dirt and grime to it, no kidding.

Try Showers and Stuff sold by Don Aslett. He has a web site. I swear by it and have given it to friends to use on their unspeakable showers and bathtubs. In a home we renovated several real estate agents told us we would have to replace the tub and surround. We used Showers and Stuff and it looked like new.

Gross!! I feel your pain, I feel like softscrub bleach and scrubbing bubbles can get rid of any stains, particularly in the bathtub. Good luck!

p.s. magic erasers are not toxic, my friend called the 1-800 number to find out what the ingredients were since they aren't listed on the box and its apparently just wood chips!

CLR. That stuff rocks. It polished up a soiled 1920's iron tub that I have, like nobody's business.

I fifth (or whatever we're at now) bar keepers' friend. I had this same problem, and it worked for me.

One more for the Magic Eraser. Cleaning is my therapy, but I *hate* cleaning the tub and only do it every few weeks (ahem, months). The Magic Eraser will get that thing sparkling in 10 minutes. Good luck!

Bar keeper's friend

i have similar stains. they are SO annoying and hard to clean. i will try everything listed here...

to make matters worse my landlord hires idiotic people to work for him who do half-assed jobs and they spilled some kind of adhesive on our bathtub that is attracting dirt the same way, so not only do i have dirt diamonds, i have matching dirt streaks. ugh.

I had the same stained oval non-slip things in my apartment bathtub for over a year- I tried baking soda, vinegar, Magic Eraser, etc. and nothing worked.

Finally I gave in and used Scrubbing Bubbles, letting it soak overnight twice. That plus another round with the Magic Eraser finally did it.

PUMICE STONE! Works when cleaners do not. Buy it at a hardware store. Worked on my exact same problem.

if you can't find barkeeper's friend, try a little bon ami. I think it's mostly the same ingredient, but that plus a little bleach (safe b/c the calcium compound doesn't interact with it) and a scrub brush do wonders for my tub when I haven't cleaned it since, oh, well, let's say slightly after the last ice age.

Mr. Clean Magic Erasers!! They really are magical, I think.

Two points:
1) Whatever product you use, it's ELBOW GREASE that removes stains. Go cheap and green with baking soda or BonAmi. It worked on my tub over time. I doubt anything will remove the stains immediately.

2) If it really is an adhesive, try nail polish remover. I use it all the time on old glue. Check first to see if it ruins the glazing on the tub. Its powerful stuff.

Re-glazing doesn't sound right as it doesn't appear to be a porcelin tub. It looks like one of those plastic or fiberglass tubs with the no-slip grips built in.

I'm gonna say elbow grease is the only way. Go get a stiff bristled tooth brush and poke away at the grime for hours.

I used (environmentally friendly) Bon Ami and a bristle brush for my tub.

Zap Cleaner will work, but it's really, really not green. It's phosphoric acid, basically. But if you have to...

http://www.ascleanedontv.com/zap-cleaner.html

I've had good luck using Peppermint Dr. Bronner's Pure Castille Soap (liquid form), a bit of hot water, and a good, nylon scrub brush or sponge. It's non-toxic and smells great.

A side note: I've also been using an electric toothbrush solely for cleaning tough stains on my tub and grout, since I could never get into using it for cleaning my teeth (plain old toothbrush works better for me). It's been working wonders! Good luck!

we have the same sort of nonslip thingies in our bathtub, and while they never got quite that bad, they did look dirty and disgusting. what finally got them clean was a trick i saw on "how clean is your house?". it's even nontoxic. cut a lemon in half, and dip the cut side in salt. use lots of elbow grease. it might take using the whole lemon (you can definitely tell when the one you're using is shot), or even a couple of them, but it will work.

i don't use anything else to clean my whole tub anymore. it does a wonderful job.

if it doesn't work, and that's NOT a fiberglass tub, the pumice suggestion would work. i've seen kim and aggie clean some really vile toilets using a pumice.

Barkeeper's friend! Will make it look like new.

I have a similar tub problem and cleaning is always a two step process. First, remove all soap scum - it acts as a protective barrier for the grime. I like to use water, baking soda and elbow grease, the husband likes to use water and commet. Give your tub some time to dry out, then use a cleaner with bleach (to kill any mold or mildew - dilute vinegar also works but needs some time to soak into the tub) and more elbow grease.

I third or fourth bon ami elbow grease. my pantry is full of the stuff!

oops at didn't like " " bon ami plus elbow grease.

A cup of Oxyclean in a tub full of hot water. Let set overnight or longer. Drain and rinse. Definitely not "green" but it does a great job, doesn't scratch the tub and it stays clean for a long time.

After reading this, I went straight to the tub with Mr. Clean's Magic Erasers, like Seb in Montreal recommended. Super! All gone in five minutes!

So, I tell you too, try Mr. Clean's Magic Erasers!

Pumis Stone works wonders. I used it on my old tub and it takes everything off including rust! I bought mine at Home Depot for less than $2.

Fill the bath up with warm water and add a good lot of biological washing powder. Leave it for a few hours or overnight, give it a scrub with a brush and wash it off. I clean my toilets with it too. If I put my hands in a bucket of it I don't get a reaction either. I use Bio Zet Brand in Australia. I even used this on my carpet when one of my cats had an accident on it, it neutralized the urine.

Oven cleaner. That's what I used on the ancient stains on my tub when all else failed. It's harsh, toxic and can burn skin, but oh my does it work. Though I can't speak for the effect this would have on the glaze, as mine is pretty well worn away.

Are those ovals on the bottom of the tub those sticky rubber things? If so, they will never come entirely clean. I used to be a professional housekeeper, and the only way to get those satisfactorily clean is to remove them. But, if your landlord won't allow that, try scrubbing them with a half of a lemon, cut side down, coated in salt (but not so hard that you scratch the tub) -- then let it sit maybe 30 min. and see if it improves. Otherwise, you might be stuck.

Oops...I just saw that someone already posted the lemon trick.

Good luck with it.