How to Make a Stained Bathtub Look like New Again

Hard tap water that contains iron, calcium and other minerals can do a real number on your bathtub. Most commonly, it leaves ugly orange spots of rust, and unattractive white deposits of calcium. These stains make your bathtub look like you never clean it. And they can be difficult to remove. If you have a problem getting rid of hard water stains in your bathroom, find out how to make a dirty bathtub look like new again!

You've probably tried scrubbing your bathtub with a sponge and Comet® or Ajax® cleanser only to find the hard water stains didn't budge. You can always try one of those store-bought cleaning products that contain caustic chemicals, but do you really want to put those in your bathtub where you and your family bathe?

Actually, you may be able to use a dry cleanser like Comet to make your stained bathtub look like new again. But you can't use a sponge, it takes a special kind of "scrubber" to get results. When used in conjunction with dry cleaners, some stubborn hard water stains can be removed with a Mr. Clean® Magic Eraser. Simply mix up a thick paste of cleanser and water. Spread that across the iron, calcium or other mineral, and allow it to set a few minutes. Then, wet the magic eraser and use it to scrub the areas clean. Re-moisten the eraser if it gets too dry. Once the hard water stains are removed, rinse your bathtub well with plenty of tap water.

Or, you can try a more natural approach to clean your bathtub. Mix up a thick 2:1 paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Spread the paste on the stains and let it set undisturbed for thirty to forty minutes. Use a nylon scrubber to scour the ugly stains away. Then, rinse your tub clean with plenty of tap water.

Of course, you can make your stained bathtub look like new again with good vinegar too. Safe, natural vinegar has a thousand and one uses around your home, and removing stubborn stains from your bathtub is just one of them!

Apply a liberal amount of vinegar onto the water hard water stains. Let the vinegar soak for an hour or so. Then, turn the hot water faucet on for several seconds until the water is steamy hot. Plug the drain in your bathtub. Allow the tub to fill up until the water has just covered the orange iron or white calcium deposits. Let the hot water and vinegar solution soak the stains overnight.

In the morning, open the bathtub drain and let the water out. Then, use a nylon scrubber to clean the stains off. Rinse the tub well with tap water.

And finally, once you make your bathtub look new again by removing those ugly hard water stains, scrubbing it at least twice a week will help you stay ahead of the problem.