How to Clean Stubborn Bathroom Stains

Bathroom stains can make an otherwise clean bathroom look dirty and dingy. Most stains do not come off with basic elbow grease. If you know the right tricks though, you can clean stubborn bathroom stains and keep your throne room looking its best. Check out these tips from Maryland Tub and Tile (a professional refinishing company).

How to Clean Bathtub Stains

Bathtub stains and shower pan stains can come from hard water, calcium, rust, soap scum, and any number of other sources. Here are some tips to remove stubborn stains in the bathtub:

  • Blue/Green Stains or Rust-Colored Stains: Use a melamine cleaning sponge (also known as an “eraser”) to gently wipe the surface of the tub. The sponge is slightly abrasive, but it does not risk damaging most bathtub surfaces. If you have an acrylic bathtub, you will need to use vinegar instead.
  • Yellow Bathtub Stains and Soap Scum: Yellow stains are simply from human oils collected in the tub over time. To remove yellow tub stains or soap scum, apply white distilled vinegar to the area using a spray bottle. Let the vinegar sit for approximately 20 minutes, then wipe it away with a sponge and warm water. The vinegar will break down the scum and oils, making it easy to remove them.
  • Black Bathtub Stains: Black tub stains can be tricky, but they typically come up with a mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Mix two parts baking soda with one part peroxide until you form a paste. Apply the paste to the stain and let it sit for 30+ minutes. Scrub off with warm water and a sponge/cleaning brush. If some black remains, repeat the process.

Still, struggling to get your bathtub clean? It may be time to get it reglazed. The bathtub refinishing process covers stains and leaves your tub looking new. You’ll have a smooth, like-new bathtub without the cost of demolition and replacement! Best of all, your refinished bathtub will stay looking clean for years to come.

How to Clean Grout Stains

The bathtub cleaning tips above can also work for grout stains. However, the thinness of grout lines makes the cleaning process more tedious. Here is an effective way to clean bathroom grout:

  • Create a paste using two parts baking soda, one part distilled white vinegar.
  • Apply the paste to the grout lines using an old toothbrush.
  • Leave the paste on the grout for 10-20 minutes.
  • Rinse off the toothbrush and use it to scrub the grout lines.
  • Rinse the entire area using warm water.
  • Repeat the process for stubborn grout stains.

There are some cleaning products on the market specifically made for grout, as well as grout bleaching pens. Even those tools may not remove all grout stains. Thankfully, you have the option to eliminate grout stains completely with tile refinishing.

Tile Refinishing

With tile refinishing or reglazing, the first step is to replace any broken tiles. We then prepare the surface and apply a professional glaze (this can be white or any color you desire). The glaze we apply goes over the tile and the grout, creating one surface that is significantly easier to clean. You’ll still see the indentions for the grout, but the grout itself is no longer porous. It can’t absorb stains as it did before.

How to Clean Toilet Bowl Stains

Does your toilet bowl look dirty no matter how much you clean it? There are many different ways to remove toilet bowl stains, and you may already have the supplies on hand. Here are some tricks for cleaning the toilet bowl.

  • Vinegar: Turn the water supply valve off for the toilet and flush until there is no more water in the tank or bowl. Heat six cups of distilled white vinegar in the microwave for approximately two minutes. Carefully pour the vinegar into the toilet. If it does not cover the stains, heat more vinegar. Then leave the vinegar to sit overnight. Open the valve the next morning, flush and scrub with a toilet brush.
  • Coca-Cola: Turn off the valve and flush, as mentioned above. Then pour Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and use a toilet brush to scrub under the rim and all along the inside of the bowl. This method also works for many pre-made toilet bowl cleaners. Turn the valve back on to flush the toilet bowl.
  • Pumice Stone: For stubborn toilet bowl stains, you can use a pumice stone or melamine sponge to scrub them away.
  • Denture Tablets: Put six denture cleaning tablets in your toilet bowl and allow them to dissolve overnight. You may want to add a little extra water to the bowl to increase the water height. In the morning, scrub the stains with a toilet brush.

Maintain a Consistent Cleaning Schedule to Prevent Bathroom Stains

Frequent cleaning is a great way to prevent bathroom stains. Scrub your toilet and wipe down your tub/tile once a week to keep staining to a minimum. If you notice a stain starting to form, you can use the bathroom cleaning tips above to quickly resolve the issue.

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