How do you remove those non-skid bathtub appliques without damaging the tub surface. We've tried all sorts of cleaners, Goo-Gone and turpentine and they still hang on. We moved into a place where the prior tenant installed them and they are very worn and very ugly. Help!
I use razor blades. Single edge razor blades. Please do it carefully though and do it on a slant.
- Bonnie
I have been told to soak a cloth with hot vinegar and allow it to work in. Don't know if it works or not, but worth a try.
Try nail polish remover-the kind WITH acetone.
- Kimdedo
wd-40 will remove sticky stuff and remove with very little work
Just go to a beauty supply store, and buy some pure acetone. Actually, you can probably buy it at some hardware stores. It removes EVERYTHING.
WAIT....what kind of tub is it? I originally thought that I had read that it was porcelain...but as I re-read the original post, it doesn't say what type of tub it is. If it's not porcelain DON'T use the pure acetone on it! Acetone will also dissolve acrylic. I'm not sure about the fiberglass...but, I wouldn't chance it.
Try scraping them off with a the tool you would use to remove paint from windows. If that doesn't work, try using a heat gun first. Once the rubber part is off, clean the sticky stuff that's left off with a solvent. Then clean the tub with Soft Scrub.
Go to any Home Depot or Lowes store, in the paint dept. look for solvents and choose M.E.K.
It remove adhesives and much more, use very little on a cloth.
Try to avoid those nasty chemicals which you shouldn't be breathing/handling, including WD40. My appliqués come off easily, as the glue is drying out.
If the tub is porcelain, do as above and use a razor blade and then Softscrub or Comet or some other cleanser to remove the black marks that will ensue. It's possible that a sponge with a scrubbing pad and some baking soda would do it.
There is also something called Goop that removes any kind of sticker and is really nice to have for other adhesive removals. Not sure about any of this if your tub is vinyl. I'd look for the goop stuff and see what it says.
Best, Karen
This answer is like 16 years late, but the razor blade and acetone worked like charms!
I tried vinegar, no good. I tried straight Acetone, no good. Then I used the wife's hair dryer on high air and hot temp and they pealed right off.
tried this did not work ,also used goo gone and painters paint remover nothing worked now what
Help!! I am trying to remove the non slip bathroom decals. With using WD 40 and vinegar the decal can be pealed up.
I tried the hot vinegar, it did not work on very old stickers. still looking for a solution.
We are actually trying this right now and softscrub nor comet are working, nor is magic erasers, goo gone of anykind.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
We moved into a condo and find we cannot clean off those sticky slip proof decals that were put on the bottom of the tub. They all have turned a dark grey and are stuck fast to the tub. Any ideas?
By msb
First remove the decal with a putty knife (something that can help pry up the decal). If it is really bad shape (crumbling or falling apart), soak with baking soda mixed with water. Make a paste, and leave it on over night. This should loosen it up.
Didn't like the look of ours after only a year with a new bath tub. We tried bleaching but that didn't really make it bright again. I've been buying those pretty clear bath mats that look like stone, very decorative and it covers it up and looks clean. I change them quite often but it's worth it to look clean and fresh.
I would try GooGone or Ungu adhesive remover products. I found GooGone at my local dollar store.
I just used a scraper followed by Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It was about 15 minutes of work. All done.
Is it possible the treads were actually part of the older tub and are made in the tub? I can't get it to budge
We purchased a nice older condo in Florida. Reno won't happen for awhile. Until we can do the bathroom I'd like to get rid of those stick on non slip "flowers" in the bottom of the tub that the former owner placed. There is no way can I get them off. Anyone know how to remove them without marking the tub up?
By Darlene Johnson from Marco Island, FL
Several things come to mind; apply heat with a hair dryer and see if that loosens the adhesive. Another idea is to try scraping them off with a single edge razor blade. Or try saturating one with GooGone, then try to loosen the sticker with an old credit card.
Be warned: any of these may leave you with more of a mess than you started with. You just might be better off leaving the bathtub alone. It doesn't look that bad from your photo.
I always use WD40 to remove labels and it does not leave marks. Makes it all go away. Just spray as far under the decals as u can and work slowly with a razor blade once the decals are off spray the whole area with the WD40 and keep wiping it until all the sticky is off it really does work. I use it for labels on glass windows and jars.
I had them on my tub but after a few baths with bath oil they came loose enough for me to just pull them up.
If you decide to use some type of scraper, be sure to use a liquid with it to keep the scraper from scratching the tub. (Source CleanTeam) A cleaner like dish liquid is a good lubricant for this purpose.
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