How do you get rust and other stains out of a bathtub without scratching the tub?
By Jenna from Salem, OR
I read about using "The Works" toilet bowl cleaner to remove rust from the tub and tried it. OMG..It works for real!!!! I paid $1.79 from Home Depot, squirted it all over (Use Gloves cuz it will burn your skin) took a sponge, wiped it all over and just left it soaking with the drain closed for about 1 hour. I'm so happy!!! From Nashville,Tn.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
How do I remove rust stains from a bathtub?
By Joseph Di T.
I tried 'nana6x's suggestion. It worked awesome! 'The Works' is at dollar tree and worked like a charm.
I was surprised at how well The Works works. Rust on my fiberglass tub just kinda disolved away after 10 minutes. I was also surprised at how useless CLR and bakingsoda/vinegar were.
I too use The works it does good on my toilet., but the tub is harder. It turns the real dark rust to a orange. I had to use pumice stone as the scrubber. I am disabled and have to pay someone to do it.
The WORKS! Rust will honestly disappear almost instantly. Warning do not mix with bleach! The chemical reaction is toxic. Learned the hard way
Plastic bottles of Clorox that were left in a porcelain tub for a long period left rust stains in the tub. Why?
By Jarvi from Minneapolis, MN
Most likely the bleach caused the stains. Many times when the product, in this case bleach, is poured from the bottle there is a residue of bleach that will run down the outside of the bottle and collect on the bottom of the bottle. If the bottle is not wiped carefully the bleach will settle under the bottle and cause staining when placed on a surface.
Saturate the stains with hydrogen peroxide. Leave it on the stains, until the stains disappear, then rinse well with plain water.
Chlorine, the active chemical in bleach, is an oxidizer. Rust is oxidation. Chlorine causes rust to appear much faster than mere water based moisture.
I have found the best thing is to use a pumice stone for cleaning the bathtub. This works well and is very inexpensive.
How do I remove rust from my cast iron tub?
By Patricia D.
Look for a product called "naval jelly' (navy uses it). Just follow the directions on the bottle.
Rust-X is a product that gets good reviews.
How do you clean rust from a porcelain bathtub?
By Anastasia from Berkeley
This came up just a few days ago. I recommended Bar Keeper's Friend:
www.thriftyfun.com/
It worked well for my porcelain sink!
I have a white porcelain bathtub that was heavily stained with rust when rusty drain clearing cable was left spread in tub. Sprayed the tub, sprinkled Bar Keepers Friend on stain. Wet cloth and lightly scrubbed the tub. The rust disappeared 90% first application. Repeated day latter only traces of faint rust shows I am not sure how many times I can use BKF, their web site says remove after one minute.
By UncleDaveM
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I have rust stains on an old fiberglass tub. What type of vinegar do I use to remove the stains? Apple cider or white vinegar?