How to get a porcelain tub clean without scratching it?

Full-strength CHEAP shampoo.

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Not sure if Scrubbing Bubbles can be used on a porcelain tub or not, but this trick works AMAZING on my tub and shower floor:

Spray Scrubbing Bubbles over the entire tub. Leave this on for about 3-5 minutes, then pour boiling water in on top of it. Get a mop that has little bristles on one side, and you can gently scrub the tub without breaking your back. It's VERY simple and the only thing that works in my tubs/showers.

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Kaboom! And a mr clean white magic eraser! I cleaned ours the other day with it and couldn't believe how easily the scummy junk came off! I sprayed all over with kaboom and let it sit a while then came back later sprayed again and wiped with eraser. I'll never use anything else again!!

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I had the same exact problem.....I found the Mr.Clean eraser did the trick.

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Use IronOut. It works on every stain. You can find it at Walmart

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R.,
Two cleaning products that I love are Softscrub and Mr. Cleans Magic Eraser. I highly reccommend those!! Good luck, V.

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My favorite product is Bon Ami. It comes in a container like Comet, and is a powder, but it is non abraisive. I use it for my porcelin and corian.

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try the "magic" sponge from Mr. Clean - works very nicely in our new home and doesn't leave scratches

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try Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Another thing that might help is rubbing compound (in the auto department) and car wax. L.

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Hi - I've never owned a porcelain tub, but have had my share of porcelain sinks. The thing that worked best for me is baking soda. Make a thick paste with baking soda and water and scrub away - it doesn't scratch, and it gets rid of stains. Rinse it well, though, it can leave a powdery film if you don't get it all off. For really bad stains, I've also used a bleach/water solution. Again, rinse it well, as the bleach can make the surface really slippery. Good luck!

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I don't have any advice on cleaners, but I would like to remind you and everyone that is uing mix and match with the cleaners can result from deadly fumes. You should always use one cleaner, rinse then another. Unless there are alot of fumes, then it is always good to air out the room in between.

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R.,
We have a very old (circa 1930?) porcelain tub. I, too, tried everything from gentle to strong. We finally got ours refinished and it looks BEAUTIFUL!!!

With the refab came instructions that may help you:

Cleaners to use:
Liquid Comet
Fiber Clean*
K7 Multi-purpose cleaner*
Soft Scrub
Lysol Tub Cleaner
Ivory dishwashing liquid
Bon Ami
Dow Tub Cleaner
*available from Carolina Tub and Tile

Do NOT use abrasive cleaners or:
Fantastic
409
Bleach
Shower Power
Tilex
Scrub Free
Ajax
Acid Based Cleaner
Tough Act
X-14
Comet

Use cleaners sparingly and wipe dry after use.
Do not use dyes for hair or clothes

Carolina Tub and Tile Refinishers ###-###-####

Hope that helps,

H.

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I first use barkeepers friend it is in a gold cardboard bottle similiar to the comet bottle and I finish with a bleach cleaning spray. I used to use fantastic but have found the great value wal-mart brand works just as good. My tub is always very sparkly, shiny and disinfected. Trust me it works.

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Hello!!
You will need a cleaner called *Bartender's best friend* also known as comet, ajax....but it needs to NOT be the *bath cleaner*...our parents used to use a powder form...tall bottle lots of holes in the top & you shake it out....any how, I have a porcelain tub & my mom reminded me of this cleaner....does not scratch, wet a sponge, a bit of elbow grease & you have a beautiful tub...great on corian kitchen countertops also~!!!!
Have a great day!!

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Have you tried the Mr Clean sponges...you know the ones you can use on walls and marker and such. The white ones?
I know that has worked for me before.
J.

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you can use Soft Scrub or comet, use a Mr Clean eraser as your sponge, it is soft and whatever it is made of gets off most anything!

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Mr Clean Magic eraser cleans everything. Cheap & easy.

P

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Mr. Clean magic erasers are awesome at cleaning just about everything. They are almost like a sponge and shouldn't scratch. My husband is a mechanic and I use these on almost every surface in our house (including the tub!), hasn't stripped/scratched anything yet. Hope this helps.

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Sodium bicarbonate powder and vinegar with a mild scrubber

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A magic eraser works wonders on soap scum. I love those things. They are a miracle cleaner. Took permanent marker off the wall & furniture too!

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If it's old, the surface might already be compromised. If it's new, vinegar and/or soda (as a scouring powder) may help cut soap scum. I don't think everyone receives the same set of questions each day, but I saw a question on here a couple days ago about cleaning ceramic bath tile. There were SEVERAL responses, so you might be able to get into the 'archives' and look it up.

Hope this helps!

1 mom found this helpful

We don't have a porcelain tub, so I've not used this myself, but read about it as a "tightwad tip" -- sprinkle tub surface with cream of tartar, and then use a cut lemon on it. I'd google for more info, if I were you (to at least try to figure out how many lemons you'd need to buy!) :-) but that's an idea.

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Try "Bar Keepers Friend" cleanser. It's a bit like Comet but is milder and really works. I use it on my porcelain sink all the time. Also, it's under $2!! Can't beat it!

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try a mixture of 1/2 cup of baking soda and add enough liquid soap to make the texture like frosting.

Scoop onto a sponge and wash surface.

I've been discovering the wonderous powers of baking soda and vinegar. Started in an effort to rid our house of chemicals and I'm finding that it works much better too...ie. the grout that I've been trying every grout cleaner and bleach to get white for 7 years.....came clean with just baking soda and water. :)

C.

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Hands down--Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. They really do work like magic!!!

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R., Try the new Eraser Pads they have on the market. I love them and they seem to work really well on porcelain. L.

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I cleaned our sink the other day with soft scrub with bleach alternative spray and it was amazing how bright it got the sink. Just another idea to add to those already posted! :o)

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baking soda is a very mild abrasive and does wonders on porcelain. You can mix it with dish detergent to speed the cleaning, but it does a wonderful job on its own.

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Try this.
http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/mod02/01500203.html
Materials from COoperative Extension are always reliable and research-based.

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There are some products on the market that are designed specifically for cleaning porcelain but they tend to be general cleaners and more costly than necessary.

Is there a specific stain you are trying to get rid of or is it just a buildup of body oils and soap film?

Scouring powders are abrasive and will pit the porcelain, creating more tiny pockets into which dirt can linger, making it progressively more difficult to clean each time you use it. Most spray ons, while they are not abrasive like scouring powder, tend to be less effective. The two products I prefer, depending upon the problem are CLR, if it is a rusty, water deposit, mineral stain like you would find near the tub faucet; and Soft Scrub Gel. The Soft Scrub is absolutely my favorite cleaning product all around the house. It does have bleach in it so you want to be careful you don't spill it on clothing or other non-color safe products. But it is a gel and is fairly thick and so it doesn't drip too easily. I use it on ceramic tubs, sinks (both bath and kitchen), shower enclosures, glass top kitchen stove, kitchen appliances, and even use it when mopping the kitchen floor. It is a positively no-scrub cleaner for getting the mold and mildew out of tile grout.

It's also superb for cleaning white athletic shoes and the soles of any shoes with a light-colored sole ridge. Just dilute Soft Scrub Gel with a little bit of water to make it easier to work with. Rub it on the shoes. Wipe them clean and set them in the sun to dry. (Don't put any shoe with rubber on it in a dryer. This will cause the rubberized parts to rot thus shortening the life of the shoes. (If you have canvas shoes, after you clean them with Soft Scrub, rub them down with a thick salt+water solution, rinse them off, and set them out in the sun. They will dry bright white!))

Soft Scrub is also an ideal carry along in your purse. Find a small squeeze top bottle at the pharmacy or grocery store, preferably the kind with a small, snug, flip-top nozzle. Pour some of the Soft Scrub Gel into the bottle and tuck it into your purse for that impending disaster when you wear white and ... eat spaghetti at lunch?

(NOTE: I do not work for the manufacturer of Soft Scrub. I just think it's the best product I've used for cleaning purposes in a long time. I even use it when cleaning the outdoor grill!)

If the Soft Scrub, or CLR if it's rust stains, doesn't do the job for you, you may have to go for a high-priced alternative.

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If you can find it, CLR advanced (yellow container) sometimes works miracles (I have porcelain tubs that are really in need of refinishing). You could also try gelgloss (in a pink metal container I think) but be aware it may leave the surface a little slick. Another thing that I just happenned upon was an off brand baby shampoo...it spilled in the tub and everywhere it spilled was super clean after i cleaned it up (don't know how long it sat, though...). I tried to recreate, but couldn't get it to work that well again! Good luck...

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I've not had a porcelain tub but I'm a chemistry nerd and like watching things go boom :) Something fun to try that works well in other areas of my house (but doesnt smell great) is cleaning with baking soda and a bit of water (just to get it pasty) then once it's scrubbed in, pour white vinegar on it.....tends to bubble out grease and other various scummy things on my sinks....then I like to rub the areas down with a lemon for the smell and bleaching properties. I just wouldn't bathe in it immediately afterwards....I'd let someone shower in it first then commence with the bathing....

Have you tried seventh generation products? We like those, but again I don't know how that'd do on porcelain...

Good luck!

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Sorry that I do not have any suggestions, but I do have to say I am so excited about finding this post. Our tub is so old that we really need to replace it. But, money is tight at the moment.
I have used everything from bleach to comet and CLR. Nothing has worked. Our tub is really bad as far as calcium and rust. Not much of a problem with scum. After reading the responses, I put my computer down and went to the cleaning closet and got the Magic Eraser out and thought why not give it a try.

OMG!! It took stains off that I never dreamed would come off. This is truely an amazing thing. I didn't finish the whole tub. I will do it in a few minutes... LOL I am going to take a picture of it in a minute and then take another picture when I finish it. I can't wait to see the results..... WOW!! Thanks to all that suggested this wonderful product. I never thought I would use these up, I have about 50 of these erasers that I used a coupon for and got on sale. Almost free!!!

i have the same kind of tubs and i LOVE the magic erasers and soft scrub bleach!!!! mmmm sparkly!!!
happy cleaning

I have found Mr Clean Magic Erasers to work wonders! I use them for almost all my household cleaning.
Hope this helps!