What really is the fastest/easiest way to clean a bathtub?

I use my angle grinder with a buffing pad on it and Ajax scouring powder. However I was just told baking powder would do as good a job and is greener but I have no personal experience on that.

Oh, I know you don’t mean this, but I just can’t resist – tell your housekeeper or your grandson you want it done now.

I already regret making this a general instead of a social question.

¼ stick of C4, 100 yards of det cord and a blasting cap. Place the new tub/shower unit in the hole created.

Actually I use one of the automatic tub/shower cleaners since I moved into the new house. Run it after every shower and the shower keeps itself clean.

How do the automatic cleaners work, @WestRiverrat ??

I have a newish tub/bathroom so I use the Scubbing Bubbles spray foam and a wash cloth. I don’t want to scratch my tub. Once a month I fill the tub halfway up with water and pour bleach in and let sit for about an hour.

The one I have runs on batteries, it sprays a cleaning solution on the walls/floor of the shower that removes the dirt and soap scum. The cleaning solution comes in disposable bottles that snap into place on the applicator.

If your problem is soap scum a green scrubber on a dry tub/shower works great.

@WestRiverrat I just watched a vid on it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-7HZwirgww

I don’t get it.. it just sprays a bunch of stuff and you don’t have to wash it down the drain?

@ninjacolin that is correct.

does it irritate the skin on your feet?

Not that I have noticed, but I usually run the shower a few minutes to get the warm water flowing before I step into the shower. That probably rinses any residual cleaner away. And I go barefoot a lot in the summer so I have fairly thick callouses on my soles.

Do you ever take your socks off? like.. when was the last time you saw your feet?

I use Comet, a wash cloth and get on my hands and knees. If there are any spots that are hard to remove, I use the Magic Eraser.

I have an older, porcelain/enamel tub, but if my tub was one of today’s plastic tubs, I would use SoftScrub or Scrubbing Bubbles.

I bought scrubbing bubbles spray just now and was pleased. Spray spray spray, wait wait wait, wipe wipe wipe.. little to no scrubbing. rinse! done. :)

@chyna ;)

Scrub free (not to be confused with soft scrub) is very effective. Spray it, let it sit for 3 minutes, and wipe clean. But, I see you are happy with your scrubbing bubbles. I also like Clorox Greenworks bathroom cleaner, and I guess it is supposed to be better for the environment and safer.

My nearly 100 year old clawfoot tub resists any and all efforts to get it clean. Nothing works. One of these days, I’ll probably have it resurfaced. Sigh.

@augustlan Really? Even lemon rub or vinegar rinse?

I’m not kidding @auggie, the angle grinder works a treat!

I use soft scrub without bleach, and one of those sponges with white scotch-brite on it. Baking soda does work, too, really almost as well. @augustlan if the finish is actually worn off, it can be clean and just never look clean.

Another liquid cleanser fan here. It won’t scratch or wear away the surface. A soft sponge is used for the same reason. The key is to do it on a regular basis so there isn’t an opportunity for build-up or mold.

@augustlan: What @ccrow states about your tub is true. There are tubs made out of metal with an enamel finish. Repeated use with a harsh scrubbing agent will eventually wear away the enamel finish, giving the tub surface a dark, dingy color where the metal is exposed.

On the other hand, if the bottom of the tub had a non-slip surface applied at the time of manufacturing, usually in the form of a bunch of coin-sized dots, it could be a cleanliness challenge. The way to tell if it is stained (cleanliness) or discolored (condition) is to feel the tub bottom.

If the applied non-slip surface can still be felt, it is a cleanliness issue. We (hotel inspectors) found that a cleaning product like 409 Orange and a Magic Eraser remove the scum build-up in the crevices. We tried this in several hotels, and it made the tubs look brand new. (I wish I had kept the photos.) If the tub bottom feels smooth, then the non-slip surface has worn away.

Personally, I don’t recommend having the tub resurfaced. After witnessing many hotel tubs that have been resurfaced in various ways, I have yet to see one that doesn’t look odd and holds up. In my book, the charm of a claw-foot tub trumps the dingy appearance.

@Pied_Pfeffer Are the hotel tubs resurfaced with porcelain? I am assuming that is what @augustlan‘s tub is? I don’t know much about those tubs. I have never had my tub completely resurfaced, but I have had several tubs repaired, and the porcelain fix is perfect.

I use some pretty harsh chemicals and a scrub brush. I know everyone recommends baking soda/powder for cleaning, but it’s only good at rising cakes for me. :/

I would love to own a slightly dingy clawfoot tub!!!!

@JLeslie Some hotel tubs have been refinished with porcelain. In these cases, they hold up better than other options, but they have a tendency to look like they have been resurfaced, as well as chip easily.

Clorox soft scrub and one of those sponges with a scrubby side. It gets the greasy black stuff off from my son, the auto mechanic, so would probably get normal stuff off even easier.

All of use who use soft scrub, I just wanted to point out that takes scrubbing. The other chemical like scrub free you just wipe everything away. Possibly those chemicals are worse for you? I only use them once a month, and am exposed to the chemicals for a few minutes. I only have two people in the house though, so I only do big cleans like that once a month. I also spray some tilex once a month, not on the same day, but that is not scrubbing either. Just spray, wait, and rinse.

@JLeslie I have tried scrub free, and it doesn’t work on black grease from working on cars. Since I have to scrub anyway, the soft scrub at least has a little abrasive properties.

I haven’t tried the scrub free on my own tub, though, which only has some soap build-up. I will have to try it.

@Skaggfacemutt Oh, black grease. I can see how it probably does not work on that. Some of it has to do with what “dirt” people are cleaning of course.

We do what @WestRiverrat does. I rarely have to clean the tub or shower. Once a month I just do a very quick wipe down of the corners to make certain I’ve gotten any lint.

After each & every use, we use our shower squeegee, then spray down thoroughly with shower spray.

@ninjacolin You can just spray down the shower with plain white vinegar or rubbing alcohol. I recommend using a natural cleaner for this purpose, or finding a recipe online for a daily shower spray (there are hundreds on any search).

My fav is to take a good spray bottle add in a cap of a fav Mrs. Meyers cleaner, rubbing alcohol, water and peroxide. Once in a while instead of the Mrs. Meyers I’ll add in tea tree oil or another essential oil (lemongrass or eucalyptus smell great).

Anywho, besides keeping your shower clean, your bathroom will always smell fresh.

If you prefer store bought, you can get shower spray at the dollar store.

@SpatzieLover I have a shower squeegee too that I use after every shower. My brother had remodeled my entire bathroom in 2007 and told me the other day that it still looks brand new.

I squeegee also.

It’s amazing how one tiny habit can alter your cleaning routine @chyna, isn’t it? I remember scrubbing the tub once a week trying to get off the lime on the tiles and the soap scum. :)Now I smile as I wipe. Hooray! for yours looking brand new. Ours was probably done in the late 80s by the past owners of our home…I need it to look good for a few more years

@all who inquired: My claw foot tub is cast iron (I think) with porcelain over top. We also have the hardest water known to man (though we installed a water softener a few years ago, there wasn’t one for the first 80 or 90 years, so… It is clean, it just won’t ever look clean. Maybe @rooeytoo‘s grinder tip would work, though.

@augustlan CLR seems to work best on hardwater stains, but it smells god awful to me, I hate it. I am sure you have tried it. If you have actual scaly stuff left behind, I get this now in my toilets, a pumice stone can help remove it. I have tried CLR in my toilets and it doesn’t work, no chemical ever has. If it is rustcolor stains there is a chemical we use on the exterior of houses in FL, because the ground water leaves orangeish stains from the sprinkler systems, and it works like magic.

@JLeslie Yeah, I’ve tried CLR and all the other ‘miracle’ cleaners, but nothing touches it. Meh.

I use a product that is a combination of an active enzyme and crushed pumice stone. It works beautifully.