If you own a fiberglass tub in your home, hotel, or business establishment, the last thing you want is a dirty and unhygienic tub. Fiberglass tubs have an unmatched aesthetic appeal in the bathroom. The textured bottom makes them less slippery and ultimately safer for users. This guide highlight some tips on how to clean fiberglass tub with textured bottom.
Textured bottoms may allow dirt and soap scum to cling and accumulate over time. Bacteria can also accumulate in the nooks and crannies of textured bottoms. Although fiberglass tubs are non-porous, you need to exercise caution when scrubbing and disinfecting them.
How to Clean Fiberglass Tub with Textured Bottom
Cleaning a fiberglass tub with a textured bottom is a fairly elaborate process. Here are the steps you must follow.
Step 1: Disintegrate the Grime
Begin by turning on your hot shower for approximately ten minutes. This will help disintegrate the soap scum deposits on your fiberglass tub.
Step 2: Employ Household Cleaners
Hot water cannot eliminate all the grime in your fiberglass tub. Household cleaners come in handy when you want to get rid of grime in the nooks and crannies of your tub’s textured bottom. It is worth noting that several varieties of household cleaners are available in the market.
If one does not work for you, you always try another one. You can also use a particular household cleaner multiple times for optimal results. Here are the types of household cleaning products you can deploy.
1. Baking Soda
Baking soda enjoys high popularity among homeowners because it is readily available in most households. The cleaning product is highly effective in disintegrating soap scum and dirt. Notably, baking soda also neutralizes odor, does not smell, and is safe to utilize.
Using baking soda to clean your textured fiberglass tub is a straightforward process. You can begin by adding water to the cleaning product to form a paste. The paste should have the right consistency to allow it to penetrate the crevices of the textured tub. Ensure it reaches all sections of the tub by applying it evenly. Leave it for roughly two hours to achieve optimal results.
Once the two hours have elapsed, you can rinse down the scum by turning on the tub’s water supply. Once you get rid of the paste, you will notice that your fiberglass tub has an exceptionally white consistency. Notably, baking soda helps eliminate any stains and discoloration on fiberglass surfaces.
2. White Vinegar
White vinegar remains a preferred household cleaning product for homeowners who want to get rid of unpleasant odors in their fiberglass tubs. Even though baking soda eliminates odors, it does not have its own smell. White vinegar eliminates terrible odors and has its fragrance. Before using it, you should remember to dilute white vinegar water down its distinct smell.
Begin by closing the fiberglass tub’s drain to prevent your white vinegar solution from flowing away. Spray the textured surface with the white vinegar solution using a spray container. Leave it for roughly 15 minutes to act on the grime.
Once the 15 minutes have elapsed, wipe the textured tub surface with a sponge. You can then rinse the tub by turning on its water supply. After this process, you will likely notice that your fiberglass tub has achieved its original white color.
You can also use baking soda in conjunction with white vinegar if you feel that one is not enough. Doing so requires you to add baking soda to an even solution of white vinegar. Once the mixture starts bubbling, allow the solution to fizzle for approximately five minutes before deploying it on your textured fiberglass tub.
3. Oven Cleaner
If you do not have access to baking soda or white vinegar, oven cleaner is a perfect choice for cleaning your fiberglass tub with a textured bottom. Oven cleaner is a superbly powerful stain remover since it does not necessitate any scrubbing. All you have to do is pour it on the textured bottom and leave it for one hour.
Once the one hour has elapsed, you can use a sponge to clean it off. After that, rinse your fiberglass tub by turning on its water supply. Remember to open the bathroom door and windows when using oven cleaner because it has dangerous fumes. You can opt for a fumeless oven cleaner if your bathroom is not well ventilated.
Step 3: Scrubbing
Using household cleaning products exclusively might not get the job done. It would be best to do a little scrubbing to get the job done. A soft bristle brush is the best tool for scrubbing your textured fiberglass tub.
You should avoid using a rough brush at all costs. While a rough brush might remove the grime on your textured fiberglass tub faster, it can also damage it. The tough bristles on rough brushes can quickly destroy the fragile protective layer on textured fiberglass tubs.
You must know that abrasive household cleaning products can also damage textured bottoms on fiberglass tubs. You should avoid deploying abrasive household cleaning products in conjunction with rough brushes. It would be best to wait for non-abrasive cleaning products to disintegrate the grime on your tub.
Here is a list of scrubbers you can utilize in scrubbing your textured fiberglass tub.
1. Toilet Brush
A toilet brush is ideal for scrubbing your fiberglass tub because its bristle can reach the nooks and crannies of the textured bottom. Keep in mind that the bristles of the toilet brush should be soft enough to clean the grime without damaging the tub’s protective layer. You can use a toilet brush with a household cleaning product for optimal results.
2. Hand Brooms
Hand brooms allow you to eliminate soap scum from your textured fiberglass tub. The handheld scrubbers are non-abrasive and highly effective. The best hand broom for cleaning textured bottoms is one with short bristles. Notably, longer bristles tend to bend during scrubbing, consequently affecting the hand broom’s efficacy.
3. Foam Sponge
Foam sponges are great for cleaning a fiberglass tub with a textured bottom. However, you cannot use them exclusively. It would be best to use foam sponges in conjunction with your household cleaning product of choice. The sponges ordinarily release the cleaning solution as you scrub your fiberglass tub.
You should use just the correct pressure to press down the foam sponge on the textured fiberglass surface. Remember that the foam sponge might wear away after a couple of scrubs, courtesy of the textured surface. You might need to replace the sponge halfway through the cleaning process.
4. Microfiber Cloths
Microfiber cloths are excellent scrubbers for cleaning a fiberglass tub with a textured bottom. Like foam sponges, you should use microfiber cloths in concert with baking soda or white vinegar to restore your fiberglass tub to its original white color. Gently move the microfiber cloth from side to side while applying minimal pressure to clean a textured fiberglass surface.
Step 4: Thorough Rinsing
After scrubbing your fiberglass tub with any of the scrubbers mentioned above, you should then rinse it out meticulously. Doing so requires turning on the tub’s water supply and ensuring that the water reaches all the scrubbed surfaces. You must know that household cleaning products should not remain on the tub’s surface for too long. Notably, the products can eat away the tub’s glossy finish when left for too long.
Ideally, you should use hot water to rinse your tub. You may turn on your hot water shower to wash away the grime. Keep the shower or water supply on until no bubbles are left on the tub outlet.
You can touch the fiberglass surface to establish whether all the grime and cleaning products have washed away. If the surface does not feel slick, no more rinsing is required. You may use a wet microfiber cloth to complete the rinsing exercise. You can repeat the process if you notice that the fiberglass surface has some persistent stains.
Step 5: Curtail Future Buildup
The last thing you want after cleaning your textured fiberglass tub is another buildup of grime, dirt, and soap scum. It would be best to keep the shower running for a few extra seconds after showering or using the bathtub. Doing so washes away the remaining foam and prevents soap scum from building up over time.
After every shower session, you can kick water around the fiberglass bathtub with your feet. Ensure that the water reaches all sections of the fiberglass surface to wash away all the foam. You can even scrub the textured bottom after every shower session. Doing so saves you the effort of scrubbing your tub after a significant grime buildup.
Bottom Line
As a homeowner, you always want to keep your fiberglass tub with a textured bottom sparkling clean. However, grime buildup can prevent you from achieving this objective. Cleaning your textured fiberglass tub is a pretty meticulous process that requires you to deploy household cleaning products and soft scrubbers.