How to remove stains that are black your fiberglass bath tub

Jeanne Huber — The Washington Post

Q. We discovered black stains when we t k up the rubber mat in my son’s fiberglass bathtub. Efforts to completely clean with mold and remover that is mildew Soft Scrub with bleach had no impact. The tub ended up being installed in 2005, but the stains were seen by us only recently. No dye has been utilized in it. How can the stains are removed by us?

A. Fiberglass tubs and shower-tub combinations are lightweight, helping to make them easy to install, and they’re often inexpensive. But the finish is vulnerable to scratching, breaking, and staining interracial people meet review. And, as you’ve discovered, stains aren’t very easy to eliminate.

Before you give up wanting to scrub away the stains, try the cleaning procedure house Depot recommends for tough stains on fiberglass Smear on a paste of baking soda and water, and cover that by having a towel wet in vinegar. Wait 60 minutes, then rub having a fabric or sponge. Rinse. Wipe again with a microfiber cloth that is clean.

If the spots stay (and there’s a chance that is g d will), one choice is to really have the tub refinished. Tub-refinishing companies make stained fiberglass tubs l k brand new by spraying them with an acrylic epoxy. Nationwide Refinishing in Virginia charges $425 for the bath tub alone or $995 for the shower and tub surround. The company can refinish that and the grout lines, t , using the same material if you have tile around the tub.

Having a professional refinish a tub costs about the same as purchasing a brand new one — or maybe more, if you base the cost of the brand new bath tub on a tight budget model. At Home Depot, for instance, a typical 60-inch-long drop-in tub starts at around $155 if you opt for an acrylic tub if you buy one with a porcelain enamel finish on steel or around $254. Nevertheless when you replace a bath tub, its expense is simply an element of the equation. Yourself, you will need to hire people to make the switch, including a plumber to do the connections unless you are handy enough to do the work. And it usually takes some work getting this new tub to fit correctly up against the tile or whatever is regarding the walls around the current tub. Offered these expenses, setting up a tub that is new makes more sense as part of your bathr m remodel than as being a stand-alone way to handle stains.

If refinishing is practical nevertheless the expense is t high, contemplate using a tub refinishing kit that is do-it-yourself. Rust-Oleum’s Tub & Tile Refinishing Kit costs $23.70 in the Home Depot. One kit must certanly be sufficient for the two recommended coats on a bathtub that is standard.

But will a DIY finish work? Residence Depot’s on the web listing includes reviews from about 1,300 clients, whom provided this finish a average score of four movie stars, with approximately half associated with reviewers offering it five stars. But at least 170 people assigned just one single star. They complained mostly that the finish bubbled up or didn’t stick well. A Rust-Oleum product-support agent, who provided their name only as Arthur, said that after issues occur, it’s often as the area wasn’t cleaned or scuff-sanded thoroughly beforehand, since the instructions specify, or because someone neglected to eliminate every one of the residue before using the new finish. Often individuals brush forward and backward t put or much on a coat that’s t dense, which can additionally keep the finish from curing properly, he stated. The heat and general moisture also matter.

Professional refinishers spray in the finish that is new that ought to create a sm th, even coating if done properly. Rust-Oleum advises using a brush to its finish or even a 1/4-inch nap roller, so g d painting techniques are expected to attain a sm th, even layer. The product-support professional advised beginning at a corner that is back working toward the leading in small sections, perhaps 2 feet by 2 feet. Bubbles may appear right after the final continues, nevertheless the finish is self-leveling, so they should disappear because the finish remedies. If the finish separates appropriate it, something went wrong with the preparation after you apply. Stop and figure that out before you coat the entire tub.

The DIY finish should last for at the least a long period, the Rust-Oleum representative stated. At that point, you can redo all of the planning steps and use a coat that is new two of finish, he stated.

If that appears like an excessive amount of work for the anticipated life associated with the finish, or if you don’t desire to tackle this job in the first destination, there’s something else you can try obtain a new pad for the bathtub fl ring and cover the stains. Away from sight, away from brain — until it is time to renovate.