Scrubbing is painful. I know it’s not completely avoidable but what do you like for cleaning acrylic tubs and surrounds? My water isn’t very hard but plenty of dirt and soap scum.

The foaming cleaner, like scrubbing bubbles, is the easiest. But good old comet cleanser gets it off.

buy a pump sprayer, about 10-15 dollars at the depot, mix 50/50 tap water and white vinnegar and squeeze some dish soap in it.

Spray the shower walls, glass, seams, tiles, everything. Then do that every 10 or so minutes. Don't allow it to dry. come back 2 hours later and the majority of soap scum and its discolorization will wipe off much easier requiring little scrubbing.

Comet bathroom cleaner. About the best stuff there is. If that fails, Barkeepers Friend.

Mr. V-Tail is on the right track...



They come to my house once monthly to knock out "the big stuff", like the bathtub/shower, mopping, etc.

If you must do it yourself, I used to spray everything down with Clean Shower after every shower; made scrubbing day a little more effortless. There are several other similar products on the market now. OxiClean is one.

Another tip...I've been in my house since 2008. From day one, I have squeegeed the shower stall glass door after every shower. That, along with the monthly "deep clean" Molly Maid performs, there is zero soap scum or cloudiness on the glass. I think it comes down to "preventive maintenance" between bath/shower usage.

When I married my current wife about 4 years ago and we were setting up house, I asked her which cleaning products she preferred.

Her answer: "Whatever the housekeepers bring with them".

Scrubbing Bubbles works well on tubs/showers with buildup.

But you can do easy things that will cut down on the need to seriously scrub much at all.

Using a product like Rain-X or car wax on glass doors and surrounds can prevent water/soap buildup on those.

Using a squeegee on the walls/floors immediately after you're done, to mostly dry/remove the lingering water on surfaces, also cuts down on water/soap buildup and mildew growth.

Running the exhaust fan the entire time you're in the shower, plus another ~10 minutes afterwards, further helps what little moisture remains on the surfaces to dry quickly.

Finally, keep a scrub brush in the shower/tub. Each day during your shower, give one surface (one of the three/four walls or the floor) a quick once-over scrub with the brush, no cleaning product necessary. Doing this, the entire thing is getting a quick scrub over the course of every 4-5 days. This prevents you from having to sit there and clean an entire tub/shower with weeks of heavy build-up all at once. And it only adds another minute or so to your existing shower, while you're already in there.

Using these three approaches, plus the fact that my walk-in shower is tiled and has mildew-proof (or at least heavily resistant) grout, and I haven't had to heavily scrub my shower or use hardcore cleaning products in the 3.5 years I've lived here. Worked similarly at my last house for over a decade.

After cleaning, I believe there’s a wax like spray that will help it shed water. A water softener will also help.

After I got our shower scrubbing bubbles/vinegar-dawn-water/stiff bristle brush clean, we stopped using bar soap. MUCH better

Heard a tip of coating the tub with dishwashing soap e.g., Dawn, over night or as early as convenient, and the scrubbing will be quick and easy. Worked for me.

Need spray bottle

2 tsp baking soda
8 oz white vinegar
10 oz water
4 oz lemon juice
2 oz liquid soap

Mix first two ingredients first, let fizzle go down. Mix in the rest. Funnel into spray bottle

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sse,

Works better if you let the scum build up a little.

(50/50 white vinegar & water with a shot of Dawn)

Scrubbing Bubbles works well. It does take time, but can be simply rinsed off with minimal scrubbing. To apply it more evenly I suggest using a brush to "paint" it on. I have also used Mr. Clean Magic Eraser pads, but they don't last long on heavy staining. And just plain Comet cleanser.

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I use my battery powered hand drill with "Drill Brush Power Scrubber" attached to the drill. And yes, I still enjoy watching Tool-Time!!!

They have different colors brushes for the different hardness of the bristles. They also have a list for what color/bristles work best for different types of material being cleaned.

The RPMs of my drill will out scrub anything I can do by hand. I always start with white, the softest brush then move up from there if I need to. I also keep the brushes I use on the toilet separate from all the others for peace of mind.

Cleaning by way of hand drill is also faster and more fun than hand scrubbing.

I would never use these brushes on my car or any other high-value paint finish! In my shower, tub, and toilet I do not get swirly marks that most automated car washes leave on car paint.

Again, use a battery-operated hand drill since you're going to be around water in the bathroom.

This Amazon link is to the product page for the brand I use...
https://www.amazon.com/stores/...97-b4d1-6cea3b8a652e

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Overly aggressive scrubbing causes microabrasions on acrylic or fiberglass tubs/surrounds, which are much softer than porcelain or ceramic.

Even more so with the use of abrasive cleaners, like the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, Barkeeper's Friend, or Comet.

Just because you can't see swirls or scratches doesn't mean they're not there.

These microabrasions then give the dirt, gunk, and mildew even more places to adhere and build up, necessitating even more aggressive cleaning more frequently, which then causes more buildup even faster. Rinse and repeat in a vicious cycle until you're left with no choice but to replace or resurface it.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Even more so with the use of abrasive cleaners, like the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, Barkeeper's Friend, or Comet.

Barkeeper's Friend is only mildly abrasive. It's mechanism of action is primarily oxalic acid. Used with a nonabrasive sponge and not overworking it (as it's not necessary to do so) is safe for acrylic, porcelain, and just about everything else.

The Comet bathroom cleaner that I referred to above is the spray on stuff and not the powdered stuff. It is a chemical reaction and not an abrasive action to removes the crud. Spray it on, wait 10 minutes, wipe it down with a sponge, and rinse. Easy-peasy and safe.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by erj_pilot:
Mr. V-Tail is on the right track...



Yup...This, we do twice a month.

Zep shower cleaner is my preferred

https://www.rustoleum.com/prod...s/rust-stain-remover

This is what you want, Whinks